European Committee of Social Rights 29/01/2013 Council of Europe publishes its report on implementation of European Social Charter by member states Strasbourg, 29.01.2013 – The Conclusions of the European Committee of Social Rights for 2012 are public. It is now possible to consult Conclusions 2012 and Conclusions XX-1 (2012) by State Party.   These conclusions contain the assessments of the European Committee of Social Rights on the implementation of the Charter with regard to employment, vocational training and equal opportunities.The Committee adopted a total of 622 conclusions in respect of 42 countries including 155 findings of violations of the Charter. (more...) ...

Secretary General 29/01/2013 Thorbjørn Jagland calls for coordinated response to violent extremism Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 29 January 2013 - Speaking at a high-level conference in Brussels this afternoon, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland urged international bodies to work together with stakeholders at the national level to help tackle violent extremism. “Local authorities and communities are the front line in our fight against violent extremism. But they cannot bear the burden on their own. Only a co-ordinated international response given together with all relevant national actors will deliver the results we need. The Council of Europe is the only...

Secretary General 29/01/2013 Secretary General welcomes changes to Hungarian laws on media and judiciary Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 29.01.2013 – At a press conference today in Brussels, Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, presented the Organisation’s assessment of Hungary’s media laws and judicial reforms.   “Significant progress has been made. The outcome of our dialogue with the Hungarian authorities will in effect mean fewer powers and more accountability for the President of the National Judicial Office,” he said.   Under the agreed changes, the President of the NJO can no longer...

Commissioner for Human Rights 29/01/2013 Slovenia: Violations of human rights of the ‘erased’ not fully redressed Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks Strasbourg, 29/1/2013 - “The “erasure” of thousands of people from the Register of Permanent Residents of Slovenia in 1992 continues to adversely affect the human rights of many ‘erased’ persons. The Slovenian government should step up its efforts and provide adequate reparation to all victims” said Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Slovenia, Mr Janez Janša, published today.   The Commissioner calls on...

Group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings 28/01/2013 France urged to step up fight against human trafficking Strasbourg, 28.01.2013 – The Council of Europe’s group of experts on action against trafficking in human beings (GRETA) has urged the French authorities to take a number of steps to improve the country’s fight against trafficking in human beings. In its first report on human trafficking in France , GRETA urged the authorities to launch a coordinated national action plan on trafficking as a matter of priority. The expert group also recommended that a nation-wide referral mechanism be set up to formally identify victims of...

Convention for the Protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data 25/01/2013 Data Protection Day 2013 Strasbourg, 28.01.2013 – The Council of Europe is celebrating Data Protection Day, which commemorates the opening for signature on 28 January 1981 of “Convention 108”, the Convention on the Protection of individuals with regard to automatic processing of personal data. Convention 108 is the only legally binding treaty in the privacy field, harmonising protection on the basis of minimum standards. At present 44 states are bound by it and in the near future Uruguay will become the first non-European country to...

Parliamentary Assembly 24/01/2013 Mali: Parliamentary Assembly calls for support of Malian and French forces . Strasbourg, 24.01.2013 – The Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, today said that “the increased involvement of, and solidarity by, European and African States, the EU and the United States of America, in support of Malian and French forces on the ground”, are necessary to put an end to the establishment of a “regime based on terrorism, hostage taking and drug and arms-trafficking in the Sahel” and restore Mali’s constitutional order and territorial integrity. At the end of an urgent...

Parliamentary Assembly 24/01/2013 Jean-Claude Mignon and Štefan Füle: our co-operation is a powerful tool to support democracy Jean-Claude Mignon and Štefan Füle Strasbourg, 24.01.2013 - Jean-Claude Mignon, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, issued today the following statement, on the occasion of Commissioner Füle’s visit to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe :   “Our close and joint cooperation and engagement with our partners in the East and in the Southern neighbourhood represents a powerful instrument...

Parliamentary Assembly 24/01/2013 Mounting tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean over migration and asylum: a European problem Strasbourg, 24.01.2013 – Given the mounting tensions over asylum and irregular migration into Greece, Turkey and other Mediterranean countries, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has underlined the need to rethink responsibilities here and deal with what should be recognised as a European problem and not one confined to a single or a few European States.   Greece, the main entry point for irregular migrants into the EU, and Turkey, the main country of transit, which has taken in 150 000 refugees from Syria, will not be...

Council of Europe 24/01/2013 Holocaust Remembrance Day Palais de l'Europe Strasbourg, 25 January 2013 – The ceremony marking the International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, will take place starting at 2.45 pm on the forecourt of the Palais de l’Europe.   On 27 January, a conference "La Shoah par balles" by Pierre-Philippe Preux, organised by The Centre européen du résistant déporté and the Council of Europe, will take place at 2 pm at the Council of Europe’s European Youth Centre in Strasbourg.   The conference will cast light on a still little-known aspect of the Holocaust, the murders...

Secretary General 24/01/2013 Secretary General welcomes publication of anti-torture Committee report on Russian Federation Secretary General Jagland Strasbourg, 24.01.2013 – “I welcome the decision of the Russian Government to request the publication of this report as a sign of openness which I trust will continue in the future,” said Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.   “ I am confident that this is the beginning of a new policy of the Russian Federation which will increase the impact of the Committee’s work in Russia, to everyone’s benefit,” added CPT President Lətif Hüseynov.   In a report...

Parliamentary Assembly 24/01/2013 Azerbaijan: PACE decides to continue the monitoring procedure, encourages the authorities ‘to step up efforts’ Strasbourg, 23.01.2013 –The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) today encouraged the authorities of Azerbaijan “to step up their efforts to implement the legislation in the areas crucial for the proper functioning of democratic institutions” and, against this background, decided to continue the monitoring of the country’s obligations and commitments. According to the adopted text, based on the report by Pedro Agramunt (Spain, EPP/CD) and Joseph Debono Grech (Malta, SOC), since its accession...

European Court of Human Rights 23/01/2013 Opening of the judicial year of the European Court of Human Rights European Court of Human Rights Strasbourg, 25 January 2013 - The judicial year of the European Court of Human Rights opened on 25 January 2013. One hundred and fifty eminent figures from the European judicial scene attend a seminar organised for the occasion.   The seminar takes place in the afternoon, at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (France), from 2.15 pm (local time), and will be followed at 6.15 pm by the official opening ceremony, in the course of which Mr Dean Spielmann, President of the Court, and Mr Theodor Meron, President of the International...

Parliamentary Assembly 23/01/2013 Georgia-Russia: four years after the war, people's lives should take precedence over politics . Strasbourg, 23.01.2013 - The urgent humanitarian needs following the conflict between Georgia and Russia in 2008 have been dealt with, but there are still significant long-term humanitarian challenges which cannot be solved as long as "people's lives are becoming trumped by politics", PACE said today.   According to the adopted text, based on a report by Tina Acketoft (Sweden, ALDE), with the exception of limited returns of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to the Gali and Akhalgori regions, the prospects for the return of displaced...

Parliamentary Assembly 23/01/2013 Parliamentary Assembly to intensify and expand dialogue with the Assembly of Kosovo* . Strasbourg, 22.01.2013 – In a resolution adopted today, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) underlined the need for the Council of Europe to maintain “direct working contacts with the Kosovo authorities, at all levels”, in order to ensure the smooth implementation of Council of Europe co-operation activities which respect status neutrality. It also resolved to “intensify and expand its own dialogue with representatives of the political forces elected to the Assembly of Kosovo” and invited its Bureau to define the...

Parliamentary Assembly 22/01/2013 EBRD to measure progress in democracy in more comprehensive manner Hans Peter Lankes, Vice-President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Strasbourg, 22.01.2013 - Mr Hans Peter Lankes, Vice-President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development today underlined the importance of the EBRD’s relationship with the Council of Europe, and in particular with the PACE monitoring committee, as a forum for political scrutiny.   Lankes said that Council of Europe texts, along with those of the OSCE and the UN will become reference points and sources of the highest category that have to be cited, as part of the...

Parliamentary Assembly 22/01/2013 Italian Justice Minister Severino: "European Court of Human Rights is a reference point for national judges" Italian Justice Minister Paola Severino 22.01.2013 - "The European Court of Human Rights is not only a cornerstone in the defense of fundamental rights, but also a reference point for national judges", declared the Italian Justice Minister Paola Severino, while addressing PACE on Tuesday, January 22nd.   The Italian Minister highlighted a series of tailored measures to reduce national prison overcrowding, underlining the creation of 3.178 new places in 2012 and the final objective of 11.700 ones at the end of 2014. ...

Secretary General 22/01/2013 Thorbjørn Jagland: “Corruption is the biggest threat to democracy in Europe today” Thorbjørn Jagland Strasbourg, 22 January 2013 - Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland today issued an impassioned call for Europe to reaffirm its collective and individual commitment to protect human rights, solidarity and democracy, but warned that widespread corruption was undermining citizens’ trust in the rule of law.   Speaking to the Parliamentary Assembly, he recognised that Europe is facing a number of concurrent crises – financial, institutional and a crisis of confidence.   “Corruption is the biggest...

President of the Parliamentary Assembly 22/01/2013 PACE President calls for vigilance in face of rising Euro-scepticism and populism Jean-Claude Mignon Strasbourg, 22.01.2013 – On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Elysée Treaty, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Jean-Claude Mignon, has stressed that, today more than ever, Franco-German reconciliation offers a message of encouragement wherever reconciliation still seems premature, a message of perseverance in the task of European integration, but also a message of vigilance in the face of rising Euro-scepticism and populism.   “It is important to remember...

Parliamentary Assembly 21/01/2013 President Saakashvili says Georgia paid huge price for having chosen path of European integration The President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili  Strasbourg, 21 January 2013 - “Georgia has been threatened, embargoed, bombed, invaded and occupied. Two of our regions have been ethnically cleansed” declared President Saakashvili on Monday. He paid tribute to the Georgian people for the sacrifices they made for the country’s independence and democratic institutions. He also expressed his admiration for their faith in the future and their lack of hatred. The President urged the country’s new government to continue on...