Newsroom
ECHR launches online knowledge-sharing platform
Senior figures from the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights launched a new knowledge-sharing platform for the Court on Tuesday 18 October. The online tool, known as ECHR-KS, gives legal professionals, academics and the general public easy access to comprehensive and...
Anti-torture Committee on Bulgaria: inter-prisoner violence, health issues, poor material conditions, staff shortages
In its new report on its visit to Bulgaria in October 2021, the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) welcomes rare occurrences of ill-treatment by staff, reduction of prison population and certain improvements in living conditions. However, it regrets the absence of...
European Anti-Trafficking Day: States must urgently tackle human trafficking for labour exploitation
Ahead of the European Anti-Trafficking Day (18 October) the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has stressed the urgency of tackling the growing menace of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation. Helga Gayer, President of GRETA,...
Russia’s so-called referendums in Ukraine ‘null and void’, says PACE
PACE has strongly condemned the attempted annexation of Ukrainian regions by Russia, describing the so-called referendums in these regions as “an affront to international law” and “null and void, with no legal or political effects”. The Assembly was debating a report by Emanuelis Zingeris...
The role of prosecutors in the protection of the environment
On 4 October 2022, the Consultative Council of European Prosecutors (CCPE) adopted its Opinion No. 17 (2022) on the role of prosecutors in environmental protection. The CCPE takes into account that the environmental crimes and related infringements increasingly become a source of global concern,...
Volodymyr Zelenskyy tells PACE: ‘Never yet in history was united Europe as strong as it is today’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has told the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) that dialogue between Europeans has had historically important results. “We see actions that have made Europe unprecedentedly stronger. Never yet in history was united Europe as strong as it is...
Secretary General underlines importance of a 4th Council of Europe Summit
In her dialogue with members of the Parliamentary Assembly, Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić underlined the strong support of the High Level Reflection Group for a fourth Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe. The Summit would be an occasion for all Member...
Ireland’s Europe minister calls for Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik
Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, has given his backing to a fourth summit of Council of Europe Heads of State and Government to take place in Reykjavik as part of Iceland’s forthcoming presidency of the organisation’s Committee of Ministers. Addressing the...
PACE calls for new impetus in the EU enlargement process for the Western Balkans
The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) has called on the European Union to give new impetus to the enlargement process to the Western Balkans. “It is imperative not to lose focus of the Western Balkans, even if the need to support the European aspirations of other countries, such...
Croatia: Improving data protection and efficiency in justice via digitalisation
A high-level conference in Zagreb, Croatia on the project “Digital by default – optimisation of efficiency and quality of judicial services and transparency of judicial decisions” – is addressing new AI and machine-learning technologies to make the justice system more efficient and to ensure...
Ireland’s President Higgins: We need a longer-term vision of the Council of Europe’s role in a post-conflict Europe
Ireland’s President Michael D. Higgins has called for a longer-term vision of the Council of Europe’s role in a post-conflict Europe, and how that might fit within the wider multilateral architecture, in order to effectively uphold human rights, the rule of law and democracy whilst ensuring there...
President of Swiss Confederation calls for new political momentum for the Council of Europe
“The crises we are going through today – foremost among them Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine - force us to question what we used to take for granted. They remind us of our duty to stand up for the values we hold dear, and that have been cherished by the Council of Europe since its...
2022 Václav Havel Prize awarded to imprisoned Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza
The tenth Václav Havel Human Rights Prize – which honours outstanding civil society action in defence of human rights – has been awarded to imprisoned Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza. The 60,000-euro prize was presented at a special ceremony on the opening day of the autumn plenary...
Council of Europe leaders condemn Russian air strikes against towns and cities in Ukraine
Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, Simon Coveney, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Tiny Kox, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, have made the following...
Türkiye: Draft criminal provision on “false or misleading information” interferes with freedom of expression says Venice Commission
Following an urgent request from the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Venice Commission has published an urgent opinion on draft amendments to the Penal Code introducing a provision on “false and misleading information”. The provision...
European and World Day against the Death Penalty, 10 October
Joint statement by the High Representative, on behalf of the European Union, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe
Secretary General statement on awarding of Nobel Peace Prize to human rights activists in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine
"The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded this year to longstanding partners of the Council of Europe - Ales Bialiatski from Belarus, the Russian human rights organisation Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization the Center for Civil Liberties. We are delighted by the decision of the Nobel...
Germany: Council of Europe experts find serious gaps in protecting women and girls from gender-based violence
In its first baseline evaluation report on Germany, the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) welcomes criminal law measures taken before and after Germany’s ratification of the Istanbul Convention in 2018, but also points out...
“Addressing disinformation and propaganda with a human rights framework”: informal exchange of views with civil society representatives
At an informal meeting on 6 October delegations from the Council of Europe’s 46 member states held an exchange of views with representatives of international civil society organisations active in the media field. They discussed the challenges of disinformation and propaganda which undermine...
Irish Presidency welcomes publication of report on the future of the Council of Europe
Ireland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, and Minister for European Affairs, Thomas Byrne, have joined Council of Europe leaders today in welcoming the publication of a report on the future of the Council of Europe by a High-Level Reflection Group chaired by Ireland’s former...
