a.weu/documents File: 1331crpp.thom Document 1331 23rd October 1992 Composition of the political groups - Rule 39, paragraph 4, of the Rules of Procedure ______ REPORT (1) submitted on behalf of the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges (2) by Mr. Thompson, Chairman and Rapporteur ______ TABLE OF CONTENTS DRAFT DECISION on amending Rule 39, paragraph 4, of the Rules of Procedure EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM submitted by Mr. Thompson, Chairman and Rapporteur ______ Draft Decision ============== on amending Rule 39, paragraph 4, of the Rules of Procedure The Assembly, DECIDES To amend Rule 39, paragraph 4, to read as follows: "The number of members of a political group, representatives or substitutes, may not be less than one-tenth of the number of representatives to the Assembly." Explanatory Memorandum ====================== (submitted by Mr. Thompson, Chairman and Rapporteur) At its sitting on 1st June 1992, the Assembly adopted the draft order in the report presented to it by the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges (Document 1311). In this order, the Assembly invited the committee to examine whether there should be a change in the minimum number of representatives or substitutes required to form a political group, bearing in mind the ratio to be established between this number and the total number of representatives to the Assembly. It should first be underlined that the problem of the composition of the political groups may be viewed from two standpoints: - the minimum number of representatives or substitutes of which a political group must consist; - the number of nationalities that should be represented. According to Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly, a group may not have less than nine members, but it does not mention the nationality aspect. Conversely, according to the Rules of Procedure of the Council of Europe, a political group must consist of "representatives or substitutes of at least three different nationalities" (3) . The order just quoted does not invite the committee to raise this matter which, moreover, does not arise since all the Assembly's political groups include members of several nationalities. The reasons why a political group should consist of a minimum number of members were set out in the committee's previous report: "A minimum number of members must continue to be required for a group, through its representation in the Presidential Committee, to be able to play a de jure part in the organisation of the Assembly's work and, through its budget, to have practical facilities." However, to this requirement for a minimum number of members in each group should be added the requirement for a small enough number of groups to allow the Assembly to organise its work in the most favourable conditions. But it is precisely the requirement for a minimum number of members that allows it to be guaranteed that the Assembly will at no time be divided into an excessive number of groups. To avoid revising the Rules of Procedure when the number of delegations to the Assembly is increased, this minimum should not be an integral number but a fractional one, i.e. a proportion of the total number of members of the Assembly. In his report mentioned above, Mr. Grieve, while referring to the example of the European Parliament, believed that the most desirable proportion would be one-twentieth of representatives and substitutes to the Assembly of the Council of Europe, i.e. one-tenth of representatives. This proportion also seems valid for the WEU Assembly. It is therefore proposed to draft the new paragraph 4 of Rule 39 of the Rules of Procedure as follows: "The number of members of a political group, representatives or substitutes, may not be less than one-tenth of the number of representatives to the Assembly." At present, the Assembly has 108 members. Since one-tenth of this number is 10.8, a political group could not at present, if this provision is adopted, have less than 11 members (representatives or substitutes). This increase of two in the minimum number of representatives of a political group would take into account the enlargement of the Assembly to include Portugal and Spain. 1. Adopted unanimously by the committee. 2. Members of the committee: Mr. Thompson (Chairman); MM. Amaral, Benassi (Vice-Chairmen); Mrs. Aguiar, MM. Andre, Boehl, Bolinaga (Alternate: Mrs. Guirado), MM. Caccia, Chevalier, Collette, Cuco, Diaz de Mera, Filetti, Lord Finsberg (Alternate: Townend), MM. Hughes, Jessel, Junghanns, Konen, Ottenbourgh, Pasquino, Pistre, Scheer, von Schude (Alternate: Maas), Mrs. Soutendijk van Appeldoorn (Alternate: Eversdijk), Mr. Stoffelen, Mrs. Terborg. 3. In his report to the Assembly of the Council of Europe of 3rd December 1976 (Document 3900), Mr. Grieve invoked, in support of this requirement, the concern that "the European character of the Assembly and its subsidiary units must be emphasised and preserved", but he mentioned the fact that the European Parliament admits the possibility of purely national political groups.