1504201130E

AA15CR10

AS (2015) CR 10

2015 ORDINARY SESSION

________________________

(Second part)

REPORT

Tenth sitting

Monday 20 April 2015 at 11.30 a.m.

In this report:

1. Speeches in English are reported in full.

2. Speeches in other languages are reported using the interpretation and are marked with an asterisk.

3. Speeches in German and Italian are reproduced in full in a separate document.

4. Corrections should be handed in at Room 1059A not later than 24 hours after the report has been circulated.

The contents page for this sitting is given at the end of the report.

(Ms Brasseur, President of the Assembly, took the Chair at 11.35 a.m.)

1. Opening of the second part of the 2015 ordinary session

The PRESIDENT* – I declare open the second part of the 2015 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

(The speaker continued in English.)

Ladies and gentlemen, at the beginning of our part-session I would like to pay tribute to the victims of the dramatic events that are happening daily in the Mediterranean Sea. We are witnessing an appalling situation in which people are trying to escape hunger, war and persecution and dying in their hundreds. We really have to react. We need to take responsibility and to share responsibility and solidarity. May I ask the Assembly to take one minute’s silence in memory of all the victims?

(The Assembly observed a minute’s silence.)

I want to start my opening remarks by discussing what I consider to be our Organisation’s two main challenges: the situation in Ukraine and migration.

Since 15 February 2015, a fragile ceasefire has been in place in eastern Ukraine. I emphasise the word “fragile”: it is very difficult to enforce and violations happen daily. However, fragile as the ceasefire is, I believe it is our chance to move from violence to dialogue. All of us have to shoulder our responsibilities and seize this new opportunity to build peace. Europe and the international community have to do everything possible to help solve the conflict. As an organisation upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law, the Council of Europe should play a leading role in building an environment for sustainable peace in Ukraine.

Ukraine needs solid democratic institutions, a sound constitutional and legal framework, an independent, impartial and effective judiciary, a modern and efficient system of devolution of power and, above all, an inclusive political process to carry out all these reforms. In all these areas, we have developed extensive expertise and I salute the efforts of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in launching the new action plan for the period 2015 to 2017.

I would also like to recognise the efforts of the Belgian chairmanship – in particular, the personal commitment of Didier Reynders, the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers – in maintaining dialogue. Our Assembly should also make its political contribution to this process. This week, the relevant committees in the Assembly are going to hold a joint hearing on the situation in Ukraine and the humanitarian challenges. Moreover, the Bureau proposed this morning to hold a current affairs debate on the political and security situation in Ukraine and its implications. I hope that the Assembly will support this proposal.

A number of issues have yet to be addressed in Ukraine, as shown in particular by the International Advisory Panel’s report on the Maidan investigations. This report calls for more efforts to conduct the investigations and bring those responsible to justice. In that context, I hope that a prompt and impartial investigation will soon be conducted into the recent murders of the journalist Oles Buzyna and the former MP Oleg Kalashnikov. Impunity is unacceptable in any Council of Europe member State.

Constitutional reform will also be a challenging task. We recently discussed the matter with the Venice Commission during our regular joint meeting. We should not give up, and I am confident that together – I underline “together” – with our Ukrainian colleagues, we will be able to make progress on the reform agenda.

I reiterate my position on our relations with the Russian delegation: we have to engage in serious and meaningful talks to look together for a solution to the conflict. The annexation of Crimea and the continuing violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity are unacceptable. In our system of values, borders cannot be changed unilaterally or by force.

Our colleague, Nadiia Savchenko, a member of the Ukrainian delegation currently in detention in Russia, should be given the opportunity to participate in the Assembly’s work. I regret that, once again, her detention has prevented her from coming to Strasbourg. Her health is a matter or serious concern and I call on the Russian authorities to release her, including on humanitarian grounds and in line with the so-called Minsk II Agreement.

Colleagues, you are aware that, following the January 2015 part-session, the Russian delegation decided to suspend its contacts with the Assembly. I sincerely regret that decision. In that context and taking into account the fact that there has been no progress on the side of the Russian authorities in addressing the issues raised in our January resolution, this morning the Bureau of the Assembly supported the Monitoring Committee’s proposal to take reconsideration of sanctions against the Russian delegation off the agenda. I will come back to that in a moment when examining the draft agenda of the part-session.

The second enormous challenge our Organisation must face is migration and its human rights aspects. When I was in Turkey and Italy recently, I not only held talks in the capitals but visited a refugee camp and a reception centre for migrants. Those visits helped me to understand the situation better and reinforced my conviction that front-line States cannot stand alone in their efforts to deal with wave after wave of boat people and the influx of refugees from the Middle East. I reiterate what I have said on numerous occasions: greater responsibility-sharing and solidarity is needed with other European countries.

Meeting the refugees was extremely moving. I admire their courage and efforts to come to terms with their desperate situation, but I feel ashamed when I hear the discussions in some member States, where some people seem to oppose the relocation of refugees. It is our humanitarian duty to help these people, because human rights are universal. Refugees must be able to live in dignity and decent conditions.

Responsibility-sharing requires not only pooling additional resources, although, of course, that is important. I emphasise the efforts that Turkey, Italy and some other European countries are deploying to provide for the refugees, but more support is required from all European States and our organisations. What is even more important is a change of policy and an understanding that the paradigm has changed. Migration is not only a domestic problem for the member States that are affected; it concerns Europe as a whole. The current European Union regulations, the so-called Dublin system, are not only antiquated and unable to deal with today’s challenges, but unfair for the first-entry countries as well as the asylum seekers.

As a guardian of human rights and fundamental freedoms, our Assembly is duty bound to ring the alarm bell and launch a discussion about how we can better address the migration issue from a human rights perspective. The urgent debate on the human tragedy in the Mediterranean, which the Bureau proposes to hold during this part-session, will be an opportunity to launch such a discussion. I also welcome and support the activities of our Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons in addressing various aspects of migration from a human rights perspective.

At the same time, we should raise the awareness of individual parliamentarians about the human rights challenges of migration so that they can take action at national level, especially with respect to those who are most vulnerable. The launch of the parliamentary campaign to end immigration detention of children is one such initiative and I encourage all of you to join me today at 1 p.m. in front of the Chamber for the official launch ceremony. Take an active part in this campaign and ensure appropriate follow-up in your capitals.

Moreover, I am working with the Migration Committee on launching an initiative to organise simultaneous visits by national delegations to immigration detention centres in all of our 47 member States on International Migrants Day. I hope that, on 18 December this year, many of you will conduct national visits to detention centres, together with our colleagues from national parliaments.

Dear colleagues, despite the gravity of the situation in Ukraine and the huge challenge that migration represents for Europe, we should not overlook other issues that require urgent action by our Organisation. Conflict prevention and reconciliation is one such issue. Bringing justice to pass and together finding common solutions to common problems has been the driving force of our Organisation from the very start – it is our raison d’être. Born out of the ashes of the Second World War, the Council of Europe was given the political mission to build sustainable peace and prevent conflicts. As we come to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in a couple of weeks, let me once again pay tribute to the memory of the victims of this most terrible conflict in Europe’s history and the efforts of all those who have contributed to building sustainable peace on our continent, including at the expense of their lives.

Dialogue, respect and co-operation are the tools that helped us overcome post-war difficulties and promote reconciliation. The values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law form solid foundations for building a peaceful, prosperous and united Europe. Those values can never be taken for granted. We have to defend them with vigour and determination. Indeed, despite years of progress and co-operation, we have not been able to immunise Europe against conflicts. The conflicts of the ’90s in the Balkans were shocking in their brutality. Forty-six years after the Second World War, Europe suddenly rediscovered the horrors of war as well as its consequences: thousands of people killed; waves of refugees and IDPs; ethnic cleansing; grave human rights violations and war crimes; and missing persons.

During my recent visits to Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, I could see that important progress has been made in fostering a spirit of reconciliation and addressing post-conflict problems, in particular thanks to the responsible attitude of politicians and their commitment to European values. However, a number of issues remain open, and the Council of Europe should, and must, continue to play an active role in supporting the member States of the region in addressing them.

Moreover, my visit to Turkey and Armenia was a reminder of the wounds that go back 100 years. On 24 April, Armenia commemorates the massacre committed a century ago, and I pay tribute to the victims and their descendants.

But these are not the only conflicts that continue to divide Europe. Violence can never be the solution: we have to talk to each other, listen to each other and try to understand each other in order to find solutions together. The 47 member States of the Council of Europe share a common history and are bound together to build a common future. Despite our differences and disagreements, we belong to the same family. What unite us are the values of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. We must learn the lessons of Europe’s history and uphold these values. It is our duty to work on preventing conflicts, combating manifestations of hate and intolerance and promoting living together. This is the political mission given to our Organisation and, as President of the Assembly, I shall do my utmost to help this Assembly carry it out effectively, in particular by supporting the No Hate Parliamentary Alliance, which must become a pan-European platform for combating hate and intolerance.

(The speaker continued in French)

To conclude, please allow me to mention two very important events that will occur during this part-session. First, it will be a real honour for us to welcome tomorrow His Majesty the King of the Belgians and Queen Mathilde. The royal couple’s visit to the Council of Europe during the Belgian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers is of major symbolic value for our Organisation. It is a strong message of support for the values that we champion.

Secondly, we will examine this week the draft additional protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, sent to our Assembly by the Committee of Ministers for opinion. In the face of the terrorist threat and the threat of extremism, it is vital that we have appropriate legal tools in keeping with the standards of the European Convention on Human Rights. I am therefore counting on your support so that we may agree this additional protocol. We will also hold an exchange of views with the Ministers’ Deputies on what measures the Council of Europe can take faced with the terrorist threat. This will be carried out in the Joint Committee. I am delighted that we will have that debate with the Committee of Ministers through the Joint Committee. In the face of such a serious threat, it is vital that all Council of Europe bodies act together.

2. Ratification of new credentials

The PRESIDENT* – The first item on the agenda is the examination of credentials of new members.

The names of the representatives and substitutes are in Document 13755. If no credentials are challenged, the credentials will be ratified.

Are any credentials challenged?

The credentials are adopted.

I welcome our new colleagues.

3. Voting cards, register of attendance and other housekeeping

The PRESIDENT* – May I remind all members – including substitutes and observers and partners for democracy – to sign the attendance lists outside the doors of the Chamber at the beginning of every sitting?

May I also remind all members and duly designated substitutes to place their voting cards in the slot in front of them to ensure that the electronic system works properly, and to remove the cards from the slot at the end of each sitting?

4. Election of Vice-Presidents

The PRESIDENT* –The next item on the agenda is the election of Vice-Presidents of the Assembly in respect of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Greece. The two candidates are, from the Bosnia and Herzegovinian delegation, Mr Mladen Bosic, and from the Greek Delegation, Mr Dmitrios Vitsas. If there is no request for a vote, Mr Bosic and Mr Vitsas will be declared elected.

As there has been no request for a vote, I declare Mr Bosic and Mr Vitsas elected as Vice-Presidents of the Assembly. They will take precedence following the Vice-Presidents previously elected.

I congratulate Mr Bosic and Mr Vitsas on their election.

5. Changes in the membership of committees

The PRESIDENT* – Our next item of business is to consider the changes proposed in the membership of committees, as set out in Documents Commissions (2015) 04 and Addendum I.

Are the proposed changes in the membership of the Assembly’s committees agreed to?

They are adopted.

6. Proposals for current affairs and urgent procedure debates

The PRESIDENT* – Before we examine the draft agenda, the Assembly needs to consider requests for debates on current affairs and the under urgent procedure. The Bureau has received the following: a request from the Monitoring Committee for a current affairs debate on “The political and security situation in Ukraine and its implications”; a request from the Committee of Ministers for an urgent procedure debate on the “Draft Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism – Request for opinion by the Parliamentary Assembly”; and a request from the EPP/CD Group, supported by other political groups, for an urgent procedure debate on “The Human Tragedy in the Mediterranean: Immediate Action Needed.”

At its meeting this morning the Bureau decided to recommend to the Assembly a current affairs debate be placed on the agenda for this part-session.

Does the Assembly agree the recommendation of the Bureau that there should be a current affairs debate on this topic as set out in the draft agenda?

The proposal is adopted.

The current affairs debate will be opened by Mr Xuclà and will take place on Wednesday at 10.00 a.m.

At its meeting this morning the Bureau agreed to propose to the Assembly that it hold an urgent debate on the “Draft Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism – Request for opinion by the Parliamentary Assembly”.

Does the Assembly agree to this proposal from the Bureau?

The proposal is adopted.

The request for urgent procedure is therefore approved. I propose that this debate be held on Thursday at 10.00 a.m.

Under Rule 26, the Bureau proposes that the debate on the “Draft Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism – Request for opinion by the Parliamentary Assembly” be referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights.

Is this agreed?

The reference is adopted.

At its meeting this morning the Bureau agreed to propose that the Assembly hold an urgent debate on “The Human Tragedy in the Mediterranean: Immediate Action Needed.”

Does the Assembly agree to this proposal from the Bureau?

The proposal is adopted.

I propose that the debate be held on Thursday morning as the second item of business.

Under Rule 26, the Bureau proposes that the debate on “The Human Tragedy in the Mediterranean: Immediate Action Needed” be referred to the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons.

Is this agreed?

The reference is adopted.

7. Adoption of the agenda

The PRESIDENT* – The next item of business is the adoption of the agenda for the second part of the 2015 ordinary session, (Document 13724 prov 2). The draft agenda submitted for the Assembly’s approval was drawn up by the Bureau on 5 March, and was updated this morning following today’s meeting. It has been distributed to you all. I remind you that we have already agreed that the current affairs debate will be included.

Is the draft agenda agreed to?

I call Mr Gross.

Mr GROSS (Switzerland)* – Earlier this morning, following the Bureau meeting – this is why I was not able to inform the Bureau – our group thought that the debate on corruption in football and in particular in FIFA, which had originally been scheduled for Tuesday, should be reinstated to this week. The report by our colleague Mr Connarty is extremely good. It raises a number of criticisms that really need to be presented to FIFA before its congress. That is why our group agreed unanimously that we should debate the report this week, even if Mr Blatter is not able to appear here himself.

The PRESIDENT* – The Bureau discussed this matter on two occasions and decided not to hold a debate on it in this part-session, and to postpone it until the June part-session. This decision was taken because Mr Blatter had agreed to come to address our Assembly. FIFA is conducting presidential elections and of course our Parliamentary Assembly cannot interfere in matters that are internal to FIFA. For that reason, the Bureau, on two occasions, took the view that it was better to postpone this debate to the part-session in June and include the president of FIFA. The Bureau took that unanimous decision on two occasions.

Mr DÍAZ TEJERA (Spain)* – I would like to speak in favour of some of the views that have been expressed.

The PRESIDENT – Mr Díaz Tejera, I am afraid that I cannot allow you to speak in favour of changing the agenda. Our procedure is clear: one member can speak in favour of the proposal and one can speak against it. Mr Gross spoke in favour of changing the agenda.

Mr DÍAZ TEJERA (Spain)* – I agree with you, Madam President. I do not think it is a good thing that the Council of Europe should intervene in the internal elections of FIFA. On that score, I wholly agree with you. Nevertheless, I would like to add that it is not a good thing for a sporting federation’s election to affect the rhythms of the Council of Europe. The report was adopted unanimously. Logically, therefore, it should be debated now and not postponed as a result of elections in FIFA. It is not a good thing that elections elsewhere should disrupt our schedule. That is why I think there are grounds for pushing for the report to be debated now. Formally, I agree with you, but in substance I agree with Mr Gross.

The PRESIDENT* – Mr Díaz Tejera, you are both against and in favour of the proposal!

We will now vote on the alteration proposed by Mr Gross that the agenda include the report on football. Those who agree with this alteration should vote “Yes”, and those who agree with the agenda as proposed by the Bureau should vote “No”.

The vote is open

The motion is adopted, with 76 votes for, 34 against and 12 abstentions.

May we agree to hold the debate on Thursday afternoon, when there is a slot? Otherwise, we will have to change our whole agenda, and I do not recommend that.

The draft agenda, as amended, is adopted.

8. Time limits on speeches

The PRESIDENT* – In view of the large number of members who have signed up to speak, and to enable as many as possible to speak, the Bureau proposes that speaking time be limited to three minutes this afternoon and on Tuesday afternoon.

Is that agreed?

It is adopted.

Relevant information on the agenda and on speaking times is set out in the documents relating to the debates.

9. Approval of the minutes of proceedings of the Standing Committee (Paris, 6 March 2015)

The PRESIDENT* – The minutes of the meeting of the Standing Committee held in Paris on 6 March 2015 have been distributed – Document AS/PER (2015) PV 01. Members should have received a copy.

I invite the Assembly to take note of the minutes.

10. Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee

The PRESIDENT* – The next item on the agenda is the debate on the progress report of the Bureau and Standing Committee – Document 13750 and Addenda I and II and Document 13754 – presented by Mr Pedro Agramunt.

The speakers list closed at 10.00 a.m. I remind all members that speaking time will be limited to four minutes.

The sitting must conclude at 1 p.m., so I propose to interrupt the list of speakers at about 12.55 p.m. Is this agreed?

It is adopted.

I call Mr Agramunt to present the progress report. You have 13 minutes in total, which you may divide between presentation of the report and reply to the debate.

Mr Agramunt, you have the floor.

Mr AGRAMUNT (Spain)* – At its meeting on 30 January 2015, the Bureau appointed me as rapporteur for the period covering the last meeting of the Bureau – the last part of the 2014 part-session – through to today’s meeting: in other words, the meeting that is now under way. On Friday morning, the Bureau will discuss the follow-up to the text and documents adopted.

The two main issues that have arisen are the follow-up to the terrorist attacks in Paris and the debate on the credentials of the delegation from the Russian Federation. Five committees of the Parliamentary Assembly were asked to follow up the proposals regarding the terrorist attacks in Paris. I am pleased to say that they have done so and that there were some interesting exchanges of views. The next step, which is now under way, is to prepare reports on the topic. In line with the decision taken this morning, we will schedule an urgent debate under the auspices of the Committee of Ministers; it is scheduled for Thursday.

On the credentials of the delegation from the Russian Federation, members are all aware of the ins and outs of recent events that paved the way to the current situation. I remind colleagues that the Monitoring Committee has submitted a request stating that, given that the situation has not changed since January and that the delegation from the Russian Federation has decided not to attend the Assembly, there is no reason for us to envisage changing or reversing the decision taken in January. As a result, the Monitoring Committee has submitted a recommendation to the Bureau that we do not hold the debate that was scheduled for Wednesday morning. The Bureau has confirmed that decision, although there remains the possibility of a debate being held in June.

Secondly, we will hold a debate on the current situation in Ukraine. Once again, that is pursuant to a proposal from the Monitoring Committee. The debate is scheduled for Wednesday morning, and Mr Xuclà of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe will give the presentation.

The Bureau has accepted that there should be an urgent debate on recent terrorist attacks. The debate is scheduled for Thursday morning and the rapporteur will be Lord Tomlinson of the Socialist Group, who is a member of the United Kingdom delegation. Moreover, two groups in the Assembly have requested an additional urgent debate, also scheduled for Thursday morning, on the current situation and relevant action to be adopted following the tragic events that have been occurring practically daily in recent weeks and that have led to the deaths of hundreds – indeed, thousands – of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean. I have been informed that the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons has scheduled a meeting for this afternoon at 2 p.m. Its main purpose is to appoint a rapporteur for the report. That will also be debated on Thursday, so there will be two urgent debates on Thursday morning.

A meeting of the Joint Committee has been scheduled, bringing together representatives from the Committee of Ministers and the Assembly Bureau to discuss the vote for the appointment of the Deputy Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. At present we have only one candidate, Ms Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, who is here with us. I remind colleagues that she has not completed the usual stint of five years; so far, she has completed only half of her mandated time in the post, so we have modified the rules with a view to enabling her to continue her period of office. As I said, at present she is the only nominee, so it is fairly likely that she will be elected. That matter will be dealt with by the Joint Committee.

The Bureau decided back in March not to send an electoral observation mission to the early presidential elections in Kazakhstan, planned for this Sunday, but we will send a mission to the parliamentary elections in Turkey, scheduled for 7 June. The mission will comprise 30 members of the Parliamentary Assembly and the rapporteur responsible for monitoring in Turkey, and will be chaired by Mr Tiny Kox of the Netherlands, who is chair of the Group of the Unified European Left.

According to standard rules, electoral observation missions send out a copy of their report to all members of the mission before submitting it to the Assembly as a whole. In the case of the mission to Turkey, exceptionally, the report will be sent to Assembly members just two weeks before the next part-session in June. Given the time pressures, it will not be possible to enable members of the delegation to send in remarks and comments before the next part-session. As I said, that is an exceptional decision, which was taken by the majority of members. I remind colleagues that, as its chair, Mr Kox has undertaken to consult all members of the delegation on the Monday following the elections, to ensure that he can take any suggestions they make on board in the report that he will present at the part-session in June.

I have nothing special to report about the referral to committees of the various motions. Everything has proceeded according to standard practice. In principle, it would appear that, at least for the time being, we can expect this part-session to be fairly serene and quiet. We can work on the basis of the proposals from the Secretary General, as no specific questions have arisen in the meantime.

As members will know, in the final part-session this year we will elect the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly – not the Council, but the Parliamentary Assembly. From the most recent information I have received, the only nominee is the current Secretary General. We do not yet know the final deadline for the nomination of candidates; I think it is around 20 May, so the situation regarding nominees for the post will be clarified fairly soon. The election is scheduled for the part-session in September and October, which gives us plenty of time to discuss the matter, take any comments on board and listen to answers from the Secretary General, who, I have been informed, intends to run again.

Another matter of considerable importance regarding the meeting on 30 January has implications for several countries. During that meeting, the Bureau examined a question regarding the need for the balanced representation of opposition in national delegations. Some delegations do not include members of opposition parties. Provision must be made to enable the representation of opposition parties – for example to enable them to speak in plenary sittings. The issue has proved to be problematic and at least two countries are affected but, in any case, the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs has been looking into it. It will draft a report in the near future on the role and participation of members of opposition parties in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which is not of secondary importance. All members of the delegations from some countries are members of Government parties or coalition parties. That is not really in line with the spirit of the rules of the Council of Europe.

The Bureau also addressed the usual requests for authorisation for missions and so on. I can conclude at this stage because I have covered practically the whole meeting. It simply remains for me to express my gratitude to all members of the Assembly for listening so attentively while I have described this interesting and exciting report.

The PRESIDENT* – Thank you, Mr Agramunt. You have two seconds left to reply to the questions put by the speakers. I now open the debate and call Mr Ariev, on behalf of the Group of the European People’s Party.

Mr ARIEV (Ukraine) – I thank Mr Agramunt for the report and totally support him. He mentioned the fact that Europe faces many challenges. All delegates are aware of the challenges, including the Ukrainian crisis and Russian-led terrorism there, and ISIL activity and the humanitarian consequences of Islamic State terrorism in the Middle East. We have decided to have an urgent debate on terrorism on Thursday. That is No. 1 on the agenda for our Assembly, because the threat of terrorism is growing.

I want to focus attention on Russian activity in Ukraine, which made our agenda in January. This year will see the first anniversary of the annexation of Crimea. Representatives of Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians from Crimea and human rights activists gave us a disturbing picture of the situation in the occupied peninsula. We discussed the situation at the Bureau in March in Paris. What is going on in Crimea? Those who look critically at the occupying authorities are leaving the peninsula. About 500 pro-Ukrainian activists have been questioned, searched or even arrested. From the 40 episcopates of the Orthodox Church Kiev Patriarchy, only about 15 are still working. Muslims, Jews and Christians of faiths other than the Russian Orthodox Church are under threat from local paramilitary groups. Crimean Tatars have found themselves under the pressure of intimidation and persecution. The leader of the Crimean Tatars, Mustafa Dzhemilev, still cannot access Crimea and is banned from entering the Russian Federation. The Mejlis, as the Crimean Tatars’ main national organisation, is under constant pressure from the FSB, the Russian security service. One TV channel, ATR, was closed by the occupying authorities. The occupying government has closed Ukrainian schools and departments at universities. The persecution of LGBT activists is taking place more widely. Language and national and cultural identity, and freedom of religion, speech and media, are under threat. Ukrainian State property and Ukrainians’ private property has been misappropriated by the new Crimean Government and persons allied to it.

The situation in Russia is worrying. Russia unlawfully still keeps the Crimean movie director Oleg Sentsov in prison. Nadiia Savchenko, our colleague and delegate to the Assembly, and others have been captured on Ukrainian territory and moved to the Russian Federation. We know that Russia has ignored all the demands in the resolution adopted in January. That is why we did not reconsider the Russian challenge and postponed it until June. What is happening in Russia and Ukraine gives us a reason to act in a proper way. I call on the Bureau to adopt the independent report at the meeting on Friday.

The PRESIDENT – Thank you. I call Mr Lund to speak on behalf of the Socialist Group.

Mr LUND (Denmark) – I want to express my concern about the situation in Europe today. After a year of conflict in Ukraine, and after a year in which the relationship between Russia and other European countries has become more and more tense, the Council of Europe’s work has become increasingly relevant. In a situation where there are no simple solutions, the Council of Europe is an appropriate venue because opportunities for dialogue and debate are present. If we are to unblock the conflict in Ukraine, it will require an open, free and informed debate. Dialogue, including with the members of the Council of Europe that do not live up to the values for which this Organisation otherwise works, is the Council’s strength.

The Council of Europe gives us a platform by which we can get in touch with regimes such as the one in Azerbaijan, under which freedom of expression and other human rights are certainly not always respected. It gives perspective and offers the possibility of speaking up for those who criticise regimes but who do not have the opportunity to express themselves in their homeland. Therefore, we must stretch as far as we can to keep the members of the Council of Europe that do not always live up to the Council’s conventions. People in those countries most need a forum in which they can express criticism of regimes and be heard. We must continue to focus on countries that violate human rights conventions and continue to work to improve conditions for the people who succumb to repression and limited rights.

It is important to remember that the Council of Europe’s primary task is to be firm about the respect for human rights, to defend democracy and to ensure the rule of law. We have sent a clear signal to Russia that its actions in the Ukrainian conflict are unacceptable. We have temporarily revoked Russia’s voting rights in the Assembly. But in my eyes, the Council of Europe’s greatest strength is that while we show that actions have consequences, we never give up on dialogue. Therefore, we have the strength to stretch ourselves before we resort to further action. If the conflict continues, we may be forced to look at Russia’s continued role in the Council of Europe. Herein lies the Council of Europe’s strength – we can stand shoulder to shoulder on the core values that bind us as Europeans. Together we can stand firm on the freedom to express ourselves, our democracy and our human rights. Fear and terror should not dictate to us how to organise our society. If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.

The PRESIDENT – Thank you very much. I call Ms Lundgren to take the floor on behalf of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.

Ms LUNDGREN (Sweden) – I thank you, Mr Agramunt, on behalf of the ALDE Group for this report on the work of the Bureau and the Standing Committee. Progress in Europe, as has been said already, is challenged: democracy, the rule of law and human rights are challenged from within. We have seen it in different ways – we see it in Ukraine, in the terrorist attacks in Paris and in other ways. I also saw the assassination of Mr Nemtsov on the streets of Moscow as part of the challenge. These actions must be properly addressed if we are to keep to our core values.

We note that the will of this Assembly – to have and to keep dialogue going with our Russian colleagues – did not fly. Once again, they told us that they will not take part in any dialogue, so they left for the year to come. This is the second time that this has happened. We have to draw some conclusions from this for the future. The Russian delegation is very outspoken; it will not attend any meetings or groups created for dialogue, so we have to find other methods for the future.

I draw attention to the ongoing detention of our colleague, Nadiia Savchenko. It has been prolonged until 13 May. This is another challenge to our system and our rule of law. We must all once again ask for her release; that is the only thing that can be asked of us.

We must also continue to address the question of the Russian attack on Ukraine – hybrid attacks that are ongoing in different ways. We agree that this is an important issue to discuss this week, and it is on the agenda.

Finally, I should like to comment on the ongoing tragedy in the Mediterranean Sea. What is happening there really challenges our values. We say that we stand for human rights, but we are not safeguarding human rights when we see what is happening. We have to find other solutions.

Thank you once again, Mr Agramunt, for the report.

The PRESIDENT – Thank you very much. I ask Mr Szczerski to take the floor on behalf of the European Conservatives Group.

Mr SZCZERSKI (Poland) – The European Conservatives welcome the progress report, which, along with the opening remarks of Madam President, reflects the three main issues that are challenging European values today – the conflict and political situation in Ukraine, terrorism, and forced migration. We will debate all three issues during this part-session. They bring fundamental instability to Europe from within, as we have just heard, and from outside. This instability is rooted in two types of extremism: terrorist extremism and imperialistic extremism. They both challenge Europe’s stability and security. Terrorism challenges social peace, while Russian imperialism challenges State peace. If we are to stand firmly by the rule of law, democracy and human rights, we should have a proper answer to both types of extremism because they challenge Europe’s basic values. We cannot divide those two types of extremism: we cannot say that first we should challenge terrorism and then imperialism, or the other way round. No, we have to challenge them together; we have to win the two wars at the same time – the war against terrorism and the war against imperialism. Otherwise, we will not be able to challenge the instability that brings humanitarian catastrophes to Europe. Forced migration is also the result of this instability and causes a new kind of humanitarian catastrophe for Europe.

I draw special attention to an issue on which unfortunately we cannot say there has been any progress in the progress report – that of Ms Nadiia Savchenko. Her detention – the prevention of her participation in our meetings, her deteriorating personal situation and her health – is for us a question of the honour of the Assembly. It is a question of our basic position and our power as an Assembly. We should do our utmost to bring Ms Savchenko to this Assembly so that she can participate in our sittings. We should do whatever we can to stand by her; the Bureau should also do whatever it can to bring her back to the Assembly. We should always stand by the victims, not the aggressors; we should stand by those whose situation is deteriorating, not by those who are responsible for these appalling anti-humanitarian acts such as those involving Ms Savchenko.

Let me finish with one simple sentence: “Freedom for Ms Savchenko”. Thank you very much.

The PRESIDENT – Thank you very much. The last speaker on behalf of the political groups is Ms Katrivanou, on behalf of the Group of the Unified European Left.

Ms KATRIVANOU (Greece) – I thank the rapporteur for producing such an interesting report. I want to ask my colleagues to excuse me if I refer to a certain event that happened yesterday in Lampedusa. It was such a tragic event; it has happened in the past and it continues to happen, and we, as Europe, have to stop it. Some 950 people are missing, and we do not know how many will have died. The Mediterranean is full of dead bodies, and we must prevent this from happening. This touches us all, no matter which political party we belong to. As humans, we have to focus on the mourning, loss and pain that this situation causes us. That is important, in order for us to create better policies.

Secondly, we have really to take responsibility; we have to change whatever we need to change, as Europe, so that we have no more of these deaths of women, children and men. Our Prime Minister, Mr Tsipras, is undertaking an initiative at the moment, acting at the top European level. The Italian Prime Minister, Mr Renzi, has also undertaken such initiatives. We are seeking to stop this; we are seeking to see what we can do as Europeans to create a plan to rescue human lives and to address the issue of refugees and immigrants in Europe.

As we know, we also have to consider the causes – the wars being created in the Middle East, in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. We must not continue to protect the idea of Europe as a fortress. We blame traffickers and smugglers, saying that they are the problem behind these losses of human life, but we have to consider how much we, as policymakers, feed these policies of intolerance. We really have to take action.

Let me set out what the relevant international organisation urges us to do and what the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says. They call on us to adhere to rules governing rescue and the protection of human rights, rather than focusing on push-backs, which cause all the deaths we have seen, and are continuing to see, and for which we are responsible. The High Commissioner calls for “robust” action to establish a strong European search-and-rescue operation in the Mediterranean, similar to the Italian Mare Nostrum. We also have to develop an intra-European Union solidarity mechanism for the countries that shoulder the main responsibility. We know that Greece and Italy should be supported in this operation, because they receive so many refugees and immigrants. Europe should really support these countries and share the responsibility.

The High Commissioner also recommends a pilot project whereby Syrians rescued at sea off Greece and Italy are relocated to different countries across Europe; those who are rescued should immediately be shared across Europe. He also proposed a humanitarian programme of resettlement and admission before people enter Europe. It is not about putting them in detention camps; they can apply while they are in these countries and enter Europe that way, and also facilitate the reunification of their family. We have to reconsider the Dublin arrangements. Dear colleagues, this is our responsibility. We need another policy, one of solidarity and humanity.

The PRESIDENT – Thank you very much. I fully agree with your last sentence, but I want to remind you that we need to stick to our time limits because we have to give the floor to all those who are on the list.

Mr DÍAZ TEJERA (Spain)* – Thank you, Madam President. I would happily have given some of my time to allow the previous speaker to continue her statement, because she showed exactly how we should be working today in the Council of Europe. I wish to pick up on a point Mr Agramunt made. He provided a presentation as a legal officer, referring to what has been done in recent months in the Council of Europe, and I wish to ask a question about the future. He has lengthy experience in national, international and regional forums, and I wish to ask about the sorts of answers we should provide on the most important issues of the day. I have the impression that in each of our countries we are seeing a national response, but the dimension of the problems we are facing is continent-wide – these are human problems for hundreds of thousands of people. We are talking about the Mediterranean, but for much of the year we should also have been talking about the Atlantic, because the Canary Islands are in the Atlantic. In essence, Spain has been alone in dealing with the problems there. Along with the bordering countries, Spain has been investing more in development. It has been calling for more co-operation and investment in respect of the youngsters who want to go through the Canary Islands to reach Europe. That means working with Mauritania, Morocco and Senegal, through bilateral co-operation agreements.

The sorts of responses we are seeing are piecemeal and inadequate, and there is a lack of solidarity. Italy is in the front line but Europe’s response is completely inadequate, because it is not continent-wide and the problem is not a national one. We speak about this tragedy of people who are dying on these crossings, be it in the Mediterranean or the Atlantic. We could also talk about climate change and transhumance, with people moving from arid deserts to try to obtain water and find something to eat. What answers are being provided in Europe? Some people are coming up with anti-politics and anti-political responses; we are seeing responses that are anti-parliamentarian and anti-political party. In some Council of Europe countries the extremes have made progress, but they are at variance with the rest of the political family. The Council of Europe has been alive for 66 years, and now is the time to think about human beings and to uphold the values of the Council of Europe. We have to change something in order to provide a better response, in terms of the quality of our work, to the expectations of the millions of people we represent.

I say all this with great respect and affection for the people working in the Bureau, the committees and so on. They have had to combine their political work in the national parliaments with the international work in the Council of Europe. I have great respect for what they have done, but I am talking about and asking about the future. Do you think we need to change something in our politics? Do you think we have to change something in our political parties? Do you think we have to change something in our role as national parliamentarians? Lastly, do you think we need to change something in the Council of Europe, so that we are much more effective and do not just weep for the fate of these people?

The PRESIDENT* – Thank you. Ms Hovhannisyan is not here, so I call Ms Quintanilla.

Ms QUINTANILLA (Spain)* – I, too, congratulate Mr Agramunt on his report, and on the effective and serious way in which he presented it. I simply wish to echo what Mr Díaz Tejera was saying about the importance of speaking with one voice at the moment, all pulling together and joining forces in our efforts. We do not want to see the Mediterranean become the grave of thousands of people seeking a better future. We are talking about women and children, as well as men, who are seeking to reach Europe to live a life of dignity and find a better way of life.

The news that we have been hearing recently is extremely upsetting. We are of course aware of the scale of the problem, but institutions such as this must hold debates and resolve to do everything in their power for people crossing the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, as well as for those clambering over fences in Ceuta and Melilla. We must see to it that there is co-operation between the various countries of the Council of Europe and the European Union to allow those people to seek a better life. As Mr Díaz Tejera said, Spain has worked bilaterally to do what it can, and we have entered into bilateral agreements with various countries in North Africa, but that is not enough. That is why, today more than ever before, we must roll up our sleeves and get to work. We must realise that we need to speak with one voice, and in our parliaments we must call on our governments to find a solution to the problem of immigration throughout the world, and above all the major problem on the coasts of Greece, Italy and Spain and at Spain’s long border at Ceuta and Melilla.

Thank you very much again for your statement, Madam President. More than ever before, the Council of Europe’s voice for democracy and human rights must be heard in national parliaments, where, day in and day out, we work for democracy, human rights and the rule of law in all the countries that together form the Council of Europe.

Mr SEYIDOV (Azerbaijan) – First, I express my gratitude to the rapporteur for this important report and the information that he gave us about the activity of the Bureau and the Council of Europe. All the matters raised in the report are important, because the Council of Europe should react immediately to problems within all its member States. Of course, the conflict within Ukraine between Ukraine and Russia and other such problems are dangerous, and the Council of Europe should react to such developments.

At the same time, the conflicts that the Council of Europe is currently discussing might not have happened if we had paid more attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which has been going on for 20 years. Unfortunately, lives have been lost even yesterday and today, and I think it will be the same tomorrow. Sometimes it seems like a frozen conflict, but it is not. The Council of Europe’s Bureau and its other responsible bodies should pay more attention to the conflict and to the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. It should pay attention to the fact that even soldiers from Armenia do not want to be part of the conflict. I draw the Assembly’s attention to a picture that I have with me, which is of an Armenian soldier who voluntarily gave himself up to Azerbaijani soldiers because he did not want to die. He wanted to return home, so he raised the white flag. It is a vivid example of how even Armenians do not want to be in territory that never belonged to them.

As a responsible body, we at the Council of Europe should do our best to help Armenia find a resolution to the conflict, because Armenia has to do much more. It should withdraw its forces from occupied Azerbaijani territories – that is the way to peace, and it could help create peaceful relationships between all the nations in the Caucasian region. I hope that the report that will be presented to the Parliamentary Assembly in the near future will reflect that reality. The occupation of Azerbaijani territories and the refugee problem should be resolved immediately, as the pain is being suffered by Azerbaijan, Armenia and all Council of Europe member States.

Ms PASHAYEVA (Azerbaijan) – First, I express my thanks to the rapporteur, Mr Agramunt, for such a comprehensive report. Tension is growing all over the world, including in Europe, and we as an Assembly should increase our efforts to prevent problems. My colleagues from Azerbaijan and other countries have called for more attention to be paid to a number of issues, and I believe that we will have fruitful discussions about them.

I wish to draw colleagues’ attention to one issue and ask them to make greater efforts on it. As colleagues know, some months ago, the separatist regime established in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, which continues to enjoy the support of the Republic of Armenia in spite of the fact that it has not been recognised by the international community, carried out inhuman acts against Azerbaijanis, violating all international norms and principles. It took Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov hostage, and it has paid no attention to the calls of the international community, including this Assembly. There has been no change since our last part-session, and those men are still hostages. Colleagues, their families are waiting for your support. I call on our Assembly to increase its efforts to ensure their freedom, and I believe that the issue should be included in our documents. We hope that the Assembly will not remain indifferent to the continued violation of the rights of those two men, and to the agonies of their families.

I wish to draw colleagues’ attention to some important things that have happened in the South Caucasus region since our last session, and to call on the Assembly to take urgent steps. Prior to their membership of the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan and Armenia undertook obligations concerning the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Although a number of years have passed since then, there has been neither a resolution nor any improvement. The reason for the lack of concrete results is the Armenian rejection of the implementation of Assembly Resolution 1416. As a consequence, the situation in the region is becoming tenser day by day.

I want to let the Assembly know about recent events in the region and urge it to pay special attention to them. Just some days ago, due to the last regular violation of the ceasefire by Armenian armed forces, five civilians from my constituency were wounded in their own houses or yards by Armenian snipers. The Council of Europe remains indifferent to this issue. Perhaps hundreds of civilians would not have lost their lives if the Council of Europe had put pressure on Armenia to fulfil its obligations, as set out in Resolution 1416.

Dear colleagues, that is why we call on you to draw more attention to this issue and to discuss it. There are hundreds of thousands of people who cannot go back to their homes and whose human rights have been violated by Armenia for 23 years, and they are waiting for you to do that.

Ms NAGHDALYAN (Armenia) – Dear colleagues, a week ago, on the eve of the centenary of the Armenian genocide, the President of the Assembly, Ms Brasseur, visited Armenia. Her visit was full and useful in addressing many issues that are crucial for our country and the region. The President, speaking about the genocide, especially underlined the importance of facing the past and moving forward. Unfortunately, Turkey not only denies its past but implements the policy of historical falsification.

Today, we see how Turkey displays itself as a safe haven for refugees. What is more cynical is that Turkey claims to have been such a safe haven starting from the time of the Ottoman empire, when Armenians, Greeks, Bulgarians, Assyrians, Jews and members of other non-Muslim populations under the Ottoman yoke were systematically killed, had their cultural heritage destroyed and were expelled from their native lands.

I wish to share with you some concerns of the Armenian delegation about the document that is due to be prepared on Nagorno-Karabakh. The Armenian delegation has always advocated the principle of open dialogue and sincere discussion of this issue. Taking into account the delicate essence of the question, we attach great importance to building confidence and an atmosphere of mutual trust. Today, we experience quite a tense and difficult situation in the region. The Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, led by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, is endangered by the bellicose statements and military provocations of the Azerbaijani authorities. The very essence of trust is destroyed.

The Armenian position on the resolution of the conflict remains the same. The conflict must be settled within the framework of the Minsk Group co-chairs through peaceful negotiations on the basis of the three principles of the Helsinki Final Act.

Colleagues, we draw your attention to the fact that since last summer the number of border incidents and victims on both the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides has increased. The efforts of the Armenian side, which are aimed at a peaceful settlement, are not enough, as Azerbaijan is doing everything to escalate the situation in the conflict zone. It is regrettable that the existence of the visionless document encourages the Azerbaijani side to initiate new provocation on an even larger scale and acts of sabotage.

There are not two truths; there is one truth. In January, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group issued a statement in Krakow on Azerbaijan’s destructive policy, in which they called upon Azerbaijan to live up to its commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict. We call upon the Assembly to try to avoid a new spark of conflict, which would lead to the serious deterioration of the already unstable situation in our region. Nevertheless, I truly believe that the Council of Europe could play a great role in establishing co-operation with the elected authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh in the field of human rights, and in strengthening the rule of law and democratic institutions. That is the domain where the Council of Europe might really make a significant contribution, especially given the idea voiced by Ms Brasseur that the population of Nagorno-Karabakh is part of the 820 million members of the European family, who should also be taken care of in the Council of Europe.

The PRESIDENT* – The debate is closed. Before we proceed to vote on the progress report, we shall need to look at the Bureau proposals contained in it. I invite the Assembly to approve the decisions of the Bureau requiring ratification by the Assembly, as set out in the Progress Report (Document 13750 and Addendum I).

The vote is open.

The progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee is adopted.

The PRESIDENT - I thank the rapporteur. I can give him only one second to speak.

Mr AGRAMUNT (Spain)* - Thank you.

The PRESIDENT – Thank you, everyone. That really serves as an example to us all.

Let me remind you that this is the end of this morning’s sitting and that we shall resume this afternoon at 3 p.m. However, there is a change in our order of business. The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium, Mr Didier Reynders, who is the Chairman-in-office of the Committee of Ministers, is not able to come here today. I am not sure when he will address the Assembly, but I will inform you in good time. At all events, it will not be today, because he has been unavoidably detained. Therefore, we will return at 3 p.m. for the free debate.

11. Next public sitting

The PRESIDENT – The Assembly will hold its next public sitting this afternoon at 3 p.m. with the agenda that was approved this morning.

The sitting is closed.

(The sitting was closed at 1.05 p.m.)

CONTENTS

1. Opening of the second part of the 2015 ordinary session

2. Ratification of new credentials

3. Voting cards, register of attendance and other housekeeping

4. Election of Vice-Presidents

5. Changes in the membership of committees

6. Current affairs and urgent procedure debates

7. Adoption of the agenda

8. Time limits on speeches

9. Approval of the minutes of proceedings of the Standing Committee (Paris, 6 March 2015)

10. Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee

Presentation by Mr Agramunt of the progress report of the Bureau and Standing Committee, Document 13750 and Addenda I and II and Document 13754

Speakers:

Mr Ariev (Ukraine), Mr Lund (Denmark), Ms Lundgren (Sweden), Mr Szczerski (Poland), Ms Katrivanou (Greece), Mr Díaz Tejera (Spain), Ms Quintanilla (Spain), Mr Seyidov (Azerbaijan), Ms Pashayeva (Azerbaijan), Ms Naghdalyan (Armenia)

11. Next public business

Appendix I

Representatives or Substitutes who signed the Attendance Register in accordance with Rule 11.2 of the Rules of Procedure. The names of Substitutes who replaced absent Representatives are printed in small letters. The names of those who were absent or apologised for absence are followed by an asterisk

Pedro AGRAMUNT

Alexey Ivanovich ALEKSANDROV*

Brigitte ALLAIN*

Jean-Charles ALLAVENA

Werner AMON*

Luise AMTSBERG/Annette Groth

Athanasia ANAGNOSTOPOULOU

Liv Holm ANDERSEN*

Lord Donald ANDERSON

Paride ANDREOLI

Ben-Oni ARDELEAN

Khadija ARIB*

Volodymyr ARIEV

Egemen BAĞIŞ

Theodora BAKOYANNIS*

David BAKRADZE/Giorgi Kandelaki

Gérard BAPT

Doris BARNETT*

José Manuel BARREIRO

Deniz BAYKAL

Marieluise BECK*

Ondřej BENEŠIK/Gabriela Pecková

José María BENEYTO*

Deborah BERGAMINI*

Sali BERISHA*

Anna Maria BERNINI/ Claudio Fazzone

Maria Teresa BERTUZZI/Francesco Verducci

Andris BĒRZINŠ

Gülsün BİLGEHAN

Brian BINLEY/ Robert Neill

Ľuboš BLAHA*

Philippe BLANCHART*

Maryvonne BLONDIN

Jean-Marie BOCKEL*

Olga BORZOVA*

Mladen BOSIĆ

António BRAGA*

Anne BRASSEUR/Marc Spautz

Alessandro BRATTI/Carlo Lucherini

Piet De BRUYN*

Beata BUBLEWICZ/Michał Stuligrosz

Gerold BÜCHEL

André BUGNON

Natalia BURYKINA*

Nunzia CATALFO*

Elena CENTEMERO*

Irakli CHIKOVANI/Chiora Taktakishvili

Vannino CHITI

Christopher CHOPE

Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN

Henryk CIOCH*

James CLAPPISON

Igor CORMAN

Telmo CORREIA

Paolo CORSINI

Carlos COSTA NEVES*

Celeste COSTANTINO*

Yves CRUCHTEN

Zsolt CSENGER-ZALÁN

Katalin CSÖBÖR

Joseph DEBONO GRECH*

Reha DENEMEÇ

Alain DESTEXHE

Manlio DI STEFANO*

Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA

Peter van DIJK*

Şaban DİŞLİ

Sergio DIVINA

Aleksandra DJUROVIĆ

Namik DOKLE

Elvira DROBINSKI-WEIß*

Daphné DUMERY/ Hendrik Daems

Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE*

Nicole DURANTON/Marie-Christine Dalloz

Josette DURRIEU*

Mustafa DZHEMILIEV/ Andrii Lopushanskyi

Mikuláš DZURINDA*

Lady Diana ECCLES*

Tülin ERKAL KARA

Franz Leonhard EßL

Bernd FABRITIUS/Johann Wadephul

Joseph FENECH ADAMI*

Cătălin Daniel FENECHIU

Vyacheslav FETISOV*

Doris FIALA*

Daniela FILIPIOVÁ/Ivana Dobešová

Ute FINCKH-KRÄMER*

Axel E. FISCHER*

Gvozden Srećko FLEGO

Bernard FOURNIER

Hans FRANKEN

Béatrice FRESKO-ROLFO*

Martin FRONC*

Sir Roger GALE/Lord Richard Balfe

Adele GAMBARO

Karl GARÐARSSON

Iryna GERASHCHENKO*

Tina GHASEMI

Valeriu GHILETCHI

Francesco Maria GIRO

Pavol GOGA*

Carlos Alberto GONÇALVES

Alina Ştefania GORGHIU/ Corneliu Mugurel Cozmanciuc

Svetlana GORYACHEVA*

Sandro GOZI*

Fred de GRAAF*

François GROSDIDIER/Jacques Legendre

Andreas GROSS

Dzhema GROZDANOVA*

Mehmet Kasim GÜLPINAR*

Gergely GULYÁS/Bence Tuzson

Jonas GUNNARSSON

Nazmi GÜR

Antonio GUTIÉRREZ*

Maria GUZENINA*

Márton GYÖNGYÖSI*

Sabir HAJIYEV

Margus HANSON/Rait Maruste

Alfred HEER

Michael HENNRICH/Volkmar Vogel

Martin HENRIKSEN*

Françoise HETTO-GAASCH*

Oleksii HONCHARENKO

Jim HOOD*

Arpine HOVHANNISYAN

Anette HÜBINGER

Johannes HÜBNER/

Andrej HUNKO

Ali HUSEYNLI/Sahiba Gafarova

Rafael HUSEYNOV/Sevinj Fataliyeva

Vitaly IGNATENKO*

Florin IORDACHE/Daniel Florea

Tadeusz IWIŃSKI

Denis JACQUAT*

Gediminas JAKAVONIS

Gordan JANDROKOVIĆ/Ingrid Antičević Marinović

Tedo JAPARIDZE/Guguli Magradze

Michael Aastrup JENSEN*

Frank J. JENSSEN/Kristin Ørmen Johnsen

Florina-Ruxandra JIPA/Viorel Riceard Badea

Ögmundur JÓNASSON

Aleksandar JOVIČIĆ/Stefana Miladinović

Josip JURATOVIC

Antti KAIKKONEN*

Mustafa KARADAYI/Hamid Hamid

Marietta KARAMANLI*

Niklas KARLSSON

Andreja KATIČ/Matjaž Hanžek

Vasiliki KATRIVANOU

Ioanneta KAVVADIA

Charles KENNEDY*

Tinatin KHIDASHELI*

Danail KIRILOV/Kancho Filipov

Bogdan KLICH/ Helena Hatka

Haluk KOÇ*

Igor KOLMAN

Željko KOMŠIĆ

Unnur Brá KONRÁÐSDÓTTIR

Ksenija KORENJAK KRAMAR

Attila KORODI

Alev KORUN

Rom KOSTŘICA

Elvira KOVÁCS

Tiny KOX

Borjana KRIŠTO

Julia KRONLID*

Marek KRZĄKAŁA/Killion Munyama

Zviad KVATCHANTIRADZE

Athina KYRIAKIDOU

Serhiy LABAZIUK/ Sergiy Vlasenko

Inese LAIZĀNE

Olof LAVESSON

Pierre-Yves LE BORGN'

Jean-Yves LE DÉAUT*

Igor LEBEDEV*

Valentina LESKAJ

Terry LEYDEN

Inese LĪBIŅA-EGNERE

Georgii LOGVYNSKYI

François LONCLE*

George LOUKAIDES

Yuliya L'OVOCHKINA*

Jacob LUND

Trine Pertou MACH*

Philippe MAHOUX

Thierry MARIANI*

Soňa MARKOVÁ/Pavel Holík

Milica MARKOVIĆ

Meritxell MATEU PI

Ana MATO

Pirkko MATTILA/Mika Raatikainen

Frano MATUŠIĆ

Liliane MAURY PASQUIER

Michael McNAMARA*

Sir Alan MEALE

Ermira MEHMETI DEVAJA/Imer Aliu

Evangelos MEIMARAKIS

Ivan MELNIKOV*

Ana Catarina MENDES*

Attila MESTERHÁZY*

Jean-Claude MIGNON

Philipp MIßFELDER

Olivia MITCHELL

Igor MOROZOV*

João Bosco MOTA AMARAL

Arkadiusz MULARCZYK

Melita MULIĆ

Oľga NACHTMANNOVÁ*

Hermine NAGHDALYAN

Piotr NAIMSKI

Sergey NARYSHKIN*

Marian NEACŞU

Andrei NEGUTA

Zsolt NÉMETH

Miroslav NENUTIL

Baroness Emma NICHOLSON*

Michele NICOLETTI

Aleksandar NIKOLOSKI

Marija OBRADOVIĆ

Žarko OBRADOVIĆ

Judith OEHRI

Carina OHLSSON

Joseph O'REILLY

Maciej ORZECHOWSKI/Jagna Marczułajtis-Walczak

Sandra OSBORNE/Michael Connarty

José Ignacio PALACIOS

Liliana PALIHOVICI

Judith PALLARÉS CORTÉS

Ganira PASHAYEVA

Florin Costin PÂSLARU*

Waldemar PAWLAK/Marek Borowski

Vladimir PLIGIN*

Cezar Florin PREDA

John PRESCOTT*

Gabino PUCHE*

Alexey PUSHKOV*

Carmen QUINTANILLA

Mailis REPS*

Andrea RIGONI*

François ROCHEBLOINE/André Schneider

Soraya RODRÍGUEZ*

Alexander ROMANOVICH*

Maria de Belém ROSEIRA*

René ROUQUET

Rovshan RZAYEV

Indrek SAAR*

Àlex SÁEZ*

Vincenzo SANTANGELO*

Milena SANTERINI*

Kimmo SASI*

Nadiia SAVCHENKO/Boryslav Bereza

Deborah SCHEMBRI*

Stefan SCHENNACH

Ingjerd SCHOU

Frank SCHWABE*

Urs SCHWALLER/Maximilian Reimann

Salvador SEDÓ

Predrag SEKULIĆ

Ömer SELVİ

Aleksandar SENIĆ

Senad ŠEPIĆ*

Samad SEYIDOV

Jim SHERIDAN*

Bernd SIEBERT*

Valeri SIMEONOV*

Andrej ŠIRCELJ

Arturas SKARDŽIUS

Leonid SLUTSKY*

Serhiy SOBOLEV

Olena SOTNYK

Lorella STEFANELLI

Yanaki STOILOV

Karin STRENZ

Ionuţ-Marian STROE

Valeriy SUDARENKOV*

Krzysztof SZCZERSKI

Damien THIÉRY*

Lord John E. TOMLINSON

Antoni TRENCHEV

Goran TUPONJA

Ahmet Kutalmiş TÜRKEŞ*

Tuğrul TÜRKEŞ*

Theodora TZAKRI

Ilyas UMAKHANOV*

Dana VÁHALOVÁ

Snorre Serigstad VALEN*

Petrit VASILI

Imre VEJKEY/ Rózsa Hoffmann

Stefaan VERCAMER

Mark VERHEIJEN*

Birutė VĖSAITĖ

Anne-Mari VIROLAINEN*

Dimitris VITSAS

Vladimir VORONIN*

Viktor VOVK

Klaas de VRIES*

Nataša VUČKOVIĆ

Draginja VUKSANOVIĆ*

Piotr WACH*

Robert WALTER*

Dame Angela WATKINSON/ Jonathan Evans

Tom WATSON*

Karl-Georg WELLMANN*

Katrin WERNER

Morten WOLD

Gisela WURM/ Nikolaus Scherak

Maciej WYDRZYŃSKI*

Leonid YEMETS/ Vladyslav Golub

Tobias ZECH

Kristýna ZELIENKOVÁ

Sergey ZHELEZNYAK*

Marie-Jo ZIMMERMANN

Emanuelis ZINGERIS

Guennady ZIUGANOV

Naira ZOHRABYAN

Levon ZOURABIAN

Vacant Seat, Cyprus*

Vacant Seat, ‘‘The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’’*

ALSO PRESENT

Representatives and Substitutes not authorised to vote

Hans Fredrik GRØVAN

Andrzej JAWORSKI

Kerstin LUNDGREN

Marcel OBERWEIS

Observers

Eloy CANTU SEGOVIA

Corneliu CHISU

Don DAVIES

Percy DOWNE

Michel RIVARD

David TILSON

Partners for democracy

Najat AL-ASTAL

Bernard SABELLA