20.09.2011

INTRODUCTION BY MR MEVLÜT ÇAVUŞOĞLU,

PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY,

AT THE JOINT MEETING OF THE ASSEMBLY’S PRESIDENTIAL COMMITTEE

AND CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

BRUSSELS, 22 September 2011

Dear colleagues, friends,

First of all, let me thank our friends from the European Parliament for their welcome and hospitality. Our joint meetings have become a good tradition and an efficient and flexible tool to maintain dialogue on key issues of common concern. Therefore, I am confident that our today’s discussion will be most fruitful, as usual.

The key item on our today’s agenda is the accession of the European Union to the European Convention of Human Rights. I am glad we have made good progress on this front: our Joint Informal Body has managed  in just two meetings, in March and June of this year, to reach agreement on the modalities of participation of the representatives of the European Parliament in the sittings of the Parliamentary Assembly and its relevant bodies when the Assembly elects judges onto the European Court of Human Rights. And I am proud of the fact that we have managed to solve this difficult and technically complicated matter in a most satisfactory manner!

But our work is far from over. As soon as the intergovernmental negotiations have been completed, the arrangement worked out by the Joint Informal Body will need to be approved by the Assembly and the European Parliament. Furthermore, with this technical work behind us, we will have to concentrate our attention on our next political challenge  - the rapid ratification and entry into force of the Accession Agreement. Here again, we could use the Joint Informal Body to co-ordinate our efforts.

In this context, I would like to note that the Joint Informal Body proved to be a very efficient and flexible co-ordination mechanism. Therefore, I suggest using this model in future for discussing other issues of common interest. This proposal is reflected in our draft resolution on the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the Council of Europe which, I hope, we will approve during the October part-session. Of course, the terms of reference of and membership in these bodies could be adjusted to future specific needs.

Dear colleagues,

In terms of other current political issues of mutual interest, I suggest we talk about the implications of the “Arab spring” for the Council of Europe and the European Union. The revolutionary changes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, as well as ongoing protests in Syria, put a great challenge ahead of us, that is, how Europe could facilitate transition from authoritarian rule to normally functioning democratic societies in our immediate neighbourhood.

I am glad that we are already co-operating in the organisation, as well as observation, of democratic elections in Tunisia. We will also observe the pre-term parliamentary elections in Morocco and, I am sure, there is room for joint work there as well. Therefore, co-operation on electoral matters should continue, whenever possible and appropriate.

But, of course, we should seek mechanisms for playing a more substantial role on the ground. The status of Partner for Democracy with the Parliamentary Assembly could be an interesting tool in this respect. In June this year we granted this status to the Parliament of the Kingdom of Morocco. Moroccan MPs can now participate fully in the work of the Assembly, though without the right to vote, and benefit from the wealth of European expertise and democratic standards. During the October part-session we will be debating a report about the application from the Palestinian National Council. The draft resolution was unanimously approved by our Political Affaires Committee and I hope the Assembly will support it as well. Furthermore, I am promoting the Partnership status in my official contacts with our colleagues from Kazakhstan and Kirghizstan and hope that they would also apply, when they feel ready.

I will stop here with my introduction, leaving it to my colleagues to develop it further. Thank you for your attention.