The News (Site updated Friday, September 3, 2010 | 17:30)
Commissioner Hammarberg: Need to halt transfers of asylum seekers to Greece
[01/09/2010 12:00:00] “Asylum seekers, including persons transferred under the ‘Dublin Regulation’, face extremely harsh conditions in Greece” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, in a hearing before the Strasbourg Court on 1 September concerning the case of an Afghan asylum seeker returned from Belgium to Greece. In his first-ever oral intervention as a third party before the European Court of Human Rights, Commissioner Hammarberg provided his observations on major issues concerning refugee protection in Greece, including asylum procedures and human rights safeguards, as well as asylum seekers’ reception and detention conditions.
(more ...) European Court of Human Rights Commissioner for Human Rights More information on Greece and the Council of Europe
International Conference: Culture and the policies of change
[30/08/2010 09:30:00] The conference, which is organised by the Council of Europe in co-operation with the European Commission and other organisations involved in European cultural affairs, is to take place in Brussels on 6-7 September. The Conference will take stock of the direct impact of significant cuts to cultural budgets and institutions in 2011 and beyond.
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Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Congress and EU Committee of Regions co-operation takes step further
[31/08/2010 10:30:00] Rapporteurs of the Congress and of the EU Committee of the Regions met on 3 September in Brussels, taking co-operation between the two institutions a step further. This is a new form of collaboration following annual meetings of the two Presidents and regular meetings of the Contact Group as well as joint action between the two institutions in the field of election observation.
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Human Rights Commissioner
Forced divorce and sterilisation: reality for transgender persons
[30/08/2010 18:00:00] ''The rights of transgender persons are still ignored or violated. Stronger actions are needed to eradicate discrimination against them,'' said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, in his latest human rights comment, published on 31 August. He stressed that some Council of Europe member states still have no provision at all for official recognition, leaving transgender people in a legal limbo.
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Fight against corruption: report on ''the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia''
[30/08/2010 14:30:00] The Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) published on 30 August its Third Round Evaluation Report on ''the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia''. It focuses on two distinct themes: criminalisation of corruption and transparency of party funding.
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Parliamentary Assembly
Assembly President: ''Romania deals successfully with minority issues''
[01/09/2010 14:30:00] At the end of his official visit to Romania, Assembly President Mevlüt Çavusoglu expressed his appreciation to the country for the successful dealing with minority issues and efforts aiming at increasing the involvement of minorities in the political, economic and social life of the country.
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Assembly to observe constitutional referendum in Moldova
[31/08/2010 11:30:00] A delegation of the Assembly, led by Andreas Gross, will be in Moldova from 3 to 6 September to observe the referendum on the choice of the presidential election procedure. It is the only European parliamentary organisation which will be present in the country to carry out the observation.
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Belgrade: meeting on peace-building in former Yugoslavia(more ...)
Reactions to Roma expulsions
ECRI deeply concerned by situation of Roma in France
[24/08/2010 14:30:00] European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) expressed disappointment about what it called ''the most negative development'' regarding the situation of Roma in France. The Commission declared that the Government has taken action stigmatising Roma migrants. The latter were held collectively responsible for criminal offences and singled out for abusing EU legislation on freedom of movement.
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Roma expulsions likely to lead to increase in racist feelings in Europe
[20/08/2010 15:00:00] ''Recent developments in several European countries, most recently evictions of Roma camps in France and expulsions of Roma from France and Germany, are certainly not the right measures to improve the situation of this vulnerable minority. On the contrary, they are likely to lead to an increase in racist and xenophobic feelings in Europe'', Mevlüt Çavusoglu, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, declared on 20 August.
(more ...) File ''Roma and Travellers''
Multiculturalism in Europe: Roma serve as model(more ...)
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Eurimages: 4 films at the Venice Film Festival(more ...)
Aline Royer: The Council of Europe (2010) 
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Fight against corruption: report on ''the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia''
Assembly President: ''Romania deals successfully with minority issues''
