Application by the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic for membership of the Council of Europe

Opinion 155 (1991)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 30 January 1991 (22nd Sitting) (see Doc. 6346, report of the Political Affairs Committee, Rapporteur : Mr Baumel ; Doc. 6361, opinion of the Committee on Relations with European Non-Member Countries, Rapporteur : Mr Forni ; and Doc. 6380, opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Rapporteur : Mrs Ekman). Text adopted by the Assembly on 30 January 1991 (22nd Sitting).

Thesaurus

1. The Assembly has been requested by the Committee of Ministers to give its opinion on the accession of the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic (CSFR) to the Council of Europe (Doc. 6209), in pursuance of Statutory Resolution (51) 30 A adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 3 May 1951.

2. It observes that democratic parliamentary elections were held by universal, free and secret ballot on 8 and 9 June 1990, were monitored by an ad hoc committee of the Assembly and were followed by local elections on 24 November 1990.

3. The Assembly welcomes the European commitment expressed before the Assembly by President Havel on 10 May 1990.

4. It expresses its appreciation of the co-operation in the Assembly's work by the special guests from the Legislative Assembly of the CSFR.

5. The Assembly considers that the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic is able and willing :

5.1 to fulfil the provisions of Article 3 of the Statute, which stipulates that ‘‘Every member of the Council of Europe must accept the principles of the rule of law and of the enjoyment by all persons within its jurisdiction of human rights and fundamental freedoms'' ;

5.2 to collaborate sincerely and effectively in the realisation of the aim of the Council of Europe as specified in Chapter I of its Statute thereby fulfilling the conditions for accession to the Council of Europe as laid down in Article 4 of the Statute.

6. The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers, at its next meeting :

6.1 invite the Czech and Slovak Federal Republic to become a member of the Council of Europe ;

6.2 allocate eight seats to the CSFR in the Parliamentary Assembly.