210 SC 05 E Standing Committee NATO Parliamentary Assembly DRAFT AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE CONCERNING THE STATUS OF MEDITERRANEAN ASSOCIATE DELEGATIONS International Secretariat October 2005

210 SC 05 E 1 INTRODUCTION At the Annual Session in Venice in November 2004, the Standing Committee created the status of Mediterranean Associate Delegation in order to provide more opportunities for the parliaments of the Mediterranean region to become more closely involved in aspects of the Assembly’s work.  At its  meeting  in  Reykjavik  in  April  2005,  the  Standing  Committee  established  in  more  detail  the procedural aspects involved in creating this new form of status which has so far been granted to the parliaments of Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania¹, and Morocco. It  was  agreed  that  the  same  procedures  as  those  for  Associate  Delegations  would  be  applied regarding decisions on granting Mediterranean Associate status, and the rights of Associates and Mediterranean Associates at Sessions would be identical. It  was  also  agreed  that  all  Assembly  seminars  and  training  programmes  would  be  open  to Mediterranean  Associates.    However,  Committee  meetings  outside  the  context  of  sessions, Sub-Committee meetings, and the spring visit by the Mediterranean Special Group (GSM) would not be opened to Mediterranean Associate Delegations. The following draft amendments to the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure are put forward to reflect these decisions. If the Standing Committee agrees to them, they will be submitted to the Plenary Assembly on Tuesday 15 November in accordance with the provisions of Article 50. 1 The status of the parliament of Mauritania is addressed as a separate agenda item in doc. [206 SC 05 E]

210 SC 05 E 2 Draft Amendments Amendment No. 1 After Article 2, insert the following new chapter entitled: MEDITERRANEAN ASSOCIATE DELEGATIONS and including the following article: Article A 1. Subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Assembly,  the  Standing  Committee  may  decide,  by  a three-quarters majority of its members present and eligible to vote, to invite delegations from parliaments  of  countries  in  the  Mediterranean  region  which  are  not  members  of  the Atlantic Alliance to participate in the work of the Assembly. The Standing Committee shall decide the size of Mediterranean associate delegations and the number of Mediterranean associate delegates nominated to each Committee of the Assembly. 2. Paragraphs  3,  4  and  5  of  Article  1  shall  apply  to  the  appointment  of  Mediterranean associate  members.  A  member  of  government  cannot  be  a  Mediterranean  associate member of the Assembly. 3. Mediterranean  associate  members  shall  be  entitled  to  attend  plenary  sittings  of  the Assembly, seminars, and meetings of the Assembly's Committees during sessions unless decided  otherwise  by  the  Standing  Committee.  Mediterranean  associate  members  may speak and propose amendments but shall not be entitled to vote. Amendment No. 2 Leave out paragraph 6 of Article 11 and insert the following new paragraph: 6. The   Standing   Committee   may   hold   special   meetings   with   the   heads   of   associate delegations or Mediterranean associate delegations.

210 SC 05 E 3 Amendment No. 3 Leave out sub-paragraph 1. l) of Article 12 and insert the following new sub-paragraph: 1. The main tasks of the Standing Committee shall be: l) to   review   arrangements   for   associate   delegations,   Mediterranean   associate delegations,  parliamentary  observer  delegations  and  other  inter-parliamentary assembly delegations granted formal status with the Assembly. Amendment No. 4 Leave out paragraph 4 of Article 21 and insert the following new paragraph: 4. A resolution gives formal expression to the view of the Assembly on a matter which does not call for action by the North Atlantic Council. Resolutions may be addressed to all or to a limited number of governments of NATO, to all or some of the parliaments of the member countries, to governments and parliaments of non-member countries which have associate delegations   or   Mediterranean   associate   delegations,   as   well   as   to   international organizations. Amendment No. 5 (see also amendments No. 10 and 11) Leave out paragraph 1 of Article 23 and insert the following new paragraph: 1. Amendments to texts debated in Plenary Sitting must be introduced by: a) not  less  than  five  members  and/or  associate  members  and/or  Mediterranean associate members from at least three countries; or b) the  leader  of  a  member  delegation,  associate  delegation   or  Mediterranean associate delegation on behalf of that delegation. Amendment No. 6 Leave out paragraph 2 of Article 25 and insert the following new paragraph: 2. Any delegate, associate delegate or Mediterranean associate delegate may propose, in writing, the inclusion of other items on the agenda up to two weeks before the first public sitting of the session.

210 SC 05 E 4 Amendment No. 7 Leave out paragraph 1 of Article 32 and insert the following new paragraph: 1. In  the  course  of  the  annual  session,  each  Committee  shall  elect  from  its  members  a Chairman, up to three Vice-Chairmen and a General Rapporteur. Associate members and Mediterranean   associate   members   shall   be   eligible   to   be   elected   as   Associate Rapporteurs  and  Mediterranean  associate  Rapporteurs.  No  member  shall  hold  more than one office on a Committee and its Sub-Committees and its Working Groups. Amendment No. 8 Leave out paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 33 and insert the following new paragraphs: 2. Any delegate, associate delegate or Mediterranean associate delegate shall be entitled to attend meetings of Committees of which he is not a member, an associate member or a Mediterranean associate member. 3. Each delegate, associate delegate and Mediterranean associate delegate shall sign the register of attendance on each day of a Committee meeting before taking his place. Amendment No. 9 Leave out paragraph 14 of Article 34 and insert the following new paragraph: 14. In  exceptional  circumstances  Special  Rapporteurs  may  be  elected  by  one  or  several Committees  to  study  matters  of  common  interest.  Delegates,  associate  delegates  and Mediterranean associate delegates shall be eligible for election as Special Rapporteurs. Their appointment will be submitted to the Standing Committee for approval. Amendment No. 10 Leave out sub-paragraph 3. a) of Article 40 and insert the following new paragraph: 3. a) Any   Committee   member,   associate   member   or   Mediterranean   associate member  may  propose  one  or  more  draft  texts  on  his  own  initiative.  The  drafts should  be  submitted  to  the  General  Rapporteur  (or  relevant  Special  Rapporteur) not later than three weeks before the Committee meetings which are held prior to the plenary assembly.

210 SC 05 E 5 Amendment No. 11 Leave out paragraph 1 of Article 41 and insert the following new paragraph: 1. Amendments to texts debated in the Committees must be introduced by: a) not less than  three  members  and/or  associate  members  and/or Mediterranean associate members from at least three countries;  or b) the  leader  of  a  member  delegation,  associate  delegation  or  Mediterranean associate delegation on behalf of that delegation. Amendment No. 12 Leave out paragraph 1 of Article 44 and insert the following new paragraph: 1. Member  delegations,  associate  delegations  and  Mediterranean  associate  delegations shall   appoint   delegation   secretaries   who   shall   be   entitled   to   attend   meetings   of   the Assembly and its Committees and shall have access to the Assembly chamber and to the Committee rooms. _________________