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            CODIFIED VERSION OF THE EESC RULES OF PROCEDURE         

(in force from 24 October 2004)

(2004/788/EC, Euratom)

This edition combines:

This edition has been produced by the General Secretariat of the European Economic and Social Committee and groups together the different amendments approved by the EESC assembly. Those Articles that have been amended are indicated by a bracket next to the Article number containing the figure corresponding to the numbering of the amendments referred to above.

PREAMBLE

TITLE I

ORGANISATION OF THE COMMITTEE

CHAPTER I

Installation of the Committee in office

Article 1

Article 2

CHAPTER II

Bureau

Article 3 (2)

Article 4

Article 5

The meeting at which the Bureau of the Committee is elected for the last two years of a four-year period shall be convened by the outgoing President. It shall be held at the beginning of the session of the month in which the term of office of the Bureau elected for the first two years of a four-year period expires. The chair shall be taken by the outgoing President.

Article 6

Article 7

In the event of inability to discharge the duties attaching to his post or in the cases provided for in Article 70(2), a member of the Bureau shall be replaced for the remainder of his term of office in accordance with Article 6.

Article 8 (2)

Article 9

Within the framework of interinstitutional cooperation, the Bureau may instruct the President to conclude cooperation agreements with the institutions and other bodies of the European Union.

Article 10 (2)

Article 10 a (2)

CHAPTER III

Presidency and the President

Article 11

Article 12

These two presentations may be debated by the assembly.

Article 13 (2)

The two Vice-Presidents shall be respectively President of the budget group and President of the communication group and shall perform these tasks under the authority of the President.

CHAPTER IV

Specialised sections

Article 14

Article 15

Article 16 (2)

Article 17

Article 18

CHAPTER V

Subcommittees and rapporteur-general

Article 19 (2)

Article 20

The Committee may appoint a rapporteur-general for any question submitted to it.

CHAPTER VI

Observatories, hearings, experts

Article 21

Article 22

If an issue under discussion is of sufficient importance, the various bodies and working units of the Committee may invite guest speakers from outside the Committee to a hearing. If the use of guest speakers involves additional costs, the body or unit concerned must seek prior authorisation from the Committee Bureau and submit a programme giving reasons why it considers that certain aspects call for outside assistance.

Article 23

Insofar as this is essential for carrying out certain tasks, the President may, on his own initiative, or on a proposal from the Groups, specialised sections or rapporteurs, appoint experts under the terms laid down by the Bureau in line with the provisions of Article 8(6).

CHAPTER VII

Consultative commissions

Article 24 (2)

CHAPTER VIII

Dialogue with economic and social organisations in EU and non-EU States

Article 25

Article 26

CHAPTER IX

The Groups and categories

Article 27

Article 28

TITLE II

PROCEDURE OF THE COMMITTEE

CHAPTER I

Consultation of the Committee

Article 29

Article 30

Requests for opinions referred to in Article 29(1) shall be addressed to the President of the Committee. The President, in consultation with the Bureau, shall organise the work of the Committee, taking account as far as possible of the time limits set in the request for an opinion.

Article 31

The Committee may, on a proposal from the Bureau, decide to prepare an information report with a view to examining any question pertaining to the policies of the European Union.

CHAPTER II

Organisation of work

A.   Work of the specialised sections

Article 32 (1)

Article 33

Specialised sections shall not discuss matters jointly.

Article 34

The Committee President, in agreement with the Bureau, may authorise a specialised section to hold a joint meeting with a European Parliament committee, or a Committee of the Regions commission or with another specialised section of the Committee.

Article 35

Specialised sections to which a question has been referred in accordance with these Articles shall be convened by their President.

Article 36

Article 37

Article 38

The specialised sections shall draw up opinions with reference to the draft opinion submitted by the rapporteur and the co-rapporteur.

Article 39

Article 40

Specialised section opinions, together with all the documents appended thereto in accordance with Article 39, shall be sent by the President of the specialised section to the President of the Committee and shall be laid before the Committee by its Bureau as soon as possible. These documents shall be sent to the members of the Committee in good time.

Article 41

Concise minutes of each specialised section meeting shall be drawn up and submitted to the specialised section for approval.

Article 42

The President, in agreement with the Bureau or where appropriate the assembly, may refer a question back to a specialised section if he considers that the procedure laid down in these Articles for drawing up opinions has not been adhered to or that further study is necessary.

Article 43

B.   Proceedings of the plenary sessions

Article 44

The assembly, comprising all the members of the Committee, shall meet in plenary session.

Article 45

Article 46

Article 47

Article 48

When the agenda is submitted for adoption, the inclusion of any topical item shall be announced, where appropriate, by the President.

Article 49

The draft agenda may be amended by the Committee for the purpose of examining draft resolutions submitted by one or more Groups in accordance with the procedure in force.

Article 50 (2)

Article 51 (2)

Article 52 (2)

Article 53

Article 54

Article 55

TITLE III

GENERAL PROVISIONS

CHAPTER I

Methods of voting

Article 56

CHAPTER II

Urgency procedure and written procedure

Article 57

Article 58

Certain opinions of the Committee which are the subject of a mandatory referral by the Council or the Commission but only require a formal opinion from the Committee may be adopted by a written procedure by decision of the Bureau on a proposal from the specialised section concerned.

Article 59

CHAPTER III

Absence and representation

Article 60

Article 61

Article 62

CHAPTER IV

Publication and distribution of Committee texts — admission of the public

Article 63

Article 64

Article 65

Article 66

CHAPTER V

Titles, privileges, immunities and statute of members, quaestors

Article 67

Article 68

Article 69

On a proposal from the Bureau, the assembly shall elect, for each two-year period, three members, who have no other permanent responsibilities within the Committee structure, to form the quaestors' group with the following functions:

CHAPTER VI

Termination of members’ tenure of office, incompatibilities

Article 70

CHAPTER VII

Administration of the Committee

Article 71

Article 72 (2)

Article 73

Article 74

Article 75

Correspondence to the Committee shall be addressed to the President or the Secretary-General.

CHAPTER VIII

General provisions

Article 76

The terms used in these Rule of Procedure for the various offices are not gender-specific.

Article 77

Article 78

These Rules of Procedure shall enter into force on the first day of the month following their adoption by an absolute majority of Committee members.

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