Article 31 Multilateral consultations

The Parties shall, within five years from the entry into force of this Convention and every five years thereafter, or more frequently if a majority of the Parties should so request, hold multilateral consultations within the Council of Europe.

These consultations shall take place at meetings convened by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

Each Party shall have the right to appoint one or more representatives to participate in these consultations. The Parties shall communicate the name(s) of their representative(s) to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe at least one month before each meeting. Each Party shall have the right to vote. Each State which is Party to the Convention shall have one vote.

Within the areas of its competence, the European Community, on becoming Party to the Convention, shall exercise its right to vote with a number of votes equal to the number of its member States which are Parties to this Convention; the European Community shall not exercise its right to vote in cases where the member States concerned exercise theirs, and conversely.

The Parties may seek the advice of experts. They may, on their own initiative or at the request of the body concerned, invite any international or national, governmental or non-governmental body technically qualified in the fields covered by this Convention to be represented by an observer at one or part of one of its consultations. The decision to invite such experts or bodies shall be taken by a majority of two-third of the votes cast.

After each consultation, the Parties shall submit to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe a report on the consultation and the functioning of the Convention.

Subject to the provisions of this Convention, the Parties shall draw up the rules of procedure for the consultations.