Doc. 10626

30 June 2005

Compliance of Observer Countries with the values of the Council of Europe

Motion for a resolution

presented by Mr Margelov and others

The Council of Europe is one of the oldest and most respected organisations in the world.

The goals of the Council of Europe are to protect and promote humanitarian values, human rights, rule of law, pluralistic democracy and unity of nations.

In general, most member states introduce such values successfully.

Recent events clearly indicate that more and more nations in the world are setting the values of the Council of Europe as their priority goals.

Today, it’s high time we asked a question whether the Observer States of the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly meet the high standards of the Organisation.

How do the people of those countries benefit from being represented as the observers in the bodies of the Council of Europe?

Are their laws, legal practice and traditions consistent with the high standards of the Council of Europe and how have they evolved during the last decades under the influence of the Organisation?

We need to understand what the governments and legislators of these countries must do to further promote such values in their countries.

In this connection, we propose to draft a relevant report.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed ¹:

MARGELOV, Mikhail, Russia, EDG

de PUIG, Lluís Maria, Spain, SOC

EINARSSON, Mats, Sweden, UEL

HANCOCK, Michael, United Kingdom, ALDE

KOROBEYNIKOV, Anatoliy, Russia, SOC

KOSACHEV, Konstantin, Russia, EDG

RAKHANSKY, Anatoliy, Ukraine, UEL

RIGONI, Andrea, Italy, EPP/CD

TEVDORADZE, Elene, Georgia, ALDE

Van den BRANDE, Luc, Belgium, EPP/CD

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group