Rule 143 : Question Time

1.   Question Time with one or more Commissioners may be held at each part-session for a duration of up to about 90 minutes on one or more themes to be decided upon by the Conference of Presidents in advance, and at the latest on the Thursday before the relevant part-session. The Commissioners invited to participate in Question Time by the Conference of Presidents shall have a portfolio related to the theme or themes on which questions are to be put to them.

2.   As a general rule, once per part-session, a special scrutiny session shall be held with the President of the Commission or selected Commissioners without a pre-defined theme.

3.   Question Time may also be held, under the terms laid down in paragraph 1, with the President of the European Council, with the Presidency of the Council, with the President of the Commission, with the entire college of Commissioners or specific categories of Commissioners, with the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, with the President of the Eurogroup and with other relevant representatives of Union institutions and bodies.

4.   Question time shall not be specifically allocated in advance. The President shall, as far as possible, ensure that Members that hold different political views and that come from different Member States are given the opportunity to put a question in turn.

5.   The Member shall be given one minute in which to formulate the question and the person being questioned two minutes in which to reply. That Member may put a supplementary question, lasting no longer than 30 seconds and having a direct bearing on the main question. The person being questioned shall then be given two minutes in which to give a supplementary reply.

6.   Questions and supplementary questions must be directly related to the theme decided under paragraph 1. The President may rule on their admissibility.

7.   Members shall not have pre-allocated seats and shall be encouraged to sit at the front of the Chamber.