Rule 51 : Legislative reports

1.   The Chair of the committee to which a proposal for a legally binding act is referred shall propose to the committee the procedure to be followed.

2.   After taking a decision on the procedure to be followed, and provided that the simplified procedure under Rule 52 does not apply, the committee shall appoint a rapporteur on the proposal for a legally binding act from among its members or permanent substitutes.

The committee responsible may also decide to appoint a rapporteur to follow the preparatory phase of a proposal. It shall particularly consider doing so where the proposal is listed in the Commission Work Programme.

3.   The committee's report shall include:

(a)   amendments, if any, to the proposal, accompanied, if appropriate, by short justifications, which shall be the responsibility of the author and which shall not be put to the vote;

(b)   a draft legislative resolution, in accordance with Rule 60(5);

(c)   if appropriate, an explanatory statement including, where necessary, a financial statement which establishes the magnitude of the financial impact of the report, if any, and its compatibility with the multiannual financial framework;

(d)   if available, a reference to the Impact Assessment by Parliament.