Procedure with joint committee meetings, coordinator meetings and the supply of information to non-attached Members (interpretation of Rules 51 and 192)
P7_TA(2011)0368
European Parliament decision of 13 September 2011 concerning the procedure with joint committee meetings, coordinator meetings and the supply of information to non-attached Members (interpretation of Rules 51 and 192)
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the letters of 12 July 2011 from the Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs,
– having regard to Rule 211 of its Rules of Procedure,
1. Decides to append the following interpretation to Rule 51:"
This Rule can be applied to the procedure leading to a recommendation to approve or reject the conclusion of an international agreement pursuant to Rules 90(5) and 81(1) provided that the conditions set out in it are fulfilled.
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2. Decides to append the following interpretation to Rule 192:"
Non-attached Members do not constitute a political group within the meaning of Rule 30 and they cannot therefore designate coordinators, who are the only Members entitled to attend coordinator meetings.
The function of coordinator meetings is to prepare committee decisions and they may not replace committee meetings without explicit delegation. Hence ex-ante delegation is required for decisions taken at coordinator meetings. In the absence of such delegation, coordinators may only adopt recommendations requiring formal ex-post approval by the committee.
In all cases, non-attached Members must be guaranteed access to information, in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination, through the supply of information and the presence of a member of the non-attached Members' secretariat at coordinator meetings.
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3. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and the Commission, for information.