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:

Atrás EU and Council of Europe introduce project to promote global development education

Ekaterina Zakovryashina, Head of Council of Europe Legal Advice Division and Ambassador Jari Vilén, Head of the European Union Delegation to the Council of Europe

Ekaterina Zakovryashina, Head of Council of Europe Legal Advice Division and Ambassador Jari Vilén, Head of the European Union Delegation to the Council of Europe

From residential and online training courses on human rights to intercultural dialogue, a new three-year project – iLEGEND – will strengthen global development education throughout Europe.  

iLEGEND, (Intercultural Learning Exchange through Global Education, Networking and Dialogue) will foster inclusive and equitable education to promote peaceful and inclusive societies. Launched today by the European Commission and the Council of Europe, iLEGEND will promote global development education in school curricula.

Global development education helps students understand an increasingly interconnected world, and appreciate economic, political, environmental and cultural challenges that people from different countries face, from north to south.  

The project will assist youth workers and educators in non-formal education sectors as well, which are not regulated or certified by national authorities, such as international youth exchanges and youth conferences.

Carried out by the North-South Centre (NSC) of the Council of Europe, which has more than 20 years of experience in this field, iLEGEND activities also will include capacity building and awareness-raising initiatives, such as seminars and workshops that will mobilize representatives from governments, parliaments, local and regional authorities and civil society.

With a €1.3m budget, iLegend will be financed 75% by the EU’s Development Education and Awareness Raising programme (DEAR) and 25% by the Council of the Europe.

Notes for editors

The project is fully in line with the United Nation’s Goal 4 of Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development: to “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities for all”.

The Development Education and Awareness Raising (DEAR)  programme aims to inform EU citizens about development issues, mobilise greater public support for action against poverty, give citizens tools to engage critically with global development issues, foster new ideas and change attitudes. It is implemented by civil society actors and local authorities in EU and acceding countries.

The European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity, more commonly known as the North-South Centre fulfils a dual political role:  representing "the voice of the South" within the Council of Europe, and promoting and transmitting the values of democracy and human rights that are central to the Council of Europe's mission in neighbouring regions. The objective of the NSC is that civil society, in particular youth and women, is empowered through intercultural dialogue and global development education (GDE) to play an active role in member States and neighbouring regions.

Council of Europe Strasbourg 25 July 2016
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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.

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