The Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), meeting on 8 March 2000 in Paris, with Mr Mota Amaral (Portugal, EPP/CD) in the Chair:

• Ukraine (co-rapporteurs: Ms Severinsen (Denmark, LDR) and Ms Wohlwend (Liechtenstein, EPP/CD)): unanimously adopted a draft recommendation on reform of institutions in Ukraine;

 

• "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (co-rapporteurs: MM Dumitrescu (Romania, SOC) and Sinka (Latvia, EDG)): unanimously adopted a draft resolution and a draft recommendation;

 

• Austria: decided to submit to the Bureau of the Assembly a request for opening a monitoring procedure;

 

• Latvia (co-rapporteurs: MM Davis (United Kingdom, SOC) and Jansson (Finland, LDR)): examined the comments by the Latvian authorities on the preliminary draft report and decided to present the report to the Assembly after being informed of the regulatory acts concerning the State language law, to be issued by the Latvian government before 1^st September 2000;

 

• Albania (co-rapporteurs: MM Smorawinski (Poland, EPP/CD) and Solé Tura (Spain, SOC)): took note of the comments by the Albanian authorities on the preliminary draft report;

 

• Russia (co-rapporteurs: MM Atkinson (United Kingdom, EDG) and Bindig (Germany, SOC)): was informed that the committee would be represented by MM Moreels (Belgium, EPP/CD) and Sinka (Latvia, EDG) in the Assembly delegation that is to visit Russia on 9-13 march 2000, in accordance with paragraph 18 of Recommendation 1444 (2000) ; furthermore, it authorised its co-rapporteurs to carry out a fact-finding visit to Russia during the spring 2000;

 

• Turkey (co-rapporteurs: MM Barsony (Hungary, SOC) and Zierer (Germany, EPP/CD)): appointed Mr Zierer co-rapporteur in replacement of Mr Hornhues (Germany, EPP/CD) who was no longer a member of the committee, and took note of the draft programme of the fact-finding visit to take place on 26-30 March 2000;

 

• Progress report of the committee (1999-2000): appointed Mr Sinka (Latvia, EDG) rapporteur;

 

• Decided to hold its next meeting during the next Assembly part-session (3-7 April 2000) in Strasbourg.

Egbert Ausems, Guy Dufour, Despina Chatzivassiliou