Bureau of the Ministers' Deputies
Read more about the Bureau of the Ministers' Deputies
A Bureau was set up in March 1975 to assist the Ministers' Deputies. Since May 2001, it has consisted of six members in the English alphabetical order: the current President, the two previous Presidents and the three future Presidents.
The Bureau has no decision-making power on questions of substance and may not substitute itself for the full Committee (CM).
It's main tasks are:
- providing guidance to the President and Secretariat on handling CM business;
- preparing the meetings of the CM;
- contacts with the Parliamentary Assembly;
- representing the CM in some other meetings and exchanges of views;
- at the request of the Presidency or the CM, receiving visitors on behalf of the CM;
- advising the President at his/her request on urgent political statements to be issued by the President in his/her own name;
- submitting relevant proposals about the nomination of Chairs of Rapporteur Groups and Working Parties to the CM for decision;
- examination of requests for the use of the CM meeting room and foyer.
See the iGuide to procedures and working methods (Chapter III § 20.) for more information. >>
Members of the Bureau as at 2 September 2026
Presidency of the Ministers' Deputies
Monaco
Mr Gabriel Revel, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
President
Future Chairs
Montenegro
Ms Dragana Šćepanović, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
First Vice-President
Netherlands
Mr André Haspels, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
North Macedonia
Ms Svetlana Geleva, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Previous Chairs
Republic of Moldova
Mr Victor Lăpuşneanu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Second Vice-President
Malta
Ms Justine Cuschieri, Chargée d’Affaires a.i.
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Access to official documents
In May 2025, the Committee of Ministers (CM) adopted a Transparency Framework to ensure that the Council of Europe operates with transparency, allowing for open access to information, while safeguarding privacy rights, legitimate interests of member States and the security of the Organisation. It recognises that transparency of public authorities is fundamental to building trust, combating corruption, and empowering citizens to actively engage in matters of public interest. The Thematic Co-ordinator on Information Policy (TC-INF) is actively following the implementation of the Transparency Framework (CM/Del/Dec(2025)1530/1.6).
Most documents relating to the work of the CM are initially classified as "restricted" and are accessible only to member and observer States' governments and the Council of Europe Secretariat. These documents are typically declassified immediately after the meeting at which they are examined by the CM, although some remain classified for one year.
Documents prepared by the Ministers’ Deputies' subsidiary groups (GR-C, GR-DEM, etc.) are usually declassified after one year.
The texts currently in force on access to documents are CM/Del/Dec(1998)641/1.3 and CM/Del/Dec(2000)735/1.5a, para. 7.