Rules of Procedure of the Assembly (January 2023)

(Resolution 1202 (1999) adopted on 4 November 1999) with subsequent modifications of the Rules of Procedure* 

Part-sessions of the Assembly and meetings of committees, the Bureau and the Standing Committee organised in a hybrid or remote manner Retour au sommaire Atteindre l'élement suivant

Rule 67 - Hybrid or remote Assembly sessions

67.1. In exceptional circumstances which do not allow a part-session to be held under normal conditions, namely in the physical presence of all members, the Bureau of the Assembly may convene a part-session to be held in a hybrid manner (combined remote and in-person participation of members) or by electronic means of remote communication. The initiative to convene such a part-session may be taken by the President of the Assembly, by the Presidential Committee or at the request of at least one third of the national delegations representing at least half of the members of the Assembly. It is for the Bureau to determine the existence of exceptional circumstances and to decide in which manner the part-session shall be held (in a hybrid manner or by electronic means of remote communication). The decision of the Bureau shall be taken by a simple majority of the votes cast with a quorum of one third of the members.
67.2. Exceptional circumstances refer to events such as armed conflict or acts of war, acts of terrorism, disturbances of public order of a political or social nature (riot, insurrection), a major sanitary crisis, a pandemic or epidemic, or a natural, environmental or technological disaster, which, by their unusual scale and gravity, are likely to expose members of the Assembly to direct and immediate danger or potential risk, likely to endanger their safety, security or health, or to be a serious impediment to their travel to the seat of the Council of Europe.
67.3. When drawing up the draft agenda for a part-session to be held in a hybrid manner or remotely, in accordance with Rule 27.3. , the Bureau shall fix its dates and duration, taking account of organisational and technical constraints.
67.4. The existing rules governing the functioning of the Assembly shall fully apply to part-sessions and sittings of the Assembly held in a hybrid manner or remotely, unless otherwise stipulated as follows:
67.4.a. the credentials of representatives and substitutes shall be transmitted to the President of the Assembly not later than one week before the opening of a part-session (Rule 6.1. ); a delegation which fails to meet this deadline may submit its credentials at the next part-session or Standing Committee meeting;
67.4.b. in the event of a challenge to a delegation’s still unratified credentials (Rules and ), the President or Vice-President chairing a sitting held in a hybrid manner or remotely shall invite those members who support the challenge to indicate their support by using the available voting system;
67.4.c. the participation of substitutes authorised to sit and vote in place of absent representatives shall be notified not later than three working days before the opening of a part-session and shall be for the whole duration of this part-session (Rules 12 and 40.1. );
67.4.d. with regard to the amendment procedure (Rule 34 ):

- amendments shall be tabled at least two working days before the opening of the sitting concerned and sub-amendments shall be tabled before the beginning of the sitting preceding the sitting concerned;

- amendments with a scanned handwritten or an electronic signature shall be admissible;

- the President or Vice-President chairing a sitting shall strictly interpret Rule on the consideration of oral amendments;

- members who object to an oral amendment or oral sub-amendment being taken into consideration shall indicate their position using the available voting system;

- if a committee has not been able to take a position on amendments to its report that have been tabled, the floor shall be given to the rapporteur;

67.4.e. the application of Rule 29.2. (and Rule 30.2. for committees) on simultaneous interpretation in sittings in a language other than the official or working languages shall be suspended;
67.4.f. the application of Rules 40.4. to 40.8. shall be suspended with regard to the roll-call procedure as well as the display of results in the Chamber and the automatic publication of members’ individual votes on the Assembly’s website, if these are not technically feasible;
67.4.g. when a request is made to ascertain whether there is a quorum (Rule 42 ), the President or Vice-President chairing the sitting shall invite those members who support the request (at least one sixth of the representatives of the Assembly authorised to vote, belonging to at least five national delegations) to indicate their support by using the available voting system;
67.4.h. members, whether they are seated in the Chamber in person or connected remotely, shall register on the list of speakers (Rule 35.2. ) using the same existing electronic system; the list of speakers shall be closed 24 hours before the opening of the sitting concerned:
67.4.i. the list of speakers called upon to speak, whether they are only connected remotely, or some are connected remotely and others are sitting in person, shall be drawn up in strict compliance with the criteria of political, geographical, national and gender balance; the President of the Assembly shall assess the application of these criteria when drawing up the list of speakers for each debate;
67.4.j. the speaking time during the sittings is modified as follows: rapporteurs shall have ten minutes to present their report and three minutes to reply; members shall have one minute for questions to guest speakers, the presentation of an amendment or a procedural motion, or a point of order (speaking time for speakers, rapporteurs for opinion and committee chairpersons remains unchanged at three minutes);
67.4.k. undelivered speeches (Rule 31.2. ) may only be published in the verbatim report if the registered speakers who are remotely connected can report their actual presence during the debate concerned at the closure of the debate.