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Council of Europe’s 2024 annual penal statistics
Increasing overcrowding in European prisons
Prison overcrowding remains a critical challenge in one-third of European prison administrations, according to the Council of Europe’s 2024 Annual Penal Statistics on Prison Populations (SPACE I). Overall, in Europe, the number of inmates per 100 places available increased from 93.5 to 94.9 from...
Secretary General Alain Berset at Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome
“Without justice, there is no recovery. Without institutions, there is no trust. And without law, no lasting peace is possible”, said Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset at the 2025 (URC2025), co-hosted by Italy and Ukraine. Speaking on the panel on Strengthening Rule of Law Through...
Türkiye: Congress President calls for action to stop the purge of opposition mayors
“I deplore in the strongest terms the continued purge of opposition mayors in Türkiye, with the suspension from office of 15 more mayors – adding to almost 150 mayors dismissed and, in many cases, detained since 2016, including several Congress members,” stated today Marc Cools, President of the...
Malta: Anti-torture Committee (CPT) calls for further improvements to the prison and immigration centres
In a review of the treatment of persons held in prison, immigration detention, and police custody, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) reports progress but also persistent concerns since earlier visits in 2015 and...
Parliamentary Assembly President welcomes a historic ECHR judgment in the case of Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia
Theodoros Rousopoulos, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), today made the following statement: “On the eve of the eleventh anniversary of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, the European Court of Human Rights delivered a judgment attributing...
Conference in Strasbourg takes stock of the situation of the children of Ukraine three and a half years into the war
Opening a conference in Strasbourg on 9 July to take stock of the situation of the children of Ukraine, Council of Europe’s Secretary General Alain Berset, recalled the thousands of children from Ukraine who have suffered deportation or are still displaced, the many who have lost years of...
North Macedonia: GRECO welcomes progress in anti-corruption reforms in central government and the police and ends compliance procedure
In a new report the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has closed its compliance procedure for North Macedonia under the Fifth Evaluation Round, taking into account the progress achieved by the country in implementing its recommendations to prevent corruption within top...
European Union-Council of Europe Senior Officials’ Meeting: Joint Communiqué
On 8 July Senior Officials from the European Union and the Council of Europe convened in Brussels for their annual Senior Officials Meeting (SOM). The meeting reinforced the strategic and values-based nature of the partnership, highlighting ongoing cooperation and shared commitments. The...
Hungary ratifies the Saint-Denis Convention
Balázs Hankó, Minister of Culture and Innovation of Hungary, deposited before Bjørn Berge, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, the instrument of ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other...
3rd Liverpool Summer School examines Council of Europe’s effectiveness in tackling pressing challenges
Key Council of Europe decision-makers, leading academics and other stakeholders are gathering in Liverpool from 7-18 July for the third edition of the Summer School in the Law of the Council of Europe. Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge addressed participants in a keynote...
GRECO: Netherlands makes progress in government anti-corruption measures but more reforms still needed
The Netherlands has made some progress in preventing corruption and promoting integrity within central government and the police, but further reforms are needed, concludes the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) in a follow-up report published today. The report assesses...
Comprehensive inclusion strategies: new Council of Europe document provides guidance and inspiration for authorities at all levels
What should comprehensive strategies for inclusion cover and why are they needed? The new guidance document on strategies for inclusion, launched by the Council of Europe Steering Committee on Anti-discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI) aims to help Council of Europe member states in...
Ukraine and the Council of Europe sign Agreement on establishing a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, have signed an agreement on the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, including the Statute of the Special Tribunal. Yesterday, the Council of...
Congress President deplores deteriorating political climate in Georgia
“I deplore the deteriorating political situation in Georgia, with the arrests of opposition leaders which seriously hinders the possibility of dialogue between the country’s political forces,” stressed Marc Cools, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of...
Call for entries: Digital Citizenship Poster & Short Film Competition
In today’s fast-changing digital world, we face growing challenges—disinformation, cyberbullying, online hate speech, and threats to privacy and digital security. These issues don’t just affect individuals—they impact the health of our democracies. When people lack the skills to think critically,...
“We must close the gap between law and practice in countering sexual violence against children,” says Secretary General at Lanzarote Convention event in Malta
Opening the Informal Conference of Ministers responsible for children’s rights, Council of Europe Secretary General, Alain Berset has reaffirmed the Organisation’s commitment to the protection of children against sexual violence. The conference marks the 15th anniversary of the Council of...
Budapest Pride: Local authorities must never be forced to violate human rights, says Congress Rapporteur
“I am proud to be here in Budapest at an international conference in support of human rights, and especially to support the rights of LGBTIQ+ persons which have recently come under legislative attack in Hungary,” stressed Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC/G/PD), Standing Rapporteur on Human...
Mexico presents an official gift to the Council of Europe
To mark the 25th anniversary of Mexico’s accession as an Observer State to the Council of Europe, the country has presented a work of art to the Organisation. Entitled ‘Uroboros de Luz I’ it is a tractor tyre adorned with traditional Mexican symbols, notably the ‘plumed serpent’ god Quetzalcóatl,...
Parliamentary Assembly urges parliaments to be more gender-sensitive, inclusive and accessible – and aim for parity
Parliaments across Europe and beyond should declare the goal of achieving “gender parity” in their representation, backed by strategic plans, as one of a series of measures to ensure the balanced participation of women and men in all areas of parliamentary life, according to PACE. Approving a...
Spanish legislation on compensation and job reinstatement in cases of unfair dismissal breaches the Social Charter
The European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) of the Council of Europe, in a decision on the merits of a collective complaint filed by Confederación Sindical de Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) v. Spain (Complaint No. 218/2022) finds that the Spanish legislation on compensation for unfair dismissal,...
