05/03/2025 Political Affairs and Democracy
European leaders should bring the European Political Community (EPC) and the Council of Europe closer together and, in line with the Reykjavik Declaration, “set an example of effective and dynamic multilateralism” that promotes shared values and underpins security and stability in Europe, the PACE Political Affairs Committee said today.
Unanimously adopting a draft resolution based on the report prepared by Zsolt Németh (Hungary, ECPA), the parliamentarians welcomed the participation of the Council of Europe in the last two EPC Summits in London and Budapest. To ensure synergies and coordination between the EPC and the treaty-based Council of Europe, a pan-European political community of 46 member States, they encouraged EPC host countries and EU leaders to ensure systematic participation of the Council of Europe in EPC summits and to make full use of Council of Europe instruments and work, notably on democracy.
The parliamentarians underlined that the non-institutionalised and flexible nature of the EPC, a platform for political coordination, does not replace any existing organisation, structure or process. In addition, they stressed that at this pivotal moment for Europe, the Council of Europe must be an ever-stronger and more resilient pillar of multilateralism.
The unprecedented challenges currently facing Europe also “call for ever closer co-operation” between the Council of Europe and the EU. The adopted text also recalls the invaluable role of the Council of Europe in the EU enlargement process.