Activities of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2024/2000(REG)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure implementing the parliamentary reform “Parliament 2024”
Amendments (28)
Amendment 118 #
Proposal for a decision
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Decides to evaluate the impact of the amendments by 31 July 2026, and if appropriate, revise them;
Amendment 120 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 27 – paragraph 7 a (new)
Rule 27 – paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. The Conference of Presidents shall be the authority responsible for authorising all missions away from the usual places of work and interparliamentary meetings.
Amendment 122 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 47 – paragraph 1
Rule 47 – paragraph 1
1. Parliament may request the Commission, pursuant to Article 225 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to submit any appropriate proposal to it for the adoption of a new act or the amendment of an existing act. Parliament shall do so by adopting a resolution on the basis of an own-initiative report drawn up by the committee responsible in accordance with Rule 54. The resolution shall be adopted by a majority of the component Members of Parliament in the final vote. Parliament may, at the same time, set a deadline for the submission of such a proposal. Parliament's resolution shall indicate the appropriate legal basis. Parliament may consider the potential financial implications of any proposal made.
Amendment 136 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 48 – paragraph 1
Rule 48 – paragraph 1
1. The President shall refer proposals for legally binding acts received from other institutions or Member States to the committee responsible, for consideration. The other committees and political groups shall be informed of the referral at the same time.
Amendment 140 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 48 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Rule 48 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Within two weeks of the referral, a committee or a political group may challenge the President’s referral to the committee responsible. In such a case, that committee or group shall provide a detailed written justification at least one week before the next meeting of the Conference of Presidents. The Conference of Presidents may decide to request a recommendation on the matter from the Conference of Committee Chairs. The Conference of Committee Chairs or its Chair shall adopt a recommendation at its next meeting. The Conference of Presidents shall take a decision on the final referral at the subsequent meeting following the transmission by the Conference of Committee Chairs of its recommendation. If no committee or political group challenges the President’s referral to the committee responsible within the deadline laid down in the first subparagraph, the President’s referral shall be considered to be final.
Amendment 144 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 48 – paragraph 2
Rule 48 – paragraph 2
2. In cases of doubt, the President may, before the announcement in Parliament of a referral to the committee responsible, submit a question concerning competence toreferral provided for in paragraph 1, decide to request a recommendation on the question of competence from the Conference of Committee Chairs. The Conference of Committee Chairs or its Chair shall adopt that recommendation at its next meeting. After receiving the recommendation, the President shall make the referral. Political groups shall be informed of the referral at the same time. Within two weeks of the referral, a political group may challenge the President’s referral to a committee responsible. In such a case, that group shall provide a detailed written justification and a substantiated alternative based on Annex VI at least one week before the next meeting of the Conference of Presidents. The Conference of Presidents shall adopt itstake a decision on the basis of a recommendation from the Conference of Committee Chairs, or the chair of the Conference of Committee Chairs, in accordance with Rule 211(2)referral at that same meeting. If no political group challenges the President’s referral to the committee responsible within the deadline laid down in the first subparagraph, the President’s referral shall be considered to be final.
Amendment 154 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 53 a (new)
Rule 53 a (new)
Rule 53a Co-rapporteurship 1. Exceptionally, without prejudice to Rule 51(2) and at the request of the committee responsible, the Conference of Presidents may authorise the appointment of maximum three co-rapporteurs. As a general rule, co-rapporteurs should come from different political groups. 2. The appointment of co-rapporteurs shall not be authorised under paragraph 1 for opinions pursuant to Rule 56 or for own-initiative reports, except for those of a budgetary or institutional nature.
Amendment 161 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 54 – paragraph 4
Rule 54 – paragraph 4
4. Motions for resolutions submitted to Parliament shall be examined under the short presentation procedure set out in Rule 160 or submitted directly for a vote in plenary. Amendments to such motions for resolutions and requests for split votes or separate votes shall only be admissible for consideration in plenary if they are tabled either by the rapporteur, in order to take account of new information, or by at least one-tenth of the Members. Political groups may table alternative motions for political group or Members reaching at least the low thresholutions in accordance with Rule 181(3)d. Rule 190 shall apply to the committee’s motion for a resolution and amendments thereto. Rule 190 shall also apply to the single vote on alternative motions for resolutions.
Amendment 165 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 56 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Rule 56 – paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. In duly justified cases, the opinion giving committee may be granted exclusive competences on one or more parts of the matter. The committee responsible shall accept without a vote amendments where the concerned matter falls within the exclusive competence of the opinion giving committee.
Amendment 167 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 56 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 a
Rule 56 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 a
The committee responsible shall set a reasonable deadline, after consulting the opinion-giving committee, by which the opinion-giving committee must deliver its opinion if it is to be taken into account by the committee responsible. Any changes to the announced timetable shall be immediately communicated by the committee responsible to the opinion- giving committee or opinion-giving committees together with the justification for such change. The committee responsible shall not reach its final conclusions before that deadline has expired.
Amendment 173 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 56 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 4
Rule 56 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 4
The opinions shall deal solely with those matters that fall within the areas of responsibility of the opinion-giving committee. Amendments falling manifestly outside the areas of responsibility of that opinion-giving committee shall not be admissible.
Amendment 182 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 56 a (new)
Rule 56 a (new)
Rule 56a Budgetary assessment on proposals for legally binding acts with budgetary implications 1. Without prejudice to the application of Rule 48, where a proposal for a legally binding act has implications for the Union budget, that proposal shall be referred by the President to the committee responsible for budgetary issues. That committee may then issue a budgetary assessment of the proposal if it deems it appropriate or if so requested by the committee responsible for the subject- matter. This paragraph is without prejudice to the possibility for the committee responsible for budgetary issues to be authorised to submit opinions pursuant to Rule 56 or to act jointly with one or more committees pursuant to Rule 58. 2. The committee responsible for the subject-matter shall set a deadline within which the budgetary assessment is to be provided. Any changes to the announced timetable shall be immediately communicated to the committee responsible for budgetary issues. The committee responsible for the subject- matter shall not adopt its report before that deadline has expired. 3. In the budgetary assessment, the committee responsible for budgetary issues may examine whether the proposal for a legally binding act provides for sufficient financial resources, and evaluate the potential impact of the financing proposed on other Union programmes or policies. It shall also determine whether the proposal is compatible with the multiannual financial framework, the system of own resources and the corresponding interinstitutional agreement. 4. The budgetary assessment may consist of an evaluation of the issues of the proposal for a legally binding act referred to in paragraph 3. 5. The amendments contained in the budgetary assessment shall be inserted as such in the amendments tabled to plenary by the committee responsible for the subject-matter if they are compatible with the amendments put to the vote in the latter committee. In the exceptional case where there is an incompatibility, the relevant amendment contained in the budgetary assessment shall be put to the vote in the committee responsible for the subject-matter. If it is then rejected, that amendment may be tabled in plenary by the committee responsible for budgetary issues. 6. Where a budgetary assessment is provided, the negotiating team referred to in Rule 74(1) shall include the rapporteur from the committee responsible for budgetary issues. Where a budgetary assessment is not provided, the committee responsible for the subject-matter may ask the committee responsible for budgetary issues to provide assistance to the negotiating team referred to in Rule 74(1) in relation to the issues referred to in paragraph 3 at any stage of the interinstitutional negotiations.
Amendment 189 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 58 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
Rule 58 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1
In that event, the respective rapporteurs shall draw up a single draft report, which shall be examined and voted on by the committees involved, under the joint chairmanship of the committee Chairs. The chairmanship of meetings may alternate among the Chairs of the committees involved.
Amendment 208 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule -136 (new)
Rule -136 (new)
Rule -136 Ad hoc special scrutiny hearings 1. In order to question one or more Commissioners, or any other relevant person, on an issue of major political importance, the Conference of Presidents may, upon a proposal by the President, by a committee or by Members or a political group or groups reaching at least the medium threshold, convene at short notice an ad hoc special scrutiny hearing. 2. The Conference of Presidents shall determine the number of Members to be appointed for a given ad hoc special scrutiny hearing by the political groups and the non-attached Members. Where relevant, political groups shall ensure that the committees concerned are duly represented. 3. An ad hoc special scrutiny hearing shall be chaired by the President or, by delegation, by one of the Vice-Presidents. It shall be entirely public unless decided otherwise by the Conference of Presidents. 4. The speaking time allocated to a political group shall be treated as a block. Each political group shall distribute the speaking time within its block between those of its members who are participating in the hearing. Speaking time allocated to non-attached Members shall not be treated as a block. 5. Following the conclusion of the ad hoc special scrutiny hearing, its chair may submit to the Conference of Presidents written recommendations on behalf of Members who participated at the hearing. 6. The ad hoc special scrutiny hearing has the right to summon witnesses as well as to request documents. Refusal or failure to comply with the summons or request for documents may be announced in Parliament by the President and published on the website of Parliament. The President, in consultation with the Conference of Presidents, shall decide on whether to apply sanctions, which may include the withdrawal of access to Parliament.
Amendment 231 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 158 – paragraph 1
Rule 158 – paragraph 1
1. At the beginning of each part- session, Parliament shall adopt its agenda. Amendments to the final draft agenda may be proMembers or a political group or groups reaching at least the medium threshold may propose amendments to the final draft agenda. Such amendments shall generally be in responsed by a committee, a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold to events or new political developments which arose after the adoption of the final draft agenda. Any such proposalamendments must be received by the President at least one hour before the opening of the part-session. The President may give the floor to the mover and to one speaker against, and in each case for not more than one minute.
Amendment 233 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 158 – paragraph 1
Rule 158 – paragraph 1
1. At the beginning of each part- session, Parliament shall adopt its agenda. Amendments to the final draft agenda may be proposed by a committee, a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold. Any such proposalamendments must be received by the President at least onetwo hours before the opening of the part-session. The President may give the floor to the mover and to one speaker against, and in each case for not more than one minute.
Amendment 244 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 171 – paragraph 7
Rule 171 – paragraph 7
7. The remaining part of the time for a debate shall not be specifically allocated in advance. Instead, the President may call on Members to speak, as a general rule for no more than one minute. The President shall, as far as possible, ensure that speakers who hold different political views and who come from different Member States are heard in turn. That remaining part of the time for a debate may be defined by the Conference of Presidents.
Amendment 246 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 178 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Rule 178 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Debates may be held whatever the number of Members present in the Chamber.
Amendment 249 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 207 – paragraph -1 (new)
Rule 207 – paragraph -1 (new)
-1. Members reaching at least the low threshold or a political group may, at any time, request the Conference of Presidents to propose to Parliament the setting up of a special committee.
Amendment 253 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 207 a (new)
Rule 207 a (new)
Rule 207 a Ad-hoc temporary committees with legislative competences 1. When it results from the procedure in Rule 48 that a matter falls within the competence of more than three committees, without the competence of any committee prevailing, the Conference of Presidents may, on the basis of a recommendation by the Conference of Committee Chairs, propose to Parliament the setting up of an ad-hoc temporary committee with legislative competences to deal with a specific proposal for a legally binding act or a pre-legislative strategic document. Setting up an ad-hoc temporary committee shall be an exceptional measure, as a last resort. The recommendation by the Conference of Committee Chairs shall indicate the committees responsible for scrutiny of the implementation of the legislation. 2. The numerical strength of an ad-hoc temporary committee with legislative competences shall be decided by Parliament, based on a proposal by the Conference of Presidents. Its term of office shall run from the date of its constitutive meeting until the adoption of the legally binding act, without prejudice to the need for scrutiny activities. In the case of a pre-legislative strategic document, its term of office shall run from the date of its constitutive meeting until the adoption of the report in plenary. Members of an ad-hoc temporary committee with legislative competences shall be appointed by the political groups and the non-attached Members, drawing from the members of the committees involved. The ad-hoc temporary committee with legislative competences shall elect its Chair and Vice-Chairs and appoint one or more rapporteurs. 3. Other committees shall not be authorised to deliver opinions pursuant to Rule 56. 4. Ad-hoc temporary committees with legislative competences shall not have the right to deliver opinions to other committees.
Amendment 258 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 209 – paragraph 2
Rule 209 – paragraph 2
2. The composition of the committees shall, as far as possible, reflect the composition of Parliament. The distribution of committee seats among political groups must be either the nearest whole number above or the nearest whole number below the proportional calculation. In the process of determining the composition of each committee, care must be taken to ensure the participation of the under-represented gender. Political groups should strive for gender balance in their nominations to committees and as a minimum each political groups shall put forward a list of nominations to ensure that the ratio between genders in each committee does not depart by more than 10% from the ratio between genders in Parliament. Where there is no agreement among the political groups on their proportional weight or gender representation within one or more specific committees, the Conference of Presidents shall decide.
Amendment 265 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Rule 223 – paragraph 3
Rule 223 – paragraph 3
3. The bureaux of the delegations shall be constituted in accordance with the procedure laid down for the committee bureaux in Rule 213. Any Chair of a delegation shall preferably be a member or substitute member of the committee responsible for foreign affairs, of the committee responsible for development, or of the committee responsible for international trade.
Amendment 268 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Annex VII – Article 3 – paragraph 2
Annex VII – Article 3 – paragraph 2
2. The confirmation hearings shall be organised by the Conference of Presidents based on a recommendation of the Conference of Committee Chairs, which shall specify the proposed allocation of responsibilities among committees. The Chair and coordinators of each committee shall be responsible for the detailed arrangements. Rapporteurs may be appointed.
Amendment 276 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Annex VII – Article 3 – paragraph 6
Annex VII – Article 3 – paragraph 6
6. Each hearing shall be scheduled to last three hours. Hearings shall take place in circumstances, and under conditions, in which Commissioners-designate enjoy an equal and fair opportunity to present themselves and their opinions. In principle, confirmation hearings shall be scheduled for three hours. However, in the case of Commissioners-designate with particularly large or complex portfolios involving more than one committee, the Conference of Committee Chairs may recommend that the confirmation hearing be scheduled to last longer. The recommended length of the confirmation hearing shall take due account of the number of invited committees in order to allow each of their Chairs to put one question.
Amendment 277 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Annex VII – Article 3 – paragraph 7
Annex VII – Article 3 – paragraph 7
7. Commissioners-designate shall be invited to make an opening oral statement of, which shall last no longer than 15 minutes. Up to 25 questions, grouped together by theme whenever possible, shall be put during the course of the hearing. One follow up question may be asked immediately within the allocated time. The bulk of the speaking time shall be allotted to political groups, mutatis mutandis in accordance with Rule 171The bulk of the speaking time shall be allotted to political groups, mutatis mutandis in accordance with Rule 171. The speaking time allocated to a political group shall be treated as a block. It shall be up to the political group to distribute that time between its Members participating in the hearing. Speaking time allocated to non-attached Members shall not be treated as a block. The Commissioner-designate shall be given, on average, twice as much time for his or her reply as the time given for the question. The conduct of the confirmation hearings shall aim to develop a pluralistic political dialogue between the Commissioners- designate and the Members. Before the end of the confirmation hearing, the Commissioners- designate shall be given the opportunity to make a brief closing statement.
Amendment 278 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Annex VII – Article 3 – paragraph 8
Annex VII – Article 3 – paragraph 8
8. There shall be aA live audio-visual transmission of theall hearings shall be made available free of charge to the public and media. An indexed recording of theall hearings shall be made available to the public within 24 hours.
Amendment 280 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Annex VII – Article 4 – paragraph 4 – point d – indent 1
Annex VII – Article 4 – paragraph 4 – point d – indent 1
– first request additional information throughby means of further written questions;
Amendment 281 #
Parliament’s Rules of Procedure
Annex VII – Article 4 – paragraph 4 – point d
Annex VII – Article 4 – paragraph 4 – point d
(d) If coordinators cannot reach a majority of at least two-thirds of the committee membership to approve the candidate, they shall: – first request additional information through further written questions; – if coordinators are still dissatisfied, request a resumed hearing of 1,5request a resumed confirmation hearing of one and a half hours subject to the approval of the Conference of Presidents;. Additional written questions and the Commissioner’s-designate replies shall be published on Parliament’s website.