Rule 108 : International agreements

1.   When it is intended to open negotiations on the conclusion, renewal or amendment of an international agreement, the committee responsible may decide to draw up a report or otherwise monitor the preparatory phase. It shall inform the Conference of Committee Chairs of its decision.

2.   The committee responsible shall, as soon as possible, ascertain from the Commission the chosen legal basis for concluding the international agreements referred to in paragraph 1. The committee responsible shall verify that chosen legal basis in accordance with Rule 39.

3.   Parliament may, on a proposal from the committee responsible, a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold, ask the Council not to authorise the opening of negotiations until Parliament has stated its position on the proposed negotiating mandate on the basis of a report from the committee responsible.

4.   At any stage of the negotiations and from the end of the negotiations to the conclusion of the international agreement, Parliament may, on the basis of a report from the committee responsible, drawn up by that committee on its own initiative or after considering any relevant proposal tabled by a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold, adopt recommendations to the Council, the Commission or the Vice President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and require them to be taken into account before the conclusion of that agreement.

5.   Requests by the Council for Parliament's consent or opinion shall be referred by the President to the committee responsible for consideration in accordance with Rule 99 or Rule 47(1).

6.   At any time before Parliament votes on a request for consent or opinion, the committee responsible or at least one-tenth of Parliament’s component Members may propose that Parliament seek an opinion from the Court of Justice on the compatibility of an international agreement with the Treaties.

Before Parliament votes on that proposal, the President may request the opinion of the committee responsible for legal affairs, which shall report its conclusions to Parliament.

If Parliament approves the proposal to seek an opinion from the Court of Justice, the vote on a request for consent or opinion shall be adjourned until the Court has delivered its opinion.

7.   Where the Council requests that Parliament give its consent to the conclusion, renewal or amendment of an international agreement, Parliament shall decide by a single vote in accordance with Rule 99.

If Parliament declines to give its consent, the President shall inform the Council that the agreement in question cannot be concluded, renewed or amended.

Without prejudice to Rule 99(3), Parliament may decide, on the basis of a recommendation from the committee responsible, to postpone its decision on the consent procedure for no longer than one year.

8.   Where the Council requests that Parliament gives its opinion on the conclusion, renewal or amendment of an international agreement, no amendments to the text of the agreement shall be admissible. Without prejudice to Rule 170(1), amendments to the draft Council decision shall be admissible.

If that opinion adopted by Parliament is unfavourable, the President shall ask the Council not to conclude the agreement in question.

9.   The Chairs and rapporteurs of the committee responsible, and of any associated committees, shall jointly check that, in accordance with Article 218(10) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy immediately and regularly provide Parliament with full information, if necessary on a confidential basis, at all stages of the preparations for the negotiation, the negotiation and the conclusion of international agreements, including information on the draft and the finally adopted text of negotiating directives, as well as information relating to the implementation of those agreements.