Discover the latest news from the Council of Europe on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Browse news and updates by country, theme and institution.
Newsletter Transplant 2026 – measuring progress, inspiring action
A new edition of Newsletter Transplant has just been published, presenting data on organ donation and transplantation activities in 2025 in more than 90 countries worldwide. The report is the result of long-standing collaboration between the European Committee on Organs, Tissues and Cells...
EDQM releases a new edition of the Tissues & Cells Guide, providing state-of-the-art guidance for healthcare professionals
The European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) has just released the 6th edition of the Guide to the quality and safety of tissues and cells for human application (Tissues & Cells Guide). The updated and restructured guide provides a comprehensive overview of the most...
EDQM On Air – “The gift of life”, with Dr Beatriz Domínguez-Gil
EDQM On Air has released a new episode – The gift of life: understanding organ, tissue and cell donation and their clinical use. When we think of transplantation, we tend to picture a donated heart, kidney or liver. Yet the reality is far more diverse, encompassing not only other organs, such as...
Towards coherent policies on veterans in Europe
Europe is facing its “largest cohort of veterans since the Second World War”, mainly as a result of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, which has created more than two million veterans, PACE’s Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development has said. The...
Voices from the Field
Doctors spanning the information gap to boost health literacy in Armenia
Council of Europe helps develop a more accessible and inclusive health system in the country
European Committee of social rights annual activity report reveals continued challenges in social-rights implementation in Europe
Wider understanding and application of ECSR jurisprudence in member states vital
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking 2026: Statement by the Council of Europe International Co-operation Group on Drugs and Addictions (Pompidou Group)
On the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, the Council of Europe International Co-operation Group on Drugs and Addictions (Pompidou Group) reaffirms its commitment to addressing drug-related challenges and addictions through balanced, evidence-based and...
Parliamentary Assembly denounces “the use of starvation as a method of warfare”
Regulating agri-markets and reducing strategic dependencies also called for
Advancing equal access to sport for persons with disabilities
Council of Europe and EU reaffirm their commitment to tackling discrimination and promoting inclusive sporting environments
EDQM On Air – Join the network: stories of the experts shaping the European Pharmacopoeia
EDQM On Air, the podcast on public health brought to you by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) of the Council of Europe, has released a new episode: Join the network: stories of the experts shaping the European Pharmacopoeia. The European Pharmacopoeia (Ph....
Strengthening action against illegal drug trafficking via general aviation: International experts gather in Strasbourg for the 7th Expert Network Session
On 10 and 11 June 2026, Strasbourg became the focal point for over 70 international experts, law enforcement, and border officials committed to countering the misuse of private aircrafts, helicopters and other non-commercial aviation for illegal drug trafficking and related illicit financial...
Safe digital environments: Pompidou Group’s advancing action on the mental health and wellbeing of children and youth online
Policymakers, researchers and practitioners from the Pompidou Group member States and internationally gathered in Vienna and online on 2–3 June 2026 for a thematic seminar dedicated to the topic of online and digital addictions....
Committee denounces ‘the use of starvation as a method of warfare’
The Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, meeting in Athens on 3 June, expressed concern that overlapping crises are severely undermining food security, food systems and nutrition worldwide. It strongly condemned “the use of famine as a method of warfare”, the unlawful...
Europe strengthens co-operation on drug policy and addictions at Pompidou Group meeting in Vienna
How can Europe respond more effectively to organised crime linked to drug trafficking, protect human rights, and tackle emerging forms of addiction in an increasingly digital world? These questions were at the centre of the 98th meeting of the Pompidou Group of the Council of Europe, held in...
Pompidou Group adopts new Guidelines to strengthen member States' response to drug-related organised crime (OC-DT)
The Permanent Correspondents of the Pompidou Group have adopted new Guidelines designed to strengthen member States’ response to Organised Crime linked to Drug Trafficking, while ensuring full respect for human rights.
Social media and children’s mental health: right answers are rarely black and white
Strasbourg debate addresses exposure to social media, well-being, and policy responses to mitigate risks
EDQM On Air – From history to health – the origins of the European Pharmacopoeia and the EDQM
EDQM On Air, the podcast on public health brought to you by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) of the Council of Europe, has released a new episode: From history to health – the origins of the European Pharmacopoeia and the EDQM, its first ever vodcast. The...
Council of Europe calls for wider accession to the Medicrime Convention
Weight-loss and performance-enhancing drugs are particular counterfeiting targets
Prevent violence in educational correctional institutions, address overcrowding and improve conditions in psychiatric hospitals in Serbia
Council of Europe anti-torture Committee’s report on its visit to Serbia at the end of 2024
Council of Europe Side Event on “Human Rights, Health and the Environment: Where human rights shape sustainable health and environmental action”
On 10 April 2026, the Council of Europe hosted an online side event on “Human Rights, Health and the Environment” as part of the One Health Summit. The event brought together representatives and experts from the Council of Europe, its intergovernmental bodies, the United Nations Environment...
*All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nation's Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.