The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) during the autumn session mayconsider a report on amending rules and procedures relating to challenging powers of national delegations, including voting rights.

“The PACE Committee on Rules of Procedure voted 10 to 9 on this issue by the end of the year, and it may well be submitted for the autumn session, including the topic of amendments to the regulation [on the abolition of sanctions articles allowing the denial of national delegations]. If such amendments are adopted, Russia may change its position on returning to PACE and send an application for participation in the assembly in 2019” said Chairman of the Committee Leonid Slutsky.

He added that the Commission appointed Petra de Sutter (Belgium) as rapporteur “not without a harsh discussion”. “This is a fairly neutral candidate for us,” the Head of the Committee noted.

The draft report might be submitted to the Commission by September 20, says the Council of Europe website in its turn. The document should reflect results of the ad hoc work of the PACE Bureau on the harmonization of the activities of the statutory bodies of the Council of Europe (the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe). Russia took part in the meetings of the ad hoc committee and sent its proposals on the reform of the Assembly, including questions on abolition of articles on regulations that would deprive a delegation of key powers.