Rule 212 : Setting-up and duties of interparliamentary delegations (1)

1.   On a proposal from the Conference of Presidents, Parliament shall set up standing interparliamentary delegations and decide on their nature and the number of their members in the light of their duties. The members shall be elected during the first or second part-session following the re-election of Parliament for the duration of the parliamentary term.

2.   Members of the delegations shall be elected after nominations have been submitted to the Conference of Presidents by the political groups and the non-attached Members. The Conference of Presidents shall submit to Parliament proposals designed to ensure as far as possible that Member States and political views are fairly represented. Rule 199(2), (3), (5) and (6) shall apply.

3.   The bureaux of the delegations shall be constituted in accordance with the procedure laid down for the standing committees in Rule 204.

4.   Parliament shall determine the general powers of the individual delegations. It may at any time decide to increase or restrict those powers.

5.   The implementing provisions needed to enable the delegations to carry out their work shall be adopted by the Conference of Presidents on a proposal from the Conference of Delegation Chairs.

6.   The Chair of a delegation shall regularly report back to the committee responsible for foreign affairs on the activities of the delegation.

7.   The Chair of a delegation shall be given an opportunity to be heard by a committee when an item on the agenda touches on the delegation's area of responsibility. The same shall apply to the Chair or rapporteur of that committee in the case of meetings of the delegation.