TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly
Synopsis No 2001/021
30 January 2001
The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 22 January 2001 with Mr Jansson in Chair, as regards:
- Transit migration in central and eastern Europe (Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Shishlov, Russia, LDR): considered, amended and adopted a draft opinion containing amendments to the report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography, presented by the Rapporteur;
- Federal Republic of Yugoslavia recent developments: appointed Mr Lippelt (Germany, SOC) as Rapporteur; considered, amended and adopted a draft opinion and amendments to the report of the Political Affairs Committee;
- Election of a Judge to the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of Italy: decided not to request urgent procedure in order that the item be placed on the Assembly's agenda;
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The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 22 January 2001 with Mr Akçali, then Mr Jansson in the Chair, and on 23 January 2001 with Mr Jansson, then Mr Magnusson in the Chair, as regards:
- Election of the Bureau: elected by acclamation Mr Jansson (Finland, LDR) Chairperson, Mr Magnusson (Sweden, SOC) 1st Vice-Chairperson, Mr Frunda (Romania, EPP/CD) 2nd Vice-Chairperson and Ms Gülek (Turkey, SOC) 3rd Vice-Chairperson;
- Participation of immigrants and foreign residents in political life in the Council of Europe member States (Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Akçali, Turkey, EDG): considered, amended and adopted a draft opinion presented by the Rapporteur and amendments proposed to the report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography;
- Rights of national minorities (Rapporteur: Mr Bindig, Germany, SOC): took position on the amendments tabled by the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Demography, and by the Political Affairs Committee;
- Conflict in Chechnya recent developments (Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Bindig, Germany, SOC): held an exchange of views with Mr Kalamanov, the President of the Russian Federation's special representative for human rights in the Chechen Republic; considered, amended and adopted a draft opinion presented by the Rapporteur and amendments proposed to the report of the Political Affairs Committee;
- Credentials of the delegation of the Russian Federation: appointed Mrs Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD) as Rapporteur;
- Sub-Committee on Human Rights: reconstituted the Sub-Committee as follows:
Titular member Alternate Mr Akçali Turkey Mr Asciak Malta Mr Bartumeu Cassany Andorra Mr Alis Font Mr Bindig Germany Mr Lintner Mr Cilevics Latvia Mr Clerfayt Belgium Mr Vanoost Mr Contestabile Italy Mr Rodeghiero Mr Demetriou Cyprus Mr Dimas Greece Mr Floros Mrs Err Luxembourg Mr Frunda Romania Mr Olteanu Mr Holovaty Ukraine Mr Jaskiernia Poland Mrs Krzyzanowska Mr Jurgens Netherlands Mr Kelemen Hungary Mr Tabajdi Lord Kirkhill United Kingdom Mr McNamara Mrs Lopez Gonzalez Spain Mr Sole Tura Mr Magnusson Sweden Mr Marty Switzerland Mrs Nabholz-Haidegger Mr Moeller Denmark Mrs Pourtaud France Mr Shishlov Russia Mr Spindelegger Austria Mrs Wurm Mr Svoboda Czech Republic Mr Mezihorak Mr Vera Jardim Portugal Mr Monteiro Mrs Wohlwend Liechtenstein Mr Jansson, ex officio Finland
- Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) (Representative of the Committee: Mr Bartumeu Cassany, Andorra, SOC): heard a statement by its representative on the meeting of GRECO held on 12-15 December 2000 in Strasbourg;
- Held an exchange of views with Mr Nastase, Prime Minister of Romania, former member of the Committee;
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The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 25 January 2001 with Mr Jansson in the Chair, as regards:
- Freedom of expression and functioning of parliamentary democracy in Ukraine (Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Eörsi, Hungary, LDR): considered, amended and adopted a draft opinion presented by the Rapporteur and an amendment to the report of the Monitoring Committee;
- Transfer of sentenced prisoners (Rapporteur: Mr Enright, Ireland, EPP/CD): held an exchange of views with a delegation from the «Irish Commission for Prisoners Overseas», and approved a draft questionnaire to be sent to national parliamentary delegations;
- Credentials of the Delegation of the Russian Federation (Rapporteur for opinion: Mrs Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD): considered and adopted a draft opinion presented by the Rapporteur and an amendment to the report of the Political Affairs Committee, and instructed its Chairperson to ask for an extension, until 11 am, of the deadline for the tabling of amendments;
- Draft Council of Europe Convention on Cyber-crime (Rapporteur: Mr Tallo, Estonia, SOC): approved proposals for the hearing to take place in Paris on 6 March 2001;
- Legal situation of Roma/Gypsies in Council of Europe member States (Rapporteur: Mr Tabajdi, Hungary, SOC): decided to hold a hearing in Paris on 5 March 2001, and approved proposals for the hearing;
- Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights: decided to hold hearings of the candidates in Paris on 9, 10 and 11 April 2001;
- Sub-Committee on the election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights: decided to reconstitute it and determine its composition at its meeting in Paris on 5 March 2001;
- Sub-Committee on Penal Law and Criminology: decided to constitute such a sub-committee and determine its composition at its meeting in Paris on 5 March 2001;
- Appointment of rapporteurs:
i. Harmonisation of criminal law in Europe: Mr Olteanu (Romania, SOC)
ii. Fundamentalist interpretation of sharia law: Mrs Err (Luxembourg, SOC)
iii. Freedom of movement for the residents of Latvia and Estonia: Mr Magnusson (Sweden, SOC)
iv. Political prisoners in Azerbaijan: Mr Clerfayt (Belgium, LDR) (subject to reference by the Assembly)
v. Draft 2nd Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters: Mr Dreyfus-Schmidt (France, SOC) (subject to reference by the Assembly)
- Human rights (Chairperson of the Sub-Committee: Mrs Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD): heard a report by the Chairperson on the meeting of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights held on 24 January 2001;
- New Russian law on religion (Rapporteur: Mr McNamara, United Kingdom, SOC): heard a statement by the Rapporteur, and authorised him to go to the Russian Federation from 13 to 16 March 2001;
- Compensation for non-Slovenian investors in the former Ljubljanska Banka (Rapporteur: Mr Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC): heard a statement by the Rapporteur on his meeting with the parliamentary delegations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Yugoslavia" and Slovenia on Wednesday 24 January 2001 in Strasbourg;
- Rights of minorities: instructed the Committee secretariat to inform it at its next meeting about recent developments within the Council of Europe concerning sign languages;
- Participation in conferences, meetings and seminars:
i. European Commission for Democracy through Law ("Venice Commission"), (Venice, 9-10 March 2001): Mr Jurgens (Netherlands, SOC)
ii. 9th International Conference on Courts of Ultimate Appeal (Budapest (Hungary), 24-26 May 2001): Mr Jaskiernia (Poland, SOC);
- Next meetings:
· Paris, Monday 5 March 2001, at 9 h 30 (National Assembly)
· Paris, Tuesday 6 March 2001, at 9 h 30 (hearing on cyber-crime) (National Assembly)
· Paris, 4 April 2001, at 9 h 30 (to be confirmed)
· Strasbourg, during the April 2001 part-session
· The Hague (Netherlands), Monday 10 September 2001, at 9 h 30 (subject to the authorisation of the Bureau)
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The Sub-Committee on Human Rights, of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 24 January 2001 with Mr Magnusson and then Mrs Wohlwend in the Chair, as regards:
- Election of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson: elected Mrs Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD) Chairperson and Mr Jurgens (Netherlands, SOC) Vice-Chairperson;
- Execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (Rapporteur: Mr Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC): considered a memorandum prepared by the secretariat, and instructed the Rapporteur to submit a proposal for procedure to be followed at a forthcoming meeting;
- European Court of Human Rights: decided to propose to the plenary Committee to invite to one of its forthcoming meetings the Permanent Representative of Ireland, in his capacity as Chairperson of the evaluation group to examine the needs of the European Court of Human Rights;
- Rights of national minorities: decided to propose to the plenary Committee to invite to one of its forthcoming meetings the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the Committee of Experts on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages;
- Next meetings:
. Strasbourg, during the April 2001 part-session
. Salzburg (Austria), 30-31 May 2001 [subject to the Bureau's authorisation]
Allard A. Plate, Danielle Coin, Tanja Kleinsorge, David Cupina