Doc. 11379
18 September 2007

Need for a Council of Europe Neighbourhood policy

Motion for a resolution
presented by Mr Ateş and others

The European Union launched in 2004 its European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), aimed at strengthening the prosperity, stability and security of countries sharing land or sea borders with the Union.

Apart from the traditional economic, financial and social dimensions, the ENP contains such elements as promoting democracy, the rule of law and the respect for human rights – areas where the Council of Europe competence and expertise are widely recognised as a reference.

A number of countries which are part of the EU’s ENP, such as the countries of Southern and Eastern Mediterranean, are also neighbours to the Council of Europe.

Because of its larger geographical stretch, the Council of Europe has a wider neighbourhood which includes areas of the Middle East and Central Asia.

Our Organisation also needs a coherent policy for relations with neighbouring countries. The aim of such policy would be to share with our neighbours the Council of Europe’s experience in building democracy and in protecting human rights, thus creating more stability and security in the areas around Greater Europe.

As regards the countries which are neighbours of both the Council of Europe and the EU, it would be appropriate to coordinate activities under this new Council of Europe neighbourhood policy with those under the ENP, so as to avoid unnecessary duplications and promote the same set of standards.

The Assembly decides to consider the feasibility of such a policy and the elements which could be part of it.

Signed ¹:

• ATEŞ Abdülkadir, Turkey, SOC
• ALIGRUDIĆ Miloš, Serbia, EPP/CD
• BRANDE Luc Van den, Belgium, EPP/CD
• ČURDOVÁ Anna, Czech Republic, SOC
• DURRIEU Josette, France, SOC
• EVANS Nigel, United Kingdom, EDG
• GROSS Andreas, Switzerland, SOC
• HAJIYEVA Gultakin, Azerbaijan, EPP/CD
• LINDBLAD Göran, Sweden, EPP/CD
• LOUTFI Younal, Bulgaria, ALDE
• LUNDGREN Kerstin, Sweden, ALDE
• MERCAN Murat, Turkey, EPP/CD
• MOTA AMARAL João Bosco, Portugal, EPP/CD
• NĚMCOVÁ Miroslava, Czech Republic, EDG
• OJULAND Kristiina, Estonia, ALDE
• RUSSELL-JOHNSTON, United Kingdom, ALDE
• SEVERINSEN Hanne, Denmark, ALDE
• SZABÓ Zoltán, Hungary, SOC
• ZAŠOV Blagoj, ''the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', SOC

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