INTRODUCTION

Establishment

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) was created as a result of the major political transformations in the late 1980s when the nations of the Black Sea Region re-emerged on the world scene. The search of the countries of the region for ways of meeting the challenges regarding national development and European integration paved the way for combining their efforts aiming at turning the Black Sea Region into an area of stability, prosperity, and peace. Taking advantage of common denominators such as geographic proximity and shared cultural and historical heritage, the countries of the region have enhanced bilateral and multilateral relations.

The Summit Declaration of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation and the Bosphorus Statement, signed in Istanbul, on 25 June 1992, defined the basic principles and objectives of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), formally instituting a new regional cooperation process with the participation of eleven countries: the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Bulgaria, Georgia, Hellenic Republic, Republic of Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Republic of Türkiye and Ukraine. Serbia and Montenegro joined the PABSEC in 2004, becoming the twelfth Member State. In 2006, after Montenegro declared its independence, the Republic of Serbia became the legal successor of the former state, both in the BSEC and in the PABSEC. In 2021 the Republic of North Macedonia joined the BSEC Organization as the thirteenth Member State. 

On 26 February 1993, in Istanbul, the Speakers of the Parliaments of nine countries – the Republic of Albania, the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Türkiye, and Ukraine – adopted the Declaration on the Establishment of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC). In June 1995, the Hellenic Republic joined the Assembly as the tenth full-fledged member. The Republic of Bulgaria became the eleventh full-fledged member in June 1997. In November 2004, Serbia and Montenegro joined the Assembly, thus becoming the twelfth full-fledged member but following Montenegro's independence, the Republic of Serbia became the legal successor. In January 2022 the Republic of North Macedonia joined the PABSEC as the thirteenth member. The Parliamentary Assembly is composed of 81 parliamentarians representing the thirteen BSEC Member States.

The House of Representatives of Egypt, the Knesset of the State of Israel, the National Assembly and the Senate of the French Republic, the German Bundestag, the National Council of the Slovak Republic, the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus have observer status.

Principal aims

Being an inter-parliamentary consultative body of the BSEC, the Assembly unites the efforts of the national parliaments to pursue the following aims stated in the preamble of the PABSEC Rules of Procedure: to secure the understanding and adoption, by the peoples, of the ideals and aims of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation; to provide a legal basis for economic, commercial, social, cultural and political cooperation among the member countries; to enact the legislation needed for the implementation of the decisions taken by the Heads of State or Government or by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs; to provide assistance to the national parliaments so as to strengthen the parliamentary democracy; to promote the cooperation with other international and regional organizations.

Languages

The working languages of the Assembly are English, French, Russian and Turkish. The official language of the PABSEC documents and correspondence is English.

MAIN BODIES OF THE PABSEC

General Assembly

The PABSEC General Assembly convenes twice a year in ordinary plenary sessions (spring and autumn sessions). A session consists of meetings of the Bureau of the Assembly and the Standing Committee on the first day and the plenary session of the General Assembly during the next two days. The venue of the General Assembly is the country of the President of the Assembly, who is the speaker of the parliament of a member country, by rotation for a period of six months. The General Assembly sessions are open to the public unless otherwise decided by the Assembly. The Standing Committee proposes the agenda and the programme of the General Assembly, although the Assembly, which adopts its final agenda, may amend them. In the plenary sessions, the Assembly adopts the proposals of the Standing Committee, reports, recommendations, declarations, opinions, and decisions, as well as elects the members of the Bureau.

Standing Committee

The Standing Committee consists of the President of the Assembly, the Vice-Presidents, the Chairmen of the four committees, and the Heads of the National Delegations. The Speakers of the national parliaments who are not members of their national delegations have the status of a Special Guest at the Standing Committee meetings. The Standing Committee supervises the implementation of the Assembly decisions within its competence, draws up the agenda, the calendar, and the venue of the Assembly meetings, coordinates the activities of four committees, endorses the budget of the Assembly, ensures the coordination between the BSEC and the PABSEC and the cooperation between the PABSEC and other international organizations. The Standing Committee takes decisions according to the principle of unanimity (consensus).

The Bureau

The Bureau of the Assembly consists of the President and six Vice-Presidents. The Bureau is responsible for ensuring the implementation of the decisions of the Standing Committee and for the effective functioning of the Assembly between the meetings of the Standing Committee. It determines the agenda and the venue of the Standing Committee meeting and takes decisions regarding the PABSEC representatives or observers at international gatherings. The Bureau of the Assembly meets twice a year – on the day preceding the General Assembly – and takes decisions by simple majority vote. Its meetings are held in the country of the President of the Assembly and are in-camera.

Committees

The Assembly has four specialized committees: the Economic, Commercial and Financial Affairs Committee, the Technological and Environmental Affairs Committee, the Legal and Political Affairs Committee, and the Cultural, Educational and Social Affairs Committee. Each Committee elects from among its members, the Chairman and two Vice-Chairmen, each from different national delegations. Each Committee designates a Rapporteur on each subject. Final reports and recommendations are submitted to the General Assembly for discussion and final adoption.

The President

The President of the Assembly is the Speaker of the Parliament of a member country, by rotation for a period of six months and acts as the highest representative of the Assembly. The duties of the President are: to preside over the meetings of the Assembly; to guide the debates; to ensure observance of the Rules; to maintain order; to call on speakers; to close debates; to ascertain whether a quorum exists; to put questions to the vote and announce the results of votes. The President performs a similar role in relation to the Bureau and the Standing Committee, and further, represents the Assembly, at the BSEC Summits, at the Meetings of the BSEC Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and at other international gatherings.

The Secretary General

The Secretary General is elected for a term of office of four years, by the General Assembly, upon the proposal of the Bureau. In the exercise of his duties, the Secretary General is responsible to the General Assembly. Three Deputy Secretaries General are also elected by the General Assembly for a term of office of three years.

The International Secretariat

Following a decision taken at the First Plenary Session in Istanbul, in 1993, and according to the Rules of Procedure, the PABSEC International Secretariat is seated in Istanbul, Republic of Türkiye. The International Secretariat is an executive and technical body called upon to secure permanent links with the PABSEC national parliaments, carries out organizational work for all meetings, prepares draft documents, and ensures their timely circulation. It also serves as the main communication link among the PABSEC parliamentary delegations, between the BSEC, BSEC-Related Bodies and the Parliamentary Assembly, and between the PABSEC and other institutions and international organizations. The International Secretariat is led by the Secretary General.

MAIN ACTIVITIES

Plenary Sessions (Biannual)

The Plenary Session of the General Assembly serves as a forum for vigorous discussions and debates, as well as for the assessment of the BSEC activities.  It adopts reports and recommendations, declarations, and decisions. These documents are transmitted to the BSEC Meetings of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, to the national parliaments and governments of the member countries, and to the international organizations. Traditionally, the President of the host country, the Speakers of the thirteen National Parliaments, and the BSEC Chairman-in-Office are invited to address the PABSEC General Assembly.

Sessions of the PABSEC took place in Istanbul (June 1993), Kyiv (December 1993), Bucharest (June 1994), Tirana (December 1994), Moscow (June 1995), Ankara (November 1995), Baku (June 1996), Tbilisi (December 1996), Athens (June 1997), Chisinau (December 1997), Bucharest (June 1998), St. Petersburg (December 1998), Ankara (June 1999), Kyiv (December 1999), Tirana (June 2000), Yerevan (November 2000), Baku (June 2001), Sofia (December 2001), Tbilisi (June 2002), Athens (November 2002), Chisinau (June 2003),Bucharest (December 2003), Saint Petersburg (June 2004), Antalya (November 2004), Kyiv (June 2005), Tirana (November 2005), Yerevan (June 2006), Baku (November 2006), Varna (June 2007), Tbilisi (December 2007), Athens (June 2008), Chisinau (November 2008), Bucharest (June 2009), Moscow (November 2009), Belgrade (June 2010), Trabzon (November 2010), Kyiv (July 2011), Tirana (November 2011), Yerevan (May 2012), Baku (November 2012), Sofia (June 2013), Tbilisi (December 2013), Athens (May 2014), Athens (December 2014), Chisinau (June 2015), Bucharest (November 2015), Moscow (June 2016), Belgrade (December 2016), Istanbul (July 2017) , Kyiv (November 2017), Tirana (June 2018), Yerevan (November 2018), Baku (June 2019), Sofia (November 2019), Georgia, Online (August 2020), Greece, Online (November 2020), Moldova, Online (June 2021), Romania, Online (November 2021), Serbia (December 2022), Ankara (May 2023), Kyiv (November 2023), May (2024)

Committee Meetings

One of the most important aspects of the Assembly is the work within the four specialized Committees. The Rapporteur of each Committee is responsible – on the basis of the information provided by the PABSEC national delegations and in consultation with the International Secretariat – for the preparation of a draft report and a draft recommendation which are presented for the approval of the Committee. After the discussions, these draft documents are approved by the Committee members and are submitted to the PABSEC General Assembly for the final adoption. Committee meetings are closed to the public unless decided otherwise.

Seminars and Conferences

Focusing on the developmental problems of emerging democracies from the Black Sea Region, the purpose of the PABSEC seminars and conferences is to bring together parliamentarians and experts as experienced lecturers and discussion leaders. Up to now, there have been seminars on a number of different issues: “Development of Democratic Institutions”, Ankara, 1994; “Peace and Stability in the Black Sea Region”, Batumi (Georgia), 1995; “First Inter-Parliamentary Conference on the Black Sea Environmental Protection” Istanbul, July 1996; “Fostering Cooperation on Small and Medium Enterprises and its Legal Framework in the Black Sea Region”, Bucharest, June 1998; “Transport Technology and Integration of Europe”, Antalya, October 1998; “Industry and Trade”, Jerusalem, November 1999; Seminar on Political Aspects of Sustainable Development in the 21st Century, Jerusalem, May 2004; Parliamentary Conference on the Wider Black Sea Region in the New European Architecture, Athens, April 2005; Seminar on Energy and Environment, Paris, October 2005; Joint PABSEC-ICBSS Seminar “The Role of the Parliaments in Shaping New Relations between the European Union and the Black Sea Region”, Athens, November 2007; Joint PABSEC-BSPC Conference “Safeguarding our Oceans and Marine Life”, Istanbul, April 2019; Joint PABSEC-BSPC Conference “Democracy and the COVID-19 Pandemic” / “Safeguarding Our Seas; Climate Change and Biodiversity”, online, December 2020.

Relations with the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)

The BSEC Charter was signed on 5 June 1998, at the Yalta Summit, by the Heads of State or Government, and entered into force on 1 May 1999, opening a new chapter in the biography and activities of the BSEC, transforming it in an authentic regional economic organization. The PABSEC is defined in the Charter (Article 20) as a Related Body, providing consistent support to the Black Sea cooperation process on a consultative basis. The PABSEC closely cooperates with the BSEC, in promoting the BSEC objectives. From the very beginning, the PABSEC has had regular, high-level interaction with the BSEC. According to the PABSEC Rules of Procedure, all the documents adopted by the PABSEC General Assembly are transmitted to the BSEC Meetings of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, for consideration. The Assembly is represented at every level of the official BSEC meetings and the PABSEC International Secretariat maintains a close working relationship with the BSEC Permanent International Secretariat, also seated in Istanbul. The two International Secretariats exchange information on the activities of the PABSEC and the BSEC, advise each other regarding their respective work progress, in order to enhance the coordination of activities and establish the measures to be taken. The PABSEC and the BSEC may organize joint meetings at different levels as well as joint activities, which serve common objectives, with the aim of developing the Black Sea Economic Cooperation process.

Cooperation with other International Organizations

The PABSEC has established contacts with various international organizations and parliamentary assemblies, many of them having also the observer status with the PABSEC. Among them: the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS), the European Parliament (EP), the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union Belarus-Russia (PA UBR), the Parliamentary Dimension of the Central European Initiative (PD CEI), the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUIC), the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy (IAO), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Turkic-Speaking Countries (TURKPA), the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC), the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank (PNWB) and Parliamentary Assembly of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP PA). The Assembly also obtained the Observer Status to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE PA), to the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA),  the Parliamentary Assembly of the Turkic-Speaking Countries (TURKPA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (PAUFM), and the Associate Member Status to the Interparliamentary Union (IPU). The PABSEC signed the Protocol of Cooperation with the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Commonwealth of the Independent States (IPA CIS), the Memorandum of Understanding with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), and with the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference (BSPC), aiming at speeding up the inter-parliamentary cooperation.

A priority of the PABSEC’s activities is to strengthen the cooperation with the European Parliament. The Assembly considers it to be an inseparable component of the efforts by the BSEC towards the dialogue and interaction with the European Union. Since 2000, the representatives of the European Parliament have participated in the plenary sessions of the General Assembly, on a regular basis, while the PABSEC delegations visited the European Parliament. In 2007, the PABSEC established the Permanent Delegation for the cooperation with the European Parliament. The two meetings of the PABSEC Legal and Political Affairs Committee were held in the European Parliament in 2010 and 2013.