01/07/2011 | Monitoring
Josette Durrieu (France, SOC), PACE rapporteur on the post-monitoring dialogue with Turkey, voiced her concern about the situation in the country following the refusal of 170 opposition MPs belonging to the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) to take the oath at the inaugural sitting of parliament.
24/06/2011 | Monitoring
In an information note declassified by PACE Monitoring Committee on 21 June 2011, the co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Montenegro, Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP/CD) and Serhiy Holovaty (Ukraine, ALDE), welcomed Montenegro’s willingness to honour its commitments and obligations and meet the requirements of the European Union in the field of human rights, the rule of law and democracy in order to begin the EU accession negotiation process.
09/06/2011 | Monitoring
“While we congratulate Montenegro for undertaking many essential reforms and understand that the country is eager to open the negotiations to join the EU, we consider that serious issues still need to be addressed by the authorities if Montenegro is to honour its commitments and obligations to the Council of Europe,” declared Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP/CD) and Serhiy Holovaty (Ukraine, ALDE), co-rapporteurs for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), following a fact-finding visit to Podgorica from 31 May to 2 June 2011.
01/06/2011 | Monitoring
PACE rapporteurs for the honouring of commitments by Ukraine, Mailis Reps (Estonia, ALDE) and Marietta de Pourbaix-Lundin (Sweden, EPP/CD), welcomed the authorities “considerable efforts” and “political will” to honour their accession obligations to the Council of Europe. “The initiation of a profound constitutional reform process should be welcomed in this context”, they underline in an information note. However, “developments with regard to electoral reform are of serious concern”, especially in the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2012.
30/05/2011 | Monitoring
Grigore Petrenco (Moldova, UEL) has been appointed as a co-rapporteur for PACE’s monitoring of Albania, to replace Jaako Laakso (Finland, UEL), who leaves this post after more than three years. He will work alongside the existing co-rapporteur Thomáš Jirsa (Czech Republic, EDG).Albania has been subject to the Assembly’s monitoring procedure – which involves regular visits to the country, dialogue with the authorities and periodic Assembly debates – since it joined the Council of Europe in 1995.
30/05/2011 | Monitoring
Indrek Saar (Estonia, SOC) has been appointed as a co-rapporteur for PACE’s monitoring of Serbia, to replace Sinikka Hurskainen (Finland, SOC). He will work alongside the existing co-rapporteur Davit Harutyunyan (Armenia, EDG). Serbia has been subject to the Assembly’s monitoring procedure – which involves regular visits to the country, dialogue with the authorities and periodic Assembly debates – since it joined the Council of Europe in 2003.
27/05/2011 | Monitoring
PACE co-rapporteur on the honouring of obligations and commitments by Serbia, Davit Harutyunyan (Armenia, EDG), pays tribute to the steps taken by the Serbian parliament to align its legislation with Council of Europe standards. He particularly welcomes progress made in implementing PACE Resolution 1661 (2009) by abolishing blank resignations, amending the system of allocation of seats in parliament - which should better respect the will of the citizens - and ensuring a better access of women to elected positions in parliament.
27/05/2011 | Monitoring
Jean-Charles Gardetto (Monaco, EPP/CD) and Serhiy Holovaty (Ukraine, ALDE), PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Montenegro, will be visiting Podgorica on 1st and 2nd June, where they are scheduled to meet the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the Interior, Justice, Human Minorities and Rights, and the Montenegrin parliamentary delegation to PACE.
27/05/2011 | Monitoring
PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteurs for Azerbaijan, Pedro Agramunt (Spain, EPP/CD) and Joseph Debono Grech (Malta, SOC), welcomed the release of Eynulla Fatullayev, a journalist and newspaper editor of the defunct newspaper Realny Azerbaijan who was pardoned by President Ilham Alyev along with some 90 convicts ahead of the forthcoming 93rd anniversary of the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.
26/05/2011 | Monitoring
PACE co-rapporteurs for Armenia, John Prescott (United Kingdom, SOC) and Alex Fischer (Germany, EPP/CD), welcomed the general amnesty that was adopted by the parliament on proposal of the President of Armenia. The rapporteurs noted that this amnesty will result in the release of all persons that are still in prison in relation to the events of March 2008.
26/05/2011 | Monitoring
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) co-rapporteurs for Georgia, Kastriot Islami (Albania, SOC) and Michael Aastrup Jensen (Denmark, ALDE) expressed their concern about reports of disproportionate and excessive use of force by the police during the breakup of the protest in central Tbilisi last night.
20/05/2011 | Monitoring
The Assembly’s co-rapporteur for Albania, Thomáš Jirsa (Czech Republic, EDG), has expressed his concern about the growing tensions in the country over the mayoral election in Tirana and called upon all sides to remain calm and move away from confrontation. "I am following developments in Albania closely and with grave concern. I call upon both sides to avoid escalating the situation and to fully respect the legal framework for the resolution of election complaints and appeals," said Mr Jirsa.