14/12/2012 Political Affairs and Democracy
Strasbourg, 14.12.2012 – In adopting in Turin today a draft resolution on the activities of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in 2010-2012, based on a report by Tuur Elzinga (Netherlands, UEL), the committee congratulated the EBRD on its new system for evaluating transition in the reference countries.
However, the rapporteur warns about the limited impact, as progress towards democracy and the rule of law is not included. According to the rapporteur’s proposals, the extension of the geographical scope of the EBRD’s mandate to the countries of the south and east of the Mediterranean means it is necessary to interact and co-operate with civil society and the social partners in order to ensure the success of the activities and broad support for them. The rapporteur also underlines that it would be important to strengthen co-operation with the Council of Europe and, in particular, the Assembly, the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) and other relevant bodies.