The Parliamentary Assembly – Practice and Procedure (11th edition)

The ninth edition of the book entitled Procedure and practice of the Assembly was published in 1990. Since then, significant political changes in Europe have also had an impact on the functioning of the Parliamentary Assembly. This new edition emphasises the practical way in which the Assembly operates and describes its political and institutional context. It will be of use both to the members of the Assembly and a wider audience: members and staff of national parliaments, representatives of civil society, and all those who wish to know more about the driving force of the Council of Europe.The 636 parliamentarians making up the Assembly come from the national parliaments of the 47 Council of Europe member states. They meet four times a year to discuss current affairs and ask European governments to take initiatives and report back. These parliamentarians speak on behalf of the 800 million Europeans who elected them. They are the democratic conscience of Europe.

Foreword Introduction Part I: The Council of Europe context Chapter 1. The Origins and Growth of the Council of Europe Chapter 2. The different parts of the Council of Europe Chapter 3. Relations between the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers Part II: The Parliamentary Assembly and its members Chapter 4. The membership of the Assembly Chapter 5. Appointment and terms of office of members Part III: Structure, organisation and administration of the Assembly Chapter 6. Presidency and Bureau Chapter 7. National delegations Chapter 8. Political groups of the Assembly Chapter 9. Secretariat and budget of the Assembly Chapter 10. Documents, information and communication Part IV: The procedure and practice of the Assembly Chapter 11. The Procedural Framework of the Assembly Chapter 12. Elections and appointments Chapter 13. The organisation of the Assembly's sessions and sittings Chapter 14. The business of the Assembly Chapter 15. Debates and decisions of the Assembly Chapter 16. Standing Committee Part V: The Assembly's committee system Chapter 17. The Assembly's general committee system: an overview Chapter 18. Membership, powers and procedure of committees Part VI: External relations Chapter 19. External relations: Introduction Chapter 20. Relations with the European Union (EU) Chapter 21. Relations with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Chapter 22. Relations with the Assembly of Western European Union (WEU) Chapter 23. Relations with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chapter 24. Relations with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Chapter 25. Relations with other international bodies Chapter 26. Relations with national parliaments and inter-parliamentary bodies Chapter 27. Council of Europe Partial Agreements Chapter 28. Relations with international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) Appendices Appendix A: Presidents of the Assembly Appendix B: Clerks and Secretaries General of the Assembly Appendix C: Secretaries General of the Council of Europe and Deputy Secretaries General of the Council of Europe