26/01/2004 | News
Peter Schieder this morning welcomed the presence of NGO representatives in the debating chamber. "Like the Assembly, you challenge the political accountability of decisions, you consider participatory democracy as an indispensable element of pluralist democracy. For a long time, our Assembly has been asking for a change in your status and you have obtained this now: from consultation to participation. In the light of your new role within the Council of Europe, it is time to consider a specific and perhaps even more formal status for NGOs within the Assembly. The aim is a closer contact", he said.
22/01/2004 | News
Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili will address the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly during its winter session in Strasbourg (26-30 January 2004). Parliamentarians are due to debate the situations in both countries. Other highlights of the session include debates on euthanasia, public service broadcasting, the functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan and Armenia’s honouring of its obligations and commitments.
22/01/2004 | Legal Affairs and Human Rights
19-21 January, Pristina - The rapporteur on the human rights situation in Kosovo, Tony Lloyd (United Kingdom, SOC), visited the region, where he met the Prime Minister, Bajram Rexhepi, as well as representatives of the United Nations, the OSCE and NATO. Preparation of his report on the question will continue with the holding of a hearing in Paris on 16 March.
20/01/2004 | News
French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and Dutch Minister of Justice Piet-Hein Donner addressed members of parliament from the Council of Europe, in Paris, at a conference organised by the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population and the French delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly. The conference, on the theme ''migration and integration: a challenge for Europe?'', looked at such issues as demographic trends and migration flows, controlling illegal immigration while respecting human rights and the right of asylum, migration and development and integration or sectarianism.
01/01/2004 | Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
22-23 January, London - The Committee on Economic Affairs and Development met in London at the Financial Services Authority (FSA) on 22 January and at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) the following day to discuss the EBRD’s contribution to economic development in central and eastern Europe. Draft recommendations for the reports on “Counterfeiting: problems and solutions” (Bernard Schreiner, France, EDG) and “Corporate ethics in Europe” (Christian Brunhart, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD) were adopted.
01/01/2004 | Political Affairs and Democracy
11-15 January, Cyprus – Mátyás Eörsi (Hungary, LDR), the Political Affairs Committee’s rapporteur on the situation in Cyprus, visited the island in preparation for his report, which is on the agenda of the Winter Session of the Parliamentary Assembly (26-30 January 2004). Mr Eörsi was received by Tassos Papadopoulos, President of the Republic of Cyprus, and met with Rauf Denktash, the Turkish Cypriot leader. He had also talks with the leaders of the main political parties from both Cypriot communities.