The European Parliament adopted the report drafted by Richard CORBETT (PES, UK) on the amendment of Rule 201 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure on the application or interpretation of the Rules of Procedure with a view to allowing committee chairmen to refer under certain conditions questions of interpretation of the Rules of Procedure to the committee responsible for the Rules in order to get an authoritative guidance for the future. (Please refer to the summary of the committee responsible for the amendments).

The Parliament includes an amendment stating that should doubt arise over the application or interpretation of these Rules of Procedure, the President may refer the matter to the committee responsible for examination. Committee chairs may do so where such a doubt arises in the course of the committee's work and is related to it.

The Parliament points out that the amendment will enter into force on the first day of the next part-session (September I/2007).

The Committee on Constitutional Affairs unanimously adopted the report drafted by Richard CORBETT (PES, UK) on the amendment of Rule 201 of Parliament's Rules of Procedure on the application or interpretation of the Rules of Procedure with a view to allowing committee chairmen to refer under certain conditions questions of interpretation of the Rules of Procedure to the committee responsible for the Rules in order to get an authoritative guidance for the future. Till now only the President of Parliament has this power.

The committee chairs are constantly required to apply and therefore interpret the Rules of Procedure in the course of the exercise of their duties. But this possibility is limited to questions arising in connection with committee sittings whereas the need for a clarification of the Rules often arises with regard to other questions like the cooperation between committees, the respective roles of the Parliament at plenary stage and the parliamentary committees, etc.

The adequate solution to the problem appears to be to give the committee chairs, by an amendment to Rule 201 as proposed with this report, a more general power to seek for an interpretation of the Rules. This power would be restricted to questions which arise in the course of the committee's work and are related to it. The general power of the President under this Rule would not be put into question.

Mr. Giuseppe GARGANI (EPP-ED, I) has made a proposal for the amendment of Rule 201 of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure concerning the interpretation of the Rules themselves.

The proposal for an amendment concerns paragraph 1 of Rule 201 and aims to introduce a new clause stating that c ommittee chairmen may refer to the committee responsible matters concerning the interpretation of these Rules of Procedure which arise in connection with the exercise by the committees of the powers and responsibilities granted to them by these Rules of Procedure.

Mr GARGANI justifies this proposed amendment by indicating that committee and delegation chairmen are required to apply and interpret the Rules of Procedure when performing their duties. Accordingly, they should have the right to refer to the competent body, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, matters arising in connection with the exercise by the committees and delegations of the powers and responsibilities granted to them by the Rules of Procedure. Such a measure would help to guarantee uniformity in the application of the Rules of Procedure and legal certainty within Parliament's internal system of rules.

Mr. Giuseppe GARGANI (EPP-ED, I) has made a proposal for the amendment of Rule 201 of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure concerning the interpretation of the Rules themselves.

The proposal for an amendment concerns paragraph 1 of Rule 201 and aims to introduce a new clause stating that c ommittee chairmen may refer to the committee responsible matters concerning the interpretation of these Rules of Procedure which arise in connection with the exercise by the committees of the powers and responsibilities granted to them by these Rules of Procedure.

Mr GARGANI justifies this proposed amendment by indicating that committee and delegation chairmen are required to apply and interpret the Rules of Procedure when performing their duties. Accordingly, they should have the right to refer to the competent body, the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, matters arising in connection with the exercise by the committees and delegations of the powers and responsibilities granted to them by the Rules of Procedure. Such a measure would help to guarantee uniformity in the application of the Rules of Procedure and legal certainty within Parliament's internal system of rules.