Doc. 8768

8 June 2000

Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union

Written Question No. 387

Reply from the Committee of Ministers

adopted at the 711^th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies (31 May 2000)

I.        Written Question No. 387 by Mr Magnusson (Doc. 8749)

On 25 January 2000 the Assembly adopted its Recommendation 1439 (2000) on the Charter of fundamental rights of the European Union, in which it recommended that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe «pronounce itself in favour of the accession of the European Union to the European Convention of Human Rights and prepare the appropriate amendments to be made to this treaty.»

The question is urgent, but until now the Committee of Ministers has not given a reply to the recommendation.

Meanwhile, the «Convention» has made progress in the drafting of the Charter, the text of which will be finalised for the Intergovernmental Conference to be held in Portugal in June.

The adoption of the Charter is scheduled for the Intergovernmental Conference of December 2000.

Mr Magnusson, on behalf of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, therefore to ask the Committee of Ministers:

What follow-up the Committee of Ministers intends to give to Recommendation 1439 (2000) in time before the adoption of the Charter.

II.        Reply from the Committee of Ministers

The Deputies have studied Written Question No. 387 by Mr Magnusson, and draw the Honorable member’s attention to the reply to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1439 (2000) on the same subject.