1. The Committee of
Ministers has carefully considered Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation
2095 (2016) “Parliamentary immunity: challenges to the scope of
the privileges and immunities enjoyed by members of the Parliamentary
Assembly”, which it communicated to the governments of member States
as well as to the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International
Law (CAHDI), for information and comments.
2. It fully supports the principle of parliamentary immunity
and independence of members of the Assembly. They are fundamental
democratic principles which are rooted in the statutory texts of
the Council of Europe. In this connection, the Committee of Ministers
recalls the terms of its reply to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation
2083 (2016) on “Introduction of sanctions against parliamentarians”
regarding the legal situation of members of the Assembly travelling
in an official capacity to and in Council of Europe member States
and their rights, in particular in relation to the freedom of movement.
Consequently, the Committee of Ministers reiterates its appeal to
governments of member States to honour their commitments.
