23/05/2025 Standing Committee
The PACE Standing Committee, meeting today in Malta, welcomed “the member states’ political and financial commitment”, which resulted in an increase of the Council of Europe's financial resources within the framework of the 2024-2025 biennial budget, while underlining that “the Organisation's means and capacities should be further strengthened” to enable it to effectively deliver on the 4th Summit of Heads of State and Government outcomes and fulfil its political mission.
For the period 2024-2027, the Assembly has focused its political priorities on contributing to the outcomes of the 4th Summit for the following themes: the consequences of the Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine; counteracting backsliding of democracy; the implementation of ECHR judgments; the youth perspective; the mainstreaming of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right; human rights and new technologies; and engaging with civil society from Belarus and Russia sharing the values of the Council of Europe, the parliamentarians said.
The resolution adopted by PACE, based on the report by Christophe Brico (Monaco, EPP/CD), updates the Assembly's priorities and expenditure for the biennium 2026-2027. In this context, the Assembly will further sharpen the focus of its activities on: strengthening support to Ukraine; leveraging the parliamentary dimension of the implementation of ECHR judgments; contributing to the implementation of the Pact for Democracy; enhancing the role of parliamentarians as legislators; stepping up support for the Reykjavík process for the right to a healthy environment as a human right; and strengthening the Assembly's integrity framework.
In order to support the implementation of readjusted political priorities, PACE will optimise the structure and flexibility of its bodies. It will also resume the modernisation of its working methods, including through digital transformation and the use of artificial intelligence-powered technologies
For each programme and budget cycle, the Assembly adopts a Resolution on its expenditure, in accordance with Committee of Ministers Resolution (53)38 and in line with Article 20 of the Financial Regulations of the Council of Europe.