04/03/2004 | Monitoring
Albania has made progress towards being a functioning democracy and a state ruled by law in the last three years, but corruption and organised crime remains the single most important threat to the country, according to a draft report approved yesterday by the Assembly’s Monitoring Committee. The committee said Albania should continue to be monitored. The report is provisionally scheduled for debate during the Assembly’s April session.
04/03/2004 | Monitoring
Kimmo Sasi (Finland, EPP/CD) and Erik Jurgens (Netherlands, SOC) were designated by the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe to prepare a draft opinion on whether or not to open a monitoring procedure with regard to Latvia. They will visit the country in the course of March 2004.Their report will be submitted to the Committee at its next meeting in Strasbourg during the spring session (26-30 April). The decision of the committee doesn’t interfere with the post-monitoring dialogue established with Riga since January 2002.
03/03/2004 | Monitoring
Over the last three years Turkey has clearly demonstrated its commitment and ability to fulfil its statutory obligations as a Council of Europe member state and the monitoring procedure under way since 1996 should therefore be closed, according to the Monitoring Committee of the Assembly. But the parliamentarians were also in favour of a “post-monitoring dialogue” with Turkey on a twelve-point list of outstanding issues, including a major reform of the 1982 constitution, further recognition of national minorities, continued efforts to combat violence against women, the fight against corruption and amendments to the electoral code.
02/03/2004 | Monitoring
Mady Delvaux-Stehres (Luxembourg, SOC) and Luc Van den Brande (Belgium, PPE/DC), co-rapporteurs on Turkey's honouring of its obligations to the Council of Europe, will be available to meet the press and present their report at 1 pm on Wednesday 3 March 2004, in the Council of Europe's Paris office (55, Av. Kléber, Paris, tel. 01 44 05 33 60). The Monitoring Committee of the Assembly is scheduled to approve a report on Turkey's honouring of its obligations to the Council of Europe in Paris the same day, when it will also decide whether or not to close the monitoring procedure, which started in 1996. The report may also be included on the Assembly's spring session agenda.
26/02/2004 | Monitoring
At its meeting in Paris on 3 March the Monitoring Committee is due to approve a report on Turkey’s honouring of its Council of Europe obligations in which it will decide whether or not to recommend the closing of the monitoring procedure opened in 1996. It will also approve a report on Albania’s honouring of its commitments. Both reports are for possible debate during the Assembly’s spring session. The committee is also due to adopt an opinion on a request to reopen a monitoring procedure with regard to Latvia.
13/02/2004 | Monitoring
Miloš Budin (Italy, SOC) and Jonas Čekuolis (Lithuania, LDR), co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Serbia and Montenegro, will make their first fact-finding visit to the State Union from 17 to 19 February. In Belgrade they will hold discussions with political leaders on the current political deadlock in Serbia, and both there and in Podgorica will meet with State Union, Serbian and Montenegrin representatives to begin assessment of Serbia and Montenegro’s honouring of the obligations and commitments it undertook on joining the Council of Europe in April 2003.