Agreement on the participation of cantonal Parliaments in the drafting, ratification, implementation, and amendment of intercantonal agreements and treaties of cantons with foreign states (Participation Agreement, CoParl) - Subject of the Treaty (ParlVer)

1. This Agreement governs the participation of the parliaments of the contracting cantons in the drafting, ratification, execution, and amendment of inter-cantonal agreements and agreements of the cantons with foreign countries ("inter-cantonal agreements").

1. Each Contracting Canton’s parliament shall designate a commission, following its own rules, responsible for handling foreign affairs (Foreign Affairs Commission).

1. Each Contracting Canton’s government shall report to the parliament regularly, but at least once a year, on its activities in the field of foreign policy.

2. The government's report shall be submitted to the Foreign Affairs Commission for review. Once the Commission has heard the government and gathered the necessary information, it submits the report to the parliament for acknowledgment.

3. The parliament submits any requests to the government according to its own rules.

1. The Interparliamentary Coordination Office comprises one parliamentarian and one deputy from each contracting canton; these individuals are appointed in accordance with the legislation specific to each canton.

2. The Coordination Office appoints its president from among its members on a rotating basis for a term of two years.

3. The Coordination Office may establish a permanent secretariat; the costs for this are divided among the contracting cantons based on their population.

4. Furthermore, it organizes itself independently and adopts its own rules of procedure.

1. The Interparliamentary Coordination Office ensures the exchange of information and parliamentary coordination in inter-cantonal and international matters that affect the contracting cantons.

2. It prepares and updates the documentation on inter-cantonal cooperation and inter-cantonal agreements to which the contracting cantons commit.

3. It serves as the interparliamentary point of contact for the Western Switzerland Conference of Governments (WRK) and for the regional specialist conferences of the heads of departments.

4. The minutes of the meetings of the Coordination Office are distributed to the members of the foreign affairs commissions of the contracting cantons.

1. The CRF and the regional specialist conferences of the department heads inform the Interparliamentary Coordination Office about the inter-cantonal agreements being drafted under their supervision.

2. The governments of the contracting cantons inform the Coordination Office about any other agreements that are being processed.

1. The provisions of this chapter shall apply when, in at least two contracting cantons, the conclusion or ratification of an inter-cantonal agreement must be submitted to the respective parliament for approval.

2. These provisions apply only to the contracting cantons in which the conclusion or ratification of the inter-cantonal agreement must be submitted to parliament for approval (the relevant cantons), even if other contracting cantons participate in the inter-cantonal agreement.

3. Each contracting canton participating in the inter-cantonal agreement shall determine, in accordance with its legislation, whether the conclusion or ratification of the relevant inter-cantonal agreement must be submitted to parliament for approval.

1. Once the negotiations have been completed, the government of each concerned canton shall submit the draft of an inter-cantonal treaty to Parliament pursuant to their own legislation.

2. The governments of the concerned cantons may agree that a regional conference of the department heads or the WRK shall submit the draft.

1. The parliaments of the concerned cantons establish an Interparliamentary Commission; each concerned canton appoints seven representatives to this commission, who are designated by each parliament according to the applicable procedure for appointing the commission. The Interparliamentary Coordination Office informs the governments of the concerned cantons or the conference.

2. The Coordination Office invites the parliamentary offices of the cantons that do not participate in the treaty, but where the conclusion and ratification of a specific intercantonal treaty must be submitted to the parliament for approval, to send seven representatives each to the Interparliamentary Commission. These representatives have a consultative voice.

3. The Interparliamentary Commission may comment on the drafts of intercantonal treaties; the governments of the concerned cantons set an appropriate deadline for it.

1. The Interparliamentary Commission is convened by the Secretariat of the Interparliamentary Coordination Office.

2. The commission meetings are not public. Its members are bound by official secrecy.

3. At the inaugural meeting, the Interparliamentary Commission elects a President and a Vice-President; these must come from the delegations of two different cantons. In the first round of voting, an absolute majority decides, and in the second round, a relative majority.

4. The secretariat tasks of the Interparliamentary Commission and the preservation of records are carried out by the Secretariat of the Interparliamentary Coordination Office.

5. The Interparliamentary Commission makes its decisions with the majority of the parliamentary members present from the relevant cantons.

6. The opinion of the Interparliamentary Commission is communicated to the governments of the relevant cantons or to the conference designated by them. The voting result in each cantonal representation is mentioned therein.

7. The representatives of the relevant cantonal governments or the conference take part in the meetings of the Interparliamentary Commission with an advisory vote. The Secretariat of the Interparliamentary Coordination Office informs these bodies about the meetings of the Interparliamentary Commission and presents the amendments to them at least one month in advance.

8. The Interparliamentary Commission may establish its own regulations.

1. The governments of the concerned cantons, or the conference designated by them, shall inform the Interparliamentary Commission before the signing of the inter-cantonal agreement about what consideration has been given to their opinion.

2. The Interparliamentary Commission may, if necessary, submit new proposals regarding the amendments that were submitted as part of their opinion.

1. The parliamentary offices of the respective cantons may, after consulting their foreign affairs committees, waive the establishment of an Interparliamentary Commission if it is determined by mutual agreement that unanimity prevails. The governments of the respective cantons or the conference designated by them shall be informed of this decision.

2. In this case, the parliaments and the competent committees may comment on the draft of the respective inter-cantonal agreement; the governments shall set them a reasonable deadline.

3. The governments of the respective cantons or the conference designated by them shall inform the members of parliament or the competent committee of the outcome of their comments before the inter-cantonal agreement is signed.

1. Upon signature by the governments of the respective cantons, the inter-cantonal agreements shall be submitted to the parliament for approval in accordance with the legislation specific to each canton.

2. Attached to the message to the parliaments are the opinion of the Interparliamentary Commission or the parliaments or the relevant commissions, as well as the information from the governments regarding the actions taken in response to this opinion.

1. When the Conference of Cantonal Governments or a Swiss Conference of Cantonal Heads of Departments submits a draft for an inter-cantonal agreement of nationwide applicability for consultation, the procedure according to Chapter 2 of this agreement shall apply mutatis mutandis.

1. If a contract establishes an inter-cantonal institution or a joint organization, the respective contracting cantons shall agree to implement an interparliamentary audit for this inter-cantonal institution or joint organization within the scope of parliamentary oversight.

2. The interparliamentary audit is conducted by an interparliamentary supervisory commission, which is composed of parliamentarians from each respective canton.

3. The composition and specific powers of the interparliamentary supervisory commission are determined in the contract that establishes the inter-cantonal institution or joint organization.

4. The interparliamentary audit shall in all cases include the following points

a) the strategic goals of the inter-cantonal institution or joint organization and their implementation;

b) the multi-year financial planning;

c) the budget and annual financial statements of the inter-cantonal institution or joint organization;

d) the evaluation of the results of the inter-cantonal institution or joint organization.

5. The interparliamentary supervisory commission shall prepare a written report for the parliaments of the respective cantons at least once a year.

6. The competencies of the parliaments regarding the budget and supervision remain reserved.

7. The secretarial tasks of the interparliamentary supervisory commission and the storage of records are handled by the parliamentary secretariat of the canton in which the commission meetings take place.

8. The interparliamentary supervisory commission may issue its own regulations concerning its working methods.

1. The Interparliamentary Oversight Commission may direct interpellations, resolutions, or motions to the relevant governments or to the conference that appointed them, via the executive body of the inter-cantonal institution or the joint organization.

2. Any member may submit a written request for the adoption of an interpellation, resolution, or motion.

3. Each request shall be placed on the agenda for discussion.

4. The request is approved by a majority of those voting.

1. An interpellation is a request for a reasoned explanation regarding all matters for which the executive body is responsible.

1. A resolution is a declaration or a request to the executive body or, through its mediation, to another instance on all matters for which the executive body is responsible.

1. The postulate obligates the respective governments or the designated conference to examine whether a decree should be passed or a measure taken concerning a matter for which the executive body is responsible.

2. The executive body shall report back to the inter-parliamentary oversight commission within six months on the response given by the respective governments or the designated conference to the postulate, or on the reasons why they have not acted upon it.

1. All cantons may accede to this treaty.

2. Accession to this treaty shall result in the termination of the agreement dated March 9, 2001, concerning the negotiation, ratification, execution, and amendment of inter-cantonal treaties and the agreements of the cantons with foreign countries; the termination shall take effect upon the entry into force of this treaty.

1. This agreement enters into force on January 1, following the accession of five contracting cantons to the aforementioned agreement of March 9, 2001.

2. For the cantons that accede to the agreement at a later date, it shall enter into force on the first day of the second month following their declaration of accession.

3. Upon its entry into force, this agreement shall be submitted to the Federal Council for information. The same applies to later accessions.

1. This contract is concluded for an indefinite period.

2. If one or more cantons propose amendments to the contract, these amendments shall be submitted to an interparliamentary commission pursuant to Article 9.

3. The interparliamentary commission shall deliberate in accordance with Article 10 and provide its opinion on the proposed amendments.

4. If the contracting cantons agree on an amendment to this contract, they shall submit it to their parliaments for approval.

1. This contract may be terminated at any time with a notice period of twelve months.

2. The canton that terminates this contract shall inform the Federal Council thereof.

3. The contract shall remain in force among the cantons that have not terminated it, as long as at least two cantons continue to exist as contracting parties.