European Parliament decision of 19 April 2023 on amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure concerning question time, the central rostrum, the blue-card procedure, the explanations of votes, the transparency register and the Ombudsman (2023/2014(REG))
Date: 2023-04-19
Institutions: Committee on Constitutional Affairs, European Parliament
Subjects: European Ombudsman, administrative transparency, interest group, operation of the Institutions, parliamentary rules of procedure, parliamentary session




C_202300454EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2023/454


1.12.2023






P9_TA(2023)0107
Amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure concerning question time, the central rostrum, the blue-card procedure, the explanations of votes, the transparency register and the Ombudsman
European Parliament decision of 19 April 2023 on amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure concerning question time, the central rostrum, the blue-card procedure, the explanations of votes, the transparency register and the Ombudsman (2023/2014(REG))
(C/2023/454)



The European Parliament,






—


having regard to the letter from its President of 24 June 2022,










—


having regard to Rules 236 and 237 of its Rules of Procedure,










—


having regard to the report of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs (A9-0072/2023),













1.


Decides to amend its Rules of Procedure as shown below;












2.


Points out that the amendments will enter into force on the first day of the next part-session;












3.


Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council and the Commission, for information.





Amendment 1


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 11 — paragraph 2








Present text




Amendment






2.   Members should adopt the systematic practice of only meeting interest representatives that 
have
 registered in the 
Transparency Register
 established by means of the Agreement 
between the European Parliament and the European Commission

 (6).




2.   Members should adopt the systematic practice of only meeting interest representatives that 
are
 registered in the 
transparency register
 established by means of the 
Interinstitutional
 Agreement 
on a mandatory transparency register

 (6).






Amendment 2


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 11 — paragraph 3








Present text




Amendment






3.   Members should publish online all scheduled meetings with interest representatives falling under the scope of the 
Transparency register
. Without prejudice to Article 4(6) of Annex I, rapporteurs, shadow rapporteurs and committee chairs shall, for each report, publish online all scheduled meetings with interest representatives falling under the scope of the 
Transparency register
. The Bureau shall provide for necessary infrastructure on Parliament's website.




3.   Members should publish online all scheduled meetings with interest representatives falling under the scope of the 
Interinstitutional Agreement
. Without prejudice to Article 4(6) of Annex I, rapporteurs, shadow rapporteurs and committee chairs shall, for each report, publish online all scheduled meetings with interest representatives falling under the scope of the 
Interinstitutional Agreement
. The Bureau shall provide for necessary infrastructure on Parliament's website.






Amendment 3


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 123 — paragraph 2








Present text




Amendment






2.   Badges shall not be issued to individuals within a Member’s entourage who fall within the scope of the Agreement 
between the European Parliament and the European Commission
 on 
the
 transparency register.




2.   Badges shall not be issued to individuals within a Member’s entourage who fall within the scope of the 
Interinstitutional
 Agreement on 
a mandatory
 transparency register.






Amendment 4


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 123 — paragraph 3 — subparagraph 1








Present text




Amendment






3.   Entities 
listed
 in the transparency register, and their representatives who have been issued with long-term access badges to the European Parliament must respect:




3.   Entities 
entered
 in the transparency register, and their representatives who have been issued with long-term access badges to the European Parliament must respect:











—


the Code of Conduct for Registrants annexed to the 
agreement
;












—


the Code of Conduct for Registrants annexed to the 
Interinstitutional Agreement
;














—


the procedures and other obligations laid down by the 
agreement
; and












—


the procedures and other obligations laid down by the 
Interinstitutional Agreemen

t; and














—


the provisions implementing this Rule.












—


the provisions implementing this Rule.









Amendment 5


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 123 — paragraph 5








Present text




Amendment






5.   The Bureau, acting on a proposal from the Secretary-General, shall lay down the measures needed to implement the transparency register, in accordance with the provisions of the 
agreement on the establishment of that register
.




5.   The Bureau, acting on a proposal from the Secretary-General, shall lay down the measures needed to implement the transparency register, in accordance with the provisions of the 
Interinstitutional Agreement
.






Amendment 6


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 137








Present text




Amendment





Rule 137


Rule 137




Question Time


Question Time





1.   Question Time with 
the Commission
 may be held at each part-session for a duration of up to 90 minutes on one or more 
specific horizontal
 themes to be decided upon by the Conference of Presidents 
one month
 in advance 
of the
 part-session.




1.   Question Time with 
Commissioners
 may be held at each part-session for a duration of up to 
about
 90 minutes on one or more themes to be decided upon by the Conference of Presidents in advance
, and at the latest on the Thursday before the relevant
 part-session.






2.   The Commissioners invited to participate by the Conference of Presidents shall have a portfolio related to the 
specific horizontal
 theme or themes on which questions are to be put to them. The number of Commissioners to be invited shall be limited to two per part-session. However, it shall be possible to invite a third Commissioner, depending on the 
specific horizontal
 theme or themes chosen for the Question Time.




2.   The Commissioners invited to participate by the Conference of Presidents shall have a portfolio related to the theme or themes on which questions are to be put to them. The number of Commissioners to be invited shall be limited to two per part-session. However, it shall be possible to invite a third Commissioner, depending on the theme or themes chosen for the Question Time.






3.   
In accordance with guidelines established by the Conference of Presidents, specific
 question 
hours
 may be held with the Council, with the President of the Commission, with the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and with the President of the Eurogroup.




3.   Question 
Time
 may 
also
 be held
, under the terms laid down in paragraph 1, with the President of the European Council,
 with the 
Presidency of the
 Council, with the President of the Commission, with the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and with the President of the Eurogroup.






4.   Question time shall not be specifically allocated in advance. The President shall, as far as possible, ensure that Members that hold different political views and that come from different Member States are given the opportunity to put a question in turn.




4.   Question time shall not be specifically allocated in advance. The President shall, as far as possible, ensure that Members that hold different political views and that come from different Member States are given the opportunity to put a question in turn.






5.   The Member shall be given one minute in which to formulate the question and the 
Commissioner
 two minutes in which to reply. That Member may put a supplementary question, lasting no longer than 30 seconds and having a direct bearing on the main question. The 
Commissioner
 shall then be given two minutes in which to give a supplementary reply.




5.   The Member shall be given one minute in which to formulate the question and the 
person being questioned
 two minutes in which to reply. That Member may put a supplementary question, lasting no longer than 30 seconds and having a direct bearing on the main question. The 
person being questioned
 shall then be given two minutes in which to give a supplementary reply.





Questions and supplementary questions must be directly related to the 
specific horizontal
 theme decided under paragraph 1. The President may rule on their admissibility.





6.
   Questions and supplementary questions must be directly related to the theme decided under paragraph 1. The President may rule on their admissibility.






Amendment 7


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 171 — paragraph 2








Present text




Amendment






2.   
Members
 may 
not
 speak unless called upon to do so by the President. 
Members shall speak from their places and shall address the President.
 If speakers depart from the subject matter of the debate, the President shall call them to order.




2.   
No speaker
 may speak unless called upon to do so by the President. If speakers depart from the subject matter of the debate, the President shall call them to order.





 





2a.
   
Speakers whose interventions are foreseen on the list of speakers shall speak from the central rostrum. Speakers with disabilities may speak from their places if they prefer.







 




For all other interventions, speakers shall speak from their places.







Amendment 8


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 171 — paragraph 8








Present text




Amendment






8.   The President may give the floor to Members who indicate, by raising a blue card, their wish to put to another Member, during that Member's speech, a question of no longer than half a minute's duration related to what that Member has said. The President shall only do so if the speaker agrees to the question and if the President is satisfied that this will lead neither to disruption of the debate nor, through the putting of successive questions by raising a blue card, to a gross imbalance in the political group affinities of Members speaking in that debate.




8.   The President may give the floor to Members who indicate, by raising a blue card, their wish to put to another Member, during that Member's speech, a question of no longer than half a minute's duration related to what that Member has said. The President shall only do so if the speaker agrees to the question and if the President is satisfied that this will lead neither to disruption of the debate nor, through the putting of successive questions by raising a blue card, to a gross imbalance in the political group affinities of Members speaking in that debate. 
The Member raising the blue card and the speaker shall not be from the same political group, and they shall not both be non-attached Members. Subject to the conditions set out in the second sentence, applied mutatis mutandis, the President may allow the Member who has asked such a question to react to the speaker’s answer for no longer than half a minute. The speaker may then follow up on that reaction.








Amendment 9


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 194 — paragraph 1 — subparagraph 1








Present text




Amendment






1.   
Once the voting session has been concluded,
 any Member may give an oral explanation on the single and/or final vote on an item submitted to Parliament for not longer than one minute. Each Member may give a maximum of three oral explanations of 
vote
 per part-session.




1.   Any Member may give an oral explanation on the single and/or final vote on an item submitted to Parliament for not longer than one minute. 
Such explanations of votes shall be given at the end of the sitting during which the vote concerned has taken place, unless the President decides on an exceptional basis to postpone them until later in the part-session.
 Each Member may give a maximum of three oral explanations of 
votes
 per part-session.






Amendment 10


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 216 — paragraph 4








Present text




Amendment






4.   Rule 171(2) shall apply mutatis mutandis to committees. 
However, the second sentence of Rule 171(2) shall not apply to Members who are attending the meeting remotely.






4.   Rule 171(2) shall apply mutatis mutandis to committees.






Amendment 11


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 231 — paragraph 2








Present text




Amendment






2.   Nominations must have the support of at least 38 Members who are nationals of at least two Member States.




2.   Nominations must have the support of at least 38 Members who are nationals of at least two Member States.





Each Member may support only one nomination.


Each Member may support only one nomination. 
The support of a Member shall only be valid if indicated on a standardised form, provided by Parliament’s services immediately after the publication of the notice calling for nominations in the Official Journal of the European Union. That standardised form shall clearly state the date of signature. That date shall be within the time limit for submission of nominations set in accordance with paragraph 1.






 




Members may withdraw their signatures of support by notifying the President of the withdrawal before the end of that time limit. If, at the end of that time limit, a Member is found to have granted signatures in support of more than one nomination, none of those signatures shall count for any of the nominations.






Nominations shall include all the supporting documents needed to show conclusively that the nominee fulfils the conditions laid down in 
Article 6(2) of Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom
 of the European Parliament (53).


Nominations shall include all the supporting documents needed to show conclusively that the nominee fulfils the conditions laid down in 
Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2021/1163
 of the European Parliament (53).





Amendment 12


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 231 — paragraph 3








Present text




Amendment






3.   Nominations shall be forwarded to the committee responsible. A full list of the Members who have given their support to the nominees shall be made available to the public 
in due time
.




3.   Nominations shall be forwarded to the committee responsible. A full list of the Members who have given their support to the nominees shall be made available to the public 
on the working day following the expiry of the time limit for submission of nominations set in accordance with paragraph 1
.






Amendment 13


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 231 — paragraph 3 a (new)








Present text




Amendment





 





3a.
   
Nominees shall, upon request, be issued with a temporary badge granting him or her access to Parliament’s premises.








Amendment 14


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 231 — paragraph 8








Present text




Amendment








8.
   
The Ombudsman shall exercise his or her duties until his or her successor takes office, except in the case of his or her death or dismissal.







deleted







Amendment 15


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 232








Present text




Amendment





Rule 232


Rule 232




Activities of the Ombudsman


Activities of the Ombudsman





1.   The committee responsible shall examine cases of maladministration that it has been informed of by the Ombudsman pursuant to 
Article 3(6) and (7) of Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom
, following which it may decide to draw up a report under Rule 54.




1.   The committee responsible shall examine cases of maladministration that it has been informed of by the Ombudsman pursuant to 
Article 4(1) and (3) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2021/1163
, following which it may decide to draw up a report under Rule 54.





The committee responsible shall examine the report submitted by the Ombudsman at the end of each annual session on the outcome of his or her inquiries, in accordance with 
Article 3(8) of Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom
. The committee responsible may submit a motion for resolution to Parliament if it considers that Parliament needs to take a position in respect of any aspect of that report.





1a.
   The committee responsible shall examine the report submitted by the Ombudsman at the end of each annual session on the outcome of his or her inquiries, in accordance with 
Article 4(5) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2021/1163
. The committee responsible may submit a motion for resolution to Parliament if it considers that Parliament needs to take a position in respect of any aspect of that report.






2.   The Ombudsman may 
also provide the committee responsible with information
 at 
its
 request
, or
 be heard by 
it on his or her own initiative
.




2.   
In line with Article 4(4) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2021/1163
, the Ombudsman may
, on his or her own initiative or
 at 
the
 request 
of the committee responsible,
 be heard by 
that committee or provide information on his or her activities
.





 





2a.
   
Where the Ombudsman consults Parliament on draft implementing provisions for Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2021/1163 pursuant to Article 18 thereof, the committee responsible for that Regulation shall submit a report to Parliament pursuant to Rule 51. Rule 59(1), (2), (4) and (5) shall apply mutatis mutandis.








Amendment 16


Parliament's Rules of Procedure


Rule 233 — paragraph 2








Present text




Amendment






2.   The request shall be forwarded to the Ombudsman and to the committee responsible, which, if it decides by a majority of its members that the reasons are well founded, shall submit a report to Parliament. 
If he or she so requests,
 the Ombudsman shall be heard before the report is put to the vote. Parliament shall, following a debate, take a decision by secret ballot.




2.   The request shall be forwarded to the Ombudsman and to the committee responsible, which, if it decides by a majority of its members that the reasons are well founded, shall submit a report to Parliament. The Ombudsman shall be heard before the report is put to the vote. Parliament shall, following a debate, take a decision by secret ballot.







(6)  Agreement of 

                  16 April 2014
               
 between the European Parliament and the European Commission on 
the
 transparency register 
for organisations and self-employed individuals engaged in EU policymaking and policy implementation
 (

OJ L 277, 19.9.2014, p. 11

).

(6)  
            
Interinstitutional
 Agreement of 

                  20 May 2021
               
 between the European Parliament
, the Council of the European Union
 and the European Commission on 
a mandatory
 transparency register (

OJ L 207, 11.6.2021, p. 1

).

(53)  
            
Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom
 of the European Parliament of 

                  9 March 1994 on
 the regulations and general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties 
(OJ L 113, 4.5.1994, p. 15)
.

(53)  
            
Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2021/1163
 of the European Parliament of 

                  24 June 2021 laying down
 the regulations and general conditions governing the performance of the Ombudsman's duties 
(Statute of the European Ombudsman) and repealing Decision 94/262/ECSC, EC, Euratom (OJ L 253, 16.7.2021, p. 1)
.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2023/454/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)