Council of Europe

News Archive  By year and month 2012 2011 2010

MONEYVAL publishes its report ‘Special Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Customer Due Diligence Measures in the Banking Sector in Cyprus’

The assessment was conducted at the invitation of the Eurogroup Working Group (on behalf of the Troika institutions) to assist the decision-making process on Cyprus's request for financial assistance from the Euro area.The assessment, which was submitted to the Troika institutions and the Cypriot authorities on 24 April 2013, is unique as no other jurisdiction has ever submitted to such an exceptional and focused evaluation covering the effectiveness of one part only of its anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism system. A much larger sample of banks was interviewed than is possible in a regular anti-money laundering and combating financing of terrorism evaluation. The assessment team selected 13 banks for interview covering 71% of the deposits. A private international audit firm also prepared a separate report for the Troika.
Press release
Report
MONEYVAL website

Venice Commission opinion critical of Hungary’s constitutional changes, but welcomes government readiness to make certain revisions
[14/06/2013] The European Commission for Democracy Through Law – the Council of Europe’s constitutional experts known as the “Venice Commission” – today issued an opinion that was critical of Hungary’s Fourth Amendment to its Fundamental Law, but welcomed the announcement of the Hungarian government to make certain revisions. (Read more)

Council of Europe Journal : Counterfeiting of medical products – How to deal with similar crimes involving threats to public health? Interview with Jan Kleijssen, Director, Information Society and Action against Crime
Watch the Journal
Find more information about the MEDICRIME Convention and the Regional Conference in Kyiv, 10-11 June 2013

Capacity building of the law enforcement agencies for appropriate treatment of detained and sentenced persons – Launching conference of a new Joint Programme between the European Union and Council of Europe

[14/06/2013] On 14 June, Ms Verena Taylor, the Director of the ODG-PROG will speak in the name of the Council of Europe and share the opening of the launching event together with Ms Gordana Jankuloska, Minister for Internal Affairs and Mr Blerim Bexheti, Minister of Justice for the project is entitled “Capacity Building of the Law Enforcement Agencies for Appropriate Treatment of Detained and Sentenced Persons” (Read more ...)

Council of Europe alerts governments on risks of digital tracking and surveillance

[12/06/2013] The Council of Europe today alerted its 47 member states to the risks of digital tracking and other surveillance technologies for human rights, the rule of law and democracy, and recalled the need to ensure their legitimate use. In a Declaration issued to governments, the Committee of Ministers say that legislation allowing for overly broad surveillance of citizens can challenge their privacy and have a chilling effect on their freedom of expression and the freedom of the media.

Council of Europe anti-corruption Group calls on states to strengthen corruption prevention concerning parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors

[13/06/2013] In its annual report published today, the Council of Europe anti-corruption group (GRECO) calls on European states to bolster the legal and institutional capacity of their parliamentarians, judges and prosecutors in order to prevent and unequivocally address corruption in their own ranks. GRECO concludes that these three professional groups need to better internalise prevention corruption as part of their daily jobs and be proactive in developing precise and transparent codes of conduct reinforced by credible mechanisms of supervision and sanction. (more...)

Committee of Ministers: decisions on execution of European Court of Human Rights judgments

[06/06/2013] Today the Committee of Ministers published decisions and resolutions adopted in the course of its supervision of the execution of European Court judgments (see list in our press release of 24 May), which relate to Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Republic of Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Provisional texts are currently available through the Media Relations Division. Final versions of the decisions will be available shortly on the Committee of Ministers’ website. (more...)
See also : Romania: the Committee of Ministers welcome the adoption of the reform of the mechanism allowing compensation or restitution of nationalised properties in response to the pilot judgment of the European Court in the case of Maria Atanasiu and others

"Stop Violence against Women by Implementing International Standards" - A Side Event at the 23rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council, co-organised by the Council of Europe and the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations Office at Geneva, 30 May 2013

[27/05/2013] The side event presented the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) as a global tool to end gender based violence. (more…)

Hearing of the Conference of International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) at the Governmental Committee of the European Social Charter and the European Code of Social Security

[30/05/2013] On 29 May 2013, at the  meeting of the of the European Social Charter and the European Code of Social Security, the INGO representatives, Mrs Marie-José Schmitt, Vice-President of the Conference’s Human Rights Committee and Mr Philippe Grolleau of the INGO, PAX ROMANA presented the Declaration of the Conference “Building Europe through Human Rights: Acting together against Extreme Poverty”, endorsed by the Presidents of the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe, marking the occasion of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
Find more information on the Social Charter website

Slovenia needs to develop corruption prevention concerning members of Parliament, judges and prosecutors

[30/05/2013] In a report published today, the Council of Europe Anti-Corruption Group (GRECO) acknowledges that Slovenia has improved the integrity rules for Members of Parliament, judges and prosecutors. However it also finds that much remains to be done to educate them about integrity and conflicts of interest, and to ensure a better implementation of the corruption prevention legal framework.
Find more information on GRECO website

International Conference on "The Use of Special Investigation Techniques to Combat Terrorism and Other Forms of Serious Crime"

[30/04/2013] To protect society from terrorism and organised crime, law-enforcement must apply modern investigation methods incorporating the latest advances in technology. Gathering of information without alerting the suspect through interception of communication, electronic surveillance and other means known as “special investigation techniques” must be respectful of the Human Rights of all involved and ensure that the evidence obtained can be used in criminal procedures under the rule of law. On 14 and 15 May 2013, the Council of Europe hosted in Strasbourg a Conference on special investigation techniques, in close co-operation with the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the League of Arab States.
Conference file
Journal Web TV : Interview with Ivan Koejdikov

Latest news from the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

[28/05/2013] CPT publishes the Belgian and Dutch Governments' responses to the report on the visit to Tilburg
[22/05/2013] Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Portugal

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