DG F 2 A TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
~ INFORMATION SHEET ~
Brussels, 26 April 2012
BRIEF FOR THE PRESIDENT:
SUGGESTIONS FOR DRAFTING SPEAKING NOTES ON THE ADOPTION OF
"A" ITEMS UNDER LEGISLATIVE DELIBERATIONS
APPLICABLE RULES:
Council Rules of Procedure
Article 7 Legislative procedure and openness
1. The Council shall meet in public when it deliberates and votes on a draft legislative act. To that end, its
agenda shall include a part entitled ‘Legislative deliberations’.
2. Documents submitted to the Council which are listed under an item on the ‘Legislative deliberations’ part of
its agenda shall be made public, and likewise those sections of the Council minutes which relate to that part of
the agenda.
3. The opening to the public of Council meetings relating to the ‘Legislative deliberations’ part of its agenda
shall be made through public transmission by audiovisual means, notably in an overflow room and through
broadcasting in all official languages of the institutions of the European Union using video-streaming. A
recorded version shall remain available for at least one month on the Council’s Internet site. The outcome of
voting shall be indicated by visual means.
Staff Note 41/11 on Legislative transparency: Visual display of the outcome of Council votes
GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO"A" ITEMS TO BE ADOPTED UNDER LEGISLATIVE
DELIBERARTIONS:
We have xxx "A" item(s) to be adopted in public deliberation.
I would therefore ask the technicians to switch on the cameras and to confirm to the
Secretariat that the broadcast can proceed … (
wait for confirmation to be given by the
technical assistant of the press service to the Director General seated to the left of the
President) Thank you.
In accordance with the applicable rules, we will now continue in open session for the
adoption of this (these) item(s):
(
In case of a great number of acts to be adopted in a single Council session, the
following sentence should also be added before proceeding to the individual acts - see
note on p.3): When appropriate, the results of the votes will be displayed on the
television screens in this room and on the Internet, on the videostreaming page of the
Council.
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DG F 2 A TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
~ INFORMATION SHEET ~
INTRODUCTION TO EACH INDIVIDUAL LEGISLATIVE ACT:
Item x)
Title of the legislative act: e.g. Proposal for a (Regulation) (Directive)
(Decision) of the Council on …
-
(Describe action by the Council:)
e.g
Adoption of the Legislative Act or
Adoption of the Council's position, etc.
We are now going to adopt the Proposal for a (Regulation) (Directive) (Decision) of the
Council on …
(Insert short paragraph describing the aim of the legislative act):
e.g.: The aim of the proposed (Regulation) (Directive) (Decision) is to… or
This (Regulation) (Directive) (Decision) aims to …
The Council should now confirm:
its agreement to adopt the (Regulation) (Directive) (Decision) as set out in
document xx/11,
and (if applicable)
its agreement to enter into the minutes of this meeting the statements set out in
document xx/11 ADD x.
ADOPTION OF A LEGISLATIVE ACT BY QUALIFIED MAJORITY WITH ALL MEMBER
STATES VOTING IN FAVOUR:
I note that the required qualified majority has been reached, with all the Member States
voting in favour, and that the act is consequently adopted. (If applicable:) The statements
will be entered into the minutes of this meeting.
ADOPTION OF A LEGISLATIVE ACT BY QUALIFIED MAJORITY WITH VOTES AGAINST
AND/OR ABSTENTIONS (Delegations identified below are used as examples only):
I note that the required qualified majority has been reached, with the Austrian, Polish,
Portuguese and Romanian delegations voting against and with the Slovak delegation
abstaining, and that the act is consequently adopted. (If applicable:) The statements will
be entered into the minutes of this meeting.
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DG F 2 A TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
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ADOPTION OF A LEGISLATIVE ACT BY UNANIMITY WITH ALL MEMBER STATES
VOTING IN FAVOUR:
I note that the required unanimity has been reached, with all the Member States voting in
favour, and that the act is consequently adopted. (If applicable:) The statements will be
entered into the minutes of this meeting.
ADOPTION OF A LEGISLATIVE ACT BY UNANIMITY WITH ABSTENTIONS(Delegations
identified below are used as examples only):
I note that the required unanimity has been reached, with the Bulgarian and the Swedish
delegations abstaining, and that the act is consequently adopted. (If applicable:) The
statements will be entered into the minutes of this meeting.
FINAL REMARKS FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL LEGISLATIVE ACT:
The results of the votes are now displayed on the television screens in this room and on
the Internet, on the videostreaming page of the Council.
(
Please note that in case of a great number of acts to be adopted in a single Council
session, it is preferable to mentioned the above sentence only once - with the necessary
adaptations - during the general introduction at the beginning of the public deliberation
session, as shown in page 1).
IN WHAT CASES IS THERE A
FICHE DE VOTE?
A
fiche de vote is prepared and displayed in case of:
adoption of a legislative act,
other steps of the ordinary or special legislative procedures foreseen in the TFEU,
namely, in case of:
adoption of the position of the Council at first reading,
approval of EP amendments at second reading,
non-approval of EP amendments at second reading,
approval of Conciliation Committee Joint Text,
non-approval of Conciliation Committee Joint Text,
adoption of the position of the Council (budgetary acts).
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DG F 2 A TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
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A
fiche de vote is not prepared and therefore no results are visually displayed - although they
can still be read in public by the President of the Council - for indicative voting intentions at
intermediate stages of legislative deliberations, namely, in case of:
general approaches,
progress reports,
information on the state of play,
political agreements, etc.
WHO TO CONTACT IN CASE OF DOUBT?
DG F 2 A Legislative Transparency:
7492
xxxxxx.xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxxxxx.xx
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