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Reply to Recommendation | Doc. 12342 | 15 July 2010
The future of the Council of Europe in the light of its sixty years of experience
1. The Committee of
Ministers has examined Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1886 (2009) on “The future of the Council of Europe in the light
of its sixty years of experience” which it has brought to the attention
of the member states’ governments. It has also communicated it to
the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
of the Council of Europe for information.
2. The Committee of Ministers considers that the recommendation
and its associated report are particularly timely in the light of
the reform process underway implementing the objective set at the
Third Summit of the Council of Europe to enhance the political relevance,
impact and effectiveness of the Organisation. The success of the
endeavours to reform the Organisation and strengthen its political
profile will depend on the participation of all parts of the Council
of Europe. In this context, the Committee of Ministers welcomes
“the Assembly’s desire to set itself clear priorities revolving
around the Organisation's essential values while retaining a broad
remit so as to better respond to the expectations and the new needs
of European citizens”. 
An enhanced focus by the
Assembly on the core issues of the Council of Europe will certainly
improve synergy and complementarities between the two organs, which
in turn will foster more effective progress in the pursuit of our
common goals and result in a higher impact in member states.
An enhanced focus by the
Assembly on the core issues of the Council of Europe will certainly
improve synergy and complementarities between the two organs, which
in turn will foster more effective progress in the pursuit of our
common goals and result in a higher impact in member states. 3. With regard to the ideas or proposals contained under paragraph
3 of the recommendation, these will be duly taken into account in
the reform process. In this context, it is worth noting a number
of recent developments which have taken place since the adoption
of the recommendation by the Assembly. As regards relations with
the European Union, the Committee of Ministers adopted a number
of decisions at
its 120th Session (11 May 2010). In particular,
the Ministers welcomed the substantial progress in the co-operation based
on the Memorandum of Understanding and emphasised the importance
of ongoing and forward looking co-operation. The Ministers also
noted that the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty and the Charter
of Fundamental Rights on 1 December 2009 has created new opportunities
to enhance further the values-based partnership between the Council
of Europe and the European Union, with a view to achieving a strong
and coherent system of human rights protection in Europe; it welcomed
the commitment of the European Union to accede to the European Convention
on Human Rights (ECHR), confirmed its own commitment to this process, facilitated
by the entry into force on 1 June 2010 of Protocol No. 14 to the
ECHR, and called for the early completion of negotiations and a
rapid accession.
at
its 120th Session (11 May 2010). In particular,
the Ministers welcomed the substantial progress in the co-operation based
on the Memorandum of Understanding and emphasised the importance
of ongoing and forward looking co-operation. The Ministers also
noted that the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty and the Charter
of Fundamental Rights on 1 December 2009 has created new opportunities
to enhance further the values-based partnership between the Council
of Europe and the European Union, with a view to achieving a strong
and coherent system of human rights protection in Europe; it welcomed
the commitment of the European Union to accede to the European Convention
on Human Rights (ECHR), confirmed its own commitment to this process, facilitated
by the entry into force on 1 June 2010 of Protocol No. 14 to the
ECHR, and called for the early completion of negotiations and a
rapid accession. 4. Furthermore, as a follow-up to the 120th Session
of the Committee of Ministers (May 2010), the Ministers’ Deputies
have been asked to develop proposals for a partnership between the
Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Local
and Regional Government and the Committee of Ministers. At the same
time, the Ministers’ Deputies are also reviewing the organisation
of Council of Europe Conferences of Specialised Ministers. With
regards to Council of Europe conventions, as part of the priorities
for 2011, a stock take of the situation will be conducted through
a critical review of their relevance. This will provide the basis
for decisions on follow-up, including measures to increase the visibility
and the number of parties to relevant conventions. Finally, as regards
budgetary strategy, the Committee of Ministers would emphasise that the
budgetary discussions and decisions cannot be disconnected from
the overall budgetary situation in member states. As a first step
to alleviate the pressure on the Ordinary Budget, it has agreed
to introduce additional flexibility for the setting up of partial
agreements and a review of the question of the principle of acceptance
of voluntary contributions by entities outside member or observer
states is currently underway within the Rapporteur Group on Programme,
Budget and Administration (GR-PBA). It will also consider the advisability
of a possible move towards a biennial budgetary process from 2012.
5. With regard to the proposals contained in paragraph 4 calling
for greater prominence to be given to the various activities of
the Council of Europe in the field of democracy, the Committee of
Ministers notes that the Forum for the Future of Democracy, in which
the Assembly plays an active role, is currently going through a reform
process which aims at enabling the forum to offer a robust contribution
to the reinforcement of the democracy pillar. In this context, it
is worth noting the consensus amongst the stakeholders to provide
the forum with a new mission statement and revised guidelines for
its operations that would allow it to address issues of democracy
in an innovative and holistic manner with a wider involvement of
all sectors of the society. The Committee of Ministers also notes
the developments that are taking place in parallel at the level
of the Summer University of Democracy as well as the Assembly’s
annual debate. The summer university, which gathers annually the
participants of the sixteen Schools of Political Studies network,
could have the potential to develop into a much larger, international
event in the spirit of the idea put forward in the recommendation.
6. With regard to ongoing dialogue and co-operation between the
two organs, a number of developments have also taken place since
the adoption of the recommendation in October 2009. The Committee
of Ministers would refer in particular to the proposals that have
already been agreed between the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers
in October 2009 with a view to enhancing dialogue and co‑operation
between the two statutory organs. It also recalls that the Secretary
General has presented his report at the June 2010 Joint Committee
on the measures identified. The recommendations provided useful
input into that report.
It also recalls that the Secretary
General has presented his report at the June 2010 Joint Committee
on the measures identified. The recommendations provided useful
input into that report. 7. In this context, the Committee of Ministers would, in particular,
refer to the informal meetings that have taken place between the
Bureau of the Committee of Ministers and the Presidential Committee
of the Assembly which have greatly contributed to enhancing the
interaction between the two bodies, fostering better understanding
and allowing informal dialogue to take place in a frank and constructive
atmosphere. In a similar vein, exchanges of views on specific subjects
of common interest are held with the competent Assembly Rapporteur
on an ad hoc basis either in the Ministers’ Deputies’ meetings or
in the relevant Rapporteur Groups and vice versa. The joint efforts
of the Assembly and of the Committee of Ministers have led to the
adoption, ahead of schedule, of the joint interpretative statement
on rules and procedures for the future elections of the Secretary
General, which is clear proof that the Assembly and the Committee
of Ministers have become genuinely closer and that working relations
have improved.
8. The Committee of Ministers’ Working party on Institutional
Reforms (GT-REF.INST) also held an exchange of views with Mr Jean-Claude
Mignon, Rapporteur for the Political Affairs Committee. This allowed for
a direct and frank debate on the recommendation in question, and
was considered a further welcome development in strengthening working
relations between the two bodies. The Committee of Ministers regards the
recommendation and its present reply, as part of a positive on-going
process.