Report | Doc. 15781 | 05 June 2023
Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the biennium 2024-2025
Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs
Summary
The Russian Federation’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the subsequent expulsion of the Russian Federation from the Organisation have had an impact on the activities of the Council of Europe, including the Parliamentary Assembly.
During 2024-2025, the Assembly will focus its activities on the deliverables of the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe, enhancing the parliamentary dimension of the Organisation’s work.
While playing its statutory and institutional role, it will continue election observation and co-operation activities, including by prioritising support and co-operation for Ukraine and other Council of Europe member States affected by the war of aggression and its consequences.
At the same time, digital modernisation of the Assembly’s tools and working methods will continue, with the aim of transitioning to a full “paper-less” operation.
The implementation of these readjusted political and programmatic priorities requires structural reinforcement of the Assembly Secretariat as well as a readjustment of the budgetary allocation for operation expenditure, in the light of objectively growing costs.
A. Draft resolution
(open)Appendix – Expenditure needs of the Assembly
(open)1. Staff expenditure
2. Operational expenditure
- the holding of the ordinary session, divided into four part-sessions (held in January, April, June and September/October each year);
- the meetings of the Standing Committee, held three times a year between the part-sessions of the Assembly;
- meetings held outside the four part-sessions of the Assembly by each of the nine general committees, sub-committees and ad hoc committees of the Assembly or the Bureau;
- committee and sub-committee meetings held elsewhere than in Strasbourg or Paris;
- conferences, symposiums, seminars and parliamentary hearings;
- activities connected with the Assembly’s interparliamentary co-operation programme;
- visits by rapporteurs to prepare reports, including visits to countries under the monitoring procedure or for post-monitoring dialogue;
- election observation;
- modernisation and digitalisation of the Assembly’s working methods.
- supporting Ukraine’s resilience against the Russian Federation’s war of aggression, strengthening co-operation with the Verkhovna Rada and raising awareness on the consequences of the war amongst national parliaments;
- ensuring accountability of the Russian Federation and addressing the legal, human rights and humanitarian consequences of the war of aggression against Ukraine, including the issue of forcibly deported Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation or temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories;
- contributing to delivering the outcomes of the 4th Summit, notably:
- upholding democracy and counteracting backsliding, including by promoting the implementation of the Reykjavik Principles of Democracy, fostering the participation of young people in democratic processes, and mainstreaming the youth dimension in its work;
- ensuring parliamentary contribution to the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and continuing parliamentary efforts to promote ratification and domestic implementation of Council of Europe key conventions, within the Council of Europe geographic area as well as the Organisation’s neighbourhood and political proximity;
- fostering exchange of good practices and developing legal standards and policy guidelines on the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment;
- raising awareness amongst national legislators and informing national policies on the impact of new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, on human rights and the integrity of democratic processes;
- combating inequalities and discrimination, as well as further enhancing equality between women and men and promoting women’s empowerment;
- strengthening co-operation with the European parliament, including in the context of the European Union enlargement process, as well as continuing active interaction with international partner organisations, in particular the United Nations Organisation, including regarding the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals;
- continuing and further strengthening dialogue with democratic forces and civil society from Belarus and Russian Federation, who respect the values and principles of the Organisation, including the territorial integrity of sovereign member States.
B. Explanatory memorandum by Ms Ingjerd Schou, rapporteur
(open)
- supporting Ukraine’s resilience against the Russian Federation’s war of aggression, strengthening co-operation with the Verkhovna Rada and raising awareness on the consequences of the war amongst national parliaments;
- ensuring accountability of the Russian Federation and addressing the legal, human rights and humanitarian consequences of the war of aggression against Ukraine, including the issue of forcibly deported Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation or temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories;
- contributing to delivering the outcomes of the 4th Summit, notably:
- upholding democracy and counteracting backsliding, including by promoting the implementation of the Reykjavik Principles of Democracy, fostering the participation of young people in democratic processes, and mainstreaming the youth dimension in its work;
- ensuring parliamentary contribution to the implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and continuing parliamentary efforts to promote ratification and domestic implementation of Council of Europe key conventions, within the Council of Europe geographic area as well as the Organisation’s neighbourhood and political proximity;
- fostering exchange of good practices and developing legal standards and policy guidelines on the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment;
- raising awareness amongst national legislators and informing national policies on the impact of new technologies, especially artificial intelligence, on human rights and the integrity of democratic processes;
- combating inequalities and discrimination, as well as further enhancing equality between women and men and promoting women’s empowerment;
- strengthening co-operation with the European parliament, including in the context of the European Union enlargement process, as well as continuing active interaction with international partner organisations, in particular the United Nations Organisation, including regarding the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals;
- continuing and further strengthening dialogue with democratic forces and civil society from Belarus and Russian Federation, who respect the values and principles of the Organisation, including the territorial integrity of sovereign member States.
Appendix – Expenditure of the Assembly 2024-2025
(open)Staff profiles
Committee Secretaries / Communication Officers / Project managers – grade A1/A2/A3 |
Committee, Division and Project Administrative Support Assistants – B1/B2/B3 |
Group Secretaries – A1/A2/A3 |
Political Groups Assistants – B1/B2/B3 |
Heads of Committee Secretariats / Heads of Divisions / Heads of Departments – A4 / A5 |
Senior Administrative Assistants – B4/B5 |
Directors – A6 |
Project officers / Committee Co-secretaries – B3/B4/B5 |
Anticipated expenditure for 2024 and 2025
Parliamentary democracy – Expenditure of the Assembly |
Estimated spending 2024 (€) |
Estimated spending 2025 (€) |
---|---|---|
Functioning of the Assembly |
||
Staff |
||
Remuneration of staff recruited on posts |
9 682 100 € |
9 682 100 € |
Remuneration and accessory charges of temporary staff |
238 400 € |
238 400 € |
Salary, allowances, and social charges of the Secretary General of the Assembly |
318 000 € |
318 000 € |
Placement of national civil servants on secondment |
45 000 € |
45 000 € |
Arrival and departure expenses – Home leave |
27 500 € |
27 500 € |
Contribution to the Pension budget |
1 600 000 € |
1 600 000 € |
Total staff expenditure |
11 911 000 € |
11 911 000 € |
Parliamentary democracy – Expenditure of the Assembly |
Estimated spending 2024 (€) |
Estimated spending 2025 (€) |
---|---|---|
Committees and session |
||
General operating costs |
||
Equipment – telecommunication costs |
15 000 € |
15 000 € |
Official journeys |
220 800 € |
220 800 € |
Representational expenditure, other official travelling expenses of members of the Assembly |
201 200 € |
201 200 € |
Election procedure for judges of the Court |
pm |
pm |
Prepress |
25 000 € |
25 000 € |
Interpretation for Committees |
443 900 € |
443 900 € |
Hybrid meeting and videoconference |
23 800 € |
23 800 € |
Translation |
468 600 € |
468 600 € |
Publishing and printing |
63 900 € |
63 900 € |
Outsourced production of documents |
0 € |
0 € |
Fees for expertise |
29 000 € |
29 000 € |
Organisation of ad hoc conferences |
95 200 € |
95 200 € |
Other expenditure not specifically provided for in this vote |
17 700 € |
17 700 € |
Expenses linked to the session |
||
Activities relating to 4th Summit deliverables and for strengthening the financial basis of political groups |
110 000 € |
110 000 € |
Expenses linked to part-sessions |
233 400 € |
233 400 € |
Interpretation linked to part-sessions |
1 247 300 € |
1 247 300 € |
Hybrid meetings and videoconference) |
39 500 € |
39 500 € |
Operating and maintenance costs of the electronic voting system |
32 400 € |
32 400 € |
Expenditure of the Presidency |
||
Expenditure pertaining to the Private Office of the President of the Assembly |
111 400 € |
111 400 € |
Official expenses of the President of the Assembly |
54 300 € |
54 300 € |
Political Groups |
||
Allocation to the Assembly’s political groups |
818 000 € |
818 000 € |
European prizes |
||
European prizes expenditure |
106 300 € |
106 300 € |
Co-operation |
||
Co-operation activities |
135 200 € |
135 200 € |
Official journeys |
10 000 € |
10 000 € |
Interpretation |
|
|
Observation elections |
||
Observations Elections |
131 400 € |
131 400 € |
Official journeys |
48 500 € |
48 500 € |
Communication expenses |
||
Translation |
6 400 € |
6 400 € |
Offical journeys |
7 200 € |
7 200 € |
General Management expenditure |
||
Staff missions |
50 000 € |
50 000 € |
Information Technology |
130 000 € |
130 000 € |
Total supplies, services and other operational expenditure |
4 875 400 € |
4 875 400 € |
Total Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly |
16 786 400 € |
16 786 400 € |
Appropriations of the Parliamentary Assembly for 2023 in comparison with 2022
Parliamentary Democracy – Expenditure of the Assembly |
Appropriations 2022 € |
Appropriations 2023 € |
---|---|---|
Functioning of the Assembly |
||
Staff expenditure |
||
Remuneration of staff recruited on established posts |
€ 9 126 100 |
€ 9 110 900 |
Remuneration and accessory charges of temporary staff |
€ 464 900 |
€ 488 400 |
Salary, allowances and social charges of the Secretary General of the Assembly |
€ 303 800 |
€ 318 000 |
Temporary allowance to former PA Secretary General |
€ 110 000 |
€ 110 000 |
Placement of national civil servants on secondment |
€ 45 000 |
€ 45 000 |
Arrival and departure expenses – Home leave |
€ 27 500 |
€ 27 500 |
Contribution to the Pension budget |
€ 1 571 100 |
€ 1 565 100 |
Total Staff Expenditure |
€ 11 648 400 |
€ 11 664 900 |
Committees and Sessions |
||
General operational expenditure |
||
Equipment – telecommunication costs |
€ 15 000 |
€ 15 000 |
Official journeys |
€ 195 700 |
€ 185 200 |
Representational expenditure, other official travelling expenses of members of the Assembly |
€ 170 300 |
€ 170 300 |
Prepress |
€ 25 000 |
€ 25 000 |
Interpretation in Committees |
€ 595 500 |
€ 443 900 |
KUDO (Hybrid meetings) |
€ 23 800 |
€ 23 800 |
Translation |
€ 466 300 |
€ 468 600 |
Publishing and printing |
€ 182 300 |
€ 163 900 |
Outsourced production of documents |
€ 0 |
€ 0 |
Consultation of experts |
€ 29 000 |
€ 29 000 |
Organisation of ad hoc conferences |
€ 79 800 |
€ 79 800 |
Other expenditure not specifically provided for in this vote |
€ 17 700 |
€ 17 700 |
Expenses linked to the session |
||
Expenses linked to part-session |
€ 218 900 |
€ 218 900 |
KUDO (Hybrid part-session) |
€ 39 500 |
€ 39 500 |
Interpretation linked to part-session |
€ 1 410 800 |
€ 1 247 300 |
Operating and maintenance costs of the electronic voting system |
€ 32 400 |
€ 32 400 |
Private Office & President |
||
Expenditure pertaining to the Private Office of the President of the Assembly |
€ 54 700 |
€ 54 300 |
Official expenses of the President of the Assembly |
€ 96 000 |
€ 96 000 |
Political Groups |
||
Allocation to Assembly’s political groups |
€ 818 000 |
€ 818 000 |
European Prizes |
||
European prizes expenditure |
€ 100 500 |
€ 100 500 |
Co-operation |
||
Co-operation activities |
€ 131 300 |
€ 132 400 |
Official journeys |
€ 10 200 |
€ 9 700 |
Interpretation |
€ 0 |
|
Observation Elections |
||
Observation Elections |
€ 129 900 |
€ 131 400 |
Official journeys |
€ 50 000 |
€ 47 300 |
Communication expenses |
||
Translation |
€ 6 000 |
€ 6 400 |
Offical journeys |
€ 7 400 |
€ 7 000 |
General Management expenditure |
||
Staff missions |
€ 25 000 |
€ 23 700 |
Information Technology |
€ 101 400 |
€ 101 400 |
Total supplies, services, and other operational expenditure |
€ 5 032 400 |
€ 4 688 400 |
Total Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly |
€ 16 680 800 |
€ 16 353 300 |
Budget of the Parliamentary Assembly as approved by the Committee of Ministers |
€ 16 680 800 |
€ 16 353 300 |