05/07/2004 | News
The Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly Bruno Haller, speaking today at the end of a visit to Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, has said he will propose to the Bureau of the Assembly a programme of reinforced co-operation with the parliaments of the three South Caucasus countries. This co-operation could include closer relations between the corresponding committees of the national parliaments and the Parliamentary Assembly, the organisation of seminars on subjects of concern to these countries, study visits of members of parliament and of the staff.
02/07/2004 | President
Assembly President Peter Schieder today adressed the following message to the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Bülent Arinç: "On behalf of the Assembly, I should like to offer my condolences on the tragic loss of life following this morning’s earthquake centred on the eastern province of Agri. Yet again, the Turkish people − already visited by so much devastation − have had to face natural catastrophe on a terrible scale. Fortunately the loss of life is not so high as in the past and hopefully the toll will not rise, but for the families bereaved, the random destructiveness which took away their loved ones must seem incomprehensible. My colleagues in the Assembly and I would ask you kindly to convey our heartfelt sympathy to those who have suffered ."
01/07/2004 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, who is preparing a report for the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights on "the circumstances surrounding the arrest and prosecution of leading Yukos executives", said she was "outraged" by a selective and thereby misleading Interfax report today on a confidential memorandum she presented to the committee last week. "I said in this document that I have not yet completed my evaluation, which is why the statement reported by Interfax that the Council of Europe sees no political colouring in the case is clearly false," said Mrs Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, a former German Justice Minister.
29/06/2004 | President
Assembly President Peter Schieder made the following statement today: “After almost two years of trying, four elections and six rounds of voting, Serbia finally has its first democratically elected president. I congratulate Boris Tadic on his success and wish him all the best in the challenge of living up to the hopes of the Serbian people who wish to live in a modern, open, tolerant and prosperous Serbia. The best way to achieve this goal is to take full advantage of Serbia and Montenegro’s membership of the Council of Europe."
25/06/2004 | News
Dean Spielmann and Ireneu Cabral have been elected judges to the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Luxembourg and Portugal, respectively. The Assembly announced this morning the result of the second ballot in the election that took place yesterday afternoon, no candidate having obtained an absolute majority after the first round that took place on 23 June. Mr. Spielmann and Mr Cabral have been elected for terms of office continuing until 31 October 2007 and 31 October 2010, respectively.
25/06/2004 | News
The Assembly called on the Council of Europe governments to monitor closely the observance of asylum-seekers’, refugees’ and displaced persons’ rights in the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Moldova and especially the principle of non-refoulement. Adopting the recommendation prepared by Tadeusz Iwinski (Poland, SOC), the Assembly urged the three countries to review the compliance of their regional regulations and administrative practices with federal or national legislation in the field of migration and to show a political will to tackle migration issues in a positive way.
25/06/2004 | News
Countries working together to manage transboundary river basins and lakes can also encourage good governance, sustainable development, greater decentralisation and even the resolution of conflicts, the Assembly said today following a joint debate on water issues in Europe. It also called for water plans to be made an integral part of national economic and social policy, and proposed an integrated project, “Euro-water”, to bring together all players and disseminate good practice.
25/06/2004 | Bureau
The Bureau this morning adopted the following statement:“The Bureau strongly condemns the recent acts of violence committed by rebels in a series of attacks throughout the North Caucasus region this week. Its members, appalled by the scale of human suffering, express their condolences to the victims’ families.
25/06/2004 | News
The Secretary General of the Assembly Bruno Haller will visit from 30 June to 5 July the national parliaments of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia with a view to discussing possibilities for concrete assistance programmes as well as possible regional inter-parliamentary co-operation. He will meet the Presidents of Parliaments, the Chairpersons of parliamentary committees, representatives of political groups and Secretaries General of Parliaments. He will also meet senior members of the government in all three countries.
25/06/2004 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
The Sub-committee on Human Rights of the Assembly’s Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights meets in Barcelona (2-3 July) on the occasion of the Universal Forum of Cultures to take part in the 1st Round Table of European Regional Ombudsmen, co-organised by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, with the co-operation of the Mayor of Barcelona. Themes of the round table include the tasks and competences of regional ombudsmen as well as their opinions on the right to housing and to a healthy environment.
25/06/2004 | President
Assembly President Peter Schieder will attend from 3 to 6 July in Edinburgh (United Kingdom) the 13th annual session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
24/06/2004 | News
“The way for Monaco’s accession as the 46th member state of the Council of Europe is open. I have received letters from both the Minister of State of Monaco and the Permanent Representative of France to the Council of Europe informing me that the negotiations for a new Convention to replace the 1930 instrument have been concluded. In particular, agreement was reached on the principle that Monegasque citizens may have access to all public-sector posts in their country,” Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President Peter Schieder announced today.