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Reply to Recommendation | Doc. 13008 | 11 July 2012
Follow-up by the Committee of Ministers to the work of the Parliamentary Assembly
1. The Committee of Ministers has examined
Recommendation 1999 (2012) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe on “Follow-up by the Committee of Ministers to
the work of the Parliamentary Assembly”. It shares the Parliamentary
Assembly’s commitment to a constructive co-operation between the
two statutory organs, which is essential for the coherence, effectiveness
and visibility of the work of the Council of Europe. The Committee
of Ministers welcomes the progress achieved in recent years and appreciates
the Parliamentary Assembly’s proposals to this end. It reaffirms
its commitment to continue to reinforce synergies between the two
organs and expresses its openness to further co-operation and exchanges,
whilst avoiding the bureaucratisation of such exchanges. One of
the areas where co-operation and synergies could be developed further
could concern the activities and the work of intergovernmental committees,
without prejudice to their respective roles and responsibilities,
and within the available budgetary resources. The Committee of Ministers
believes that the contribution of the Parliamentary Assembly could
be very useful.
2. The Committee of Ministers agrees with the gist of the Assembly’s
recommendations and has already undertaken a number of measures
for their implementation. In particular, as regards new draft legal instruments
(paragraph 4.1.1. of the recommendation), it would inform the Assembly
that the Committee of Ministers undertakes to allow the Parliamentary
Assembly a reasonable timeframe (3 months) to give its opinion on
new draft treaties without undue haste and to inform the Assembly
of the follow-up given to its opinion. As regards paragraph 4.1.2.
of the recommendation, it also welcomes the suggestion to involve
the relevant national delegation to the Assembly on the setting
of the future chairmanship’s priorities, through appropriate informal
consultations. To this end, the Committee of Ministers recalls that
the British and Albanian Chairmanships of the Committee of Ministers
have already established such a practice, and it is confident that future
chairmanships will do the same. Furthermore, as regards paragraphs
4.2. and 4.3. of the recommendation, the Committee of Ministers
adopted guidelines earlier this year for the reform of its own working
methods. 
These guidelines foresee
replying to Assembly recommendations and written questions from
Assembly members within three months whenever possible, and that
the replies be as concise and result-oriented as possible. As regards
paragraph 4.4. of the recommendation, the Committee of Ministers
strongly encourages its chairs of rapporteurs groups, working parties
and thematic co-ordinators to develop working relationships with
their Assembly counterparts, with the aim of achieving a closer
understanding of each other’s views and thus enhancing the effectiveness
of the Council of Europe. Finally, as regards paragraph 4.5. of
the recommendation, the Committee of Ministers also agrees with
the need to make full use of the Joint Committee, with due regard
to the prerogatives of each organ.
These guidelines foresee
replying to Assembly recommendations and written questions from
Assembly members within three months whenever possible, and that
the replies be as concise and result-oriented as possible. As regards
paragraph 4.4. of the recommendation, the Committee of Ministers
strongly encourages its chairs of rapporteurs groups, working parties
and thematic co-ordinators to develop working relationships with
their Assembly counterparts, with the aim of achieving a closer
understanding of each other’s views and thus enhancing the effectiveness
of the Council of Europe. Finally, as regards paragraph 4.5. of
the recommendation, the Committee of Ministers also agrees with
the need to make full use of the Joint Committee, with due regard
to the prerogatives of each organ.