The Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which brings together around 60 parliamentarians from the Council of Europe’s 46 member states, met in Malta on Friday 23 May 2025.
The meeting was opened by PACE President Theodoros Rousopoulos, followed by a welcome address from Angelo Farrugia, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Malta. Parliamentarians then held an exchange of views with Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, as Malta began its six-month Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers.
The agenda also included current affairs debates on “The role of parliamentarians in safeguarding investment in human rights and democracy amid rising military expenditure” and on “The need to ensure the survival of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty”, with the participation online of RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus.
The Standing Committee adopted an opinion on the Draft Third Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, updating an existing treaty which enables states to co-operate on fighting crime. Finally, it discussed a report on the expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the biennium 2026-2027.
The day concluded with a parliamentary round table on “Seen, heard, and in charge: our role in actively empowering young people”, organised together with the Maltese delegation to PACE, which looks at how parliaments across Europe can help young people to have a greater say in the decisions that shape their future.
Ahead of the meeting, the Women@PACE group – a non-political, cross-party, informal platform open to all women members of the Assembly – held a working breakfast with the former President of Malta Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, who was also a member of PACE from 2008 to 2013.
The Standing Committee, which acts on the Assembly’s behalf between plenary sessions, is made up of the President and Vice-Presidents of the Assembly as well as the chairpersons of its five political groups, its 46 national delegations and its nine committees.
Draft agenda of the Standing Committee meeting
Programme of the round table
Special web page
More on the Assembly and its powers
More on the Presidency of Malta
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Friday 23 May 2025
Doc. 16175 (Report on credentials) Examination of credentials of representatives and substitutes Doc. 16173 (Report) Draft third additional protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Doc. 16166 (Report) Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the biennium 2026-2027
Programme of the parliamentary round table on our role in actively empowering young people