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Recommendation 1999 (2012) Final version
Follow-up by the Committee of Ministers to the work of the Parliamentary Assembly
1. The Parliamentary Assembly reaffirms
its commitment to the powers conferred on it by the Statute of the Council
of Europe, which it has been able to develop since the Organisation
was founded and which it intends to exercise fully by pursuing its
mission as effectively as possible with regard to the expectations
of the European citizens whom it represents. In order to achieve
this end, the Assembly is equally committed to maintaining and expanding
constructive co-operation with the Committee of Ministers. The Assembly’s initiatives
are vital to the Organisation, but they cannot become reality without
the support of the Committee of Ministers.
2. Furthermore, better interaction between the two statutory
organs would make it possible to avoid fragmentation and the duplication
of work and thus address the main concerns of Council of Europe
reform, namely the optimisation and rationalisation of resources.
It would also make the Organisation’s external action more effective.
Enhancing dialogue between the two statutory organs and co-ordinating
their activities and positions are vital to the reform’s success.
3. The Assembly welcomes the fresh political boost given to inter-institutional
relations under the Slovenian Chairmanship, and later the Swiss
Chairmanship, of the Committee of Ministers. The adoption in 2009
of the document “Enhanced dialogue between the Parliamentary Assembly
and the Committee of Ministers” marked a new stage in inter-institutional
dialogue. The proposals made in this document, supplemented by the measures
suggested by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in his
2010 report “Enhanced dialogue and co-operation between the Parliamentary
Assembly and the Committee of Ministers”, are in the process of being
implemented. The Assembly reaffirms its commitment to continuing
to work for a closer relationship with the Committee of Ministers
and better mutual understanding.
4. In order to promote genuine, substantive and continuous dialogue,
strengthen co-operation between the two statutory organs and increase
institutional synergies which raise the profile of the Organisation,
the Assembly undertakes to introduce a number of practices set out
in Resolution 1880 (2012) on
follow-up by the Committee of Ministers to the work of the Parliamentary
Assembly. At the same time, it recommends that the Committee of
Ministers:
4.1. enhance the process
of consulting the Assembly:
4.1.1. as regards new draft
legal instruments, by institutionalising a formal procedure for consulting
the Assembly, establishing, among other things, a specific timetable
and setting a period of at least three months before the date of
adoption of a draft instrument by the Committee of Ministers to
ask the Assembly for a statutory opinion, as well as by undertaking
to inform the Assembly in writing of the follow-up to the amendments
contained in the statutory opinion;
4.1.2. as regards the setting of priorities for the chairmanship
of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, by asking
the relevant members of the Committee of Ministers to involve their
national delegations to the Assembly by consulting them beforehand
on the setting of those priorities;
4.2. undertake to actively examine the Assembly’s recommendations
in depth and in detail, provide practical follow-up and give an
early and substantial reply within a period of no more than six
months;
4.3. with regard to written questions from Assembly members,
set a six-month time limit for replies and, if the Ministers’ Deputies
are unable to reach agreement, instruct the Chair of the Ministers’ Deputies
to notify the President of the Parliamentary Assembly in writing;
4.4. encourage the chairs of rapporteur groups and working
parties as well as thematic co-ordinators to maintain and develop
regular working relationships with the Assembly’s committee chairs,
rapporteurs and general rapporteurs operating in the relevant areas;
4.5. increase its involvement in the work of the Joint Committee
in order to promote open and constructive dialogue so that a common
position can be reached on issues of importance for the functioning
of the Organisation and enhancement of the Council of Europe’s external
action.
5. Lastly, the Assembly considers that implementation of the
above measures should be jointly evaluated by the Assembly and the
Committee of Ministers at regular intervals in an appropriate framework.