Rules of Procedure of the Assembly (January 2023)

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

Special guests, observers, partners for democracy and other guests Retour au sommaire Atteindre l'élement précédent

Special guests, observers, partners for democracy and other guests

Rule 62 - Special guests

62.1. The Bureau may grant special guest status to national parliaments of European non-member States which have applied for membership of the Council of Europe.
62.2. Any formal request for special guest status shall be addressed to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly by the President of the parliament concerned.
62.3. If the Bureau, having consulted the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, approves such a request, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly shall invite the parliament concerned to assume special guest status.
62.4. The number of members of a special guest delegation, which shall not exceed eighteen, shall be the same (without substitutes) as the number of seats likely to be appropriate were the special guest state to become a full member of the Council of Europe. This number shall be fixed by the Bureau, on the proposal of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy.
62.5. In so far as the size of its delegation allows, a parliament with special guest status shall appoint members so as to ensure a fair representation of the political parties or groups in that parliament.
62.6. The credentials of members of special guest delegations shall be sent to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly if possible not less than one week before the opening of the session. These credentials shall be submitted to the Parliamentary Assembly for ratification at the same time as those of representatives and substitutes. Credentials of members of special guest delegations may be contested on stated grounds based on paragraph 1 above. Contested credentials shall be referred without debate to a joint meeting of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs, presided over by the chairperson of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs. These committees shall report to the Bureau as soon as possible.
62.7. Members of special guest delegations may sit in the Assembly but without the right to vote. They shall have the right to speak with the authorisation of the President of the Assembly.
62.8. Members of special guest delegations may participate in committee meetings as provided in Rule 48.5. . They may submit to the committee chairperson proposals concerning the draft agenda of committee meetings and proposals for amendments to draft texts examined in these meetings. The committee chairperson shall decide on any further action. They may sign motions for resolutions and recommendations and written declarations. However, they shall not be taken into account for the number of signatures required. Members of special guest delegations may participate in the work of political groups according to the conditions established by the groups.
62.9. The Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, or at least twenty members, may request of the President that special guest status be suspended or withdrawn. The President shall immediately inform the Bureau of any such request. If the request was not made by the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, the President shall forthwith seek that committee’s opinion which shall forward it to the Bureau.
62.10. The members of the Bureau shall be informed of the consideration of such a matter at least two weeks before the meeting of the Bureau at which it will take place. The decision of the Bureau shall be taken by a two-thirds majority.
62.11. Where special guest status has been withdrawn, the parliament concerned shall make a further formal request if it wishes to assume this status again. Suspension of special guest status may be lifted by the Bureau deciding by a two-thirds majority if it considers that the conditions having led to the suspension no longer exist.

Rule 63 - Observers

63.1. The Assembly may, on the proposal of the Bureau, grant observer status to national parliaments of non-member states of the Council of Europe which meet the conditions set out in paragraph 1 of Statutory Resolution (93) 26 of the Committee of Ministers on observer status. Any requests for observer status shall be referred to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for report and to other relevant committees for opinion.
63.2. The Assembly shall specify the number of members of observer delegations. The parliaments concerned are not required to submit credentials to the President of the Assembly. However, they shall submit to the President of the Assembly not less than one week before the opening of the ordinary session a list of members appointed for the whole duration of the session. Insofar as the number of their members allows, the delegations shall be composed to ensure a fair representation of the political parties or groups within their parliaments and to include at least the same percentage of the under-represented sex as is present in their parliaments, and in any case one representative of each sex.
63.3. Members of such delegations may sit in the Assembly but without the right to vote. They shall have the right to speak with the authorisation of the President of the Assembly.
63.4. Members of observer delegations may participate in committee meetings as provided in Rule 48.5. . They may submit to the committee chairperson proposals concerning the draft agenda of committee meetings and proposals for amendments to draft texts examined in these meetings. The committee chairperson shall decide on any further action. They may sign motions for resolutions and recommendations and written declarations. However, they shall not be taken into account for the number of signatures required. Members of observer delegations may participate in the work of political groups according to the conditions established by the groups.
63.5. The President of the Assembly may invite representatives of parliaments of other non-member states to attend a debate in the Assembly.

Rule 64 - Partners for democracy

64.1. The Assembly may grant partner for democracy status to national parliaments of non-member states of the Council of Europe in neighbouring regions, which meet the conditions set out in Rule 64.2. and any specific conditions which the Assembly may lay down.
64.2. Any formal request for partner for democracy status shall be addressed to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly by the president or speaker of the parliament concerned. This request shall contain the following elements:

- an explicit reference to the aspiration of the said parliament to embrace the values of the Council of Europe, which are pluralist and gender parity-based democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;

- a commitment to act to abolish the death penalty and to encourage the competent authorities to introduce a moratorium on executions;

- a statement on the intention of the parliament to make use of the Assembly’s experience, as well as the expertise of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), in its institutional and legislative work;

- a commitment to organise free and fair elections in compliance with relevant international standards;

- a commitment to encourage balanced participation of women and men in public and political life;

- a commitment to encourage the competent authorities to become party to the relevant Council of Europe conventions and partial agreements which are open for signature and ratification by non-member states, in particular those dealing with human rights, rule of law and democracy issues;

- an obligation to inform the Assembly regularly on the state of progress in implementing Council of Europe principles.

64.3. The Assembly shall specify the number of members of a partner for democracy delegation.
64.4. A parliament with partner for democracy status shall transmit to the President of the Parliamentary Assembly not less than one week before the opening of the session the list of the delegation members appointed for the duration of the entire session. Insofar as the number of its members allows, the delegation shall be composed to ensure a fair representation of the political parties or groups in that parliament and to include at least the same percentage of the under-represented sex as is present in the parliament and in any case one representative of each sex.
64.5. Members of delegations with partner for democracy status may sit in the Assembly but without the right to vote. They shall have the right to speak with the authorisation of the President of the Assembly.
64.6. Members of delegations with partner for democracy status may participate in committee meetings as provided in Rule 48.5. . They may submit to the committee chairperson proposals concerning the draft agenda of committee meetings and proposals for amendments to draft texts examined in these meetings. The committee chairperson shall decide on any further action. They may sign motions for resolutions and recommendations (except those under Rules 9.2. and 74 ) and written declarations. However, they shall not be taken into account for the number of signatures required. Members of such delegations may participate in the work of political groups according to the conditions established by the groups.
64.7. The decision to grant, suspend or withdraw partner for democracy status shall be taken by a resolution of the Assembly following a report by the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, with an opinion by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and an opinion by the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination and, where appropriate, an opinion by any other relevant Assembly committee. These committees, in the fields within their specific terms of reference, review the progress achieved in fulfilling the undertakings made by the parliaments concerned when they requested this status.

Rule 65 - Representatives of national or international organisations

65.1. The Assembly may, on the proposal of the Bureau, invite national or international organisations to present reports or communications.

Rule 66 - Co-operation with the European Parliament

66.1. The Bureau of the Assembly shall, in agreement with the relevant organ of the European Parliament (Conference of Presidents), decide the arrangements for co-operation of both institutions.
66.2. On the basis of these arrangements, the Assembly’s bodies, particularly the committees, may co-operate with their counterparts of the European Parliament in fields of mutual interest.