Silence procedure

Silence procedure (French: "procédure d'approbation tacite") is a decision-making tactic or process used in international political contexts. The procedure is based on the Latin phrase "qui tacet consentire videtur" which means "he who is silent is taken to agree" or "silence means consent". 
The silence procedure is used to enhance the process of consensus-building. It is used by many international groups, including NATO, and the European Union (EU). 
In the contexts of such multi-party groups, silence signifies a willingness to work together to limit the possible causes of paralysis.