Motion for a recommendation | Doc. 13910 | 08 October 2015

Freedom of movement as a means of protecting human rights

Signatories: Mr Serhii KIRAL, Ukraine, EC ; Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Ms Sílvia Eloïsa BONET PEROT, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Reha DENEMEÇ, Turkey, EC ; Mr Şaban DİŞLİ, Turkey, EPP/CD ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Mr Mustafa Sait GÖNEN, Turkey, EC ; Mr Carles JORDANA MADERO, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Andrei NEGUTA, Republic of Moldova, SOC ; Mr Johan NISSINEN, Sweden, NR ; Ms Judith PALLARÉS CORTÉS, Andorra, ALDE ; Mr Luc RECORDON, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Frédéric REISS, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Soraya RODRÍGUEZ, Spain, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Ms Olena SOTNYK, Ukraine, ALDE ; Mr Eric VORUZ, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Jordi XUCLÀ, Spain, ALDE ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Mobility of people and goods must be ensured for the development of the economy. This has a direct impact on living standards, security and tolerance to different cultures and religions inside or outside countries. In times of economic crisis, mobility, which stems from the basic right for movement or travel becomes crucial, and any attempts to block such a right with no substantial ground is damaging. It also poses a risk to human dignity and the right of any individual to choose freely his or her own professional future.

Such a right is provided in the constitutions of numerous States, and in documents reflecting norms of international law.

According to available information, on 28 November 2013 in Vilnius, a Common Aviation Area Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union was initialled to guarantee flight safety and certification regulations as well as to remove restrictions on foreign airline flights to Ukraine and Ukrainian flights to Europe. It is also reported that the signing of similar agreements with Azerbaijan and Armenia respectively is blocked.

The Parliamentary Assembly should further investigate how the right to freedom of movement is respected in the member States, analyse instances when such a right is obscured and provide recommendations to the Council of Europe and its member States on improvements to their national legislation or international conventions and agreements.