EP Rules of Procedure, Rule 192: participation of non-attached Members in meetings of parliamentary committee coordinators; interpretation

The Committee on Constitutional Affairs, which had been consulted on the application of Rule 192 of the Rules of Procedure, provided the following interpretation on that provision:

"Non-attached Members do not constitute a political group within the meaning of Rule 30 and they cannot therefore designate coordinators, who are the only Members entitled to attend coordinator meetings.

The function of coordinator meetings is to prepare committee decisions and they may not replace committee meetings without explicit delegation. Hence ex-ante delegation is required for decisions taken at coordinator meetings. In the absence of such delegation, coordinators may only adopt recommendations requiring formal ex-post approval by the committee.

In all cases, non-attached Members must be guaranteed access to information, in accordance with the principle of non-discrimination, through the supply of information and the presence of a member of the non-attached Members' secretariat at coordinator meetings."