11/05/2007 | News
At the ceremony to mark Montenegro’s accession as 47th member state of the Council of Europe, Bernard Schreiner (France, EPP/CD), Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly, warmly welcomed what could be described as Montenegro’s “return to the fold”. He added that “Montenegro has shown itself able to put its troubled past behind it and move on as a member of the European family and the international community.”
20/04/2007 | News
PACE welcomed a draft convention on the protection of children against sexual exploitation and sexual abuse, but also pointed out that certain “escape clauses” might weaken the criminal protection of children at risk of sexual exploitation and abuse, following an urgent debate on the subject. Such clauses include allowing reservations on offences concerning child pornography. The Assembly also called for a better recognition of the important role of victims' parents and families.
20/04/2007 | News
The Assembly today called on member states to tackle the problem of counterfeiting in a more comprehensive manner, and suggested the preparation of a European convention on the suppression of counterfeiting as well as information campaigns on its dangers and better protection of intellectual property. Counterfeiting can endanger consumers’ health and safety, seriously damage the economy and nurture criminal networks, the parliamentarians said.
19/04/2007 | News
The ruling of Ukraine’s Constitutional Court in the current crisis, if delivered, should be accepted as binding by all sides, the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) said in a resolution adopted today at the end of an urgent debate attended by Ukraine’s Parliamentary Speaker Oleksandr Moroz. However, the Assembly also warned that pressure in any form on the judges of the Court was “intolerable”, and should be investigated and criminally prosecuted.
19/04/2007 | News
The Chair of PACE’s Legal Affairs Committee Dick Marty (Switzerland, ALDE) today urged Europe to address the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, opening a Current Affairs debate of the Assembly. Denouncing limited concrete action and a certain indifference from the international community, the parliamentarian asked : “Is Europe really far from Darfur? Where do arms come from? Who are the suppliers and where are their bank accounts?” Mr Marty also stated that there is proof that some aircraft, decorated in false United Nations livery, had been used to deliver arms into the area of conflict. He added that Europe should be concerned by the related wave of migration.
19/04/2007 | News
Legislation on official secrecy in many Council of Europe member states is “rather vague or otherwise overly broad” and could cover a wide range of legitimate activities of journalists, scientists or lawyers, PACE said in a resolution adopted today. It singled out the German, Swiss and Italian, as well as US, authorities for threatening, or attempting to prosecute, journalists or other “whistleblowers” of official secrets, and said there were strong indications fair-trial principles were not respected in a series of high-profile espionage cases in Russia. Scientists Igor Sutyagin and Valentin Danilov, as well as former FSB agent Mikhail Trepashkin, should be freed by Russia’s competent bodies without delay, the Assembly said.
19/04/2007 | News
In an urgent debate on the situation in the Middle East, the Parliamentary Assembly today welcomed the creation of a new Palestinian government of national unity, but regretted however that it has not committed itself to the recognition of Israel. The Assembly nevertheless sees in this government a “potential new interlocutor” in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Parliamentarians also welcomed the renewed commitment by the Arab league states to the Arab peace initiative. Finally, the Assembly again offered its assistance, and recalled its proposal to organise a Tripartite Forum with the Knesset and the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).
18/04/2007 | News
'Despite important progress in member states achieved with the help of the Council of Europe, serious human rights violations, such as enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, secret detentions, torture and inhuman treatment still take place on our continent. In several countries, human rights defenders themselves, who are trying to help others uphold their rights, are harassed and face repression, PACE's Legal Affairs Committee rapporteur Christos Puorgourides today said adressing the Debate on the situation of democracy and human rights in Europe. 'It is time to turn words into deeds and respect in actual fact human rights and the rule of law. Human rights must first and foremost be enforced at the national level. To be credible, member States must avoid double standards when dealing with human rights violations', he added.
18/04/2007 | News
PACE today demanded that European governments institute a policy of “zero tolerance” towards human rights violations in Europe and take action on the worst violations – such as enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings, torture and secret detentions – to preserve the Council of Europe’s credibility. At the end of a special debate on human rights and democracy on the continent, the parliamentarians denounced “the gap between standards on paper and the reality on the ground” as regards both human rights and democracy, and declared: “It is time to end hypocrisy and turn words into deeds.”
17/04/2007 | News
PACE today expressed a positive opinion to Montenegro’s request for accession to the Council of Europe and recommended to the Committee of Ministers of the Organisation that this country becomes the 47th member state. Following the proposals of the rapporteur (Jean-Charles Gardetto, Monaco, EPP/CD), the parliamentarians welcomed the progress Montenegro has already made in many fields and the political will expressed by its authorities to pursue reforms, but they said this commitment must now be translated into practice.
17/04/2007 | News
"Dividing Ukraine into ‘pro-Western’ and ‘pro-Russian’ is an offence to the wisdom of the people of Ukraine," said PACE President René van der Linden today when welcoming Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. "Ukraine, Russia, Europe – these are notions and realities which cannot exist without one another. Ukraine is a crucial link for unity of the whole continent. We are all concerned by the need for it to maintain good relations with its neighbours both in the West and in the East," he said.
17/04/2007 | News
"It is our aim that the Memorandum of Understanding with the European Union should be signed at the ministerial session of 11 May," said San Marino Foreign Minister Fiorenzo Stolfi, Chair of the Committee of Ministers, reporting to the Assembly on the work of the Committee of Ministers. Mr Stolfi also emphasised the promotion of intercultural dialogue and its religious dimension, another priority for the San Marino chairmanship. He welcomed agreement on the principle of annual Council of Europe meetings on this subject.