GENERAL ASPECTS OF

THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

by Alina Kulinich
Founding of the Council of Europe
The post-war European idea and
European movements
 The Second World War had devastating consequences for Europe. The human losses
were extremely severe, and people were shocked to discover the atrocities perpetrated by
the Nazi regime. The economies of several European countries were left in tatters:
industrial and agricultural infrastructures had been destroyed, towns and cities had been
razed to the ground by bombing raids, means of communication had been damaged and
there were shortages of foodstuffs.
 Soon relegated to second fiddle on the international stage by the emergence of the
United States and the Soviet Union as two new superpowers, Western Europe realised
that its recovery would come through unity, through the pooling of its economic
resources — where necessary with US financial, technical and military support — and
through the creation of jointly run, efficient institutions.
The post-war European idea and
European movements
 Given the rise in influence of the United States and the Soviet Union and their increasing
rivalry, the countries of Europe, exhausted by the global conflict, were faced with three
fundamental questions. The first was economic: how could material damage be repaired
and economic activity revived on the old continent? The second was political: how could
they prevent the return of a conflict that had laid the continent and the world to waste?
The third was cultural: how could the survival and renaissance of European civilization
be ensured in the face of the increasing threats represented by the ideological schism and
confrontation between the victorious American and Soviet blocs? Western Europe hoped
to reclaim its place on the international stage by uniting the peoples of Europe.
The post-war European idea and
European movements

 Pro-European movements, some of which originated in the Resistance, moved into

action and vigorously promoted the idea of European unification. The ideal of a united
Europe, which had already been popularised by certain elite circles during the interwar
period, rapidly gained ground in the wake of the Second World War. Thousands of young
people dreamed of a united Europe, sometimes even of a unified and peaceful world. In
order to avoid the world being divided into two antagonistic blocs and to prevent the
inevitably ensuing war, it seemed essential to establish a third European pole. In this
context, there were calls for Western countries to adopt a neutral stance in the face of
American materialism and Soviet totalitarianism.
The post-war European idea and
European movements
 In 1946, various supporters of European
federal unity, aware of the need to promote
the European ideal in political circles and
among the general public, founded the
Union of European Federalists (UEF),
bringing together some 50 federalist
movements. Within national parliaments,
particularly those of the Netherlands,
Belgium, France and Italy, the number of
supporters of federalism was progressively
increasing.
The post-war European idea and
European movements
 In 1947, Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi, founder of the
Paneuropean Union in the early 1920s, decided to unite
these members of parliament in the European
Parliamentary Union (EPU). Being organised more
efficiently, they could now bring pressure to bear on
national governments.
The post-war European idea and
European movements
 Several international congresses (Montreux,
Gstaad, The Hague, etc.) were also held to
push for European unity. In the light of the
successful outcome of the Hague Congress in
May 1948, the International Committee of
the Movements for European Unity, which
had organised the congress, decided to take
things further, and in October 1948 it
changed its name to the European
Movement. The support of the general public
in building a united Europe took on a
fundamental importance.
The post-war European idea and
European movements
 The Congress took place over a period of
five days in May 1948. It consisted of some
750 delegates from various non-
governmental organisations. Politicians,
religious leaders, trade unionists, members of
women’s associations and intellectuals all
attended as private citizens, while Winston
Churchill served as the Congress’s Honorary
President (Judt, 2006, p. 44). As political
scientist Dusan Sidjanski writes, the primary
debate during this Congress was between the
federalists and unionists, and generally had
no relation to political ideology, occupation
or nationality[2].
The post-war European idea and
European movements
 After days of debate, the Congress drafted a resolution, which established the following goals for
Europe’s future:
 1) Economic integration: This fundamental goal was to lay the groundwork for the elimination
of national borders, the harmonisation of social legislation, and eventually a monetary union that
would promote the free movement of capital between member-states.
 2) The establishment of a European Charter of Rights: This document would codify the rights
of Europeans and those living within Europe’s borders and was to be enforced by an independent
court.
 3) A European assembly: This body, elected by national parliaments, was to contribute to the
creation and expression of European public opinion, to recommend measures to establish the
necessary level of political and economic integration, to investigate the judicial or constitutional
problems arising from such a union, and to prepare strategies for dealing with these challenges
and risks.
Congress of Europe (The Hague Congress)
Congress of Europe (The Hague Congress)
Statute of the Council of Europe
 On 5 May 1949, in St James’s Palace, London, the treaty constituting the Statute of
the Council of Europe was signed by ten countries: Belgium, France, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, accompanied by Ireland, Italy,Denmark,
Norway and Sweden. The first major convention was drawn up: the European
Convention on Human Rights signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 and coming into
force on 3 September 1953.
 The new organization satisfied a very wide range of public opinion, which saw in it
an instrument through which the various political tendencies, and the essential
aspirations of the peoples of Europe, could be expressed.
 In the meanwhile, Robert Schuman made his famous Declaration for the creation of
European Coal and Steel Community, whose Treaty was signed in Paris on 18 April
1951 by six countries: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the
Federal Republic of Germany: beside the “Greater Europe”, a “Smaller Europe”
started a new experience.
Signing the Statute of the Council of Europe
(Treaty of London)
 The 10 founding countries of the Council of Europe, whose Statute was signed in
London on 5 May 1949, were the United Kingdom, France, the three Benelux
countries, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Greece, Turkey and Iceland
have taken part in the Assembly’s proceedings since 8 August 1949, when the first
session of the Council of Ministers was convened. The Federal Republic of Germany
(FRG) and the Saar acceded as Associate Members on 8 August 1950. Once its
government was constituted, West Germany became a full member of the Council of
Europe on 2 May 1951. Other countries followed later: Austria in 1956, Cyprus in
1961, Switzerland in 1963, Malta in 1965, Portugal in 1976 and Spain in 1977. Most
of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs) acceded in the 1990s. In
principle, all European countries, provided they undertake to respect human rights
and the rule of law, are welcome to join, thus raising the question of exactly where
the borders of Europe lie.
 The Council of Europe's first major political crisis came in 1967 when the Greek colonels
overthrew the legally elected government and installed an authoritarian regime. On 12
December 1969, just a few hours before a decision would have been taken to exclude
Greece, the colonel's regime denounced the European Convention on Human Rights and
withdrew from the Council of Europe. On 28 November 1974 Greece returned to the
Organisation after democracy was restored following the fall of the dictatorship. In the
meantime, the Cypriot crisis broke out in the summer of 1974 and culminated in the
partitioning of the island after Turkish military intervention.
 A new crisis arose in 1981 when the Parliamentary Assembly withdrew the Turkish
parliamentary delegation's right to their seats in response to the military coup d'etat a few
weeks earlier. The Turkish delegation only resumed its place in 1984 after the holding of
free elections.
 Starting from 1985 the first steps towards introducing democracy to Central and Eastern
Europe were made. Convinced that unity in diversity was the basis of the wealth of Europe's
heritage, the council of Europe noted that their common tradition and European identity did
not stop at the boundaries between the various political systems, focusing on cultural co-
operation as a means of promoting a lasting understanding between peoples and between
governments. The Council of Europe, the guardian of human rights, became a kind of
antechamber for negotiating he transition from dictatorship and democracy.
 On 6 July 1989 in the first address by a Soviet
leader to an assembly of Western European
parliamentarians, Mikhail Gorbachov put forward a
new disarmament proposal. In 1989 the assemblies
of Hungary, Poland, USSR and Yugoslavia were
granted a special guest status, thus creating a path
for their full accession.
 After the fall of the Berlin wall on 9 November
1989, the CoE Secretary General stated that the
Council was the only organisation capable of
encompassing all the countries of Europe, once they
had adopted democratic rules.
 On 6 November 1990, referring to his country's
accession to the Council of Europe, the Hungarian
Minister of Foreign Affairs said the event marked
the first step in the re-establishment of the unity of
the continent. Soon special programmes were
designed to help the European partners in the
process of democratic transition and to become a
full member of the European democratic and legal
community.
 At the initiative of Francois Mitterand, the first summit of the heads of state and government
of the Council of Europe's member states took place in Vienna on 8 and 9 October 1993.
The Vienna Summit confirmed and extended the enlargement policy of the Council of
Europe. It also laid the ground for Protocol 11 to the European Convention on Human
Rights making its machinery more expeditious and effective.
 Thus, the democratisation process in Central and Eastern Europe led to Hungary's accession
in 1990, Poland's in 1991, Bulgaria's in 1992 and Estonia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Romania
in 1993. That of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic replaced Czechoslovakia's
accession from 1991 in 1993. Latvia joined the Council of Europe on 10 February, Moldova
and Albania on 13 July and Ukraine and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 9
November 1995. The Russian Federation acceded on 28 February, Croatia on 6 November
1996, Georgia on 27 April 1999, Armenia and Azerbaijan on 25 January 2001, Bosnia and
Herzegovina on 24 April 2002, Serbia and Montenegro on 3 April 2003.
 With the arrival of the Russian Federation in 1996 the Organisation had finally become fully
pan-European. The enlargement introduced new priorities, such as migration, corruption,
the right to be granted nationality, social exclusion and minorities. On 1 November 1998,
the dual machinery for protecting human rights was replaced by a single Court.
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe
Logo & Flag of the CoE

LOGO FLAG
Member states
 The Council of Europe was founded on 5 May 1949 by Belgium, Denmark, France,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Greece joined three months later, and Iceland, Turkey and West Germany the next year. It
now has 47 member states, with Montenegro being the latest to join.
 Article 4 of the Council of Europe Statute specifies that membership is open to any
"European" State. This has been interpreted liberally from the beginning, when Turkey was
admitted, to include transcontinental states (such as Georgia and Azerbaijan) and states that
are geographically Asian but socio-politically European (such as Armenia and Cyprus).
 Nearly all European states have acceded to the Council of Europe, with the exceptions of
Belarus (human rights concerns including active use of the death penalty), Kazakhstan
(human rights concerns), and the Vatican City (a theocracy), as well as some of the
territories with limited recognition.
 Besides the status as a full member, the Council of Europe has established other
instruments for cooperation and participation of non-member states: observer, applicant,
special guest, and partner for democracy.
Member states
 The Council of Europe and non-member states
Apart from its 47 member States, the Council of Europe has close links with numerous non-
member states, five of which have observer status with the organisation: the Holy See (1970),
the United States of America, Canada and Japan (1996) and Mexico (1999).
The Council's relations with non-member states across the world enable it extend its activities
and its reach to all corners of the globe. More than 45 non-member states are parties to Council
of Europe conventions, or associated with it as members or observers of or participants in partial
agreements such as the Venice Commission and the North-South Centre. More and more of the
Council of Europe's legal instruments are drawn up in consultation with interested non-member
states.
 Council of Europe observer status
Non-European countries have the opportunity to co-operate with the Council, to accept its
guiding principles of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms and to
send observers to its expert committees and conferences of specialised ministers. Since
September 2006, observer states have also been entitled to send representatives to observe the
regular meetings of the Council's Ministers' Deputies, and to appoint permanent observers to the
Council of Europe. Observer status is governed by Statutory Resolution (93) 26, adopted by the
Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers on 14 May 1993.
 Special Guest Status
In order to facilitate the process of accession of the countries from Central and Eastern Europe,
the Assembly introduced in 1989 a so-called special guest status, applicable to all national
legislative assemblies of European non-member states, which have signed the Helsinki Final
Act (1975) and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe. The status is now open to parliaments
whose member states have applied for membership to the Council of Europe.The decision to
grant special guest status is taken by the Bureau of the PACE.
The National Assembly of Belarus obtained the status on 16 September 1992 but it was
suspended on 13 January 1997 by a decision of the Bureau. The number of seats allocated to
each special guest delegation is the same (although without substitutes) as that likely to be
attributed when becoming a full member.
Special guests have many rights in the Assembly and in committees (except in the Joint
Committee, the Monitoring Commitee and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities
and Institutional Affairs), with the exception of the right to vote or to stand for election.
 OBSERVERS
The Assembly may, on the proposal of the Bureau, grant Observer status to national
parliaments of non-member states of the Council of Europe which meet the conditions set out
in paragraph 1 of Statutory Resolution (93) 26 of the Committee of Ministers on Observer
status.
The Assembly shall specify the number of members of Observer delegations (at the moment
the parliaments of Canada, Israel, Mexico). The parliaments concerned are not required to
submit credentials to the President of the Assembly but, in appointing their delegations, they
should reflect the various currents of opinion within their parliaments.
Members of such delegations may sit in the Assembly but without the right to vote. They shall
have the right to speak with the authorisation of the President of the Assembly.
They may attend committee meetings as provided in Rule 48.5.
(Source: rule 63 of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly)
Values: Human rights, Democracy
and Rule of Law
 The Council of Europe advocates freedom of expression and of
the media, freedom of assembly, equality, and the protection of
minorities. It has launched campaigns on issues such as child
protection, online hate speech, and the rights of the Roma,
Europe's largest minority. The Council of Europe helps member
states fight corruption and terrorism and undertake necessary
judicial reforms. Its group of constitutional experts, known as
the Venice Commission, offers legal advice to countries
throughout the world.
 The Council of Europe promotes human rights through
international conventions, such as the Convention on Preventing
and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence
and the Convention on Cybercrime. It monitors member states'
progress in these areas and makes recommendations through
independent expert monitoring bodies. Council of Europe
member states no longer apply the death penalty.
Role and activities of the CoE
 The Council of Europe is the continent's leading human rights organisation. It includes 47
member states, 28 of which are members of the European Union. All Council of Europe member
states have signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights, a treaty designed to protect
human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
 The Council was set up:
- to protect human rights, pluralist democracy and the rule of law; 
- to promote awareness and encourage the development of Europe's cultural identity and diversity 
- to find common solutions to the challenges facing European society: such as discrimination against
minorities, xenophobia, intolerance, bioethics and cloning, terrorism, trafficking in human beings,
organized crime and corruption, cybercrime, violence against children; 
- to consolidate democratic stability in Europe by backing political, legislative and constitutional
reform. The current Council of Europe's political mandate was defined by the third Summit of Heads
of State and Government, held in Warsaw in May 2005.
 The Council of Europe works in the following areas:
o Protection of the rule of law and fostering legal co-operation through some 200 conventions and other
treaties, including such leading instruments as the Convention on Cybercrime, the Convention on the
Prevention of Terrorism, Conventions against Corruption and Organised Crime, the Convention on
Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, and the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine.
o CODEXTER, designed to co-ordinate counter-terrorism measures
o The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ)
o Protection of human rights, notably through:
 the European Convention on Human Rights
 the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture
 the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance
 the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse
 The Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence etc.
 social rights under the European Social Charter
 linguistic rights under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
 minority rights under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities etc.
o Media freedom under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European
Convention on Transfrontier Television
o Protection of democracy through parliamentary scrutiny and election monitoring by its Parliamentary
Assembly as well as assistance in democratic reforms, in particular by the Venice Commission.
o Promotion of cultural co-operation and diversity under the Council of Europe's Cultural Convention of
1954 and several conventions on the protection of cultural heritage as well as through its Centre for
Modern Languages in Graz, Austria, and its North-South Centre in Lisbon, Portugal.
o Promotion of the right to education under Article 2 of the first Protocol to the European Convention on
Human Rights and several conventions on the recognition of university studies and diplomas (see also
Bologna Process and Lisbon Recognition Convention).
o Promotion of fair sport through the Anti-Doping Convention[33]
o Promotion of European youth exchanges and co-operation through European Youth Centres in
Strasbourg and Budapest, Hungary.
o Promotion of the quality of medicines throughout Europe by the European Directorate for the Quality
of Medicines and its European Pharmacopoeia.
Budget and Financing of the CoE
 The Council of Europe's budget, for 2020, is €496M.
The Budget is mainly funded by member States' contributions.
National contributions are based on a formula which takes into
account population and Gross Domestic Product. The major
contributors (France, Germany, Italy, Russian Federation and
United Kingdom) all pay the same rate for the ordinary budget.
States may also make voluntary contributions to support the
Council of Europe's programme of work.
Joint programmes with the European Union allow the
Organisation to enhance its impact and its operational capacity.
The money is used to implement the Programme, which is
structured around three thematic pillars: Human Rights
(including the European Court of Human Rights), Rule of Law
and Democracy, with an additional support pillar covering
governing bodies, support services and other common
expenditure lines.
Structure of the Council of Europe
Structure of the Council of Europe
 Secretary General
The Secretary General is elected by the
Parliamentary Assembly for a five-year term at
the head of the Organisation. She is responsible
for the strategic planning and direction of the
Council's work programme and budget. She
leads and represents the Organisation.
Marija Pejčinović Burić is the 14thSecretary
General of the Council of Europe.
Structure of the Council of Europe
 Deputy Secretary General  
The Deputy Secretary General is also elected for a
five-year term by the Parliamentary Assembly, in an
election separate to the one held for the Secretary
General.
Mrs Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni  was re-elected
Deputy Secretary General of the Council of
Europe by the Parliamentary Assembly on 23 June
2015. It is her second mandate in this post.
Structure of the Council of Europe
 Committee of Ministers
 This is the Council's decision-making body and
is made up of the ministers of foreign affairs of
each member state or their permanent diplomatic
representatives in Strasbourg. The Committee of
Ministers decides Council of Europe policy and
approves its budget and programme of activities.
Structure of the Council of Europe

 Parliamentary Assembly (PACE)

 The Parliamentary Assembly consists
of 324 members of parliament from the
47 member states; the Assembly elects
the Secretary General, the Human
Rights Commissioner and the judges to
the European Court of Human Rights;
it provides a democratic forum for
debate and monitors elections; its
committees play an important role in
examining current issues.
Structure of the Council of Europe

 Congress of Local and Regional

Authorities
 The Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities is responsible for
strengthening local and regional
democracy in its 47 member states.
Composed of two chambers – the
Chamber of Local Authorities and the
Chamber of Regions – and three
committees, it brings together 648
elected officials representing more than
200 000 local and regional authorities.
Structure of the Council of Europe
 European Court of Human Rights
 This is the permanent judicial body which garantees
for all Europeans the rights safeguarded by the
European Convention on Human Rights. It is open
to states and individuals regardless of nationality.
The 47 member states of the Council of Europe are
parties to the Convention.
Structure of the Council of Europe

 Commissioner for Human Rights

 The Human Rights Commissioner
independently addresses and brings
attention to human rights violations.
 Dunja Mijatović was elected
Commissioner for Human Rights in January
2018 by the Council of Europe
Parliamentary Assembly and took up her
position on 1 April 2018. She is the fourth
Commissioner
Structure of the Council of Europe
 Conference of INGOs
 The Conference includes some
400 international Non
Governmental Organisations
(INGOs). It provides vital
links between politicians and
the public and brings the voice
of civil society to the Council.
The Council's work benefi ts
extensively from the INGOs'
expertise and their outreach to
European citizens.
Structure of the Council of Europe
 Conference of INGOs
 The Conference includes some
400 international Non
Governmental Organisations
(INGOs). It provides vital
links between politicians and
the public and brings the voice
of civil society to the Council.
The Council's work benefi ts
extensively from the INGOs'
expertise and their outreach to
European citizens.
Thank you