TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly
Synopsis No 2000/165
10 November 2000
The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Rome on 2 November 2000 with Mr Jansson in the Chair, as regards:
- Legal questions and human rights matters of interest both to Italy and to the Council of Europe: held an exchange of views with
· Mr Piero Fassino, Minister of Justice;
· members of the Committees on Constitutional Affairs, Justice and Foreign Affairs of the Chamber of Deputies and of the Senate;
- European Commission for Democracy through Law ("Venice Commission") (Representatives of the Committee: Mrs Err, Luxembourg, SOC and Mr Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC): held an exchange of views with the President of the Venice Commission, Mr La Pergola; heard a statement by Mrs Err on the meeting of the Venice Commission on 13-14 October 2000; appointed Mr Jurgens as its representative at the meeting of the Venice Commission on 15-16 December 2000;
- 70-year age limit for the Judges on the European Court of Human Rights (Rapporteur: Lord Kirkhill, United Kingdom, SOC): considered, amended and adopted a draft resolution to be presented to the Standing Committee on 9 November 2000 in Strasbourg;
- National procedures for nominating candidates for election to the European Court of Human Rights (Rapporteur: Mrs Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD): considered the reply of the Committee of Ministers to Recommendation 1429 (1999);
- Rights of minorities (Rapporteur: Mr Bindig, Germany, SOC): considered a preliminary draft recommendation, and asked the Rapporteur to revise his report in the light of the observations made;
- Appointment of rapporteurs:
i. Practical assistance to the Palestinian National Authority: Mr Lintner (Germany, EPP/CD); and asked him to act as the Committee's spokesperson in the debate on the situation in the Middle East to take place in Strasbourg on 9 November 2000 (Standing Committee);
ii. Draft additional Protocol to the Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, on transplantation of organs and tissues of human origin (for opinion): Mr Asciak (Malta, EPP/CD);
iii. Restitution of the Romanian national treasure (for opinion): Mr Akçali (Turkey, EDG)
- Legal situation of Roma/Gypsies in Europe (Rapporteur: Mr Tabajdi, Hungary, SOC): considered, amended and adopted a questionnaire to be sent to national parliamentary delegations;
- European Committee on Legal Cooperation ( CDCJ) (Strasbourg, 4-8 December 2000): appointed Lord Kirkhill (United Kingdom, SOC) as its representative;
- Exercise of the right to conscientious objection to military service in Council of Europe member States (Rapporteur: Mr Marty, Switzerland, LDR): proposed that the debate be postponed until the meeting of the Standing Committee on 14 March 2001;
- Situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia: instructed its Chairperson to write to the President of the Assembly requesting that the Committee be seized for opinion on the report to be presented by the Political Affairs Committee at the January 2001 part-session;
- Situation in the Chechen Republic (Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Bindig, Germany, SOC): authorised the Rapporteur to visit Russia on 9-12 December 2000;
- Group of States against Corruption (GRECO): appointed Mr Bartumeu Cassany (Andorra, SOC) as its representative at the meeting on 12-15 December 2000;
- Next meetings:
· Paris, 27 November 2000, at 9 h 30 (National Assembly)
· Paris, 18 December 2000, at 9 h 30 (National Assembly)
· Strasbourg, during the Assembly's January 2001 part-session
· Paris, 5 March 2001, at 9 h 30 (National Assembly)
The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights participated:
- in the European Ministerial Conference on Human Rights
(3 November 2000, 9 h – 18 h)
- in the Commemorative Ceremony for 50th Anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights and Ceremony for the opening for signature of Protocol No 12 to the European Convention on Human Rights
(4 November 2000, 11 h – 14 h 30)
Allard A. Plate, Tanja Kleinsorge, David Cupina