Rules of Procedure

European Parliament 2019 - 2024 RULES OF PROCEDURE 9th parliamentary term December, 2019 EN United in diversityEN Note to the reader: In accordance with Parliament's decisions on the use of gender-neutral language in its documents, the Rules of Procedure have been adapted to take account of the guidelines on that subject approved by the High Level Group on Gender Equality and Diversity on 11 April 2018. Interpretations of the Rules (pursuant to Rule 236) are shown in italic script. A “Compendium of the main legal acts related to the Rules of Procedure” is available on, and can be downloaded from, the European Parliament’s website: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/compendium/en/contents.html CONTENTS TITLE I MEMBERS, PARLIAMENT BODIES AND POLITICAL GROUPS CHAPTER 1 MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT Rule 1 European Parliament Rule 2 Independent mandate Rule 3 Verification of credentials Rule 4 Term of office of Members Rule 5 Privileges and immunities Rule 6 Waiver of immunity Rule 7 Defence of privileges and immunity Rule 8 Urgent action by the President to assert immunity Rule 9 Procedures on immunity Rule 10 Standards of conduct Rule 11 Members’ financial interests and Transparency register Rule 12 Internal investigations conducted by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) Rule 13 Observers CHAPTER 2 OFFICERS OF PARLIAMENT Rule 14 Provisional Chair Rule 15 Nominations and general provisions Rule 16 Election of President – opening address Rule 17 Election of Vice-Presidents Rule 18 Election of Quaestors Rule 19 Term of office of Officers Rule 20 Vacancies Rule 21 Early termination of an office CHAPTER 3 BODIES AND DUTIES Rule 22 Duties of the President Rule 23 Duties of the Vice-Presidents Rule 24 Composition of the Bureau Rule 25 Duties of the Bureau Rule 26 Composition of the Conference of Presidents Rule 27 Duties of the Conference of Presidents Rule 28 Duties of the Quaestors Rule 29 Conference of Committee Chairs Rule 30 Conference of Delegation Chairs Rule 31 Continuity of an office during the election period Rule 32 Accountability of the Bureau and the Conference of Presidents CHAPTER 4 POLITICAL GROUPS Rule 33 Establishment and dissolution of political groups Rule 34 Activities and legal situation of the political groups Rule 35 Intergroups Rule 36 Non-attached Members Rule 37 Allocation of seats in the Chamber - 3 - TITLE II LEGISLATIVE, BUDGETARY, DISCHARGE AND OTHER PROCEDURES CHAPTER 1 LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURES - GENERAL PROVISIONS Rule 38 Annual programming Rule 39 Respect for fundamental rights Rule 40 Verification of legal basis Rule 41 Delegation of legislative powers and conferral of implementing powers Rule 42 Verification of financial compatibility Rule 43 Examination of respect for the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality Rule 44 Access to documents and provision of information to Parliament Rule 45 Representation of Parliament in Council meetings Rule 46 Right of Parliament to submit proposals Rule 47 Requests to the Commission for submission of proposals Rule 48 Consideration of legally binding acts Rule 49 Acceleration of legislative procedures Rule 50 Legislative procedures on initiatives originating from institutions other than the Commission or from Member States CHAPTER 2 PROCEDURE IN COMMITTEE Rule 51 Legislative reports Rule 52 Simplified procedure Rule 53 Non-legislative reports Rule 54 Own-initiative reports Rule 55 Drafting of reports Rule 56 Opinions of committees Rule 57 Associated committee procedure Rule 58 Joint committee procedure CHAPTER 3 ORDINARY LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE SECTION 1 - FIRST READING Rule 59 Vote in Parliament – first reading Rule 60 Referral back to the committee responsible Rule 61 Renewed referral to Parliament Rule 62 First-reading agreement SECTION 2 - SECOND READING Rule 63 Communication of the Council's position Rule 64 Extension of time limits Rule 65 Procedure in the committee responsible Rule 66 Submission to Parliament Rule 67 Vote in Parliament – second reading Rule 68 Admissibility of amendments to the Council's position Rule 69 Second-reading agreement SECTION 3 - INTERINSTITUTIONAL NEGOTIATIONS DURING THE ORDINARY LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE Rule 70 General provisions Rule 71 Negotiations ahead of Parliament's first reading - 4 - Rule 72 Negotiations ahead of Council's first reading Rule 73 Negotiations ahead of Parliament's second reading Rule 74 Conduct of negotiations SECTION 4 - CONCILIATION AND THIRD READING Rule 75 Extension of time limits Rule 76 Convening of the Conciliation Committee Rule 77 Delegation to the Conciliation Committee Rule 78 Joint text SECTION 5 - CONCLUSION OF THE PROCEDURE Rule 79 Signing and publication of adopted acts CHAPTER 4 PROVISIONS SPECIFIC TO THE CONSULTATION PROCEDURE Rule 80 Modified proposal for a legally binding act Rule 81 Commission position on amendments Rule 82 Vote in Parliament Rule 83 Follow-up to Parliament's position Rule 84 Renewed referral to Parliament CHAPTER 5 CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS Rule 85 Ordinary Treaty revision Rule 86 Simplified Treaty revision Rule 87 Accession treaties Rule 88 Withdrawal from the Union Rule 89 Breach by a Member State of fundamental principles and values Rule 90 Composition of Parliament Rule 91 Enhanced cooperation between Member States CHAPTER 6 BUDGETARY PROCEDURES Rule 92 Multiannual financial framework Rule 93 Annual budgetary procedure Rule 94 Parliament's position on the draft budget Rule 95 Budgetary conciliation Rule 96 Definitive adoption of the budget Rule 97 Provisional twelfths system Rule 98 Implementation of the budget Rule 99 Discharge to the Commission in respect of implementation of the budget Rule 100 Other discharge procedures Rule 101 Interinstitutional cooperation CHAPTER 7 INTERNAL BUDGETARY PROCEDURES Rule 102 Estimates of Parliament Rule 103 Procedure to be applied when drawing up Parliament's estimates Rule 104 Power to incur and settle expenditure, to approve accounts and to grant discharge CHAPTER 8 CONSENT PROCEDURE Rule 105 Consent procedure CHAPTER 9 OTHER PROCEDURES - 5 - Rule 106 Procedure for delivering opinions on derogations to the adoption of the euro Rule 107 Procedures relating to dialogue between management and labour Rule 108 Procedures for scrutiny of envisaged voluntary agreements Rule 109 Codification Rule 110 Recasting CHAPTER 10 DELEGATED AND IMPLEMENTING ACTS Rule 111 Delegated acts Rule 112 Implementing acts and measures Rule 113 Consideration under the associated committee procedure or the joint committee procedure TITLE III EXTERNAL RELATIONS CHAPTER 1 INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS Rule 114 International agreements Rule 115 Provisional application or suspension of the application of international agreements or establishment of the Union's position in a body set up by an international agreement CHAPTER 2 EXTERNAL REPRESENTATION OF THE UNION AND THE COMMON FOREIGN AND SECURITY POLICY Rule 116 Special representatives Rule 117 International representation CHAPTER 3 RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE UNION’S EXTERNAL ACTION Rule 118 Recommendations on the Union's external policies Rule 119 Consultation of, and provision of information to, Parliament within the framework of the common foreign and security policy Rule 120 Breach of human rights TITLE IV TRANSPARENCY OF BUSINESS Rule 121 Transparency of Parliament's activities Rule 122 Public access to documents Rule 123 Access to Parliament TITLE V RELATIONS WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES CHAPTER 1 APPOINTMENTS Rule 124 Election of the President of the Commission Rule 125 Election of the Commission Rule 126 Multiannual programming Rule 127 Motion of censure on the Commission Rule 128 Nomination of Judges and Advocates-General at the Court of Justice of the European Union Rule 129 Appointment of the Members of the Court of Auditors Rule 130 Appointment of the Members of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank Rule 131 Appointments to the economic governance bodies CHAPTER 2 STATEMENTS - 6 - Rule 132 Statements by the Commission, Council and European Council Rule 133 Statements explaining Commission decisions Rule 134 Statements by the Court of Auditors Rule 135 Statements by the European Central Bank CHAPTER 3 PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS Rule 136 Questions for oral answer with debate Rule 137 Question Time Rule 138 Questions for written answer Rule 139 Major interpellations for written answer Rule 140 Questions for written answer to the European Central Bank Rule 141 Questions for written answer concerning the Single Supervisory Mechanism and the Single Resolution Mechanism CHAPTER 4 REPORTS OF OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES Rule 142 Annual and other reports of other institutions or bodies CHAPTER 5 RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Rule 143 Motions for resolutions Rule 144 Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law CHAPTER 6 CONSULTATION OF OTHER INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES Rule 145 Consultation of the European Economic and Social Committee Rule 146 Consultation of the Committee of the Regions Rule 147 Requests to European Agencies CHAPTER 7 INTERINSTITUTIONAL AGREEMENTS Rule 148 Interinstitutional agreements CHAPTER 8 REFERRALS TO THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Rule 149 Proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union TITLE VI RELATIONS WITH NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS Rule 150 Exchange of information, contacts and reciprocal facilities Rule 151 Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC) Rule 152 Conferences of parliaments TITLE VII SESSIONS CHAPTER 1 SESSIONS OF PARLIAMENT Rule 153 Parliamentary term, sessions, part-sessions,

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