Rules of Procedure of the Assembly (January 2023)

(Resolution 1202 (1999) adopted on 4 November 1999) with subsequent modifications of the Rules of Procedure* * Resolutions 1220 (2000), 1234 (2000), 1235 (2000), 1266 (2001), 1275 (2002), 1284 (2002), 1296 (2002), 1325 (2003), 1343 (2003), 1348 (2003), 1356 (2003), 1368 (2004), 1369 (2004), 1379 (2004), 1395 (2004), 1431 (2005), 1432 (2005), 1445 (2005), 1447 (2005), 1448 (2005), 1490 (2006), 1491 (2006), 1503 (2006), 1504 (2006), 1515 (2006), 1529 (2006), 1554 (2007), 1583 (2007), 1584 (2007), 1585 (2007), 1658 (2009), 1698 (2009), 1699 (2009), 1712 (2010), 1780 (2010), 1799 (2011), 1841 (2011), 1842 (2011), 1854 (2011), 1903 (2012), 1911 (2012), 1937 (2013), 1965 (2013), 2002 (2014), 2058 (2015), 2102 (2016), 2169 (2017), 2182 (2017), 2208 (2018), 2278 (2019), 2287 (2019), 2349 (2020), 2350 (2020), 2360 (2021), 2392 (2021), 2405 (2021)<br><br>Wherever used herein, the masculine form refers to both women and men, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The words "President", "Vice-President", "Secretary General", "Representative", "Substitute", "chairperson", etc. refer to persons of both sexes.

Rules of Procedure of the Assembly

Parts: I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII.

Complementary texts

Parts: I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII.

Index

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

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    Duties of the President, discipline and order Retour au sommaire Atteindre l'élement suivant Atteindre l'élement précédent

      Duties of the President, discipline and order

      Rule 20 - President and immediate past President

      20.1. The President shall open, suspend and close sittings, direct the debates of the Assembly, rule on the admissibility of motions for recommendations and resolutions, amendments and written declarations tabled by members, ensure observance of the Rules, maintain order, call on speakers, close debates, ascertain whether a quorum exists, put questions to the vote and announce the result of votes. The President shall perform a similar role in relation to the Standing Committee and the Bureau and chair the Presidential Committee and the Joint Committee. The President shall represent the Assembly in its external and international relations.
      20.2. The President shall not vote on any matter on the agenda, including draft texts or elections. His or her duly designated substitute may exercise this right to vote. When in the Chair, the President shall not speak in debate. He or she may on that occasion be replaced by his or her duly designated substitute. If the President wishes to speak on an item on the agenda, he or she shall not occupy the Chair for any part of that item.
      20.3. For as long as he or she remains a representative or substitute in the Assembly, and provided that he or she has not resigned as President or has not been dismissed from office pursuant to Rule 54 , the immediate past elected President shall be an ex officio member of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs. Rule 44.6 shall not apply to him or her.

      Rule 21 - Vice-Presidents

      21.1. The duties of the President, as set out in Part V, may be discharged by one of the Vice- Presidents. The occupant of the Chair may at any time invite a member of the Bureau or, if none is available, any representative to take the Chair for a period of not more than twenty minutes. Such temporary chairperson shall exercise the powers and shall be subject to the obligations set out in Part V, save that he or she may speak in a debate for part of which he or she has taken the Chair (see Progress Report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee, Doc. 6543, of which the Assembly took note on 3 February 1992).
      21.2. The functions of a Vice-President are to replace the President when the latter is unavailable during a debate of the Assembly at one of its part-sessions. A Vice-President may furthermore be called upon by the President to fulfil certain representational obligations of the President.

      Rule 22 - Maintenance of order See also the provisions on the conduct of members of the Parliamentary Assembly during Assembly debates, {P: BAAJEIJE} .

      22.1. The President shall call to order any member of the Assembly who causes a disturbance during proceedings. On the use of mobile phones in the Chamber and in the meeting rooms, see “Rules on access to, and movement and security within, the Council of Europe premises during Parliamentary Assembly sessions”, {P: EN_CEGEIFJD} et seq., paragraphs 24 and 25.
      22.2. If the offence is repeated, the President shall again call the member to order, and this shall be recorded in the report of the debates.
      22.3. In the event of a further offence, the President shall direct the offender to resume his or her seat or may exclude him or her from the Chamber for the remainder of the sitting.
      22.4. In serious cases the President may propose to the Assembly a motion of censure, which shall involve immediate exclusion from the Chamber for two to five sitting days. The member upon whom a motion of censure is proposed shall have the right to speak for a maximum period of two minutes before the Assembly decides.
      22.5. Index The vote on a motion of censure shall be taken without debate.
      22.6. Words or expressions which affront human dignity, undermine the right to respect for private life, or which may prejudice orderly debate may not be used. The President may order such words to be struck from the report of debates. He or she may similarly strike from the report words spoken by a member not called by him or her. The report of the debates shall record any such decision. See the provisions on the right of reply, {P: BHBGEGHE} .

      Rule 23 - Public order in the Chamber and galleries

      23.1. No person shall enter the Chamber without the authorisation of the Secretary General of the Assembly except representatives, substitutes, members of special guest, observer or partner for democracy delegations, members of the Committee of Ministers, guests of the Assembly and members of staff whose duties require their presence there.
      23.2. Admission to the galleries shall be only on presentation of a card issued on the authority of the Secretary General of the Assembly. See also “Rules on access to, and movement and security within, the Council of Europe premises during Parliamentary Assembly sessions”, {P: EN_CEGEIFJD} et seq.
      23.3. Persons admitted to the galleries shall not disturb proceedings. The President may order the expulsion of any person breaching this rule.