The Council of Europe and the European Union: different roles, shared values

 


The Council of Europe and the European Union share the same fundamental values – human rights, democracy and the rule of law – but are separate entities which perform different, yet complementary, roles.

Focusing on those core values, the Council of Europe brings together governments from across Europe – and beyond – to agree minimum legal standards in a wide range of areas. It then monitors how well countries apply the standards that they have chosen to sign up to. It also provides technical assistance, often working together with the European Union, to help them do so.

The European Union refers to those same European values as a key element of its deeper political and economic integration processes. It often builds upon Council of Europe standards when drawing up legal instruments and agreements which apply to its 27 member states. Furthermore, the European Union regularly refers to Council of Europe standards and monitoring work in its dealings with neighbouring countries, many of which are Council of Europe member states.

The Lisbon Treaty increased the scope for European Union action in many areas where the Council of Europe already has significant experience and expertise. This has led to increased cooperation on issues such as fighting human trafficking, the sexual exploitation of children and violence against women. It has also opened the way for the European Union itself to sign up to the European Convention on Human Rights, and to other Council of Europe agreements.

Relations between the Council of Europe and the European Union are set out in the:

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Back Eastern Partnership: Council of Europe and EU present joint project results

Eastern Partnership: Council of Europe and EU present joint project results

The Council of Europe and the European Union have presented results for their joint projects in the six Eastern Partnership countries:  Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus. The projects, conducted under the Partnership for Good Governance initiative, were aimed at protecting human rights, promoting democratic governance and rule of law.

The total budget of the Partnership for Good Governance programme was 33.8m euros. The projects have been primarily financed by the European Union, and co-financed and implemented in 2015-2017 by the Council of Europe. 

The four projects carried out in Armenia with a budget of 2.4m euros focused on improving electoral processes, combatting ill-treatment and impunity, strengthening healthcare and human rights protection in prisons, supporting judicial reform as well as fighting corruption in higher education.

In Azerbaijan, the total budget of the four projects was 4.9m euros. They focused on improving media freedom and freedom of expression, strengthening capacities to fight and prevent corruption in the administration, increasing the role and capacity of the Academy of Justice, training judges as well as improving the efficiency and quality of judicial services.

The five projects in Georgia, with a total budget of 3.7m euros, have assisted with the application of the European Convention on Human Rights; civic integration of national minorities; strengthening the Georgian Bar Association; improving healthcare in prisons; countering money laundering; promoting freedom, professionalism and pluralism of the media; protecting internet freedom; as well as ensuring free and fair elections.

There were four projects in the Republic of Moldova, with a total budget of 2.4m euros. They focused on improving electoral processes, combatting and preventing discrimination, strengthening respect for human rights in the digital agenda, as well as strengthening the judiciary and supporting the Moldovan Bar Association.

The five projects in Ukraine, with a total budget of 3.2m euros, focused on strengthening human rights standards, penitentiary reform, freedom of media, fighting corruption, and supporting free and fair elections.

The three projects carried out in in Belarus, with a total budget of 700,000 euros, focused on promoting the standards of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in Belarus, as well as on promoting human rights, good governance and fighting corruption.

In addition to country-specific projects, all six Eastern European Partnership countries have participated in 14 regional initiatives.

Council of Europe Strasbourg 14 November 2017
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Budget contribution

The Annual Receipts on EU contributions under Joint Programmes between the Council of Europe and the European Union in 2019, amounted to €206.1 million. Co-funded by EU at 85%, by CoE at 15%

29 new Joint Programmes negotiated in 2019 for a total of €111.7 million.

Multimedia

Global Action on Cybercrime (GLACY), video report on a joint project between the Council of Europe and the European Union