Rule 55 : Own-initiative reports

1.   A committee intending to draw up a non-legislative report or a report under Rule 46 or 47 on a subject within its competence on which no referral has taken place, may do so only with the authorisation of the Conference of Presidents.

The Conference of Presidents shall take a decision on requests for authorisation to draw up reports submitted pursuant to the first subparagraph on the basis of implementing provisions, which it shall lay down.

2.   Where the Conference of Presidents decides to withhold such authorisation, it shall state its reasons for doing so.

Where the subject matter of the report falls within Parliament’s right of initiative referred to in Rule 46, the Conference of Presidents may only decide to withhold such authorisation if the conditions set out in the Treaties are not met.

3.   In the cases referred to in Rules 46 and 47, the Conference of Presidents shall take a decision within two months.

4.   Motions for resolutions submitted to Parliament shall be examined under the short presentation procedure set out in Rule 166 or submitted directly for a vote in plenary. Amendments to such motions for resolutions and requests for split votes or separate votes shall only be admissible for consideration in plenary if they are tabled either by the rapporteur, in order to take account of new information, or by at least one-tenth of the Members. Political groups may table alternative motions for resolutions in accordance with Rule 188(3). Rule 197 shall apply to the committee’s motion for a resolution and amendments thereto. Rule 197 shall also apply to the single vote on alternative motions for resolutions.

5.   Paragraph 4 shall not apply where the subject of the report qualifies for a key debate in plenary, where the report is drawn up pursuant to the right of initiative referred to in Rule 46 or 47, where the report has been authorised as a strategic report or as an implementation report or for annual activity and monitoring reports listed in the implementing provisions laid down by the Conference of Presidents.

6.   The committee Chairs may enter into agreements with other committee Chairs concerning the allocation of an own-initiative report or a non-legislative report to a particular committee.

If a question of competence arises among two or more standing committees, the matter shall be examined by the Conference of Committee Chairs. If no agreement has been found among those committees, the Conference of Committee Chairs or its Chair shall issue a recommendation. The Conference of Presidents shall take a decision on the basis of that recommendation at its earliest possible meeting and at the latest within six weeks after its transmission. If the Conference of Presidents fails to take a decision within that period, the recommendation shall be deemed to have been approved.