Progress report | Doc. 13031 Add. | 01 October 2012

Activities of the Assembly’s Bureau and Standing Committee (1 October 2012)

Bureau of the Assembly

Rapporteur : Ms Tina ACKETOFT, Sweden, ALDE

1. Decisions of the Bureau of 1 October 2012 requiring ratification by the Assembly

1.1. Fourth part-session (Strasbourg, 1 – 5 October 2012)

1.1.1. Requests for debates under urgent procedure and current affairs debates

1. The Bureau decided to propose to the Assembly:

• to hold a debate under urgent procedure on “The European response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria” on Thursday 4 October 2012 and to refer this item to the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons for report and to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for opinion;
• to hold a current affairs debate on “the Safarov case” on Thursday 4 October 2012 and to propose that the debate should be introduced by Mr Christopher Chope (United Kingdom, EDG), Chairperson of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights.

1.2. Election of a judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation

2. The Bureau took note of the recommendation submitted by the sub-committee on the election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights regarding exceptional circumstances, which led governments of Croatia and the Republic of Moldova to submit single-sex lists to the Assembly, and decided to transmit it to the Assembly for ratification within the Progress Report.

1.3. Election observations

1.3.1. Early parliamentary elections in Montenegro (14 October 2012)

3. The Bureau approved the composition of the ad hoc committee to observe these elections and appointed Mr Christopher Chope (United Kingdom, EDG) as its Chairperson.

1.3.2. Parliamentary elections in Ukraine (28 October 2012)

4. The Bureau approved the changes to the final composition of the ad hoc committee to observe these elections.

1.4. References and transmissions to committees

5. The Bureau considered and approved the references and transmissions to committees (Appendix 1).

1.5. Composition of the Monitoring Committee and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs

1.5.1. Monitoring Committee

6. The Bureau nominated Ms Blondin (France, SOC) and Ms Strik (Netherlands, SOC) on the basis of a proposal submitted by the Socialist group, as well as Mr Pushkov (Russian Federation, EDG) to replace Mr Pochinok (Russian Federation, EDG) on the basis of proposals submitted by the European Democrat Group.

1.5.2. Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs

7. The Bureau nominated Mr Clappison (United Kingdom, EDG) to replace Mr Heald (United Kingdom, EDG) on the basis of a proposal submitted by the European Democrat Group.

8. The Assembly is invited to ratify the above proposals made by the Bureau.

2. Other decisions of the Bureau

2.1. Fourth part-session of 2012 (Strasbourg, 1-5 October 2012)

2.1.1. Election of a judge to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation

9. The Bureau approved the proposals by the Sub-Committee on the election of Judges as regards the declassification of recommendations by the Sub-Committee and modifications to voting procedures in plenary meetings.

10. The Bureau took note of the report drawn up by the Sub-Committee on the election of Judges following interviews with candidates for the posts of judges to the Court in respect of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation, and decided to declassify it.

2.1.2. Draft agenda

11. The Bureau updated the draft agenda.

2.2. Election observation

2.2.1. Parliamentary elections in Georgia (1 October 2012)

12. The Bureau took note of the press release issued by the pre-electoral mission (Tbilisi, 11-13 September 2012).

2.2.2. Parliamentary elections in Ukraine (28 October 2012)

13. The Bureau took note of the press release issued by the pre-electoral mission (Kyiv, 19-21 September 2012).

2.3. Communications

14. The Bureau took note of communications by the President, the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly.

2.4. Appointment of Assembly representatives for official activities

15. The Bureau appointed the following representatives for official activities (Appendix 2).

Appendix 1 : References and transmissions to committees approved by the Bureau

MOTIONS FOR RECOMMENDATION AND RESOLUTION

– Doc. 12994, Motion for a resolution, The situation and rights of traditional national minorities in Europe, to Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination for report

– Doc. 12995, Motion for a resolution, Optimum care for women with breast cancer, to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development for report

– Doc. 12997, Motion for a resolution, The European economic crisis and the increasing illegal organ trade, to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development to be taken into account in the preparation of the report on “Towards a Council of Europe Convention to combat trafficking in organs, tissues and cells of human origin” (Ref. 3746 of 11 March 2011)

– Doc. 12998, Motion for a resolution, Administrative detention, to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for report

– Doc. 12999, Motion for a resolution, Europe’s endangered heritage, to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for report

– Doc. 13002, Motion for a resolution, Europe’s public administrations in flux: public service under threat?, to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs for report

– Doc. 13003, Motion for a resolution, Visa policy - protection of public order or discrimination on the basis of nationality?, to the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination for report

– Doc. 13004, Motion for a resolution, The impact of major sport events on democracy and human rights, to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for information

– Doc. 13005, Motion for a recommendation, Raise the status of technical vocational training, to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for report

– Doc. 13007, Motion for a resolution, Tackling discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity, to the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination for report

REQUESTS FROM THE COMMITTEES

– Doc. 12370, Motion for a resolution, Ensuring the viability of the Strasbourg Court: structural deficiencies in States Parties (Ref. 3716 of 8 October 2010 - validity: 8 October 2012), to extend until 30 November 2012

Appendix 2 : Appointment of Assembly representatives for official activities

i. Mr Agius (Malta, EPP/CD), 7ty Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), Valletta (Malta), 12-13 October 2012 (at no cost to the Assembly);

ii. Mr Nicolaides (Cyprus, SOC), 5th European Heritage Days Forum, Nicosia, 14-16 October 2012 (at no cost to the Assembly);

iii. Mr Zingeris (Lithuania, EPP/CD), 31st session of the Baltic Assembly and 18th Baltic Council, Vilnius, 8-9 November 2012 (at no cost to the Assembly);

iv. Mr Vercamer (Belgium, EPP/CD), Parliamentary Conference on the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Geneva, 15-16 November 2012.