Chapter V - Consultative Assembly

Article 22

The Consultative Assembly is the deliberative organ of the Council of Europe. It shall debate matters within its competence under this Statute and present its conclusions, in the form of recommendations, to the Committee of Ministers.

Article 23²⁾

The Consultative Assembly may discuss and make recommendations upon any matter within the aim and scope of the Council of Europe as defined in Chapter I. It shall also discuss and may make recommendations upon any matter referred to it by the Committee of Ministers with a request for its opinion.

The Assembly shall draw up its agenda in accordance with the provisions of paragraph a above. In so doing, it shall have regard to the work of other European intergovernmental organisations to which some or all of the members of the Council are parties.

The President of the Assembly shall decide, in case of doubt, whether any question raised in the course of the session is within the agenda of the Assembly.

Article 24

The Consultative Assembly may, with due regard to the provisions of Article 38.d, establish committees or commissions to consider and report to it any matter which falls within its competence under Article 23, to examine and prepare questions on its agenda and to advise on all matters of procedure.

Article 25³⁾

The Consultative Assembly shall consist of representatives of each member, elected by its parliament from among the members thereof, or appointed from among the members of that parliament, in such manner as it shall decide, subject, however, to the right of each member government to make any additional appointments necessary when the parliament is not in session and has not laid down the procedure to be followed in that case. Each representative must be a national of the member whom he represents, but shall not at the same time be a member of the Committee of Ministers.

The term of office of representatives thus appointed will date from the opening of the ordinary session following their appointment; it will expire at the opening of the next ordinary session or of a later ordinary session, except that, in the event of elections to their parliaments having taken place, members shall be entitled to make new appointments.

If a member fills vacancies due to death or resignation, or proceeds to make new appointments as a result of elections to its parliament, the term of office of the new representatives shall date from the first sitting of the Assembly following their appointment.

No representative shall be deprived of his position as such during a session of the Assembly without the agreement of the Assembly.

Each representative may have a substitute who may, in the absence of the representative, sit, speak and vote in his place. The provisions of paragraph a above apply to the appointment of substitutes.

Article 26⁴⁾

Members shall be entitled to the number of representatives given below:

Albania	4
Andorra	2
Armenia	4
Austria	6
Azerbaijan	6
Belgium	7
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
Netherlands	7
Norway	5
Poland	12
Portugal	7
Romania	10
Russia	18
San Marino	2
Slovakia	5
Slovenia	3
Spain	12
Sweden	6
Switzerland	6
the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia	3
Turkey	12
Ukraine	12
United Kingdom	18

Article 27²⁾

The conditions under which the Committee of Ministers collectively may be represented in the debates of the Consultative Assembly, or individual representatives on the Committee or their alternates may address the Assembly, shall be determined by such rules of procedure on this subject as may be drawn up by the Committee after consultation with the Assembly.

Article 28

The Consultative Assembly shall adopt its rules of procedure and shall elect from members its President, who shall remain in office until the next ordinary session.

The President shall control the proceedings but shall not take part in the debate or vote. The substitute of the representative who is President may sit, speak and vote in his place.

The rules of procedure shall determine inter alia:

the quorum;

the manner of the election and terms of office of the President and other officers;

the manner in which the agenda shall be drawn up and be communicated to representatives;

the time and manner in which the names of representatives and their substitutes shall be notified.

Article 29

Subject to the provisions of Article 30, all resolutions of the Consultative Assembly, including resolutions:

embodying recommendations to the Committee of Ministers;

proposing to the Committee matters for discussion in the Assembly;

establishing committees or commissions;

determining the date of commencement of its sessions;

determining what majority is required for resolutions in cases not covered by sections i to iv above or determining cases of doubt as to what majority is required,

shall require a two-thirds majority of the representatives casting a vote.

Article 30

On matters relating to its internal procedure, which includes the election of officers, the nomination of persons to serve on committees and commissions and the adoption of rules of procedure, resolutions of the Consultative Assembly shall be carried by such majorities as the Assembly may determine in accordance with Article 29.v.

Article 31

Debates on proposals to be made to the Committee of Ministers that a matter should be placed on the agenda of the Consultative Assembly shall be confined to an indication of the proposed subject-matter and the reasons for and against its inclusion in the agenda.

Article 32

The Consultative Assembly shall meet in ordinary session once a year, the date and duration of which shall be determined by the Assembly so as to avoid as far as possible overlapping with parliamentary sessions of members and with sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations. In no circumstances shall the duration of an ordinary session exceed one month unless both the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers concur.

Article 33

Ordinary sessions of the Consultative Assembly shall be held at the seat of the Council unless both the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers concur that the session should be held elsewhere.

Article 34²⁾

The Consultative Assembly may be convened in extraordinary session, upon the initiative either of the Committee of Ministers or of the President of the Assembly after agreement between them, such agreement also to determine the date and place of the session.

Article 35

Unless the Consultative Assembly decides otherwise, its debates shall be conducted in public.

²⁾ As amended in May 1951.

³⁾ First sentence of paragraph a, as amended in May 1951. The last two sub-paragraphs of paragraph a were added in May 1953; first sub-paragraph of paragraph a amended in October 1970.

⁴⁾ As amended in December 1951, in May 1958, in November 1961, in May 1963, in May 1965, in February 1971, in December 1974, in October 1976, in January 1978, in November 1978, in November 1988, in May 1989, in November 1990, in November 1991, in May 1992, in May 1993, in June 1993, in October 1993, in November 1994, in February 1995, in November 1995, in February 1996, in November 1996, in April 1999 and in January 2001.