Rule 170 : Urgent procedure

1.   A request to decide urgently on a proposal submitted to Parliament pursuant to Rule 48(1) as a result of unforeseen developments may be made to Parliament by the President, a committee, a political group, Members reaching at least the low threshold, the Commission or the Council. Such requests shall be made in writing and supported by reasons. For requests made by the Commission or the Council, the statement of reasons shall contain a detailed justification of each proposal and, where appropriate, a precise indication of legally required deadlines for the adoption or entry into force of the proposed legally binding act.

2.   Requests for an urgent decision shall be announced in Parliament as soon as possible after they are received by the President. The vote on the request shall be taken at the beginning of the sitting following that during which the announcement was made, provided that the proposal to which the request relates has been distributed to Members in the official languages. Where there are several requests for an urgent decision on the same subject, the approval or rejection of the request for an urgent decision shall apply to all such requests.

3.   Before the vote on the request for an urgent decision, only the mover, and one speaker against may be heard, along with the Chair or rapporteur of the committee responsible, or both. None of those speakers may speak for more than three minutes.

4.   Where the request for an urgent decision is approved, the item shall be given priority over other items on the agenda. The President shall determine the time of the debate, where one is appropriate, and the time of the vote.

5.   Parliament shall take the urgent decision on the proposal on the basis of a report from the committee responsible in accordance with the usually applicable rules and with due consideration of the urgency of the matter. In such a case, the examination of the proposal shall be given priority over other items on the committee agenda and the committee responsible shall, where expedient, apply the simplified procedure pursuant to Rule 52.

6.   If requested by the President, a committee, a political group or Members reaching at least the low threshold, Parliament may exceptionally decide to take the urgent decision on the proposal without a report or on the basis of an oral report by the committee responsible. In such cases, if interinstitutional negotiations take place, Rules 71 and 72 shall not apply and Rule 75 shall apply mutatis mutandis.