Article 14. Operation and Session Rules of the Council Plenary
1. The Plenary meets at least once a year. It may convene special sessions on the initiative of the Chair, the Executive Committee, or at the request of one-third of the members.
2. The Plenary is quorate, for a single session, when at least one-third of the voting members are present. The attendance of those acting as Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary, or their substitutes in each case, is also required.
3. In cases of absence, vacancy, illness, or any other justified cause, the Chair must be substituted by the Vice-Chair.
Councillors and other Plenary members may delegate their vote to any other Plenary member.
The person performing the Secretary’s functions may be substituted by another person providing services to the City Council.
4. Persons who are not members of the Plenary may attend sessions as observers, with the right to speak but not to vote, if authorised in advance by the Chair.
5. The relevant City Council bodies must respond in writing to proposals or requests submitted by the Council within a maximum of 30 days, which may be extended by up to 30 additional days for justified reasons.
6. The Barcelona Ombudsman’s Office may also attend Plenary Sessions on their own initiative, with the right to speak but not to vote.
7. Decisions at the Council Plenary should preferably be adopted by consensus and, if not possible, by simple majority of those present. In such cases, the minutes must record the votes cast by members. In the event of a tie, the Chair will have the casting vote.