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Recommendation 1971 (2011) Final version
The impact of the Eastern Partnership of the European Union on governance and economic development in eastern Europe
1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers
to its Resolution 1812
(2011) on the impact of the Eastern Partnership of the
European Union on governance and economic development in eastern
Europe and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe
and the European Union.
2. The Assembly invites the Committee of Ministers to:
2.1. prepare a set of proposals regarding
the Council of Europe's contribution towards the realisation of
the Eastern Partnership with a view to presenting them to the Second
Eastern Partnership Summit of Heads of State and Government which
will be held in Autumn 2011;
2.2. seek to involve the Council of Europe in the work of the
OECD’s Development Assistance Committee and to add the Council of
Europe to the list of international organisations eligible to receive
ODA (Official Development Assistance) in the form of unearmarked voluntary
contributions that could be channelled to Council of Europe country
assistance programmes, including in favour of Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, as well as Belarus whenever possible;
2.3. ensure that the Council of Europe INGO Conference contributes
meaningfully to the work of the Civil Society Forum and other platforms
of the Eastern Partnership, where relevant, and involves a wide
range of civil society organisations from the Eastern Partnership countries;
2.4. encourage Belarus to become a Party to the Criminal and
Civil Law Conventions on Corruption (ETS Nos. 173 and 174) and the
Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the
Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism (CETS No.
198), and to make greater use of its associate member status with
the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission);
2.5. urge Azerbaijan and Georgia to sign the Convention on
Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from
Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism;
2.6. ask the European Union and its member states to:
2.6.1. ensure sufficient funding for the Eastern Partnership
and adequate targeted assistance to the authorities of the partnership
countries for the implementation of governance reforms, as well
as closer co-ordination of national and multilateral assistance programmes
towards eastern Europe;
2.6.2. launch dialogue aiming at full visa liberalisation between
the European Union and the eastern European partners concerned;
2.6.3. enhance their field presence in the Eastern Partnership
countries, in particular in the local media, with a view to fostering
official contacts at all levels of governance, public awareness
of the partnership goals and regional co-operation on issues of
common concern among the partnership countries;
2.6.4. involve, whenever feasible, the Council of Europe, and
through it third countries, in the realisation of the Eastern Partnership.