09/10/2009 | Monitoring
The prospects of adopting a new constitution for Bosnia and Herzegovina before the next parliamentary elections, expected to be held in Autumn 2010, look “rather gloomy”, say PACE monitoring co-rapporteurs in their latest assessment. “The positions of various stakeholders are extremely polarised and an agreement on a comprehensive package of constituional amendments is almost impossible to reach,” said Mevlüt Çavusoglu (Turkey, EDG) and Kimmo Sasi (Finland, EPP/CD) in an information note declassified this week by the Assembly’s Monitoring Committee.
08/10/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
Göran Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD), Chair of the PACE Political Affairs Committee, today expressed his regret over the recent decision by President Obama to delay his meeting with the Dalai Lama, who is currently in the United States, until after his visit to China in November.
08/10/2009 | President
PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig will be making an official visit to Turkey from 10 to 13 October. He is scheduled to hold meetings with the President, Abdullah Gül, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly, Mehmet Ali Sahin, the Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan (to be confirmed), the Minister for European Affairs and chief negotiator with the EU, Egemen Bagis, and the Chair of the Turkish national parliamentary delegation to the PACE, Mevlüt Çavusoglu. Mr de Puig will also hold talks with the leaders of the political parties represented in parliament.
08/10/2009 | Prizes
The Turkish town of Ankara will receive the 2009 Europe Prize in a ceremony which will be held on Saturday 10 October. A large delegation of parliamentarians, led by PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig and the Chair of PACE’s Environment Committee Alan Meale (United Kingdom, SOC), will present the prize to Ankara’s Mayor Melih Gökçek in presence of the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and a large number of personalities and invited guests.
06/10/2009 | Monitoring
The co-rapporteurs with respect of Ukraine of the PACE Monitoring Committee, Renate Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD) and Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger (Germany, ALDE), today expressed their concern about the ruling of the Court of the Pecherskyi district in Kyiv that forbids the publication or distribution by “any individual or legal entity” of any “unfair advertising” concerning the Prime Minister of Ukraine.
02/10/2009 | Session
In two inter-linked debates, PACE members today unanimously called for greater co-operation between member states in managing water issues. In the first debate, the Assembly said sharing expertise on how to combat water shortage and pollution in the Mediterranean Basin could help to promote peace. Recognising access to drinking water as a basic human right, the Assembly called for legislation on water supply and projects to limit further water stress. In a second debate on the oceans, PACE said they need to be protected from pollution, such as plastic, heavy metals and sewage, as well as over-fishing, increasing and poorly controlled coastal activities, as well as rising sea levels due to climate change. It urged European countries to endorse the maritime policies already proposed by the EU in its 2007 “Blue book”.
02/10/2009 | Session
Moldova’s new coalition government and opposition should enter into meaningful negotiations to break the deadlock over electing the President, the Parliamentary Assembly said today. Debating a monitoring report on Moldova, the Assembly also said that once the President and Prime Minister were in place, there needs to be far-reaching reform – including, where appropriate, of the Constitution – to avoid such institutional deadlock in the future.
02/10/2009 | Session
While stressing that the fight against rape needs to be stepped up, the Assembly today called on member states to ensure that the legislation on rape and sexual violence reaches "the highest possible standard". The unanimously adopted text based on the report prepared by Marlene Rupprecht (Germany, SOC) ask Member states to develop a comprehensive strategy which should comprise measures to prevent rape in the first place, as well as to ensure (securely-funded) protection of and assistance to rape victims at every step of the proceedings, including, possibly, compensation for the victims.
01/10/2009 | Session
PACE today decided to close the monitoring procedure relating to the honouring of the obligations and commitments of Monaco towards the Council of Europe. In a resolution adopted on the basis of the report by Leonid Slutsky (Russian Federation, SOC) and Pedro Agramunt (Spain, EPP/CD), the Assembly considers that Monaco has clearly demonstrated “its determination and ability” to fulfil the undertakings made upon its accession in 2004. Monaco has ratified 40 of the 250 Council of Europe conventions and signed three others.
01/10/2009 | Session
The Assembly today called on European political leaders “to show political will in order to ensure unwavering support for the Council of Europe in the performance of its statutory functions”. Aware that the Organisation’s activities must constantly be subjected to objective critical analysis, the parliamentarians asked member States to show “political courage” in censuring behaviour that is inconsistent with the Council of Europe’s principles and values. “It is necessary to resist the temptation to exploit and relativise, according to the political opportunity.
01/10/2009 | Political Affairs and Democracy
The Political Affairs Committee has expressed great sorrow about the developments in Iran after the last elections. In a declaration adopted today, the committee said the violent reactions of the Iranian authorities to peaceful protests were a very serious breach of the human rights of Iranian citizens. It also said it was “greatly saddened” by the irresponsible continuation of the Iranian nuclear programme, a clear breach of international law.
01/10/2009 | Session
The French Secretary of State for European Affairs gave an assurance of France’s attachment to the Council of Europe by stating before the Assembly today, "I know what great pride the Council can take in the work accomplished." He suggested identifying any overlaps with the European Union in order to focus on the areas where the action of the Council of Europe proves most apposite and effective.