The Council of Europe and the European Union: different roles, shared values

 


The Council of Europe and the European Union share the same fundamental values – human rights, democracy and the rule of law – but are separate entities which perform different, yet complementary, roles.

Focusing on those core values, the Council of Europe brings together governments from across Europe – and beyond – to agree minimum legal standards in a wide range of areas. It then monitors how well countries apply the standards that they have chosen to sign up to. It also provides technical assistance, often working together with the European Union, to help them do so.

The European Union refers to those same European values as a key element of its deeper political and economic integration processes. It often builds upon Council of Europe standards when drawing up legal instruments and agreements which apply to its 27 member states. Furthermore, the European Union regularly refers to Council of Europe standards and monitoring work in its dealings with neighbouring countries, many of which are Council of Europe member states.

The Lisbon Treaty increased the scope for European Union action in many areas where the Council of Europe already has significant experience and expertise. This has led to increased cooperation on issues such as fighting human trafficking, the sexual exploitation of children and violence against women. It has also opened the way for the European Union itself to sign up to the European Convention on Human Rights, and to other Council of Europe agreements.

Relations between the Council of Europe and the European Union are set out in the:

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Back Thorbjørn Jagland in Brussels

Thorbjørn Jagland in Brussels

The Secretary General was in Brussels for meetings with high-level representatives of the European Union and the Belgian authorities.

Topics for discussion with the First Vice President of the EU Commission, Frans Timmermans, include the state of human rights and democracy in Europe, the EU’s rule of law framework and the European Union’s accession to the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Secretary General also discussed political and technical cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Union with EU Commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, Johannes Hahn.

Mr Jagland had a trilateral meeting with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini. They agreed to intensify their cooperation on issues of common concern, regarding in particular the crisis in Ukraine.

Press release

Secretary General Strasbourg 12 November 2014
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Related Assets

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Budget contribution

The Annual Receipts on EU contributions under Joint Programmes between the Council of Europe and the European Union in 2019, amounted to €206.1 million. Co-funded by EU at 85%, by CoE at 15%

29 new Joint Programmes negotiated in 2019 for a total of €111.7 million.

Multimedia

Global Action on Cybercrime (GLACY), video report on a joint project between the Council of Europe and the European Union