Comparative Table of Parliamentary TA Institutions

COUNCIL OF EUROPE - THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

INSTITUTIONALISATION

On May 5, 1949 ten Governments^{^[1]} signed in London the Statute of a new kind of European organisation, the Council of Europe, with two main statutory bodies: the Committee of Ministers (a conventional ministerial organ) and the Parliamentary Assembly, representing the political forces in the Member States.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (the Assembly) is the oldest international parliamentary Assembly with a pluralistic composition of democratically elected members. It is also the most comprehensive European parliamentary forum, today with delegations from 47 national parliaments (plus 3 delegations holding observer status).

The Assembly consists of 318 elected representatives (and an equal number of substitutes) from the Member States of the Council of Europe. The number of representatives from each country varies from eighteen to two depending on its population.^{^[2]} They must be elected or appointed from among the members of their national or federal Parliament. The balance of political parties within each national delegation must ensure a fair representation of the political parties or groups in the respective parliaments.

At present, the Assembly counts five political groups: the Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CD); the Socialist Group (SOC); the European Democrat Group (EDG); the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE); and the Group of the Unified European Left (UEL). Political groups have to commit themselves to respect the promotion of the values of the Council of Europe, notably political pluralism, human rights and the rule of law.

The President of the Assembly and the leaders of the groups form the Presidential Committee of the PACE.

The President, twenty Vice-Presidents, the Chairpersons of the political groups or their representatives as well as the Chairpersons of the general PACE Committees or their substitutes make up the Bureau of the Assembly.

The Standing Committee consists of the Bureau and the Chairpersons of national delegations. It is generally convened at least twice a year and its major task is to act on behalf of the Assembly when the latter is not in session.

The Assembly Committees are composed of representatives or substitutes of the Assembly. They are reconstituted in January of each year, and elect their chairperson and three vice-chairpersons.

At present, the Assembly has 8 committees with the following memberships:

Political Affairs and Democracy (84 seats)
Legal Affairs and Human Rights (84 seats)
Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development (84 seats)
Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons (84 seats)
Culture, Science, Education and Media (84 seats)
Equality and Non-Discrimination (84 seats)
Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by member states of the Council of Europe, or Monitoring Committee (84 seats)
Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs (37 seats)

[1] These were: the five members of the Brussels Treaty, i.e. Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, as well as the Governments of Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Norway and Sweden.

[2] Parliamentary delegations with their number of representatives: Albania (4); Andorra (2); Armenia (4); Austria (6); Azerbaijan (6); Belgium (7); Bosnia and Herzegovina (5); Bulgaria (6); Croatia (5); Cyprus (3); Czech Republic (7); Denmark (5); Estonia (3); Finland (5); France (18); Georgia (5); Germany (18); Greece (7); Hungary (7); Iceland (3); Ireland (4); Italy (18); Latvia (3); Liechtenstein (2); Lithuania (4); Luxembourg (3); Malta (3); Moldova (5); Monaco (2); Montenegro (3); Netherlands (7); Norway (5); Poland (12); Portugal (7); Romania (10); Russian Federation (18); San Marino (2); Serbia (7); Slovakia (5).

ORGANISATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Assembly is the driving force of the Organisation in extending European co-operation to all democratic states throughout Europe. It has been behind many of the Organisation´s major initiatives such as the European Convention on Human Rights (1950) and the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention, 1997). It is consulted about the international treaties drawn up at the Council of Europe.

The Assembly speaks for 800 million Europeans citizens, acting as the democratic conscience of Greater Europe:

it promotes the development and implementation of the highest standards of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, for the benefit of the peoples of Europe;
it is a laboratory of ideas and a forum for debates on emerging and topical European issues, and it seeks to identify trends, provide policy guidance, set benchmarks and standards and disseminate best practices;
it exercises political oversight over the action of parliaments and governments in implementing Council of Europe standards, monitors the situation in Member States and endeavours to help them to honour their statutory obligations.

External relations of the Assembly cover not only national parliaments of member and non-member states, but also international parliamentary assemblies and international intergovernmental organisations. The Assembly has developed its contacts with the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Benelux, the Nordic Council, PABSEC, CIS and others.

For many years the Assembly has also acted as a parliamentary forum for a certain number of intergovernmental organisations, in particular the OECD, and has developed close relations with specific organisations such as the EBRD and many of the specialised agencies of the United Nations.

WORK PROCEDURES AND METHODS

THE ASSEMBLY´S PLENARY DEBATES

The annual sessions of the Assembly are divided into four part-sessions, each lasting for about a week at the end of January, April, June and the beginning of October. The agenda for each part-session features debates on European and world events, and on key matters requiring action at European level. The Assembly´s plenary debates are held in public and they are conducted according to the principles commonly observed in national parliaments.

ADOPTION OF TEXTS

The Assembly can adopt three different types of texts: recommendations, resolutions and opinions.

Recommendations contain proposals addressed to the Committee of Ministers, the implementation of which is within the competence of governments.
Resolutions embody decisions by the Assembly on questions, which it is empowered to put into effect or expressions of view for which it alone is responsible. Most often, they include proposals addressed to national legislatures and European or international institutions.
The Assembly mostly expresses opinions on questions or texts presented by the Committee of Ministers (such as the admission of new member states to the Council of Europe, draft conventions, or the budget of the Organisation).

A two-thirds majority is required for questions such as a recommendation or an opinion to the Committee of Ministers or the adoption of urgent procedure. In respect of a resolution and any other decision, a majority of the votes cast is required. Recommendations, resolutions and opinions are published in a provisional edition after their adoption. A final version is published after each part-session in the official languages (English and French).

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

Committees meet most frequently either in Strasbourg or Paris, possibly in Brussels when a joint meeting with a body of the European Parliament is envisaged. Committee discussions are generally held in camera, but the committee is free to admit anybody to its meeting whom it wishes.

Although committees deal in particular with reports, they have great freedom to discuss any matter within their competence when they agree to do so. They organise hearings, colloquies or conferences on particular subjects, the findings of which can then be used for the preparation of reports to the Assembly.

DRAFTING OF REPORTS

In general, a motion for a recommendation or resolution generates reports. This motion has to be tabled by at least twenty representatives or substitutes belonging to at least five national delegations. It is then referred to a committee for report and possibly to other committees for opinion. The main committee then appoints a rapporteur who drafts a report, into two parts:

the operational draft resolution, recommendation or opinion and
the explanatory memorandum.

Both parts are discussed in committee, but only the operational part is voted on. When a report has been adopted in the committee it is tabled for discussion by the Assembly either at a part-session or at a meeting of the Standing Committee.

TOPICS

The Assembly has always paid attention to science and technology and its work also covers topical and emerging issues in the field of science, scientific research, new technologies and their impact on sustainable development and society. These are dealt with by different Assembly committees.

The specific terms of reference of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media includes the task of maintaining working relations with the European Science Foundation and the European Parliamentary Technology Assessment Network. The committee deals with science and scientific research and the impact of scientific and technological development on society. The main focus of its work has been and remains the ethical principles and standards that should govern scientific research and the use of new technologies.

A General Rapporteur on Science and Technology Impact Assessment is appointed among the committee´s members with the following main tasks: to follow activities of other Assembly committees and liaise with rapporteurs dealing with scientific and technological matters from other perspectives such as their social, economic, health and environmental impact; to follow activities and maintain working relations with national parliaments as well as with relevant international, intergovernmental, inter-parliamentary or other organisations including the EPTA Network; and to report periodically back to the committee on the information collected and the action taken.

The Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development deals with health protection and the prevention of health risks; biomedicine, the impact on the environment/ecosystem of sectoral policies such as transport, energy, water management, and of new technologies such as nanotechnologies or technologies based on electromagnetic waves.

Although the Assembly does not directly implement technology assessment activities, its work in the field of science and technology is founded on the precautionary principle and seeks to promote the highest ethical principles and firm standards of transparency, independence and credibility in assessment, in order to guarantee human dignity and fundamental rights.

SELECTION OF RELEVANT DOCUMENTS ADOPTED BY THE ASSEMBLY

RECOMMENDATIONS

1959 (2011) on Preventive health care policies in the Council of Europe member states
1929 (2010) on The handling of the H1N1 pandemic: more transparency needed
1885 (2009) on Drafting an additional protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the right to a healthy environment
1863 (2009) on Environment and health: better prevention of environment-related health hazards
1794 (2007) on The quality of medicines in Europe
1787 (2007) on The precautionary principle and responsible risk management
1512 (2001) on Protection of the human genome by the Council of Europe
1468 (2000) on Biotechnologies

RESOLUTIONS

1870(2012) on the need for independent and credible expert assessments
1816 (2011) on Health hazards of heavy metals and other metals
1815 (2011) on Potential dangers of electromagnetic fields and their effect on the environment
1795 (2011) on Genetically modified organisms: a solution for the future
1774 (2010) on Enhancing Europe´s energy security through greater use of liquefied natural gas
1679 (2009) on Nuclear energy and sustainable development
1588 (2007) on Radioactive waste and protection of the environment
1393 (2004) on Parliaments and the knowledge society
1352 (2003) on Human stem cell research
1083 (1996) on Parliaments and the assessment of scientific and technological choices

OPINIONS

276 (2010) on the Draft convention of the Council of Europe on counterfeiting of medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health
267 (2008) on the Draft additional protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and biomedicine concerning genetic testing for health purposes
252 (2004) on the Draft additional Protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine on Biomedical Research;
227 (2001)on the draft protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, concerning transplantation or organs and tissues of human origin;
202 (1997) on the draft additional protocol to that convention on the prohibition of cloning human beings;
198 (1996) on the draft convention on human rights and biomedicine;

ONGOING REPORTS

The ethics of science (Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media)
Nanotechnologies (Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development)

TARGET GROUPS

As for all the work of the Assembly, the key target groups are:

the parliaments and governments of member states;
the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe;
The European Union and other international organisations (e.g. WHO).

Of course, all the Assembly reports are also intended to reach European citizens, in order to raise awareness and gain their support for policy proposals and guidelines addressed to state authorities.

COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICATIONS

The Assembly´s website [http://assembly.coe.int] gives regular information on the activities of parliamentarians, in Strasbourg and on the ground. It includes reports, adopted texts, records of debates and speeches. The plenary sessions are broadcast live.

CONTACT

Parliamentary Assembly
Council of Europe
67075 Strasbourg Cedex
France

Mr Roberto Fasino
Head of the Secretariat, PACE Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media

Fon +33 3 88412373
Fax +33 3 88412797

roberto.fasino@coe.int
http://assembly.coe.int