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:





[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).

 

Chapter Institutionalisation - all countries

Country Report Council of Europe

 

 

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