FOR THE ATTENTION OF MEMBERS OF THE POLITICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly
Synopsis No. 2001 / 033
16 March 2001
The Political Affairs Committee, meeting in Paris on 12 and 13 March 2001 under the Chairmanship of Mr Davis (United Kingdom, SOC),
As regards:
Situation in the Middle East (Rapporteur: Mr Taylor, United Kingdom, EPP/CD): held a hearing on Oslo and beyond – What are the future prospects for peace in the Middle East with the participation of:
Mr Dominique MOÏSI, Deputy Director, French Institute of International Relations (IFRI)
Mr Ian BLACK, European Editor, The Guardian
Mr Alain GRESH, Chief Editor, Le Monde Diplomatique
Ms Hania MUFTI, Human Rights Watch (London Office)
Mr Yossef LAPID, member of the Knesset, Chairman of the political party “Chinouy” (Party for Change)
Mr Ziad ABU-ZAYYAD, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Situation in Kosovo – and the neighbouring regions (Rapporteur: Ms Kautto, Finland, SOC): decided to ask the Bureau to present a report during the April part-session 2001 and to authorise its Rapporteur to visit Kosovo on 5 and 6 April 2001;
Standard code of practice in electoral matters (Rapporteur: Mr Clerfayt, Belgium, LDR): held an exchange of views on the basis of a revised draft report and invited the Rapporteur to present a preliminary draft resolution / recommendation at a forthcoming meeting;
Parliamentary control of international institutions (Rapporteur: Mr Toshev, Bulgaria, EPP/CD): held an exchange of views on the basis of a preliminary draft report and invited the Rapporteur to present a revised version at one of its next meetings;
Situation in the Chechen Republic (Rapporteur: Lord Judd, United Kingdom, SOC): was informed by its Chairman and by the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the follow-up to Resolution 1240 (2001) and decided to nominate Lord Judd (United Kingdom, SOC), Mr Surjan (Hungary, EPP/CD) and Mr Sinka (Latvia, EDG) to participate as its representatives in the joint Working Group of the Parliamentary Assembly and of the State Duma;
Relations with the Japanese Parliament (Rapporteur: Mr Baumel, France, EDG): took note of a report of meetings held by the Sub-Committee on Relations with Non-Member Countries in Japan (5-10 February 2001) and decided, in accordance with Rule 24.3, to close this exercise;
Situation in Algeria (Rapporteur: Mr Atkinson, United Kingdom, EDG): heard a statement by the Rapporteur on his visit to Algeria on 3-6 February 2001 and decided ask the Bureau’s authorisation to hold an exchange of views with a parliamentary delegation from Algeria during the Assembly’s September part-session 2001;
Situation in Belarus (Rapporteur: Mr Behrendt, Germany, SOC): heard a statement by the Rapporteur and by its Chairman on their visit, together with the other members of “the Parliamentary Troika”, to Belarus on 5-7 March 2001;
Request for Council of Europe membership – Federal Republic of Yugoslavia: appointed Mr Frey (Switzerland, LDR) Rapporteur;
Motion on Drafting of a charter defining Europe’s “common values”: held an exchange of views and decided to give a favourable opinion to the Bureau for a possible reference to the Committee for a report;
European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI): appointed Mr Bársony to represent it at the 24th meeting of the ECRI on 13 -16 March 2001 (Strasbourg);
Sub-Committee on the Middle East: appointed Mr Turini (Italy) as a member and Mr Diana as his alternate to that Sub-Committee;
Financing of political parties (Rapporteur: Mrs Stepová, Czech Republic, SOC): held a hearing with the participation of:
Mr Roland BANK, Max-Planck-Institut, Heidelberg
Mr Yves-Marie DOUBLET, Senior Lecturer, Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA), Paris
Professor Keith EWING, Cambridge
Mr Robert FREMR, Judge of the High Court of the Czech Republic,
Chairman of the Working Group on the Financing of Political Parties (GMCF) of the Council of Europe
Mr Jean-Christophe GEISER, Lawyer, Federal Justice Office, Berne
Mr Jacques ROBERT, Member of the Venice Commission
Mr de Vel, Director General of Legal Affairs, Council of Europe
Next meetings:
Plenary Committee:
Paris, 4 April 2001
Strasbourg, during the second part-session of the Assembly (23-27 April)
Istanbul, 21 May 2001, 3 pm
Liechtenstein, 6-7 June 2001 (subject to Bureau’s authorisation), exchange of views with the Chair-in-Office of the Committee of Ministers
Strasbourg, during the third part-session of the Assembly (25-29 June 2001)
Has been informed that invitations have also been received from the Georgian and Canadian delegations;
Sub-Committee on the Middle East, meeting in Paris on 12 March 2001 under the Chairmanship of Mr Gjellerod (Denmark, SOC):
fixed the composition of the group to visit Israel and the Territories under the control of the Palestinian National Authorities (19 – 24 March) on the basis of a list of applications received within the deadlines, and decided to give an unfavourable opinion to the Bureau as regards the participation of the rapporteurs of other committees given the very special circumstances;
examined the proposed programme of that visit together with Mr Lapid, member of Knesset, and Mr Abu-Zayyad, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council;
decided to propose to the Bureau that the Palestinian Legislative Council be invited to send a delegation to participate in the debate on the situation in the Middle East during the Assembly’s April part-session.
Next meetings:
Israel and the Territories under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, 19-24 March 2001
Barış Perin, Marja Ruotanen and Petr Sich