01/09/2011 Political Affairs and Democracy
Strasbourg, 31.08.2011 – At the invitation of the Italian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), its Bureau, the Political Affairs Committee and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs will meet in Caserta (Italy) on 5 and 6 September.
The Political Affairs Committee will discuss the granting of “partner for democracy” status to the Palestinian National Council, based on a report to be presented by Tiny Kox (Netherlands, UEL). The PACE will vote on a draft resolution on this subject at its next plenary session in Strasbourg (3-7 October 2011).
The Palestinian National Council would then become the second body, after the Moroccan Parliament, to benefit from this new status, which the Assembly established in 2010. The aim is to foster institutional co-operation between the parliaments of non-member states of neighbouring regions that wish to take part in the political debate on issues of common concern that extend beyond Europe's frontiers.
The meeting will include an open discussion on current political issues. It will also be addressed by Luca Volontè (Italy, EPP/CD), in connection with the preparation of his report on violence against religious communities. The meeting is also expected to adopt the report by Kerstin Lundgren (Sweden, ALDE) on the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the Council of Europe.