EP Rules of Procedure, Rule 204a: insertion of a new Rule 204a on "Corrigenda"

The Committee on Constitutional Affairs unanimously adopted the report drafted by Richard CORBETT (PES, UK) on the insertion of a new Rule 204a on "Corrigenda" in Parliament's Rules of Procedure.

Errors can occur in the parliamentary activities due mainly to time pressure, the involvement of at least three institutions and the multiplicity of languages. The need for appropriate and legally sound procedures to correct errors is therefore undeniable.The proposed new provision in the Rules of Procedure is intended to fill this gap. The process leading to the adoption of a corrigendum is suggested to be divided between the President, the committee which was responsible for the text in which the error has been detected and Parliament at plenary stage.

The report specifies that:

- where an error is identified in a text adopted by Parliament, the President, where appropriate, shall refer a draft corrigendum to the committee responsible;

- where an error is identified in a text adopted by Parliament and agreed with other institutions, the President shall seek the agreement of those institutions on the necessary corrections before proceeding in accordance with paragraph one;

- the committee responsible shall examine the draft corrigendum and submit it to Parliament if it is satisfied that an error has occurred which can be corrected in the proposed manner;

- the corrigendum shall be announced at the next part-session. It shall be deemed approved unless, not later than forty-eight hours after its announcement, a request is made by a political group or at least forty Members that it be put to the vote. If the corrigendum is not approved, it shall be referred back to the committee responsible which may propose a modified corrigendum or close the procedure;

- approved corrigenda shall be published in the same way as the text to which they refer. Rules 66(3), 67 and 68 shall apply mutatis mutandis.