Green light for new inter-governmental committee structure
[28 June 2011] A new inter-governmental committee structure, enabling a streamlined Council of Europe to respond better to political and security challenges, will be in place next year. The move, considered a key feature of Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland’s reform process, was agreed by the Ministers’ Deputies last May after intensive consultations with member states. In his proposal, the Secretary General said the new, less expensive structure would “create the conditions for the Committee of Ministers to take full strategic responsibility over inter-governmental work, whilst maintaining the work of the steering committee as an essential link with the specialized ministries.” (more)

Jagland stresses commitment to Neighbourhood policy
[11 May 2011] Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland wants the Council of Europe to play a stronger role in promoting democracy in neighbouring countries. At the 121st Session of the Committee of Ministers, held on 11 May in Istanbul, he stressed the link between a Neighbourhood Policy with countries of the South Mediterranean, North Africa and Central Asia and the reform of the Council of Europe. (more)

Jagland: Izmir European Court of Human Rights Conference "critical" to reform process
[11 April 2011] A conference later this month in Turkey on the European Court of Human Rights’ future must deliver ''concrete results'' if the institution is to maintain its ''authority and sustainability.'' In his 11 April address to the Parliamentary Assembly, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland pointed to the 26-27 April event in Izmir as ''critical.'' (more)

Inaugural meeting of high-level policy planners from member states
[10 February 2011] On 10 February, the Directorate of Policy Planning welcomed more than thirty Directors of Policy Planning from Ministries of Foreign Affairs of our member states to a first meeting aimed at discussing the expected evolution of the political-strategic environment in Europe until 2020, including the analysis of the main challenges to political stability and the role of various institutions in addressing them. (more)

Strategic Priorities for 2012-2013
[21 January 2011] On 18 January, the Agenda 2020 Group and the Secretary General held an exchange of views on programme priorities for the Organisation for 2012-2013. The proposals resulting from this process are the starting point for the consultations with member states representatives that have began this week. (more)

Daryal Batıbay: "Accelerate reform of the Council of Europe - the top priority of the Turkish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers"
[12 January 2011] In this extract of an interview, Ambassador Batıbay, Permanent Representative of Turkey, talks about the principal challenges for Turkey’s Chairmanship and gives his vision of the Organisation's future. (more)

Secretary General Jagland signs ''Facility'' for the Eastern Partnership with Commissioner Füle
[15 December 2010] "I welcome this new step in establishing a new partnership with the EU, a key element for reform, as stated in many occasions in the reform briefings", said Gerard Stoudmann following the meeting of the Secretary General with the European Commissioner Füle on 15 December in Strasbourg. (more)

Piotr Switalski: ''Policy Planning will fine tune our work in an age of change''
[2 November 2010] In an interview which took place on 2 November, Piotr Switalski, Head of the new Directorate of Policy Planning, told us more about the links between policy planning and the reform process, and the role of the Group of Eminent Persons. (more)