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Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament
8th parliamentary term - July 2018
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CONTENTS
APPENDIX
INDEX
NOTE TO THE READER
COMPENDIUM OF THE MAIN LEGAL ACTS RELATED TO THE RULES OF PROCEDURE

TITLE II : LEGISLATIVE, BUDGETARY, DISCHARGE AND OTHER PROCEDURES
CHAPTER 2 : PROCEDURE IN COMMITTEE

Rule 53 : Opinions of committees

1.   If the committee to which a matter was first referred wishes to hear the views of another committee, or if another committee wishes to make known its views to the committee to which a matter was first referred, such committees may ask the President in accordance with Rule 201(2) for one committee to be named as the committee responsible and the other as the opinion-giving committee.

The opinion giving committee may appoint a rapporteur for opinion from among its members or permanent substitutes or send its views in the form of a letter from the Chair.

2.   Where the opinion concerns a proposal for a legally binding act, it shall consist of amendments to the text referred to the committee, accompanied, where appropriate, by short justifications. Such justifications shall be the responsibility of their author and shall not be put to the vote. If necessary, the opinion-giving committee may submit a short written justification for the opinion as a whole. That short written justification shall be the responsibility of the rapporteur for the opinion.

Where the opinion does not concern a proposal for a legally binding act, it shall consist of suggestions for parts of the motion for a resolution submitted by the committee responsible.

The committee responsible shall put these amendments or suggestions to the vote.

The opinions shall deal solely with those matters that fall within the areas of responsibility of the opinion-giving committee.

3.   The committee responsible shall set a deadline within which the opinion-giving committee must deliver its opinion if it is to be taken into account by the committee responsible. Any changes to the announced timetable shall be immediately communicated by the committee responsible to the opinion-giving committee or opinion giving committees. The committee responsible shall not reach its final conclusions before that time-limit has expired.

4.   Alternatively, the opinion-giving committee may decide to present its position in the form of amendments to be tabled directly in the committee responsible following their adoption. These amendments shall be tabled by the Chair or the rapporteur on behalf of the opinion-giving committee.

5.   The opinion-giving committee shall table the amendments referred to in paragraph 4 within the deadline for amendments set by the committee responsible.

6.   All opinions and amendments adopted by the opinion-giving committee shall be annexed to the report of the committee responsible.

7.   Opinion-giving committees within the meaning of this Rule cannot table amendments for consideration by Parliament.

8.   The Chair and rapporteur of the opinion-giving committee shall be invited to take part in an advisory capacity in meetings of the committee responsible, insofar as these relate to the matter of common concern.

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