Guidelines for the Conference of Presiding Officers

Article 1
(Membership and method of operation)
1. The Conference of the Speakers of EU Parliaments is made up of the Speakers of the national Parliaments of the EU member countries and the President of the European Parliament, who take part in meetings on an equal basis.
2. The activities of the Conference respect the autonomy and constitutional position of each participating Speaker.
3. Speakers can be represented by a Vice-President of their Chamber.
4. Meetings of the Conference shall operate by consensus.

Article 2
(Objectives)
1. The Conference of the Speakers, in full respect for the different powers vested in its members, aims at safeguarding and promoting the role of Parliaments and carrying out a common work in support of the activity of Parliaments.
2. To this end the Conference is a forum for the exchange of opinions, information and experiences, as well as for the promotion of research activities and common action, among the Speakers, on topics related to the role of Parliaments and the organisation of parliamentary functions, also with respect to the forms and tools of interparliamentary co-operation.

Article 3
(Frequency and place of meetings)
1. The Conference is held on an annual basis upon the invitation of the Speaker(s) of the host Parliament.
2. At the end of each meeting, the places of the two following annual meetings are decided.
3. Upon a proposal by one of the Speakers, seconded by a two-third majority of the Conference's members, an extraordinary meeting may be convened.

Article 4
(Chair)
1. The Conference is chaired by the Speaker(s) of the host Parliament, starting from the end of the previous meeting.
2. The Chair is responsible for the organisation of the meeting.

Article 5
(Agenda)
1. The Chair, also taking into account any other indications made by other Speakers and also through the Secretaries general during the preparatory meeting as of article 9, prepares a draft agenda for the meeting.
2. The dates and draft agendas of meetings are communicated to the Speakers with a minimum notice of three months for the ordinary meetings and of one month for the extraordinary meetings; reports or working papers are circulated, as a rule, at least two weeks in advance of meetings.

Article 6
(Minutes of meetings)
1. The Chair is responsible for the preparation of minutes of the meetings and sends them to the various members.
2. The Chair and each of the Conference's members may disclose opinions and points of view expressed during meetings without binding the Conference as a whole.

Article 7
(Working Groups)
1. Upon a proposal by one of the members, the Conference can establish Working Groups, made up of Speakers - supported by officials or experts to be designated by the Speakers themselves, aimed at addressing matters concerning the role of Parliaments and the organisation of parliamentary functions.
2. Working Groups, as a rule, prepare discussions by the Conference of more complex matters.
3. The Conference shall define the criteria for setting up each Working Group and entrust one of the members with the relevant co-ordination. The Conference shall also decide at which meeting the conclusions of a Working Group are to be placed on the agenda.
4. The Working Groups shall inform the Conference with one or more reports.

Article 8
(Languages)
1. During the meetings of the Conference, simultaneous interpretation is provided from and into the EU official languages.
2. Written papers are circulated in French and English and - in case - in the language of the host Parliament. A translation into other languages may be provided by the Parliament concerned.

Article 9
(Secretaries General)
1. The Secretaries General shall meet to consult on the draft agenda or for any other mutual consultation.
2. The Secretaries General of the member Parliaments assist their respective Speakers during the meetings of the Conference.
3. The Chair of the Conference is in charge of organising such meetings following - as much as possible - the same criteria laid down for the Conference itself, with the exception of the working languages, which are limited to English and French.

Article 10
(Adoption of and amendements to the guidelines of the Conference)
1. Adoption of and amendments to these guidelines shall be by consensus.
2. Each member may propose amendments to these guidelines.
3. Proposed amendments shall be transmitted - in writing - in English and French to all Speakers, at least three weeks before the Conference's meeting; such amendments shall be placed on the agenda of that meeting.
4. Authenticated texts of these rules shall be drawn up in English and French; translations into the official languages of the European Union shall be edited by the national Parliaments concerned.