CAB129-33 — Page 46

BRUSSELS TREATY PERMANENT COMMISSION

PERMANENT COMMISSION'S PROPOSALS FOR THE COUNCIL

OF EUROPE

(Note-Questions of principle are indicated by side-lining)

1.

There is created a Council of Europe consisting of a Committee of Ministers and a Consultative Assembly.

2.

The seat of the Council will be Strasbourg.

Composition

THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

3.

The Committee shall consist of one Minister for each member country.

Functions and Powers

4.

(a) With the exception of questions relating to National Defence, the Committee may discuss any question of common concern to the member countries, brought before it by any of its members or submitted to it by the Consultative Assembly.

(b) The Committee may refer any question within its competence to the Consultative Assembly for discussion and advice.

(c) The Committee shall consider and approve the budget of the Council.

Voting

cases

5.

Each Member of the Committee will have one vote.

Decisions shall be taken by common consent except in the following

(i) Decisions on procedural matters shall be taken by a simple majority. (ii) Decisions regarding the placing of questions on the agenda of the Consultative Assembly, [the convoking of an extraordinary session of the Assembly] and nominations for the post of Secretary-General shall be taken by a majority of two-thirds of the members.

Procedure

6.

(a) The meetings of the Committee will be held in private and at the seat of the Council unless the Committee decides otherwise.

(b) The Committee shall meet before each session of the Consultative Assembly and at such other times as the Committee may determine.

(c) The Committee shall provide the Consultative Assembly with as complete

a documentation as possible of its activities.

(d) Subject to the above, the Committee shall adopt its own rules of procedure including the method of selecting its Chairman.

THE CONSULTATIVE ASSEMBLY

7.

Composition

The Assembly shall consist of representatives of the member countries in a proportion to be determined.

Appointment

8.

Each Government will decide the procedure to be adopted for the appoint- ment of reppesentatives alternates or substitutes of its country pathe 4ssemb and for determining their period of service.

9.