Belgium and the Parliamentary Assembly
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) consists of 318 Members of Parliament from the 47 Member States of the Council of Europe. It meets four times per year for a week to debate on current issues. The recommendations and resolutions of the PACE have no binding force. Even so, the Parliamentary Assembly can be considered the engine of the Council of Europe, because with its debates it puts new issues on the agenda of the Committee of Ministers.
Belgium sends seven federal representatives to the PACE. Each effective member has a substitute, which brings the total number to 14. The Belgian delegation is put together in consultation with the political parties after the formation of the Government. The new delegation following the May 2014 elections willparticipate for the first time in the January 2015 session of the PACE. You can find the list of names of the Belgian PACE delegation on the website of the Council of Europe.