7th European Conference of National Ethics Committees (COMETH)
1-2 December 2003, Strasbourg
The Conference has two themes: “Bioethics education”, which will examine some innovative approaches (including those to young people) and “Biobanks” which will examine regulatory issues. The Secretary General Walter Schwimmer will address the conference on 1 December and the Mayor of Strasbourg, Fabienne Keller on 2 December. Open to the press.
 Conference file
“Bioethics” website
Study visit of experts from Armenia in the field of civil service
1-5 December 2003, Rome (Italy)
The purpose of this visit is to familiarize the Armenian experts from the Council of Civil Service in particulary with the recruitment of public officials and the management of human resources within the Public Administration. A one day expert meeting will be held during this visit in order to discuss further developments in the reform of civil service in Armenia and collaboration with the Council of Europe in this field.
2nd plenary meeting of the European Commission for the efficiency
of justice (CEPEJ)
2-5 December 2003, Strasbourg
During this meeting, the CEPEJ will, inter alia, examine, with a view to its adoption the Scheme for the evaluation of the judicial systems and the reports on delays. It will also adopt the draft 2004 programme of activity. The meeting of the CEPEJ will be preceded by a study session on "Justice:service citizens".
For more information : CEPEJ website
Pan-European Conference on
the right to good administration
4-5 December 2003, Warsaw (Poland)
The aim of the conference is to identify the problems existing between individuals and the public administration with a view to finding the solutions best suited to facilitate these relations, to prevent illegal acts by the administration and furthermore to prevent discrimination. This will be done through a comparative examination of questions related to the functioning of the administration from the point of view of respect for the principles of administrative law and administrative procedure that must be applied in member States to guarantee private persons the right to a good administration.
Conference file
“Administrative law and justice” website
7th meeting of the Working Party for the preparation of the Multilateral Consultation of the Parties to the European Convention for the protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes (GT 123)
9-11 December 2003, Strasbourg
The GT123 is approaching the conclusion of the draft revision of the Appendix A to the European Convention for the protection of vertebrate animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes (ETS No. 123), which will be then submitted to the Multilateral Consultation of the Parties for final adoption. At this meeting, the GT123 will analyse the draft species-specific provisions concerning non-human primates, amphibians and birds with a view to their adoption. Moreover, the GT123 will continue to analyse the draft species-specific provisions concerning fish, reptiles and farm animals with a view to their possible finalisation.
“Biological safety, including the use of animals” website
13th Plenary meeting of the Select Committee of experts on the evaluation of anti-money laundering measures (MONEYVAL)
8-12 December 2003, Strasbourg
Second round evaluation reports will be debated on Poland and "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". First round reports will be debated on Monaco, and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan will be the first country to have its mutual evaluation under the new global anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism methodology.
Draft Agenda
“Anti-money laundering measures” website
16th Plenary Meeting of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO)
8-12 December 2003, Strasbourg
GRECO adopted the evaluation report on Slovenia, prepared within the second evaluation round, and the compliance reports on Cyprus, Georgia and Ireland, prepared within the first evaluation round. For the time being, these reports are confidential and available under the restreicted part of our website. At this plenary meeting, GRECO also adopted its Programme of activities for 2004.
Further information on GRECO website
The Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages to visit Austria
9-12 December 2003; Klagenfurt/Celovec and Vienna
A delegation of the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is to visit Austria to monitor the country's implementation of this treaty. During its visit to Klagenfurt/Celovec and Vienna, the delegation will meet representatives of regional or minority languages, including the Slovene, Croatian, Hungarian, Romany, Czech and Slovak languages (NGOs, politicians, journalists, educationalists), as well as representatives of Land authorities, and of the Austrian federal government.
Press Release and Programme of the visit
“Regional or Minority Languages” website
First meeting of the Working Group on expulsion procedures (CAHAR-PE)
11-12 December 2003, Strasbourg
This Working Group was established in September 2003 by a decision of the Committee of Ministers (CM859/09092003) with the task to elaborate Guidelines of good conduct for expulsion procedures. During this first meeting, different speakers will describe the action of the Council of Europe in this field (the Commissioner for Human Rights, the CPT, the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population of the Parliamentary Assembly and the European Court of Human Rights). The main goal for the ten experts, who are going to participate to this meeting, will be to identify the situations covered by the Guidelines and the relevant questions.
Draft Agenda
“CAHAR - Asylum, refugees and stateless persons” website
57th Plenary Session of the Venice Commission
12-13 December 2003, Venice
The Venice Commission Plenary will focus on international humanitarian law, free elections in south Caucasus and constitutional changes. Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President Peter Schieder and European Court of Human Rights President Luzius Wildhaber will attend the Session. (more ...)
Further information on Venice Commission website
1st meeting of the Committee of Experts on the revision of the Convention on laundering, search, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds from crime (PC-RM)
15-17 December 2003, Strasbourg
The PC-RM will start the process of revision of the Anti-Money laundering Convention of the Council of Europe and will concentrate its discussions on the conclusions of the Reflection Group on this matter.
Meeting of the Group of Specialists on the protection of children against sexual exploitation (PC-S-ES)
17-19 December 2003, Strasbourg
The Group will examine the logframe for monitoring the implementation of, inter alia, Recommendation Rec (2001) 16 on the protection of children against sexual exploitation, the Budapest Regional Commitment and Plan of Action and one of the tasks of the Group during the meeting will be to decide how to integrate this work tool into its future activities.
“Fight against the sexual exploitation of children” website
1st meeting of the Group of Specialists on Identity and Terrorism (CJ-S-IT)
17-19 December 2003, Strasbourg
The CJ-S-IT has the task to prepare provisions to be included in an international instrument to contribute to and strengthen the Council of Europe and its member States’ action against terrorism, especially focusing on certain matters relating to identity.
Draft agenda
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