04/09/2008 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
A colloquy on the theme "The role of parliaments in the management of water resources", organised by PACE Environment Committee, will be opened in Madrid by the President of the Assembly, Lluís Maria de Puig, on Monday 8 September 2008. Some 50 participants will analyse in particular the water management in agricultural development in the Mediterranean region and the problems of urban water management. The stakes of the Fifth World Water Forum, to be held in Istanbul in March 2009, will also be discussed during an exchange of views.
03/09/2008 | Political Affairs and Democracy
“The talks which have opened today represent the best opportunity in many years to end the division of Cyprus,” said Joachim Hörster (Germany, EPP/CD), the rapporteur of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) on the Cyprus question. “The opportunity must not be wasted.”
02/09/2008 | Culture, Science, Education and Media
Andrew McIntosh (United Kingdom, SOC), rapporteur on media freedom and Chair of the Sub-Committee on the Media of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE), has strongly deplored the death of the prominent opposition journalist Magomed Yevloyev on 31 August 2008 in Nazran, the capital of the Republic of Ingushetia in the northern Caucasus of the Russian Federation.
01/09/2008 | Migration, International Protection and Economic Co-operation
PACE Sub-Committee on Migration will be holding a parliamentary forum on economic migration, social cohesion and development in Kyiv on 5 September in co-operation with the European Parliament and the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada). The event will run from 3 to 6 pm in the International Exhibition Centre (Conference Room 1), Brovarskiy Avenue 15, Kyiv.
29/08/2008 | President
Strasbourg, 29.08.2008 – PACE should hold a major debate on the Georgia-Russia conflict during its forthcoming plenary session in Strasbourg (29 September-3 October 2008), was the proposal unanimously agreed yesterday by the Assembly’s political group leaders. Meeting in Brussels, the Presidential Committee also proposed to send a nine-member, cross-party delegation of parliamentarians on a fact-finding visit to both countries ahead of the debate.
29/08/2008 | Monitoring
Charles Goerens (Luxembourg, ALDE) and Andreas Gross (Switzerland, SOC), PACE co-rapporteurs on Serbia, will make a fact-finding visit to Belgrade on 1-2 September, to take stock of Serbia’s honouring of its obligations and commitments towards the Council of Europe and finalise the report to be debated during the autumn session of the PACE.
26/08/2008 | President
PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig has strongly condemned Russia’s recognition of the independence of the Georgian territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. “When it became a member of the Council of Europe, Russia promised to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbours. With today’s announcement, that promise is in tatters,” the President said.
26/08/2008 | President
The Presidential Committee of PACE and the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament is to meet in Brussels on 28 August to discuss current political issues – in particular the situation in the Caucasus and in Belarus – as well as migration and integration.
25/08/2008 | Monitoring
Mevlüt Çavusoglu (Turkey, EDG) and Kimmo Sasi (Finland, EPP/CD), PACE co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee on Bosnia and Herzegovina, will make a fact-finding visit to Sarajevo from 27 to 29 August to take stock of the situation with a view to a forthcoming report on the honouring of the obligations and commitments of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards the Council of Europe.
25/08/2008 | President
Lluís Maria de Puig, PACE President, today urged Russia to respect fully its commitments under the cease-fire agreement brokered by French President Sarkozy to end the conflict which recently erupted in Georgia. “This includes the immediate and total withdrawal of Russia’s troops from Georgia to positions before the outbreak of the hostilities”, said PACE President.
25/08/2008 | Monitoring
“Russia and Georgia are member states of the Council of Europe and they must abide by the principles the Organisation stands for: respect of human rights, humanitarian law and rule of law must be ensured by all means”, said Mr Van den Brande, co-rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of obligations and commitments by Russia after his visit to Moscow and North Ossetia. He was shocked by the stories of the refugees about “the massive and indiscriminate shelling and bombing of Tskhinvali and the destruction of residential areas”.
22/08/2008 | Monitoring
“It is unthinkable that, in the 21st century, a member State of the Council of Europe invades the territory of another member State. The occupation by Russia of a part of Georgia, as well as the human rights violations in the territories under its control, are unacceptable and cannot go unpunished,” declared Mátyás Eörsi (Hungary, ALDE) and Kastriot Islami (Albania, SOC), PACE co-rapporteurs on the monitoring of the obligations and commitments by Georgia, after their visit to Tbilisi and Gori from 18 to 21 August.