AA18CR20
AS (2018) CR 20
2018 ORDINARY SESSION
________________
(Third part)
REPORT
Twentieth sitting
Monday 25 June 2018 at 3 p.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. The text of the amendments is available at the document centre and on the Assembly’s website.
Only oral amendments or oral sub-amendments are reproduced in the report of debates.
4. Speeches in German and Italian are reproduced in full in a separate document.
5. 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 Maury Pasquier, President of the Assembly, took the Chair at 3.05 p.m.)
The PRESIDENT* – The sitting is open.
1. Communication from the Committee of Ministers
The PRESIDENT* – The first item of business this afternoon is the communication from the Committee of Ministers to the Assembly, presented by Ms Marija Pejčinović Burić, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia and Chairman of the Committee of Ministers. After her address, Ms Pejčinović Burić will take questions from members of the Assembly.
Madam Chairman, you have the floor.
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia, Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe)* – Madam President, dear parliamentarians, Mr Secretary General, ladies and gentlemen, please allow me first to congratulate you, Madam President, on your election and to wish you every possible success in your very important mission. It is an honour for me to address you as the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
Croatia acceded to the chairmanship determined to look for compromise solutions when such solutions are necessary, without sacrificing the noble standards and values that we share and in which we believe. We will do this in very close co-operation with all member States and with the key statutory bodies of our institution, in particular, of course, your Assembly and the Secretary General.
I have already had the privilege of presenting the priorities of our chairmanship, at the meeting of your Standing Committee in Zagreb a few weeks ago, so I will just briefly refer to them today. The first is combating corruption; the second, the effective protection of the rights of national minorities and vulnerable groups; the third, decentralisation in the context of strengthening local and regional self-government, including the issue of the absorption capacities of regions; and the fourth, the protection of cultural heritage and cultural roots.
The first priority is combating corruption, which is a sine qua non condition for the development of an open, democratic society that is sensitive to citizens’ needs. We have all observed how much corruption can undermine our societies. Corruption is a direct attack on human rights and endangers States’ economic progress. The major event during our chairmanship will be the ministerial conference on “Strengthening transparency and responsibility to prevent corruption”, organised in co-operation with GRECO. The conference will take place in October, with the main objective of underscoring and promoting complementarity between traditional national mechanisms for combating corruption and modern media. The conference will examine the key role played by the media in the promotion of transparency and responsibility, as well as the need for the media to protect itself against corruption.
(The speaker continued in English.)
Our second priority is the effective protection of the rights of national minorities and vulnerable groups. One of the main tasks of both the Council of Europe and Croatia is to improve the system for the protection of rights of national minorities and vulnerable groups. As part of our chairmanship, Croatia is organising several conferences highlighting these issues. The first, marking the 10th anniversary of the entering into force of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, was held in Strasbourg in May. The conference gave an overview of the convention’s impact on national legislation, policies and practices and on improving the situation and rights of victims. Just last week, we marked the 20th anniversary of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in this very building. It was an honour to host the conference together with Secretary General Jagland. I am pleased that a conference organised under the auspices of the Croatian chairmanship analysed important questions about current challenges and gave impetus to further development in the future. In addition, we will pay special attention to the promotion and protection of the rights of members of the Roma national minority. In this respect, a conference “From education to employment of the Roma” will be held in Croatia on the Brijuni islands in September.
Furthermore, we will address additional topics of importance for the protection of human rights of vulnerable groups and organise events on gender equality in sport, the human rights of the elderly, the role of regulatory authorities in combating hate speech, and promoting media literacy, and children’s rights in the digital age.
Croatia’s third priority is decentralisation in the context of strengthening local and regional self-government, including the issue of regional absorption capacity. We must ensure high-quality, fast and accessible public services from local self-government both for citizens and the economy. It is important to strengthen the absorption capacity of local and regional units. That requires the co-ordination and synergic action of all stakeholders. In that vein, a conference was held in Dubrovnik in May to discuss the capacity for the take-up and use of European Union funds and capacity-building tools in cross-border co-operation in Europe.
Our fourth and final priority is the protection of cultural heritage and cultural roots. Cultural heritage is a strong factor in social and economic development. Croatia has 10 UNESCO world heritage sites, and cultural heritage is an indivisible part of Croatia’s national identity. We will organise various conferences and cultural events, including exhibitions related to cultural heritage, landscape, architecture and creative industries.
In October this year, an international conference dedicated to the underwater cultural heritage of the European Union and the rest of Europe will be held in Zadar. The conference will in part be dedicated to the implementation of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage in Europe.
Croatia belongs to the culture and civilisation of the Mediterranean region. In order to further promote the Cultural Routes and the importance of olive trees and olive oil for the region, we will organise a thematic conference entitled “The European Cultural Route – The Routes of the Olive Tree” in November on the Croatian island of Lošinj. The conference is closely connected to the activities undertaken under the European Cultural Route “The Routes of the Olive Tree”, which was certified by the Council of Europe in 2005.
The Elsinore Ministerial Session marked the beginning of our chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers. Again, I want to thank the Danish chairmanship for its excellent organisation of the event. The Ministerial Session offered the opportunity to address openly and frankly the major challenges facing the Organisation. I am pleased that, going beyond the differences of opinion, we were able to agree to launch a new wave of reforms that will be known as the “Elsinore process”. The new process will be a way of defining a common vision for the future of our Organisation, focusing primarily on its missions, but also addressing such essential issues as its political horizon, the stability of its funding, its governance and its interaction with other international organisations.
The Secretary General can count on the full support of our chairmanship in preparing relevant proposals over the next 11 months leading up to the Helsinki Ministerial Session in May 2019. The decisions to be taken on that occasion will be all the more important as they will coincide with the 70th anniversary of our Organisation.
It goes without saying that the success of this important process can be achieved only with the involvement of all member States. I know that I can count on their backing when it comes to providing political support and helping to define a shared vision for the future of our Organisation, including on the crucial question of sustainable funding.
The various organs of the Council of Europe, starting with the Assembly, will also play an important role in that context. I welcome the work that you have undertaken over the past few months through the Ad Hoc Committee on the role and mission of the Parliamentary Assembly. The Joint Committee meeting to be held later this week will be an opportunity for the Committee of Ministers to understand better the Assembly’s reflections and points of view, in particular on issues likely to have an impact on the work of the Committee of Ministers and the Organisation as a whole. We must ensure that the dialogue continues in the coming months in a constructive spirit that respects the prerogatives of our respective bodies.
Another important outcome of the Elsinore Ministerial Session was the adoption of a Protocol of the Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data – a crucial issue given recent scandals linked to the misuse of personal data. As the Committee of Ministers underlined when adopting the Protocol, it is important that States take the necessary measures without delay to ensure that it enters into force, and to start the process leading to its ratification. The support that you can provide in that regard in your national parliaments will be greatly appreciated.
Let me briefly mention the follow-up to the Copenhagen Declaration on reform of the European Convention on Human Rights. I draw the Assembly’s attention to the decisions taken by Ministers’ Deputies in late May, in co-operation with your Assembly, about the review of the procedure for selecting and electing judges to the Court, in order to guarantee the election of the most qualified candidates.
On the political issues dealt with by the Committee of Ministers since your previous session, let me refer specifically to Georgia. Further to the latest reports submitted by the Secretary General, the committee has adopted a series of decisions in which it reasserts the unequivocal support of member States for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. The committee also expressed deep concern at the deteriorating human rights situation in the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and called for a number of measures to be taken by the authorities that exercise effective control over those territories.
On Ukraine, I can only express my hope that we will be able to see tangible progress in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, and in establishing a sustainable ceasefire. I understand that negotiations are ongoing about the possible deployment of United Nations peacekeepers. There is also the issue of political prisoners and the exchange of hostages, which should be at the centre of negotiations between the parties.
Finally, I will refer briefly to the death penalty in Belarus, about which conflicting messages have been received. On one hand, according to some reports, two more people would have been executed in Belarus last month. On the other hand, two weeks ago the Supreme Court of Belarus decided to suspend and review the death sentences of two convicted criminals, while their appeals are considered. I strongly hope that the Court will now overturn the initial sentences, and that Belarus will rapidly establish a moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards its abolition.
I cannot conclude without mentioning a number of important issues that will be discussed by your Assembly this week – I am thinking in particular of debates on the protection of human rights defenders, migration policies, and restrictions on NGO activities in Council of Europe member states. Clearly, those are fundamental issues for our Organisation, and it is essential that the requirements arising from the European Convention on Human Rights are complied with.
Madam President, ladies and gentlemen, by further promoting our shared values and norms, we will help to strengthen Europe’s peace and security, and offer our citizens full enjoyment of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Let us work together in the spirit of dialogue to achieve that goal. Thank you for your attention.
The PRESIDENT* – Madam Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers, it really is an honour to welcome you today to our Assembly. I have had the opportunity to say that to you privately as well, and it was a great pleasure to hear you speak, especially since you are a former member of this Assembly. You mentioned that when we listened to your presentation on the priorities of the Croatian chairpersonship-in-office, and we also had the opportunity to work together during a conference on minority languages and national minorities, in a meeting about Europe in transformation that was organised recently in Strasbourg. We have also co-operated closely on the implementation of the ambitious programme that you have for the Croatian chairpersonship.
It is now my pleasure to give the floor to members of the Assembly who would like to ask you questions about your priorities, and about the programme of the Croatian chairmanship-in-office. Without further ado, let me give the floor to those who will ask questions on behalf of their political groups. I first call Mr Omtzigt on behalf of the Group of the European People’s Party.
Mr OMTZIGT (Netherlands, Spokesperson for the Group of the European People’s Party) – Thank you, Madam President, and congratulations on your election.
Thank you, Minister, for your clear words. We have had an investigation and, with some humility, we must say that there has been corruption within the Parliamentary Assembly. Corruption does not fall from the air; there is a corruptor. The corruptor is most likely to be a member of the Council of Ministers. We have instructed our committee to punish those people who have been corrupted. What is the Committee of Ministers doing to ensure that the country that is corrupting is being investigated, and that the behaviour changes?
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ – Yes, you are right. Corruption poses a major threat to the core values that are defended by our Organisation, in particular the rule of law. The fight against corruption is a fundamental prerequisite for the development of an open and democratic society. This issue is, as you have heard, the top priority of the Croatian chairmanship, and on 15 and 16 October, we will organise, in co-operation with GRECO, a high-level conference devoted to that.
Allegations of corruption within the Assembly affect not only the Assembly but the reputation of the Council of Europe as a whole. When seized of that matter last year, the Committee of Ministers took a series of decisions to underline the need for full and fair investigation into the allegations. It also welcomed the Assembly’s decision to establish an independent external investigation body to look into those allegations, and it urged member States to co-operate fully with that investigation, in accordance with the applicable laws. It is up to the Assembly to decide on the follow-up to the report of the investigation body published in April, but decisions taken in May by the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs about four individual cases are a good signal of that direction. For recommendations on institutional matters, we expect to be consulted and involved in the appropriate follow up.
Finally, I refer the Assembly to the reply that the Committee of Ministers adopted last week, regarding your recommendation about a follow-up to the report by the independent investigation body. The Committee of Ministers concurred with the Assembly that all member States should take appropriate action against corrupt practices. It also informed the Assembly that GRECO will take into account the findings of the report by the Independent External Body of Investigation, when monitoring those member States mentioned in the report. Therefore, the Committee of Ministers has not taken a stand on the question of the involvement of any particular member State in corruption within your Assembly.
Ms RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS (Spain, Spokesperson for the Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group)* – Saving the lives of people who are at risk at sea is an urgent humanitarian priority. What does the Committee of Ministers plan to do to guarantee the human rights of immigrants and refugees whose lives are at risk at sea, and to ensure that countries comply with international humanitarian and maritime law and open up their ports?
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ – Migrant and refugee flows continue to be a major challenge for Europe, with over 33,000 migrants having arrived on our shores already this year. Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, we have once again witnessed tragedies affecting people while trying to reach Europe’s shores. Of course, we cannot remain indifferent to these tragic events. Addressing this challenge is the responsibility of all member States. As you mentioned, it calls for a response based on respect for human rights and solidarity, with regard to the obligations on States under international law. While it may be considered legitimate for member States to strengthen border controls to limit irregular migration, it is crucial that the fundamental rights of those in need of international protection are guaranteed, such as the principle of non-refoulement and the right to seek asylum.
Mr HOWELL (United Kingdom, Spokesperson for the European Conservatives Group) – The question of a Russian return and of the Russian Federation’s contribution remains open. The Secretary General says that there is a back-up plan to deal with the possible hole of €33 million from May 2019. Will the Minister elaborate on the budget choices facing the Committee of Ministers in dealing with that?
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ – Of course, the Council of Europe has for a number of years worked on the basis of zero nominal growth budgets. Last year, as we know, the Russian Federation ceased its payments to the Organisation and Turkey withdrew as a major contributor. As a result, immediate measures have been taken. During the first part of this year, the work focused on identifying the necessary measures to meet the reduction in the Programme and the Budget for the year, and on putting in place precautionary measures in the light of the budgetary uncertainty. In parallel, the Committee of Ministers decided to accelerate and deepen the administrative reforms presented by the Secretary General in the autumn. The reforms that we are seeing in response are wide in their scope.
As you will understand, issues relating to the longer-term financing of the Council of Europe have been discussed extensively by the Committee of Ministers, in particular in preparation for the Ministerial Session in May in Elsinore. Following on from that session, the Secretary General will present a number of general reform proposals to the Committee of Ministers over the next 10 months, leading up to the Ministerial Session in Helsinki next May. One of the first items he will have to address is how to stabilise and sustain the financing of the Organisation, which is, indeed, threatened.
Mr BECHT (France, Spokesperson for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe)* – Madam Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers, you just said that the Organisation is experiencing one of the worst crises since it was set up. Next year, however, we will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe. Is the Committee of Ministers giving any thought to relaunching the European project at the level of the 47 member States? How can you help us bridge the divisions? I think that we need to be as courageous as our founding fathers, whose busts we see in the corridors of this building. Does the Committee of Ministers have any plans for next year?
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ* – Thank you very much for that question. Indeed, there is more than one anniversary to be celebrated next year. On top of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe, we will have the 60th anniversary of the European Court of Human Rights and the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. There will be a lot of anniversaries for Europe, which will give us an opportunity to think about how to relaunch the European project.
(The speaker continued in English.)
The Committee of Ministers has begun preparations for celebrating those anniversaries, in particular the 70th anniversary of the Organisation, to increase its visibility, confirm the importance that we all attach to it, and confirm the importance of the values that it protects and promotes. Those are the three major pillars in how we will promote our Organisation and its future development. Last week, the Committee of Ministers considered a number of proposals made by the inter-secretariat working group under the direction of the Deputy Secretary General. I understand that the Assembly’s Secretariat has been associated with that work and that a number of the planned activities will involve the Assembly. One of the two major high-impact, high-visibility events is being planned to coincide with the session in autumn 2019.
With respect to the idea of relaunching the European project at the level of the 47 member States of the Council of Europe, as I mentioned in my speech, at the Ministerial Session in Elsinore in May a new wave of reforms was launched to define a common vision for the future of our Organisation. The Elsinore process will culminate in the Ministerial Session to be held in Helsinki next year, thus the reform process and the preparatory work for the 70th anniversary will run in parallel. This work has just started and will continue in the coming months, so I will be glad to update you at the autumn part-session.
Mr HUNKO (Germany, Spokesperson for the Group of the Unified European Left)* – Minister, you are taking over at the Council of Europe at a very difficult time – a time when the European human rights system, as well as the Court, is subject to certain risks. Under the last chairmanship, there were attempts to undermine and weaken the whole system. The question is whether, between now and the end of next year, we will still be providing protection for the human rights of 850 million people by virtue of the European Convention on Human Rights. This all depends on talks with the Russian Federation. What do you think we will end up with? Do you think we will still have human rights protection for 850 million Europeans across the continent?
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ – Thank you for your question. I agree that one of the largest achievements of this forum is that the Council of Europe protects 800 million Europeans. We believe that the Council of Europe was created to achieve greater unity among its member States on the basis of respect for human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It is a unique platform for co-operation and dialogue that benefits so many Europeans. As I mentioned, it should keep doing so in the future.
The Russian Federation’s non-payment of its obligatory contribution has put our Organisation in a very difficult situation, both financially and politically. This matter was discussed at the Elsinore ministerial meeting that I mentioned. As was pointed out by many delegations in that context, it is of crucial importance that the situation is remedied soon and that the Russian Federation fulfils its obligations. This is crucial not only for the proper functioning of our Organisation but for the status of the Russian Federation within our Organisation.
So the Committee of Ministers is closely following developments in this area. As Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers, I support the ongoing efforts of the Secretary General and I welcomed his visit to the Russian Federation just last week. We reviewed the situation together this morning and I strongly hope that a satisfactory outcome will be reached soon, but of course it is up to the Organisation and on the other side – the member State – to achieve that. We hope and believe that such an outcome will be reached, for the protection of 800 million Europeans.
Ms FILIPOVSKI (Serbia, Spokesperson for the Free Democrats Group) – The European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance report stated numerous cases of the violation of human rights of the Serbs in Croatia. Why is Croatia infringing its 2002 Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities and why are Serbs not allowed to use the Serbian language and the Cyrillic alphabet freely to display insignia and symbols in public and official communications in municipalities and cities where the proportion of Serbs is more than one third of the total population?
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ – I need to take this question in my national capacity and not as the Chair of the Committee of Ministers.
Croatia has a very high standard regarding the protection and promotion of national minorities. In fact, we have the highest number of constitutionally recognised national minorities in Europe – 22 of them. Their rights are enshrined in the Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities and also in the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, which have been transposed into Croatian law. The Croatian Government pays special attention to these matters. The effective protection of rights of national minorities and vulnerable groups is one of the key priorities of the Croatian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.
Regarding the Serbian national minority, their representatives are part of the Croatian Government coalition and take active part in national and local politics. In many municipalities in Croatia, they are running local communities as mayors, municipality prefects and so on. Croatian institutions are funding organisations of the Serbian national minority with €2.5 million yearly. The Serbian minority, together with other minorities in Croatia, enjoys full cultural and religious autonomy. Significant investments are made in the regions where the Serbian minority live. Here, I would like to emphasise that Croatia has had to overcome war, aggression and destruction. It had to rebuild much of the infrastructure in formerly occupied regions of Croatia in general. Overall, Croatia has rebuilt or repaired more than 100,000 housing units and so far it has invested €2.3 billion euros in reconstruction. Much of that reconstruction concerned the Serbian national minority and programmes for their return and sustainable livelihood.
Furthermore, this Government put together an operational programme for different minorities that are represented in the Croatian Government. One of them concerns the Serb national minority and it was made for the period from 2017 to 2020. It was made together with the representatives of the Serbian minority in the Parliament and it supports five groups of programmes. Among them is one that addresses all the aspects that are important for living and proper co-operation with the Serbian national minority in Croatia. So, together with our partners in the coalition, we are working on improving in all aspects the situation of the Serbian national minority in Croatia.
The PRESIDENT* – Thank you, Ms Pejčinović Burić. I now suggest that we take three questions at a time before giving the floor to the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers to reply.
Ms JUHÁSZ (Hungary) – This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. How can we show the continued effectiveness of these key instruments? Also, beyond the achievements, there are regrettable problems in a number of Council of Europe member States. How do you assess the situation in this field?
Mr FOURNIER (France)* – Migration is once again centre stage as a result of the fate of the Aquarius. The lack of solidarity among European countries struck us all, and I would like to know what you and the Committee of Ministers can do.
Mr ŠEŠELJ (Serbia)* – I would like to ask the Minister a question as a member of a political party of a criminal and neo-Fascist, Franjo Tudjman, who committed the greatest ethnic cleansing in Europe since the Second World War. When will you give back the occupied land of the Republic of Serbian Krajina to people who fled from Ustasha’s butchering knife? The Croats occupied territory, killed over a thousand people and banished nearly half a million Serbs, and today they have no shame to celebrate such a day as a national holiday.
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ – As the first question indicated, our chairmanship has given a high priority to the issue of the protection of minorities in Europe. In Croatia, the protection of minorities — as I have mentioned, there are 22 of them — forms part of our constitutional law, and the diversity of our society is both a source of pride for us and something that enshrines us as a nation.
Although there are of course some continuing and emerging challenges and difficulties in parts of Europe regarding the rights and the situation of minorities, the view of the Croatian authorities is that we must make full use of the legal tools that we have given ourselves at the European level. The mechanisms under the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages reflect fundamental principles: respect; dialogue; non-discrimination; and diversity. They also rest on trusted methods – dedicated, independent and impartial expertise. I take this opportunity to encourage all of our member States to accept these key European human rights instruments and I am convinced that a strong commitment across Europe to these standards will bring Europe towards greater stability, democratic security and peace.
Regarding the question of migration, I have already referred to the migration crisis in response to a previous question. Regarding the specific circumstances that the rescue ship encountered, they have not been discussed by the Committee of Ministers. However, different parts of the Organisation follow the issue closely, notably the Special Representative of the Secretary General on migration and refugees and the Commissioner for Human Rights, who has issued comments. The Council of Europe can and does contribute to the international efforts that have been undertaken since the beginning of the crisis. This contribution concentrates on activities in which the Organisation has particular expertise and can add value.
I would also like to refer to the visits that the Secretary General’s special representative on migration and refugees has made to a number of member States, following which he has come up with concrete suggestions for improving the treatment of refugees, and to mention the activities carried out in the context of two action plans, which concern the building of inclusive societies and the protection of refugee and migrant children in Europe. The Croatian chairmanship strongly supports these activities.
With regard to the third question, as Chairperson, I do not have a comment.
The PRESIDENT* – Absolutely; I do not think that question requires a reply. I think that the person who asked it made some very discourteous remarks.
Earl of DUNDEE (United Kingdom) – Minister, I warmly welcome your country’s chairmanship of the Council of Europe and its priorities of tackling corruption, protecting national minorities, supporting cultural heritage, and encouraging decentralisation and localism. Concerning decentralisation, what specific measures might you now adopt further to promote cultural and economic working arrangements directly between cities and regions? Regarding localism, in what particular ways will your chairmanship, along with the Congress, now seek to inspire a much improved level of grass-roots democracy in Europe?
Ms PASHAYEVA (Azerbaijan) – Armenia has destroyed a lot of ancient historic and cultural monuments belonging to the Azerbaijanis in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. Those monuments belonged to Azerbaijanis, but they were also part of world culture. In my hand I have photographs taken before and after the monuments were destroyed, and other materials relating to their destruction – I can present them to you. What can the Committee of Ministers do to ensure that Armenia’s new leadership will not continue such horrible crimes committed by the Sarkissian regime? Your support is greatly needed.
Mr BRENNER (Hungary)* – Some 1.3 million people have signed a European citizens’ initiative for minorities. I represent the largest Hungarian opposition party, Jobbik, and one of our main concerns is the protection of Hungarian minorities in neighbouring countries. It is also important for us to protect minorities within the country. I belong to the German minority – the biggest minority in Hungary – so I want to know how you will go on the offensive to protect these rights.
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ – Thank you for those three questions. On decentralisation, thank you for your keen interest in local and self-government. As I mentioned in my initial statement, the Croatian chairmanship has identified decentralisation as one of our key priorities. Reinforcing local self-government across Europe is indeed an important task. We believe, as you do, that decentralisation enables citizens to engage in democracy, and that local authorities are closest to the needs and expectations of our fellow citizens. This requires joint action by all stakeholders. Last May, together with the Council of Europe, we organised an international conference in Dubrovnik on cross-border co-operation in Europe. The conference allowed us not only to promote Council of Europe standards in this sphere, but to exchange best practice for effective cross-border co-operation.
From that perspective, we also attach particular importance to co-operation with the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, which has an important role to play in strengthening the efficiency of local and regional self-government – I will take this opportunity to greet the President of the Congress, who is with us today.
With regard to the question about Armenia, the Committee of Ministers has discussed the matter on a number of occasions in relation to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, even though the settlement of that conflict, as you know, is not within the competence of the Council of Europe; that is for the OSCE and the Minsk Group. The Committee of Ministers has made many declarations and launched numerous calls to the Armenian and Azeri authorities to engage actively in dialogue, with a view to reaching as soon as possible a peaceful solution to the dispute that divides them. I can only reiterate that appeal and call on both sides to refrain from any declarations or acts that might go against such a peaceful solution.
With regard to minority rights, thank you for your question, and for referring to one of the key events of the Croatian chairmanship programme. When I opened that conference, I underlined the importance of those two major European treaties for the protection of the rights of minorities, who are present in virtually every European State. Together, they form a kind of Magna Carta of minority rights on our continent. At the political level, we need to reiterate the support of our States and governments for the protection of minorities. That is also why we have included this as a priority of our chairmanship.
I believe that there needs to be open and continuing dialogue within our States, among public authorities and all other stakeholders, so that minority concerns are listened to and minority perspectives are not lost from view. In this we can be guided by the excellent work carried out by independent expert bodies that evaluate the extent to which States comply with international legal obligations and that make recommendations to help our countries reach higher standards of protection. At the recent conference, a set of proposals was presented, aimed at improving the effectiveness of the current monitoring mechanisms under both our instruments. As a follow-up to the conference, these ideas will be examined in depth in the coming months, and I hope that they will find favour with our States.
Finally, renewing our commitment at the political level to the framework convention and the languages charter, and the monitoring mechanism, would be an excellent way to mark this 20th anniversary, and to ensure that the years ahead remain dynamic and fully important and relevant to the challenges we face.
Ms Aleksandra TOMIĆ (Serbia) – When will Croatia employ members of the Serbian community in the public sector and consistently apply its constitutional law, because it makes provision for the Serbian minority – and other minorities – when participation is higher than 5%, as is the case in 10 counts out of 20, and to 15%, which is the case in 33 cities in Croatia?
Ms KOVÁCS (Serbia) – I remind the Assembly that, at the end of January, a sitting of the Intergovernmental Mixed Commission for Minorities in Serbia and Croatia was held. The memorandum of understanding on the establishment of the Croatian language and literature lectureship at the Novi Sad faculty of philosophy was signed on 15 June this year. How do you evaluate co-operation with Serbia in the field of the promotion and protection of the rights of members of its Croatian community?
Mr Žarko OBRADOVIĆ (Serbia) – I have one more question about minorities. Why does Croatia in the presidency of the Council of Europe not respect Annex G of the 2001 Vienna Agreement on Succession Issues and a restoration to Serbs of rights to which they are entitled, that is tenancy rights to 30,000 Serb refugees expelled from Croatia during the 1990s?
The PRESIDENT* – Before I give you the floor, Ms Pejčinović Burić, I remind members of the Assembly that, under our Rules of Procedure, a question put to the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers must be related to the spheres of responsibility of the committee. I shall call you, Ms Pejčinović Burić, but you are free not to answer a question that is not related directly to your area of responsibility.
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ – Thank you, Madam President. In fact, I think I have already answered the question, by making it clear that the Croatian authorities work closely with the Serbian minority in Croatia. I do not need to add anything further to that.
The PRESIDENT – We have two more questions on the list, so we shall complete it.
Sir Edward LEIGH (United Kingdom) – The Russian Federation walked away from its representation in the Council of Europe after being deprived of its voting rights. Clearly, whatever arguments we make or we want to happen, the Russians will not walk away from Donbass or Crimea simply as a result of our pressure. What steps is the Committee of Ministers taking to find some compromise, possibly to facilitate visits by our Commissioner for Human Rights to Crimea, or to have judges’ hearings, to get the Russian Federation to return to this Assembly?
Ms PANTIĆ PILJA (Serbia) – The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, recently received the representative of the Croats in Vojvodina, Tomislav Žigmanov, to discuss improving relations and resolving outstanding issues. The most important such issue is the question of missing persons. Shedding light on their fate would represent a civilised and humanitarian gesture for both Serbs and Croats. When will Croatia face up to resolving this important open question from the 1990s war?
Ms PEJČINOVIĆ BURIĆ – To answer the question on the Russian Federation, we encourage such exchanges. However, if the Russian Federation does not pay its obligatory contribution to the Council of Europe, that will eventually have consequences. We have not yet reached that point, and we hope not to, so we hope that the recent visit of Secretary General Jagland will help the dialogue and that we find a solution to the issue. In general, we believe that the political issues and the statutory obligations of every member State to pay its contributions should be decoupled – they are two separate issues. We hope that in future that will continue to be the case.
On human rights generally, it is essential that the human rights bodies of the Council of Europe are given full access to carry out monitoring activities unimpeded on the ground. It is important for such bodies to have access to places where their missions should be taking place.
The PRESIDENT* – Thank you, Ms Pejčinović Burić, for your presentation and the most interesting debate.
I took note of what you said about your priorities, in particular national minorities and rebel groups, and the fight against corruption. I especially appreciate that you mentioned gender equality in sport as part of your action programme. You also mentioned interaction with other organisations and the death penalty in Belarus, and it is very important to note that the death penalty has no place anywhere on our continent.
I attach great importance to institutional co-operation – the dialogue you mentioned before – and I look forward to continuing our co-operation during the rest of the Croatian presidency.
We have now completed the questions to the chairperson in office. I thank her very much for attending.
2. Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee/
Observation of the early presidential election in Azerbaijan
The PRESIDENT* – We shall now resume the debate on the progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee, Document 14579 and Addendum 1 and 2, and Document 14582, and on the observation of the early presidential election in Azerbaijan, Document 14584.
I remind the Assembly that this morning it was decided to limit speaking time to three minutes per person. We have to complete our debate on the report by 5 p.m. at the latest.
To resume the list of speakers, I call Mr Seyidov.
Mr SEYIDOV (Azerbaijan) – I congratulate you, Madam President, on your important election. I wish you well in this responsible and important position.
The Council of Europe needs reform, and the Council and especially its Parliamentary Assembly need pure understanding of what is going on. We need to do our best to understand where we are, in which direction we need to go, and what kind of things are happening here in the Chamber. We also need to listen to each other, to understand each other and to take into account each other’s problems.
From that point of view, the election in Azerbaijan is an opportunity to think about that. This may sound a little strange, but I do not want to go into tales about the election. Instead, I want to remind you about some special events that have happened recently in my country.
We have done our best to establish close links between Asia and Europe with the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. Now citizens of different countries can come to Europe or go to Asia through Azerbaijan. Recently, too, the southern gas corridor has opened in Azerbaijan. Later, only a few days ago in Turkey, we celebrated the inauguration of the special TANAP energy project which will deliver gas to Europe via Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and other European States.
Why am I talking about such projects? It is impossible to create, build or implement them without great support from the nation, and that support was demonstrated during the election. In this place I hear much criticism of my country, but you should understand that the population of Azerbaijan is in a very different situation from that presented here. We are strong, independent and – if I may say so – determined to look to the West and to implement democracy in our country. We are a secular Muslim State and we are doing our best to be together with our friends. This is a great opportunity to help and understand Azerbaijan – not to see problems, which all 47 member States have, but to understand where we are and in which direction we should go to implement our values and general attitudes.
Mr OMTZIGT (Netherlands) – I would like to start where the last speaker finished. We have taken a first step to eradicate corruption – we have taken action against at least four MPs so far – but I urge everyone present to take appropriate action in their own parliaments, too. Italy has started a prosecution against a former chairperson of my group, and Belgium has opened a preliminary investigation. We can depend on the judicial authorities or take things into our own hands as parliamentarians. We can force the report on corruption to be discussed in our parliaments and change the rules to ensure that we prevent this from happening again.
That needs to happen not only here in the Assembly but in the Committee of Ministers. That is why I asked the chair of the committee a question. Her answer was half okay, but she did not accept that we should take action against the country that corrupted members of the Assembly. We really should do that, otherwise we will no longer be a values-based or rules-based Organisation; we will just become a large talking club. Talking is fun, as is having dinners in Strasbourg, but that is not what we are here for. We are here to defend the fundamental rights of our citizens.
I would like to ask Mr Heer a question. One of the appendices to his progress report concerns the way we deal with journalists. I spoke to a number of journalists around here, and they asked me to convey the message that they feel they have not been listened to and that there has not been a discussion with them about what the appropriate rules are. The rules can be interpreted in multiple ways. Respecting the privacy of MPs is a bit much in this building. Does that mean journalists cannot film us, follow us, or whatever, when we do not like it? I would like there to be absolute clarity. I would also like Mr Heer to consider talking to journalists to understand what the rules are, taking those rules out of the report and bringing them back in the next progress report. It would be valuable for us to have a good understanding with the journalists who cover our work.
Mr XUCLÀ (Spain)* – First, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate you, Madam President. I wish you all the best in your presidency of the Assembly. We have a big challenge ahead of us. We all, as individual parliamentarians, need to talk to each other, and all the member States of the Organisation need to come back and talk to each other.
The progress report covers the period since the last part-session. On Wednesday, I will have served as a member of the Assembly for 10 years. I am absolutely devoted to this Organisation and I want to continue to work for it. I was one of the people mentioned in the investigation body’s report. It is important for us to address this matter rigorously. There are cases and cases, there are allegations and allegations, and there is evidence and evidence. It was alleged that I had not met the requirements of Article 13 of the Code of Conduct because I shared confidential information with a person outside the Organisation. I do not actually think I have not abided by Article 13 of the Code of Conduct – I dispute that allegation – but I respect the decision by the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs, and I accept the four sanctions meted out against me.
However, I want to make it clear that I maintain all my political rights, such as the right to speak and to cast votes. Those are essential rights. I also want to tell you that, more than two months down the road, the Spanish judiciary has not taken any kind of initiative against me with reference to Article 13 of the Code of Conduct. No proceedings have been instituted. If anyone in the Chamber has evidence that links me to corruption, please be so kind as to present that evidence to the Spanish judiciary. Failing that, with all due respect, I would like to continue to do my work here. The sanctions were adopted following a vote by 12 of the 39 members of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs. Only 12 members were present. That being the case, I very much hope that I will continue to do valid work for the Assembly.
I pay tribute to Mr Schennach, against whom no sanction was meted out. That is commendable. It is important that we remember that we have political rights, which need to be respected. Most importantly, if you talk about corruption in this Organisation, you should refer to the concrete facts. Once again, it is important to investigate and to find any elements that may have served as a basis for the investigation body’s report, which, as I said, includes allegations that are simply baseless and groundless.
I am out of time, but let me also thank Mr Nicoletti for the splendid job he did as President of the Parliamentary Assembly.
Ms FATALIYEVA (Azerbaijan) – I am a member of the ruling party in Azerbaijan. Together with my colleagues, I took part in a number of meetings with various observers. We submitted schedules of all the meetings during the election campaign in which observers took part and could see the atmosphere with their own eyes. I assure you that the Azerbaijani side did its best to create a transparent, free and open atmosphere for both voters and observers during the entire election process.
The report claims that the election took place in a limited political environment. Yes, attendance at New Azerbaijan Party meetings exceeded attendance at others, but I do not think the authority and popularity of a certain candidate and his political party is a violation of rules. The eight candidates who took part in the election had equal rights. They were provided with free airtime on TV and they met regularly with voters. Considering all that, it is hard to agree with the report.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe must be very careful with its decisions and statements, and it must be careful to be objective in its evaluations. Sooner or later, one way or another, the reality and truth will be revealed, as it was in Armenia. We did not even discuss the elections in Armenia – they were considered transparent and democratic – but a bit later the people of Armenia rose up against those so-called legal elections and started long-lasting mass demonstrations. I do not think democratic elections can end up with demonstrations, mass arrests and confrontation. I prefer to believe people. On the other hand, the presidential elections in Azerbaijan were considered to be full of violations, but the people of Azerbaijan expressed their will and made their choice on 11 April, and they are consistent in their choices.
Let us be more coherent in our decisions and pay more attention to the will of people. It is much more productive to consider the people’s position and choices than to play political games.
Mr FARMANYAN (Armenia) – Armenia has been the centre of attention in this Assembly and in European politics during the time under discussion. The peaceful transfer of power in Armenia marked the strength and maturity of Armenian democracy. It was made possible by the bold sense of responsibility and commitment of the organisers of the massive protests and the then Government of Armenia. That was how Armenian democracy responded to all who were concerned about it. There is now a new chance to strengthen Armenian democracy and guarantee its irreversibility.
Any opportunity also represents a challenge. I hope that the wave of hope, optimism and solidarity in Armenian society will not be blocked by ill-thought-out actions that come close to the sensitive line between the consolidation of lawfulness and political oppression; or between the generation of public support for the new government and the putting of pressure on the free media to push it towards self-censorship and silence. The massive and well-organised campaign, involving government officials, against the Hraparak daily newspaper is concerning. I call on the new government to react to that issue and position itself as a unequivocal supporter of free media. I believe that the new government understands very well that, if Armenia is to continue along its democratic path, free media must be a cornerstone.
The state of affairs around Nagorno-Karabakh has dramatically increased our concerns about the possibility of new Azerbaijani aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia. An unprecedented accumulation of troops along the line of contact between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan, as well as along the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the possession of a massive amount of attack weaponry – including US-made Bell-412 helicopters – against American and international law goes hand in hand with unprecedented amounts of war propaganda in Azerbaijani society.
Many experts believe that new Azerbaijani military aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh is knocking at the door, and the south-eastern corner of our continent bristles with guns. The Assembly and its member States should be very clear that new military aggression by Azerbaijan is not welcome and should be prevented. I am here to deliver a clear message to the Azerbaijani leadership that any military aggression against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh will be stopped and properly punished by the forces of the Armenian military. I am here to voice the truth that war is not an option, and that Azerbaijan has no chance of breaking the will of the people of Artsakh or challenging their freedom. We are all one. Political differences among the political forces in Armenia will be replaced by unity and solidarity among our people. We are full of determination and dedication when it comes to justice, memory and identity in Nagorno-Karabakh and what happened in the early 1990s. The wise usually learn lessons from their own history – that includes their modern history – and I hope that that will be the case for the Azerbaijani leadership.
Ms ZOHRABYAN (Armenia)* – I congratulate the President of the Assembly.
During the April part-session, the Assembly debated the independent investigation body’s 198-page report about allegations of corruption within the Parliamentary Assembly. The report was almost entirely devoted to criminal lobbying and corruption by Azerbaijan, which is mentioned 942 times. The report concludes that over several years, a co-ordinated network of corruption was established, with the starring role being reserved for the Azerbaijani laundromat – also known as caviar diplomacy. As Mr Mammadov, a former representative of Azerbaijan in the Council of Europe, said in his testimony, Azerbaijan spent more than €30 million on corrupting members of the Assembly. The report states that certain current and former members of the Assembly – at the head of the list is the former President of the Assembly, Pedro Agramunt – engaged in illegal activities that benefited Azerbaijan. The investigation body produced a long list of members who used the Assembly to serve Azerbaijan’s political interests and conceal the country’s anti-democratic actions, and who received millions of US dollars from the black box of the laundromat for their services.
The follow-up report, which was presented by Ms Petra De Sutter, substantiated the facts presented by the investigation body. The Bureau asked active participants in the Azeri laundromat to suspend their Assembly activities, but only Cezar Preda has done so; the others cling on to their roles. I call on the Assembly to maintain zero tolerance for corruption and demand the resignation of the other participants. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Mr Thorbjørn Jagland, announced that Mr Agramunt was the biggest fish to be caught in the net of the report, but I believe that even the smallest fish should resign, to ensure that the reputation of our Organisation is not further damaged.
Mr AGRAMUNT (Spain)* – I congratulate you, Madam President, on your election.
This may be the last time I address the Assembly, because I have decided to step aside. For some years, I have been the victim of a campaign of persecution by some members of the Assembly and the Secretariat, and by external lobbies belonging to the network of the north American millionaire and speculator George Soros. I have been persecuted simply because I said what I thought, and because I took orders from no one besides my party, constituents and conscience.
I have also been the victim of a report from the investigation body, which levelled accusations at me without any evidence. It was all absolutely false, as I demonstrated in May at the rules committee meeting in Paris, and as has been well established. That is detailed in a report that I am sending to all members of the Parliamentary Assembly today. The malicious actions of the investigation body run counter to all the principles and standards that are supposed to govern the Assembly, and they constitute an attack on members’ freedom of thought and opinion.
The false investigations made by the investigation body were based on the literal transcription of the words of lobbyists in the Soros network, who duped the investigation body. It is an absolute outrage. The European Stability Initiative, which drafted a report on caviar diplomacy, has received more than €1 million over five years from George Soros in an attempt to influence, manipulate and put pressure on people. He has tried to get the Council of Europe to do his bidding and that of the political left, and that is absolutely unacceptable. I have belonged to this institution for almost 20 years, but I will be leaving it because I am sick and tired of this sham parliamentarianism. The Council of Europe has become a court that stands in judgment on parliamentarians and determines whether they and the countries that they represent are good or bad. This is harassment by pressure groups and the preferred lobbies of the Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly. They are the ones that have brought us to this situation.
As for the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly, Mr Sawicki, he took it upon himself to disseminate this report of the investigating body to the media, to national delegations and European parliaments. The dissemination of the report is an act without precedent, and it is only really comparable to the kind of thing that went on at times of religious persecution. This has been a campaign of harassment of members of this Assembly by the Secretary General of this Assembly. I do not think it is even comparable to the practices of the most noteworthy dictators of our time or of the past.
For all these reasons, I would like to finish my contribution by saying to Mr Sawicki that he should submit himself to a vote of confidence before the plenary of this Assembly. Mr Sawicki, you should go. Do not do this Assembly any more harm.
Mr MELKUMYAN (Armenia) – Dear colleagues, large-scale changes have taken place in Armenia since early May. The Armenian people showed that, if they wished, they could make changes. Nowadays, radical reforms are taking place in all spheres of public life in our country. I emphasise especially the real socioeconomic changes that are the basis for free and fair competition relations. Now there are the objective preconditions for large investments to be made in the Republic of Armenia, as the democratisation process shows that there are clear guarantees for the protection of such investments. We are in the process of adopting a number of laws related to tax and investment.
High-tech industries are developing fast in our country. In this area, annual growth is 20% to 25%. At the same time, and on the same basis, the educational system and its management are being reformed. The next important aspect is agriculture. Certification and standardisation issues are being solved in that sphere.
This year a great number of tourists will arrive in Armenia. Yes, Armenia is an interesting and unique country, primarily because of the intellect and hospitality of its people. This year’s World Francophone Summit will be held in Armenia in October, a very important event. We are ready to accept our guests at a high level, and not only on that occasion. Armenia is a country with an open economy, and I invite all investors and friends of the Armenian people to our country. Today our country is making efforts to develop production and services such as pharmaceuticals, intensive agriculture, high technologies based on economics and public sector digitalisation, artificial intelligence and high-quality financial and banking interventions. At the same time, the existence of a modern logistics system and the construction of alternative transport routes remains real. Lastly, the backbone of the economy of the Republic of Armenia is energy. We are building a north-south energy corridor that will allow us to connect to external energy networks. Our workload will be heavy but productive for us.
Ms AGHAYEVA (Azerbaijan) – Madam President, before beginning my speech, I congratulate you on your election as President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
The presidential elections that took place in my country on 11 April 2018 were held in a democratic, transparent and fair manner, in accordance with the constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the electoral code and relevant legislative Acts and in line with international standards. It should be noted that fundamental rights and freedoms were ensured during the election campaign and on election day itself, and necessary conditions were put in place to ensure that the citizens of Azerbaijan could exercise their constitutional right to vote. Elections were observed unrestrictedly by more than 60,000 domestic and international observers, which was proof of the openness and transparency of the whole election process. In total, the process was observed by representatives of more than 60 international organisations and 54 foreign media outlets.
The high turnout of around 75% was testament to the maturity of the electorate and public confidence in the election process. The results of the elections clearly reflected the political will of the Azerbaijani people and overwhelming support for the political, economic and social reform programme of the current leadership of Azerbaijan. With the successful presidential elections held on 11 April 2018, Azerbaijan passed yet another important milestone en route to enhancing its democratic development and further strengthening a society built upon the principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Mr HASANOV (Azerbaijan) – Dear colleagues, I would like to express my point of view regarding the recent early presidential election in Azerbaijan. First of all, I reassure everyone here that the presidential elections in Azerbaijan were free and fair and took place in accordance with relevant international standards. Political pluralism during the elections fuelled real competition among the candidates. There were eight presidential candidates, some of whom strongly challenged the authorities. As for the international observers, they had previously admitted – I would like to draw your attention to this – that they "were able to operate freely” and “the election administration was well resourced and prepared the election efficiently". At the same time, observers reported some irregularities that they had spotted during the elections, but I am sure that any shortcomings did not affect the outcome of the election, which was transparent and fair.
We found the report by Viorel Badea generally unbalanced and biased. The authors state that fundamental rights and freedoms were severely restricted in practice. It is hard to understand what they mean. Regarding media matters, I have to stress that there is full media freedom in Azerbaijan. Free airtime has been provided for presidential candidates by Azerbaijan public television and local web resources and social media are fully independent, so the election coverage was impartial and honest.
Another fundamental right is freedom of assembly. During the elections, the local opposition staged a number of rallies in the capital, all of which were sanctioned by the authorities. At the same time, the candidates held meetings with voters and rallies in regions. The local authorities ensured freedom of assembly. So the required transparent and equal conditions were created for all eight candidates, and the campaign generated full public engagement. The candidate from the New Azerbaijan Party, Mr Ilham Aliyev, overwhelmingly won the election because of his huge public support. His successful policy of economic growth, stability and multiculturalism ensured his landslide victory. It is obvious that during the presidential elections all the fundamental freedoms were respected. Voting was well organised and voters made their choice. Despite the biased position of some observers, we consider Azerbaijan-Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe relations to be of great importance. I believe that our relations will further develop in accordance with all our mutual interests.
The PRESIDENT* – Thank you, Mr Hasanov. We have come to the end of the list of speakers and the rapporteur now has two minutes and 15 seconds to respond.
Mr HEER (Switzerland) – Mr Omtzigt asked about the journalists. First, I can tell him that the Swiss delegation was the first to send a letter to the Bureau about having an independent investigation into the corruption cases. Secondly, he asked what I think about the new media access rules. It is true that they are probably more restrictive than they were, but they were approved unanimously by the Bureau this morning and I think we should now work with the rules we have made. I do not quite understand why this is coming up now; there are Dutch delegates in the Bureau and people from the Group of the European People’s Party are also Bureau members, so the question should have been brought up before. I believe that committee meetings should not be held in private, but that is my personal opinion. They will now be held in private but, as we can see, a majority of the committee can still decide otherwise. That is, I think, the only question I have to answer. Thank you.
The PRESIDENT* – Thank you, Mr Heer.
The discussion on the issue is closed, but before continuing our work may I just comment on some remarks made in the Assembly? I refer to a question addressed to the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers at the beginning of this afternoon. Unfortunately, I do not exactly understand what is going on, when points are made that are not in line with reality and involve respecting persons with whom we work. First and foremost, I should like to reassure the Secretary General of our Assembly that he has our full confidence. The comments made against him infringe our code of conduct and will, therefore, be referred to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs.
The Bureau has proposed a number of references to committees for ratification by the Assembly, set out in Document 14579 Addendum 1.
Is there any objection to the proposed references to committees?
There is no objection, so the references are approved.
I invite the Assembly to approve the other decisions of the Bureau, as set out in the progress report, Document 14579 and Addenda 1 and 2.
I call Mr Lombardi to raise an objection. You have 30 seconds.
Mr LOMBARDI (Switzerland) – Thank you very much, Madam President. Colleagues, I want to make a comment on Addendum 4, if I may. It concerns access, movement and security within the Council of Europe. Is this the right time to raise this? Thank you, I shall proceed.
I speak on behalf of the Swiss delegation, which at its meeting today took a very close look at the text. I apologise that it was a bit late in the day. We were all, I think, consulted on this new rule. I think it might be appropriate to ask that this particular rule not be ratified today, and that the rules be referred back to the Bureau, so that we can look at some extracts of them. It appears to us that some of the rules are a little too restrictive, shall we say.
I understand that the Assembly cannot necessarily discuss the details of this here and now, but I take note of two things. This morning at 9 a.m. the staff at the entrance door wanted to apply the standard contained in paragraph 11, that requests for visitors and assistants should be submitted 72 hours before the desired date, that is before the Assembly session. That was the first problem we experienced, early this morning. We think that 72 hours before the event is excessive; 24 hours should be amply sufficient to receive the request and process it. That would give the Assembly enough flexibility.
Another part of the document we think should be reviewed and corrected is that which talks about relations with the media and restrictions on relations with the press and media, particularly where it mentions “no interference with the privacy of”, and so on. Members have good intentions, but I understand that there are some fears on the part of the media that we want to restrict their activities all too much. I do not suggest that we have a debate here and now, Madam President, but that this be referred back to the Bureau so that the political groups can look at the rules on security and access because, after all, it is about our freedom of movement on the Assembly’s premises.
The PRESIDENT* – Thank you, Mr Lombardi. As you underscored, the Assembly is not going to discuss the content of the rules now. We will vote on your proposal to refer the rules on access, movement and security within the Council of Europe back to the Bureau.
We will now vote on the objection raised by Mr Lombardi. Those who wish to support the objection should vote “yes”; those who do not support the objection and approve the proposal of the Bureau should vote “no”. A simple majority will decide the question.
The objection has been agreed to. The item will be referred back to the Bureau.
Mr OMTZIGT (Netherlands) – It was a good progress report. Do I understand that we have referred back both sets of rules, or only the first rules on access and not those on journalists? Okay, I understand that we did them both. I wanted to propose a sub-amendment and perhaps I will do it as a suggestion to the Bureau, related to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media, and to ensuring that there is an active dialogue with the journalists.
The PRESIDENT* – Mr Omtzigt, all the rules on access have been referred back to the Bureau and for discussion in the Bureau. That will be the responsibility of the Bureau, so there are to be no supplementary amendments tabled here.
Are there any other objections? That is not the case.
The progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee, as amended, is approved.
3. Next public business
The PRESIDENT* – The Assembly will hold its next public meeting tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. with the agenda that was approved this morning.
The sitting is closed.
(The sitting was closed at 4.45 p.m.)
CONTENTS
1. Communication from the Committee of Ministers
Presentation by Ms Marija Pejčinović Burić, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Croatia and Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers
Questions: Mr Omtzigt, Ms Rodríguez Ramos, Mr Howell, Mr Becht, Mr Hunko, Ms Filipovski, Ms Juhász, Mr Fournier, Mr Šešelj, the Earl Of Dundee, Ms Pashayeva, Mr Brenner, Ms Aleksandra Tomić, Ms Kovács, Mr Obradović, Sir Edward Leigh, Ms Pantić Pilja
2. Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee/Observation of the early presidential election in Azerbaijan (11 April 2018)
Speakers: Mr Seyidov, Mr Omtzigt, Mr Xuclà, Ms Fataliyeva, Mr Farmanyan, Ms Zohrabyan, Mr Agramunt, Mr Melkumyan, Ms Aghayeva, Mr Hasanov
3. Next public business
Appendix / Annexe
Representatives or Substitutes who signed the register of attendance in accordance with Rule 12.2 of the Rules of Procedure. The names of members substituted follow (in brackets) the names of participating members.
Liste des représentants ou suppléants ayant signé le registre de présence, conformément à l’article 12.2 du Règlement. Le nom des personnes remplacées suit celui des Membres remplaçant, entre parenthèses.
AGHAYEVA, Ulviyye [Ms]
AGRAMUNT, Pedro [M.]
AMON, Werner [Mr]
ANAGNOSTOPOULOU, Athanasia [Ms]
ANTTILA, Sirkka-Liisa [Ms]
ARIEV, Volodymyr [Mr]
ARNAUT, Damir [Mr]
BADEA, Viorel Riceard [M.] (PREDA, Cezar Florin [M.])
BAKUN, Wojciech [Mr]
BALIĆ, Marijana [Ms]
BARTOS, Mónika [Ms] (CSÖBÖR, Katalin [Mme])
BATRINCEA, Vlad [Mr]
BAYR, Petra [Ms] (HAIDER, Roman [Mr])
BECHT, Olivier [M.]
BENNING, Sybille [Ms] (BEYER, Peter [Mr])
BEUS RICHEMBERGH, Goran [Mr]
BLANCHART, Philippe [M.]
BRENNER, Koloman [Mr] (GYÖNGYÖSI, Márton [Mr])
CANNEY, Seán [Mr] (COWEN, Barry [Mr])
CHRISTODOULOPOULOU, Anastasia [Ms]
CHRISTOFFERSEN, Lise [Ms]
CILEVIČS, Boriss [Mr] (BĒRZINŠ, Andris [M.])
CORSINI, Paolo [Mr]
DALLOZ, Marie-Christine [Mme]
D’AMBROSIO, Vanessa [Ms]
DAMYANOVA, Milena [Mme]
DUNDEE, Alexander [The Earl of] [ ]
EBERLE-STRUB, Susanne [Ms]
ESSL, Franz Leonhard [Mr]
FARMANYAN, Samvel [Mr]
FATALIYEVA, Sevinj [Ms] (GAFAROVA, Sahiba [Ms])
FIALA, Doris [Mme]
FOURNIER, Bernard [M.]
FRESKO-ROLFO, Béatrice [Mme]
FRIDEZ, Pierre-Alain [M.]
GALE, Roger [Sir]
GATTI, Marco [M.]
GAVAN, Paul [Mr]
GENTVILAS, Simonas [Mr] (BUTKEVIČIUS, Algirdas [Mr])
GHILETCHI, Valeriu [Mr]
GONÇALVES, Carlos Alberto [M.]
GONCHARENKO, Oleksii [Mr]
GORGHIU, Alina Ștefania [Ms]
GRAAS, Gusty [M.]
GRAF, Martin [Mr]
GRECH, Etienne [Mr] (CUTAJAR, Rosianne [Ms])
GRIN, Jean-Pierre [M.] (MÜLLER, Thomas [Mr])
GROZDANOVA, Dzhema [Ms]
GUZENINA, Maria [Ms]
HAJDUKOVIĆ, Domagoj [Mr]
HALICKI, Andrzej [Mr]
HASANOV, Elshad [Mr] (HAJIYEV, Sabir [Mr])
HEBNER, Martin [Mr] (KLEINWAECHTER, Norbert [Mr])
HEER, Alfred [Mr]
HEINRICH, Frank [Mr] (VOGEL, Volkmar [Mr])
HERKEL, Andres [Mr] (KROSS, Eerik-Niiles [Mr])
HJEMDAL, Silje [Ms] (WOLD, Morten [Mr])
HOPKINS, Maura [Ms]
HOWELL, John [Mr]
HUNKO, Andrej [Mr]
HUSEYNOV, Rafael [Mr]
JENIŠTA, Luděk [Mr]
JONES, Susan Elan [Ms]
JUHÁSZ, Hajnalka [Ms] (VEJKEY, Imre [Mr])
KALMARI, Anne [Ms]
KARLSSON, Niklas [Mr]
KAVVADIA, Ioanneta [Ms]
KERN, Claude [M.] (DURANTON, Nicole [Mme])
KLEINBERGA, Nellija [Ms] (LAIZĀNE, Inese [Ms])
KOPŘIVA, František [Mr]
KOVÁCS, Elvira [Ms]
KOX, Tiny [Mr]
KYRIAKIDES, Stella [Ms]
LACROIX, Christophe [M.]
LEIGH, Edward [Sir]
LĪBIŅA-EGNERE, Inese [Ms]
LOGVYNSKYI, Georgii [Mr]
LOMBARDI, Filippo [M.]
LOPUSHANSKYI, Andrii [Mr] (DZHEMILIEV, Mustafa [Mr])
LOUCAIDES, George [Mr]
MAELEN, Dirk Van der [Mr] (DUMERY, Daphné [Ms])
MAIRE, Jacques [M.]
MALLIA, Emanuel [Mr]
MARQUES, Duarte [Mr]
MASSEY, Doreen [Baroness]
McCARTHY, Kerry [Ms]
MEHL, Emilie Enger [Ms]
MELKUMYAN, Mikayel [M.] (RUSTAMYAN, Armen [M.])
MOTSCHMANN, Elisabeth [Ms]
MUNYAMA, Killion [Mr] (TRUSKOLASKI, Krzysztof [Mr])
NENUTIL, Miroslav [Mr]
NICK, Andreas [Mr]
NICOLETTI, Michele [Mr]
OBRADOVIĆ, Marija [Ms]
OBRADOVIĆ, Žarko [Mr]
OEHME, Ulrich [Mr] (BERNHARD, Marc [Mr])
OHLSSON, Carina [Ms]
OMTZIGT, Pieter [Mr] (MULDER, Anne [Mr])
O’REILLY, Joseph [Mr]
OVERBEEK, Henk [Mr] (STIENEN, Petra [Ms])
PANTIĆ PILJA, Biljana [Ms]
PASHAYEVA, Ganira [Ms]
POCIEJ, Aleksander [M.] (KLICH, Bogdan [Mr])
POMASKA, Agnieszka [Ms]
PSYCHOGIOS, Georgios [Mr] (KASIMATI, Nina [Ms])
PUPPATO, Laura [Ms] (BERTUZZI, Maria Teresa [Ms])
PUTICA, Sanja [Ms]
RAUCH, Isabelle [Mme] (LOUIS, Alexandra [Mme])
REISS, Frédéric [M.] (ABAD, Damien [M.])
RIBERAYGUA, Patrícia [Mme]
RODRÍGUEZ HERNÁNDEZ, Melisa [Ms]
RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS, Soraya [Mme]
SCHÄFER, Axel [Mr]
SCHENNACH, Stefan [Mr]
SCHMIDT, Frithjof [Mr]
SCHOU, Ingjerd [Ms]
SCHWABE, Frank [Mr]
ŠEŠELJ, Aleksandar [Mr]
SEYIDOV, Samad [Mr]
SILVA, Adão [M.]
SMITH, Angela [Ms]
SOBOLEV, Serhiy [Mr]
SOLEIM, Vetle Wang [Mr] (EIDE, Espen Barth [Mr])
STELLINI, David [Mr]
ŞUPAC, Inna [Ms]
TAMAŠUNIENĖ, Rita [Ms]
THIÉRY, Damien [M.]
THÓRARINSSON, Birgir [Mr] (ÓLASON, Bergþór [Mr])
TOMIĆ, Aleksandra [Ms]
TOUHIG, Don [Lord] (WILSON, Phil [Mr])
ULLRICH, Volker [Mr]
UNHURIAN, Pavlo [Mr] (BILOVOL, Oleksandr [Mr])
VALENTA, Jiři [Mr] (NĚMCOVÁ, Miroslava [Ms])
VAREIKIS, Egidijus [Mr]
VARVITSIOTIS, Miltiadis [Mr] (BAKOYANNIS, Theodora [Ms])
VEN, Mart van de [Mr]
VENIZELOS, Evangelos [M.] (TZAVARAS, Konstantinos [M.])
VERDUCCI, Francesco [Mr] (QUARTAPELLE PROCOPIO, Lia [Ms])
VOGT, Günter [Mr] (WENAWESER, Christoph [Mr])
WASERMAN, Sylvain [M.]
XUCLÀ, Jordi [Mr] (BILDARRATZ, Jokin [Mr])
YEMETS, Leonid [Mr]
ZOHRABYAN, Naira [Mme]
Also signed the register / Ont également signé le registre
Representatives or Substitutes not authorised to vote / Représentants ou suppléants non autorisés à voter
ATSHEMYAN, Karine [Ms]
COAKER, Vernon [Mr]
EIDE, Petter [Mr]
FILIPOVSKI, Dubravka [Ms]
GOODWILL, Robert [Mr]
KELLEHER, Colette [Ms]
MARUKYAN, Edmon [Mr]
MASIULIS, Kęstutis [Mr]
RUSSELL, Simon [Lord]
RUSTAMYAN, Armen [M.]
SHEPPARD, Tommy [Mr]
VEJKEY, Imre [Mr]
Observers / Observateurs
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Partners for democracy / Partenaires pour la démocratie
AMRAOUI, Allal [M.]
CHAGAF, Aziza [Mme]