In his speech at the 17th European People’s Party Congress in Rome, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the EPP’s founding, Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) René van der Linden called for EU accession to the European Convention on Human Rights as a crucial guarantee against new dividing lines in the implementation of human rights in Europe. He said that the European Union must take much greater advantage of the Council of Europe’s unique instruments and mechanisms for promoting democracy, human rights and the rule of law.