Doc. 8856
5 October 2000

Drafting of a charter defining Europe’s « common values »

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mr Clerfayt and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.       In recent decades numerous speakers and policy makers have referred to the notion of “common European values”. This remains a rather vague notion, however, having never been defined in any detail.

2.       It is now urgent that these values should be defined. And this is quite naturally a task for the Council of Europe, the pan-European organisation responsible for promoting and defending parliamentary democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

3.       The charter should comprise a list of the minimum conditions to be met in order for a political system to be in conformity with “common European values”, including:

i.       free and fully democratic elections at regular intervals;

ii.       separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary;

iii.       equality between women and men;

iv.       respect for human and minority rights;

v.       peaceful settlement (through dialogue) of political and social conflicts, both within and between member states;

vi.       measures to combat intolerance, racism and xenophobia;

vii.       abolition of capital punishment.

4.       The charter should present a detailed list of “common European values”, thereby setting a minimum standard.

5.       Accordingly, the Assembly, with a view to better preserving and guaranteeing the presence and development of democracy in Europe, recommends that the Committee of Ministers

i.       draw up a charter of common European values and submit it for solemn adoption by the member states;

ii.       in order to ensure that this charter is effectively respected, set up a European observatory responsible for monitoring developments in member states in respect of “common European values”, empowered to issue warnings in the event of violation of these values and to propose sanctions.

Signed : ¹

Clerfayt, Belgium, LDR

Agramunt, Spain, EPP/CD

Agudo, Spain, SOC

Akçali, Turkey, EDG

Bársony, Hungary, SOC

Birraux, France, EPP/CD

Buśic, Croatia, EPP/CD

Cherribi, Netherlands, LDR

Davis, United Kingdom, SOC

de Puig, Spain, SOC

Diaz de Mera, Spain, EPP/CD

Eörsi, Hungary, LDR

Err, Luxembourg, SOC

Gjellerod, Denmark, SOC

Gross, Switzerland, SOC

Henry, Belgium, SOC

Iwinski, Poland, SOC

Jansson, Finland, LDR

Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC

Kirilov, Bulgaria, SOC

Lintner, Germany, SPP/CD

Lopez, Spain, SOC

Loutfi, Bulgaria, LDR

Moreels, Belgium, EPP/CD

Nastase, Romania, SOC

Padilla, Spain, EPP/CD

Poptodorova, Bulgaria, SOC

Posada, Spain, EPP/CD

Puche, Spain, EPP/CD

Solé Tura, Spain, SOC

Squarcialupi, Italy, SOC

Stanoiu, Romania, SOC

Tanik, Turkey, EDG

Uriarte, Spain, EPP/CD

Vanoost, Belgium, SOC

Yánez-Barnuevo, Spain, SOC

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

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

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group