EP Rules of Procedure, Rule 19: duties of the President, interpretation

By letter of 24 January 2008, the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs gave the following interpretation of Rule 19(1):

'Rule 19(1) can be interpreted as meaning that the powers conferred by this Rule include the power to call an end to excessive use of motions such as points of order, procedural motions, explanations of vote and requests for separate, split or roll-call votes where the President is convinced that these are manifestly intended to cause and will result in a prolonged and serious obstruction of the procedures of the House or the rights of other Members'.