PROPOSAL FOR A DECISION

30.4.2009

pursuant to Rule 188 of the Rules of Procedure
by the Conference of Presidents
on the number of interparliamentary delegations, delegations to joint parliamentary committees, delegations to parliamentary cooperation committees and multilateral Parliamentary Assemblies

B6‑0268/2009

European Parliament decision on the number of interparliamentary delegations, delegations to joint parliamentary committees, delegations to parliamentary cooperation committees and multilateral Parliamentary Assemblies

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the proposal by the Conference of Presidents,

–  having regard to Rules 188 and 190 of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the association, cooperation, and other agreements concluded by the Union with non-EU countries,

–  anxious to strengthen parliamentary democracy by pursuing a continuous interparliamentary dialogue,

1.  Decides that the number of delegations and their regional groupings shall be as follows:

(a)  Europe, Western Balkans and Turkey

Delegations to the:

–  European Union-Croatia Joint Parliamentary Committee

–  European Union-Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee

–  European Union-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee

Delegation for relations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway and to the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee

Delegation for relations with Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo

(b)  Russia, the Eastern Partnership States, Central Asia and Mongolia

Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee

Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Committee

Delegation to the EU-Moldova Parliamentary Cooperation Committee

Delegation for relations with Belarus

Delegation to the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees

Delegation to the EU-Kazakhstan, EU-Kyrgyzstan and EU-Uzbekistan Parliamentary Cooperation Committees, and for relations with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia

(c)  Maghreb, Mashreq, Israel and Palestine

Delegations for relations with:

–  Israel

–  the Palestinian Legislative Council

–  the Maghreb countries and the Arab Maghreb Union

–  the Mashreq countries

(d)  The Arab Peninsula, Iraq and Iran

Delegations for relations with:

–  the Arab Peninsula

–  Iraq

–  Iran

(e)  The Americas

Delegations for relations with:

–  the United States

–  Canada

–  the countries of Central America

–  the countries of the Andean Community

–  Mercosur

Delegation to the EU-Mexico Joint Parliamentary Committee

Delegation to the EU-Chile Joint Parliamentary Committee

(f)  Asia/Pacific

Delegations for relations with:

–  Japan,

–  the People's Republic of China

–  India

–  Afghanistan

–  the countries of South Asia

–  the countries of Southeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

–  the Korean Peninsula

–  Australia and New Zealand

(g)  Africa

Delegation for relations with South Africa

Delegation for relations with the Pan-African Parliament

(h) Multilateral Assemblies

Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly

Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly

Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly

Delegation to the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly

Delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly

(which will consist of members of the Subcommittee for Security and Defence).

2(a) Decides that the membership of EPA Parliamentary Committees shall be drawn exclusively from the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, ensuring fair representation of the INTA and DEVE Committees;

2(b)  Decides that the membership of the Euromed, Eurolat and Euronest Parliamentary Assemblies shall be drawn exclusively from the bilateral or sub-regional delegations covered by each Assembly;

3.  Recalls the decision of the Conference of Presidents to establish a Euronest Parliamentary Asssembly associating the European Parliament with the Parliaments of Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia;

   As regards Belarus, the Conference of Presidents will submit proposals with regard to the representation of Belarus in the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly;

4.  Decides that the Conference of Delegation Chairmen should draw up a draft annual calendar, to be adopted by the Conference of Presidents after consulting the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Development and the Committee on International Trade, on the understanding, however, that the Conference of Presidents may modify the calendar in order to respond to political events;

5.  Decides that the political groups and non-attached Members shall appoint permanent substitutes to serve on each type of delegation and that the number of those substitutes may not exceed the number of full members representing the groups or non-attached Members;

6.  Decides to intensify cooperation with and consultation of the committees concerned by delegation work by organising joint meetings between these bodies in its usual places of work;

7.  Will endeavour to ensure at the practical level that one or more committee rapporteurs/chairs may likewise take part in the proceedings of delegations, parliamentary cooperation committees, joint parliamentary committees and multilateral Parliamentary Assemblies; and decides that the President, at the joint request of the chairmen of the delegation and committee concerned, shall authorise missions of this type;

8.  Decides that this decision will enter into force at the first part-session of the seventh parliamentary term;

9.  Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and Commission.