What is the difference between the Standing Committee I and the Monitoring Committee of the Senate responsible for monitoring the Standing Committee I?

A “Monitoring Committee responsible for monitoring the Standing Committee I” has been created in the Senate. This monitoring committee consists of five senators. They have to monitor the functioning of the Standing Committee I, which is thus not part of the Senate.
A Monitoring Committee has also been set up in the Chamber of Representatives “responsible for monitoring the Standing Committee P”, the body that reviews the police. This special committee however also plays a role in monitoring the functioning of the Standing Committee I.

 

Both monitoring committees can give the Standing Committee I an investigation assignment into the intelligence services.

The committee can ask the Standing Committee I to issue advice on a Bill, draft Royal Decree, Circular Letters or any other document relating to intelligence work.

They also examine the investigation reports that the Standing Committee I produces and can have any investigation file sent for the purpose of preparing legislative work.

Finally, they jointly discuss the annual activity report of the Standing Committee I and examine the draft budget.

Unless it concerns joint investigations of the Standing Committees P and I, the ultimate monitoring of the running of the Standing Committee I, on observance of the provisions of the Supervisory Act and its internal rules, belongs exclusively to the monitoring commission of the Senate.


Composition of the two monitoring committees

The current (12 October 2010) monitoring committee of the Senate consists of the President of the Senate Sabine de Bethune (CD&V), Dirk Claes (CD&V), Armand De Decker (MR), Danny Pieters (N-VA) and Philippe Mahoux (PS).

 

The current monitoring committee of the Chamber of Representatives consists of the President of the Chamber of Representatives André Flahaut (PS), François-Xavier de Donnea (MR), Koenraed Degroote (N-VA), André Frédéric (PS), Rachid Madrane (PS),  Peter Vanvelthoven (sp.a) and Ben Weyts (N-VA).

 

Publications of the Parliamentary monitoring committees I and P relating to the Standing Committee I

  • Activity report 2008 of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Legislative document no. 4-1405/1) [pdf]
  • Activity report 2007 of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Legislative document no. 4-874/1) [pdf]
  • Activity report 2006 of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Legislative document no. 4-521/1) [pdf]
  • Activity report 2005 of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Legislative document no.4-521/1) [pdf]
  • Report on behalf of the committee responsible for monitoring the Standing Committee I on the action of the intelligence services in the fight against proliferation further to an export dossier (Legislative document no. 3-1542/1) [pdf]
  • General activity report 2004 of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Legislative document no. 4-1105/1) [pdf]
  • General activity report 2003 of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Legislative document no. 4-725/1) [pdf]
  • Examination of the activity report 2002 of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Legislative document no. 3-264/1) [pdf]
  • Activity report 2001 of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Standing Committee I) (Legislative document no. 2-1171/1) [pdf]
  • Activity report 2000 of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Legislative document no. 2-867/1) [pdf]
  • Activity report 1999 supplementary of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Legislative document no. 2-531/1) [pdf]
  • Activity report 1999 of the Standing intelligence Agencies Review Committee (Legislative document no. 2-332/1) [pdf]
  • Evaluation of the functioning of the Standing Committees P and I (Legislative document no. 1-258/1) [pdf]