Doc. 8689

3 April 2000

Progress Report of the Bureau of the Assembly

(28 January - 3 April 2000)

Rapporteur: Mr Lászlό SURJAN (Hungary, EPP/CD)

INTRODUCTION

1.       The Assembly held the First Part of its 2000 Ordinary Session from 24 to 28 January 2000. The Bureau met on 6 March 2000 in Paris and on 3 April 2000 in Strasbourg. The Standing Committee held no meeting.

Chapter I

FUNCTIONING OF THE ASSEMBLY

PREPARATION OF THE SECOND PART OF THE 2000 ORDINARY SESSION

2       On 6 March, the Bureau adopted the draft agenda and drew up the preliminary draft order of business for the second part of the 2000 Ordinary Session of the Assembly (3-7 April 2000).

3       On 3 April, it expressed itself in favour of holding

- a current affairs debate on the political situation in Austria,

- a debate under urgent procedure on marine and river pollution by hydrocarbons and dangerous substances.

CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEES

4.       On 6 March the Bureau approved changes in the membership of committees (Comm (2000) 4). It also authorised a derogation from the deadlines for the distribution of the report on the conflict in Chechnya.

RULES OF PROCEDURE

5.       On 6 March, the Bureau asked the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Immunities to set up a working group to consider the proposals in document AS/Bur (2000) 01 revised concerning the modification of the official report of Assembly sittings and to report back to the Bureau.

MONITORING PROCEDURE

6.       On 6 March, on the basis of proposals from the Monitoring Committee and a memorandum by the Secretary General of the Assembly, the Bureau agreed on a certain methodology for post monitoring dialogue with Member States concerned.

7.       On 3 April, the Bureau, following an application from the Monitoring Committee, expressed itself against initiating a monitoring procedure for Austria.

REFERENCES AND TRANSMISSIONS TO COMMITTEES

8.       On 6 March, the Bureau decided to consult the Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities on the opportunity to set up an ad hoc Committee of the Assembly to combat marine pollution by hydrocarbons (Doc. 8610).

9.       It also proposed, subject to ratification by the Assembly, the following references or transmissions to committees:

.        Motion for a recommendation on introduction of a label for products derived from hill farming (Doc.8621) to the Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Food, for report to the Standing Committee;

.        Motion for a resolution on European architecture of the 21st century (Doc 8639) to the Political Affairs Committee;

.       Motion for a resolution on the need for a better functioning World Trade Organisation and for a greater parliamentary involvement in the organisation’s work (Doc. 8641) to the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development;

.        Motion for a recommendation on maritime transport safety (Doc.8642) to the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development and, for opinion, to the Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities;

.        Motion for a recommendation on democratic developments in Iran (Doc. 8643): transmission to the Political Affairs Committee for information;

.        Motion for a recommendation on freedom of movement in Europe (Doc. 8644) to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights;

.        Motion for a recommendation on improving the social status and role of volunteers as a contribution by the Assembly to the International Year of Volunteers 2001 (Doc. 8645) to the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, for report to the Standing Committee;

.        Motion for a recommendation on prohibition of growth hormones in meat (Doc.8646) to the Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Food;

.       Motion for a recommendation on freedom of movement for the residents of Latvia and Estonia (Doc. 8647) to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights;

.        Motion for a resolution on sporting rights of the Turkish Cypriot people (Doc.8648) to the Committee on Culture and Education for information;

.       Motion for a resolution on elimination of religious discrimination against Jehova’s Witnesses (Doc.8649): transmission to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for information.

MEETINGS ELSEWHERE THAN IN STRASBOURG OR PARIS AND AUTHORISATION FOR MEMBERS' OFFICIAL VISITS

Meetings elsewhere than in Strasbourg and Paris:

10.       On 6 March, the Bureau authorised the following meetings elsewhere than in Strasbourg or Paris:

      .        Committee on Culture and Education in Brussels on 23 March 2000;

.        Ad hoc Committee of Chairmen of Political Groups in Bucharest in connection with the Ninth Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (6 - 10 July 2000);

.        Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights in Limassol (Cyprus) on 22 and 23 May 2000;

       .        Committee on Science and Technology in Brussels on 22 March 2000;

.        Committee on Science and Technology in Gdansk (Poland) from 9 - 11 October 2000;

.        Ad hoc Committee of Chairmen of Political Groups in Mexico from 17 - 23 April 2000.

Official journeys by members of the Assembly

11.       On 6 March, the Bureau appointed Assembly representatives for the following activities :

.        Mr Gjellerod (SOC, Denmark) to participate in the OSCE parliamentary seminar "New risks and challenges: Minorities in the 21st Century" (Antalya, Turkey, 12-13 April 2000);

.       Mrs Roudy (SOC, France) to participate in the tripartite session on "Democracy through partnership between men and women" to be organised in New York on 6 June 2000 by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in connection with the follow-up to the 4th World Conference of the United Nations on Women (Beijing, 1995);

.        Mrs Stepova (SOC, Czech Republic) to visit the WTO headquarters in Madrid on 28 – 29 March 2000.

Chapter II

RELATIONS WITH THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

AND OTHER BODIES OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

JOINT COMMITTEE MEETING

12.       On 6 March, the Bureau agreed to propose to the Committee of Ministers the following items for the meeting of the Joint Committee on 6 April 2000: The state of the accession process for the applicant States and the situation in Chechnya.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR THE PREVENTION OF TORTURE AND INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT

13.       On 6 March, the Bureau considered the list of candidates to the European Committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CPT) in respect of Malta and decided to forward the candidatures to the Committee of Ministers in the order proposed by the parliamentary delegation.

Chapter III

EXTERNAL RELATIONS AND POLITICAL MATTERS

AUSTRIA

14.       At its meeting on 6 March, the Bureau held an exchange of views on "the Council of Europe and the political situation in Austria".

15.       On 3 April, the Bureau continued the discussion (see Chapter I above).

RELATIONS WITH THE PARLIAMENTS OF NON MEMBER STATES

16.       At the same meeting, the Bureau endorsed the conclusions of the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Immunities relating to the forms of the Assembly’s co-operation with the parliaments of non-member states and agreed to develop a model co-operation agreement for the parliaments of non-member States to be prepared, if appropriate, with the relevant Assembly Committees.

BELARUS

17.       On 6 March, the Bureau considered follow-up to Assembly Recommendation 1441 (2000) on the situation in Belarus, heard statements by MM Davis (SOC, United Kingdom) and Behrendt (SOC, Germany) on their participation in the tripartite joint mission to Minsk (1-4 March 2000) of the Parliamentary Assemblies of the Council of Europe and the OSCE and of the European Parliament and decided to continue this inter-parliamentary co-operation.

CHECHNYA

18.       On 6 March, the Bureau authorised the visit to Moscow and the Caucasus (8-13 March 2000) of the ad hoc Committee on follow-up to Recommendation 1444 (2000), discussed its terms of reference, appointed Lord Judd (SOC, UK) as its Chairman and empowered him to take any measure which would be deemed necessary on the spot concerning the implementation of the programme prepared by the Russian authorities. The following members of the Assembly were part of this delegation:

- Lord JUDD, (United Kingdom, SOC), Leader of the delegation and rapporteur for the Political Affairs Committee

- Mr Rudolf BINDIG, (Germany, SOC), Deputy Leader and rapporteur for the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and "Monitoring" Committee

-       Mr Tadeusz IWINSKI, (Poland, SOC), rapporteur for the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography

- Mr Doros CHRISTODOULIDES (Cyprus, UEL), Migration, Refugees and Demography

- Mrs Anneli JÄÄTTEENMÄKI (Finland, LDR), Legal Affairs and Human Rights

-       Mr Reginald MOREELS (Belgium, EPP/CD), "Monitoring"

- Mrs Lára Margrét RAGNARSDOTTIR (Iceland, EDG), Political Affairs

- Mrs Hanne SEVERINSEN (Denmark, LDR), Political Affairs and "Monitoring"

-       Mr Juris SINKA (Latvia, EDG), "Monitoring".

19.       On 3 April, the Bureau heard a statement by Lord Judd (United Kingdom, SOC) on the results of this mission.

Chapter IV

OBSERVATION OF ELECTIONS

20.       On 6 March, the Bureau took note of and declassified the report of the ad hoc Committee on the presidential elections in Croatia (24 January and 7 February 2000) (see Doc. 8658)

21.       It also agreed to set up an ad hoc Committee to observe the presidential elections in Georgia (9 April 2000).

22.       On 3 April, the Bureau took note of and declassified the report of the ad hoc Committee on the presidential elections in Russia (26 March 2000) (see Doc. 8693).

Chapter V

BUDGET AND ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS

23.       On 6 March, the Bureau approved the composition of the Assembly’s delegation (the President, the Chairmen of the Political groups, the Chairman and the Rapporteur of the Committee on the Budget and the Secretary General of the Assembly) for the consultation meeting with the Committee of Ministers on the Budget for 2001 and agreed on the timetable for examining of budgetary questions (see AS/Bur (2000) 022).

Chapter VI

OFFICIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE PRESIDENT AND THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ASSEMBLY

A.        OFFICIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE PRESIDENT

Meeting with Mr Solana, High Representative of the European Union for the Common Foreign and Security Policy in Brussels on 15 February 2000

24.       During this meeting, the situation in Russia, in Ukraine and the proposal to introduce a monitoring procedure with respect to democracy in European Union member States were discussed. Mr Solana was invited to address the Assembly at one of the next part-sessions.

Official visit to Portugal (Lisbon 15-18 February)

25.       The President had talks with the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. He met the Vice-Presidents and the group leaders of the Portuguese parliament and the members of the Portuguese delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly.

Forum on " Decentralisation, Democracy and Stability in South-Eastern Europe" (Bucharest, 23-24 February 2000)

26.       The President attended this Forum which was the first major event organised by the Council of Europe as part of its contribution to the Stability Pact in the field of local democracy. The Forum provided the Council of Europe with an opportunity to present the Action Plan on local democracy and transfrontier cooperation which was submitted to Mr Hombach's Office and was forwarded to the Financing Conference in Brussels.

27.       During his stay in Bucharest, the President had contacts with the high Authorities of the country.

Latvia (7-10 November 2000)

28.       During his official visit, the President had talks with the Speaker of the Parliament, the President of Latvia, the Prime Minister and the State Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Ukraine

29.       On 6 March, the President of the Assembly and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe gave additional information to Bureau members on the organisation of the constitutional referendum on 16 April.

Italy (22-24 Mach 2000)

30.       The President's official visit took place in connection with Italy's forthcoming Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers. The President met the President of Italy, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, the State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Justice.

Mexico

31.       The President has received an invitation from the President of the Mexican Senate inviting a delegation of the Assembly to pay an official visit to Mexico from 17 to 23 April 2000. The Bureau agreed that this mission be entrusted to the ad hoc Committee of Chairmen of Political Groups.

B.       OFFICIAL ACTIVITIES OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE ASSEMBLY

32.       On 6 March, the Secretary General informed the Bureau of recent Assembly activities (Situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, visit by Mr de Puig to Bosnia and Herzegovina, accession of Monaco to the Council of Europe; fundamental rights; committee activities) (for details, see Document AS/Bur (2000) 015).

Chapter VII

OTHER BUSINESS

ELECTION OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

33.       On 3 April the Bureau took note of the calendar for the procedure regarding this election.

ELECTRONIC VOTE

34.       On 6 March, the Bureau took note of the necessary modifications to the procedure and practice due to the introduction of electronic voting in the Assembly as from the April 2000 part-session (see document AS/Bur (2000) 020 in Appendix).

CHANGE OF NAMES OF ASSEMBLY BODIES

35.       On 6 March, the Bureau agreed, subject to ratification by the Assembly, with the following changes of names:

- Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development to :"Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Food";

-       Ad hoc Committee of Chairmen of Political Groups to "Presidential Committee".

CASE "HAKKAR V. FRANCE"

36.       On 6 March, the Bureau took note of a letter of Mr Jurgens (SOC, Netherlands) to the President concerning the implementation by France of the decision of the former European Commission of Human Rights of 1995 and the Committee of Ministers of 1997 in the case of "Hakkar v. France" and invited the President to send a letter to the French Minister of Justice in this connection.

.

Appendix

Electronic vote

Modifications to the current Assembly procedure and practice

1.       With the adoption of new Rules of Procedure in November 1999, the Assembly finally approved the introduction of electronic voting for its sessions.

2.       The system of electronic voting in the Assembly will now become operational as from the April 2000 part-session. Subsequently several modifications to the current Assembly procedure and practice have to be foreseen:

a. Rule 39bis of the Rules of Procedure will enter into force and replace the current Rule 39.

b. Identification badges will be replaced by voting cards which will be simultaneously used as badges

and voting cards.

c. Distribution of badges/voting cards will be done by Protocol services of the Council of Europe, as

usual. In principle, this distribution will be organised via secretaries of national delegations. Members who do not have their badge (in case a badge has been lost or forgotten or when the Parliamentary Assembly data base does not contain Member’s photo) should present themselves at the Protocol desk at the main entrance of the Palais de l’Europe in order to receive their badge. Protocol staff, before delivering a new badge, will invite the Member to present his/her identification document.

d. Voting cards as distributed by the Protocol do not give an automatic right to vote. In order to have

such a right, the Member’s card has to be validated.

e. In principle all Representatives at the opening of the first sitting will have their cards validated, but

not Substitutes unless the Secretariat of the Assembly is properly informed about substitutions. Therefore secretaries of national delegations have to inform the Secretariat of the Assembly about all cases of substitution. If this is not done, Substitutes attending the sitting will be deprived of their voting rights.

f. Notice of substitutions has to be given at the latest one hour before the opening of the sitting

concerned. This notification including names of substitutes, names of representatives to be substituted and period of substitution has to be presented in writing to the Secretariat of the Assembly (Mrs S. Kssis - room No 1076).

g. When proper notification has been given, Substitutes will have their voting cards validated. At the

same time, cards of Representatives who are to be replaced by Substitutes will become invalid, preventing them from voting.

h. Members will continue to sign the register of attendance before entering the Chamber for a sitting

(rule 11.2.).

i. Only those members who are authorised – i.e. Representatives or duly designated Substitutes – can

speak in a debate The speakers’ list will be controlled accordingly.

Rule 39 bis (Replacing Rule 39 when the system of electronic voting enters into force)

Methods of voting

39.1. Only those Representatives or, in their absence, the Substitutes duly designated by the national

delegation, who have signed the register of attendance for a specific sitting, shall be entitled to vote.

39.2. The Assembly shall normally vote by using the electronic voting system.

39.3. The President may at any time decide that the Assembly shall vote by show of hands. If the result of the show of hands is not clear, the President may propose to the Assembly to vote by using the electronic voting system. A roll-call shall always take place by means of electronic voting except where the electronic voting system cannot be used for technical reasons.

39.4.       Only affirmative and negative votes shall count in calculating the number of votes cast. In case of an electronic vote, the President shall announce the result displayed publicly, which may not subsequently be modified. In case of a show of hands, the President shall announce the result without giving the figures of the vote.

39.5.       A vote shall be taken by roll-call if at least twenty Representatives so request.

39.6.       A roll-call may be requested only for the whole of a draft text. It may be requested at any time during the debate but before the start of the vote on amendments or on the whole of the draft text if there are no amendments.

39.7.       Voting by roll-call shall begin after warning-bells have been rung. The President shall ask if all members have voted before declaring the vote closed and announcing the results. The votes shall be recorded in the Minutes of Proceedings of the sitting in the alphabetical order of Representatives’ names.

39.8.       Once he has voted, a member may not change his vote.

39.9.       Nobody may be called to speak during a vote.

39.10.       In the case of appointments, voting shall take place by secret ballot. Only those ballot papers bearing the names of persons who have been duly entered as candidates before the opening of the first ballot shall be taken into account in calculating the number of votes cast¹.

¹ See also Regulations relating to the appointment of the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General and Secretary General of the Assembly having the rank of Deputy Secretary General, pp... to .. below, Article 22 of the European Convention on Human Rights, p... below and Article 9 of Resolution (99) 50 of the Committee of Ministers on the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, p. … below.