Parliamentary Assembly 25/04/2013 Prime Minister Martí: Andorra´s key challenge is to open its economy Antoni Martí Petit Strasbourg, 25.04.2013 - Antoni Martí Petit, Head of Government of Andorra, today claimed that the most important challenge for his country today is moving towards a more open economy, based on cooperation, transparency and equality.   Addressing the Parliamentary Assembly, he defended applying a moderate taxation as a competitive advantage for Andorra. He explained progress already achieved in aligning the Andorran tax system with the rest of European countries and in fighting tax fraud, and also the plan to create an income tax in the near future. ...

Secretary General 25/04/2013 Secretary General Jagland visits Finland Secretary General Jagland and President Niinistö Strasbourg, 25.04.2013 - Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is conducting a visit to Helsinki, including meetings with President Sauli Niinistö, Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen and Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja. The focus of discussions is Finland in the Council of Europe , reform of the Organisation, and European Union accession to the European Convention on Human Rights. On Friday April 26th, at Finlandia Hall, the Secretary General opens the 24th Education Ministers Conference .   The theme of the conference is ‘Governance...

Parliamentary Assembly 24/04/2013 Prime Minister Ponta: Romanian Constitution should be fine-tuned to prevent political crises Victor Ponta Strasbourg, 24 April 2013 - Speaking to the Parliamentary Assembly today, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta highlighted the climate of cooperation that currently exists between the government and the president of Romania, after the political crisis in 2012. He explained that one of the priorities of his mandate is improving the Romanian Constitution in order to prevent possible political crises. In connection with this, he welcomed the assistance the Venice Commission has agreed to provide in this process.   Mr. Ponta mentioned also as...

Parliamentary Assembly 24/04/2013 Altötting in Germany and Tata in Hungary are winners of 2013 Europe Prize . Strasbourg, 24.04.2013 – The 2013 Europe Prize – awarded each year by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to towns or cities most active in promoting the European ideal – has been awarded jointly to the towns of Altötting in Germany and Tata in Hungary. Situated in Bavaria, Altötting is twinned with Loreto in Italy and Fatima in Portugal. A pilgrim city, it has developed many exchanges, in particular between young people and students, and has hosted major events as part of its association with other European pilgrim towns...

Parliamentary Assembly 23/04/2013 Didier Burkhalter: young people are Europe’s future Didier Burkhalter Strasbourg, 23 April 2013 - “Politics means building a country, a Europe, a better world for future generations,” said Didier Burkhalter, Vice-President of the Swiss Federal Council and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs in his address to the Parliamentary Assembly.   “The Swiss recipe is a blend of liberalism, federalism and direct democracy, with its counterpart, a consensual political system,” the Minister said, as the country prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary of Council of Europe membership. “In this context, promotion...

Parliamentary Assembly 23/04/2013 Georgian Prime Minister Ivanishvili: European support needed to improve relations with Russia Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili Strasbourg, 23 April, 2013 – Addressing PACE on Tuesday, Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili appealed for European support to help his country to build a better relationship with Russia. “The newly started dialogue between Tbilisi and Moscow should not create an impression that Georgia is dealing with this problem on its own and no longer is in need of European partners’ support” said the Prime Minister.   “There can be no progress towards peace in the region if Georgia...

Parliamentary Assembly 23/04/2013 Reform process in Turkey ‘ongoing but incomplete’, says Parliamentary Assembly . Strasbourg, 23.04.2013 – The process of legislative and institutional change in Turkey is “ongoing but incomplete”, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has concluded in its first assessment of the country in five years. In a resolution adopted today on the basis of a report by Josette Durrieu (France, SOC), PACE recognised there had been many reforms in Turkey since 2004 – when the full “monitoring” procedure was closed – but said these only partially responded to the remaining problem areas set out by...

Parliamentary Assembly 23/04/2013 PACE President announces launch of Václav Havel Human Rights Prize Jean-Claude Mignon Strasbourg, 22.04.2013 - At the opening of the spring session of the PACE, the President, Jean-Claude Mignon, welcomed the unreserved support of the Czech Republic and of the Václav Havel Library and Charta 77 Foundation for the change in the name of the PACE Human Rights Prize to “Václav Havel Human Rights Prize”.   “Thus our prize has been symbolically linked with the name of one of the greatest human rights defenders that Europe has ever known”, the President concluded. (more...)   Video of the opening...

Parliamentary Assembly 22/04/2013 "Education, Culture and Youth are part of the essence of the Council of Europe" Gilbert Saboya Sunyé Strasbourg, 22 April 2013 - “Education, culture and youth correspond to the very essence of the Council’s role: democracy, rule of law and human rights are not established by decree”, highlighted Gilbert Saboya Sunyé, Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, while addressing PACE on Monday. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Andorra underlined the chairmanship’s main contributions to some of the strategic priorities identified by the Organisation: “living together in harmony in sustainable democratic and...

Parliamentary Assembly 22/04/2013 German President Joachim Gauck: “Never economise on human rights” Joachim Gauck Strasbourg, 22 April 2013 - The Council of Europe is "needed more than ever before", the German President said, in his address to the Parliamentary Assembly. In spite of pressure to make savings in a time of austerity across Europe, "we should never seek to economise on human rights.”   Pointing out the importance of the Council of Europe’s monitoring functions – from reports by the Anti-Torture Committee, to opinions by the Venice Commission, President Gauck stressed that “Rights and freedoms on paper do not suffice, that they...

Secretary General 19/04/2013 Secretary General Jagland welcomes agreement in the EU-facilitated dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo* Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 21 April 2013 - Following the agreement between Serbia and Kosovo*, Secretary General Jagland published the following statement:   "I whole-heartedly welcome the important results achieved by the Serbian and Kosovo* leaders in their EU-facilitated dialogue.   What they achieved today through courage, patience and commitment can be rightly called historic progress.   This agreement opens a new path towards a peaceful future for the whole of South East Europe.   The...

Council of Europe 19/04/2013 Council of Europe report underlines concerns over Travellers in Ireland Roma settlement in Strasbourg Strasbourg, 19.04.2013 - The Traveller community in Ireland continues to face difficulties in many areas of live – including education, employment and housing – according to a report published today by the Council of Europe’s Advisory Committee on national minorities. The report praises the constructive attitude of the Irish authorities towards implementing the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on National Minorities, and highlights a number of initiatives which have been launched. However, with regard to the Traveller...

Secretary General 18/04/2013 Secretary General Jagland concludes official visit to Armenia Council of Europe Office, Yerevan Strasbourg, 18 April 2013 - Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland ended today his working visit to Armenia, in preparation of the upcoming Chairmanship of Armenia of the Council of Europe. During his two-day visit, the Secretary General met President Sargsyan, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Nalbandian, the Catholicos of all Armenians, His Holiness Karekin II, as well as the delegation of Armenia to the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly. On 17 April, the Secretary General and the Minister of Foreign Affairs signed the Memorandum of...

Secretary General 18/04/2013 Secretary General Jagland commemorates the 70th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 18 April 2013 - On 19 April Poland will mark the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising with the opening of the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw and a commemoration ceremony. The ceremony will be attended by the last hero of the Uprising. Paying tribute to those who resisted Nazi oppression in Poland the Secretary General Jagland made this statement:   "During the Uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto, thousands of women, men and children refused to capitulate to overwhelming Nazi oppression.They chose to...

President of the Parliamentary Assembly 16/04/2013 Boston explosions: Parliamentary Assembly President condemns ‘a despicable act’ Jean-Claude Mignon Strasbourg, 16.04.2013 – Jean-Claude Mignon, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has strongly condemned the act of violence which caused three deaths and up to 100 casualties in the city of Boston. “I would like first of all to express the sympathy of the Parliamentary Assembly to the families and loved ones of the victims, as well as our solidarity with the inhabitants and authorities of Boston, mourning today because of this despicable act, carefully pre-planned to kill as many...

Council of Europe 12/04/2013 Personal data protection: Uruguay becomes first non-European state to accede to “Convention 108” Strasbourg, 12.04.2013 – Uruguay has become the first non-European state to accede to the Convention for the protection of individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data , also known as “Convention 108”, and its Additional Protocol . “Convention 108” is the only existing international treaty which grants individuals the right to the protection of their personal data, aiming also to prevent any abuses which may accompany the processing of these data. Being open to signature by any country, it is the only...

Council of Europe 12/04/2013 Europe's Ministers of Culture look to the future . Moscow, 16.04.2013 - European Ministers of Culture meeting in Moscow have asked the Council of Europe to examine the impact of culture on democracy, the effectiveness of cultural policies, and to map trends at European level concerning access to and participation in culture.   Signatories to the European Cultural Convention invited the Organisation to offer a platform to study the impact of digitisation on culture and promote democratic governance of culture and citizen's access to, and participation in culture.   "This conference has given impetus to the Council of Europe's...

Secretary General 12/04/2013 Secretary General Jagland makes official visit to Croatia Secretary General Jagland Strasbourg, 12.04.2013 – Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland is making an official visit to Croatia today. In Zagreb, Mr Jagland is holding bilateral meetings with the President of Croatia Ivo Josipović , the Prime Minister Zoran Milanović , the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić, and the Speaker of the Parliament Josip Leko today.   Topics for discussion include cooperation between Croatia and the Council of Europe, EU membership and current issues in the region.   A...

Commissionr for Human Rights 11/04/2013 Russia: reforms should strengthen human rights in the justice system Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks Moscow, 11 April 2013 - “The Russian authorities have started to address several structural shortcomings in the justice system identified by the European Court of Human Rights. However, much remains to be done to ensure access to justice, remedy serious human rights violations and prevent the flow of repetitive applications before the Court,” said Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights , Nils Muižnieks, at the end of a ten day visit to Russia.   “It is positive that the authorities have introduced...