Opinion 161 (1992)

Application by the Republic of Bulgaria for membership of the Council of Europe

Author(s): Parliamentary Assembly

Origin - Assembly debate on 5 May 1992 (2nd Sitting) (seeDoc. 6591, report of the Political Affairs Committee, Rapporteur : Mr Martínez ;Doc. 6598, opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Rapporteur : Mr Columberg ; and Doc. 6597Doc. 6597, opinion of the Committee on Relations with Non-Member Countries, Rapporteur : Mr Rathbone). Text adopted by the Assembly on 5 May 1992 (2nd Sitting).

1. The Assembly has received from the Committee of Ministers a request for an opinion on the accession of Bulgaria to the Council of Europe (Doc. 6396), in pursuance of Statutory Resolution (51) 30 A adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 3 May 1951.

2. It observes that democratic parliamentary elections held by universal, free and secret ballot were monitored by an ad hoc committee of the Assembly on 13 October 1991, when local elections, pronounced satisfactory by another Council of Europe delegation, were also held.

3. The Assembly welcomes the European commitment expressed before the Assembly by President Zhelev on 31 January 1991.

4. The Assembly appreciates the contribution made by Bulgaria to the work of the Council of Europe, both at parliamentary level since being granted special guest status on 3 July 1990, and at intergovernmental level since acceding to several European conventions, including the European Cultural Convention, signed on 2 September 1991.

5. It attaches great importance to the commitment expressed by the Bulgarian authorities to sign and ratify in 1992 the European Convention on Human Rights and also to recognise the right of individual application to the European Commission of Human Rights (Article 25 of the Convention) as well as the compulsory jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights (Article 46).

6. The Assembly considers that the Republic of Bulgaria is able and willing :

6.1. to fulfil the provisions of Article 3 of the Statute, which stipulates that ‘‘every member of the Council of Europe must accept the principles of the rule of law and of the enjoyment by all persons within its jurisdiction of human rights and fundamental freedoms'' ;

6.2. to collaborate sincerely and effectively in the realisation of the aim of the Council of Europe as specified in Chapter I of the Statute of the Council of Europe thereby fulfilling the conditions for accession to the Council of Europe as laid down in Article 4 of the Statute.

7. The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers, at its next meeting :

7.1. invite the Republic of Bulgaria to become a member of the Council of Europe ;

7.2. allocate six seats to Bulgaria in the Parliamentary Assembly.