Resolution CM/Res(2013)28 (adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 24 October 2013),
as amended by Resolution Resolution CM/Res(2026)3 (adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 8 April 2026)

The Committee of Ministers, in accordance with Article 36 of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (CETS No. 197), after consulting with and obtaining the unanimous consent of the Parties to the Convention, adopted the following rules:

General

Rule 1

The Committee of the Parties shall elect the members of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (hereinafter referred to as “GRETA”), in accordance with the following rules.

Qualifications and capacity of the members

Rule 2

The members of GRETA shall be chosen from among persons of high moral character, known for their recognised competence in the fields of human rights, assistance and protection of victims and of action against trafficking in human beings, or having professional experience in the areas covered by the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (CETS No. 197, hereinafter referred to as the “Convention”).

Rule 3

The members of GRETA shall sit in their individual capacity and be independent and impartial in the exercise of their functions.

They shall take no instructions from any government, organisation or person on how to perform their duties as members of GRETA.

The independence and impartiality of GRETA members shall not be put into question by the mere fact that they are civil servants or otherwise employed in the public sector. However, individuals holding decision‑making positions as regards defining and/or implementing policies in the field of action against trafficking in human beings in government or in any other organisation or entity which may give rise to a conflict of interest with the responsibilities inherent to membership of GRETA, shall not be eligible.

Rule 4 (as amended by Resolution CM/Res(2026)3 adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 8 April 2026)

The members of GRETA shall be available to carry out their duties in an effective manner. They shall have sufficient time and capacity to participate in the meetings of GRETA, carry out country visits and be able to work online for the preparation of the reports and conclusions of GRETA. They shall have good command of at least one of the official languages of the Council of Europe (English or French). A passive knowledge of the other language is desirable.

Rule 5

The members of GRETA shall be nationals of the States Parties to the Convention.

Composition of GRETA

Rule 6

GRETA shall be composed of 15 members, taking into account gender and geographical balance, as well as multidisciplinary expertise.

Rule 7

The membership of GRETA should represent the main legal systems.

Rule 8

No two members of GRETA may be nationals of the same State.

Nomination of candidates

Rule 9

States Parties to the Convention have the right to nominate candidates for GRETA membership. The government of each State Party may submit to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe the names and the curricula vitae, using the model set out in the appendix and in one of the official languages of the Organisation, of not more than three candidates who meet the requirements set out in Rules 2 to 5 to serve on GRETA.

The Secretary General shall transmit these documents to the Committee of the Parties.

When nominating more than one candidate, each State Party shall, to the extent possible, nominate candidates with different professional qualifications relevant to GRETA’s work.

If the Committee of the Parties considers that one or more of the candidates nominated by a State Party do not meet the requirements for membership of GRETA as set out in Rules 2 to 5, the Committee of the Parties may request the State Party concerned to nominate (an)other candidate(s).

Rule 10

In order to help ensure gender balance among the members of GRETA, when nominating more than one candidate, each State Party shall take all the necessary and appropriate steps with a view to nominating at least one man and one woman.

If the nomination of candidates by a State Party is not in conformity with this rule, the Committee of the Parties, taking into consideration the explanation for providing a single sex list, may request the State Party concerned to submit another nomination.

Rule 11

Each State Party shall ensure that the national selection procedure leading to the nomination of candidates for GRETA is in accordance with published national guidelines or otherwise transparent and designed to lead to the nomination of the most qualified candidates.

Election of the members

Rule 12

The members of GRETA shall be elected by the Committee of the Parties from among candidates whose names and curricula vitae have been received by the Secretary General at the latest two months before the election.

Rule 13

In filling vacant seats in GRETA, the Committee of the Parties shall give priority to electing, in the following order, experts:

a.       who possess competences and/or professional experience not sufficiently represented amongst the members of GRETA;

b.       from geographical areas not represented in GRETA;

c.       representing a main legal system not represented in GRETA; and

d.       of the sex under represented in GRETA.

Rule 14

The Committee of the Parties shall elect members of GRETA in accordance with the requirements laid down in Rule 14 in as many rounds as may be necessary to meet the needs of GRETA. In each round, the candidate(s), up to a maximum of three, receiving the most votes, but at least a majority of the votes cast, shall be elected members of GRETA. In each round, the number of votes of each member of the Committee of the Parties shall be the same as the number of vacant seats in GRETA.

The members of the Committee of the Parties can only vote for one national of each State.

Should two or more candidates receive the same number of votes, resulting in more than the maximum number of candidates receiving the necessary amount of votes to be elected in any given round, the Committee of the Parties shall proceed with a vote to elect one or more of these candidates as (a) member(s) of GRETA.

Should the preceding paragraphs of this rule result in the election of two candidates or more who are nationals of the same State, only the candidate with the highest number of votes shall be elected as a member of GRETA.

Term of office of the members

Rule 15

The term of office of a member of GRETA shall be four years, renewable once. The Committee of the Parties shall specify the exact date on which the term of office begins.

In order to ensure that, as far as possible, one half of the membership of GRETA shall be renewed every two years, the Committee of the Parties may decide, on an exceptional basis, before proceeding to any subsequent election, that the term or terms of office of one or more members to be elected shall expire at the end of two years. The members whose terms are to expire at the end of this period of two years shall be chosen by lot by the Committee of the Parties immediately after the election has been completed.

The term of office will end at an earlier date if the Committee of the Parties finds that the member no longer meets the requirements for membership of GRETA, as set out in Rules 2 to 5, or if the member requests the Secretary General to terminate his or her membership.

A member elected to fill a seat which has become vacant before the end of the term of office of the previous member shall hold the seat for the remainder of the predecessor’s term.

Rule 16

Should more than 10 members of GRETA be re-elected for a second term of office in the same elections, the Committee of the Parties may decide to shorten the term of office of five members by two years. These members shall be identified by the drawing of lots by the Committee of the Parties.

DOCUMENTS: