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3 May 1993
Doc. 6822
OPINION
on the application of the Republic of Slovenia
for membership of the Council of Europe1
(Rapporteur: Mr SEITLINGER
France, UDF)
1. The Republic of Slovenia has been resolute yet moderate in successfully achieving independence from Yugoslavia and gaining international recognition. The principal stages were as follows:
- referendum of 23 December 1990 on the possible independence of the Republic of Slovenia, approved by 97% of votes cast;
- adoption by the Slovenian parliament of the Basic Constitutional Charter on 25 June 1991;
- armed opposition to invasion by the Yugoslavian forces on 26 June 1991 and liberation of the country;
- adoption of a new Constitution on 23 December 1991;
- recognition of the independence of the Republic of Slovenia by an increasing number of states from early 1992 onwards;
- admission to the United Nations on 22 May 1992;
- organisation of free and democratic parliamentary elections on 6 December 1992 which gave the country firmly founded democratic institutions.
2. The Committee on Relations with European Non-Member Countries attentively monitored Slovenia's progress towards independence.
3. As early as 23 January 1992 it exchanged views in Paris with a delegation from the Slovenian parliament consisting of Mr Matjaz Sinkovec, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on International Relations, and Mr Borut Pahor, Chairman of the Youth Affairs Committee. The delegation was accompanied by Mr Andrej Novak, representative of Slovenia in Strasbourg. The outcome of the meeting was a unanimous proposal by the committee for the conferment of special guest status on Slovenia, which the Bureau of the Assembly granted on 3 February 1992. The delegation of special guests has since taken a very active part in the committee's proceedings.
4. From 10 to 12 September 1992 the plenary committee met in Ljubljana. After a round of talks with Mr Bučar, Speaker of the parliament, representatives of the various parties and political groups, Mr Drnovšek, Prime Minister, Mr Rupel, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Janko, Minister for Legislative Reform, Mr Kozinc, Minister for Public Administration and Justice, Mr Kučan, President of the Republic, representatives of the Italian and Hungarian ethnic communities, the Council of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Confederation of Slovenia's New Trade Unions, the Union of Slovenia's Free Trade Unions, the Road Traffic Union, the Slovenian Red Cross and representatives of "Most svobode" (an association of German-speaking Slovenians), all members of the committee were able to appreciate the solid grounding of democracy in the country's civil and political society and its determination to be united with the family of democratic nations in the Council of Europe. The representatives of the Hungarian and Italian minorities, in particular, whose rights are guaranteed by Rule 64 of the Constitution, declared themselves quite satisfied by their situation.
5. As is clearly indicated by the conclusions to Mr Badinter's arbitration Commission (Opinion No. 7 concerning international recognition of the Republic of Slovenia) and to the report on the legislation of the Republic of Slovenia drawn up by Mr Matscher, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights, and Sir Basil Hall, member of the European Commission of Human Rights, human rights and fundamental freedoms are secured by Slovenian legislation and conform to the basic legal standards of the Council of Europe.
6. After the parliamentary elections had been held on 6 December 1992 and judged lawful and free by the Assembly's observation team, the parliament on 25 January 1993 approved the formation of a new major coalition government led by Mr Janez Drnovšek of the Liberal Democratic Party.
7. At its meeting on 5 March 1993 in Paris, the Committee on Relations with European Non-Member Countries unanimously approved the Political Affairs Committee's draft opinion on Slovenia's application for membership of the Council of Europe (Doc. 6786), in particular paragraph 7: "The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers, at its next meeting:
i. invite the Republic of Slovenia to become a member of the Council of Europe;
ii. allocate three seats to Slovenia in the Parliamentary Assembly".
8. As Rapporteur for opinion, I wholeheartedly endorse this recommendation and hope that Slovenia, one of the few havens of stability in this war-torn region of Europe, will become a full member of the Council of Europe in May 1993.
Reporting committee: Political Affairs Committee (Doc. 6786).
Committee for opinion: Committee on Relations with European Non-Member Countries.
Reference to committee: Doc. 6588 and Reference No. 1782 of 4 May 1992.
Opinion unanimously approved by the committee on 28 April 1993.
Secretary to the committee: Mr Dufour.