The Expert Council carries out thematic and country studies on specific aspects of NGO legislation and its implementation that seem to pose problems of conformity with international standards, notably the European Convention on Human Rights and the Recommendation (2007)14 on the legal status of NGOs in Europe. Its work covers the 46 member countries of the Council of Europe and Belarus.

It was created in January 2008 by the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe with the aim of creating an enabling environment for NGOs through examining national NGO legislation and its implementation and providing advice on how to bring national law and practice into line with Council of Europe standards and European good practice.

The Expert Council provides follow-up to a Recommendation adopted in 2007 by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers which sets a framework for the legal status of NGOs in Europe (CM/Rec(2007)14) and to the Council of Europe's commitment to the role of civil society in the promotion of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. It co-operates closely with other Council of Europe bodies, in particular the Venice Commission and the Commissioner for Human Rights

 Expert Council on NGO Law Brochure


 Key documents


 Current members of the Expert Council


 Studies by the Expert Council

Thematic studies

Country studies

  Croatia - Opinion on the Compatibility of Amendments to the Croatia Law on Associations and the Law on Foundations with European Standards (2023) - In English / In Croatian

 Italy - Opinion on the compatibility with European standards of Italian Decree Law No. 1 of 2 January 2023 on the management of migratory flows (2023) - In English / In Italian

Belarus - Opinion on the compatibility with international and regional standards of recent  amendments to the Belarusian legislation affecting NGOs (2022) - In English / In Belarusian

 France - Opinion on the compatibility with the European standards of the French Bill to ensure respect for the principles of the republic by all (Mar 2021) - In English / In French

 Russia - Opinion on the compatibility with European standards of recent and planned amendments to the Russian legislation affecting NGOs (Feb 2021) - In English / In Russian

 Greece - Addendum to thr Opinion on the compatability with European standards of recent and planned amendments to the Greek legislation on NGO registration (Nov 2020) - In English / In Greek

 Greece - Opinion on the compatability with European standards of recent and planned amendments to the Greek legislation on NGO registration (July 2020) - In English / In Greek

Turkey - Opinion on the compatibility of amendments to the Turkish law on associations with European standards (2020) - In English / In Turkish

Serbia - Opinion on the Draft Amendments to the Serbian Law on Access to Information of Public Utility (2018) - In English / In Serbian

Turkey - Opinion on the impact of the state of emergency on Freedom of Association in Turkey (2017) - In English / In Turkish

Hungary - Opinion on the Hungarian Draft Act on the Transparency of Organisations supported from abroad (2017) - In English

Romania - Opinion on the Romanian Draft Law 140/2017 on Associations and Foundations (2017) - In English

Cyprus - Civil Society in Cyprus: Building for the Future (2015) - In English

Russian Federation - Country study on NGO legislation in the Russian Federation (2015/2014/2013) - In English

Azerbaijan - Country study on NGO legislation in Azerbaijan (2014/2011/2009) - In English

News of the Expert Council

Back New publication: Compendium of Council of Europe practice on freedom of association and NGOs

EXPERT COUNCIL ON NGO LAW
New publication: Compendium of Council of Europe practice on freedom of association and NGOs

The Expert Council on NGO Law of the Conference of INGOs has just published a Compendium of Council of Europe practice relating to the right to freedom of association and the position of non-governmental organisations.

This compendium examines the practice of Council of Europe bodies whose activities deal in some way with the enjoyment of the right to the freedom of association and/or the position of NGOs. It first reviews the general standard-setting undertaken by these bodies and then deals with the various issues concerning associations and NGOs that have been addressed in the work of these bodies.

Thus, it considers the way in which the activities and role of associations and NGOs has been underlined as important and needing encouragement; the requirements for their formation and the problems faced in achieving this; the extent to which their activities and objectives may be limited and the situations in which this has unjustifiably occurred; the problems affecting their membership and internal management; the rights and enabling environment required for them to operate and the challenges faced in ensuring that both exist; the duty to protect them and the situations in which this has not occurred; the appropriate degree of supervision over their activities and operation and the way in which supervision can become an excessive burden; the requirements regarding penalties (including dissolution) that should be, but are not always, observed; and the particular problems faced in ensuring the right to freedom of association in the context of trade union activity.

The compendium concludes by emphasising the importance of coordination between the different bodies and the value in them drawing lessons from each other’s experience but also by underlining the continued need for the work being undertaken by all the bodies concerned.

Strasbourg 4 July 2018
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