Description : NB_CE

CCPE-BU(2015)1

Strasbourg, 22 April 2015

BUREAU of the CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL

OF EUROPEAN PROSECUTORS

(CCpE-BU)

Report of the 22nd meeting

Strasbourg, 11 March 2015

Document prepared by the Secretariat

Directorate General I – Human Rights and Rule of Law


I.              INTRODUCTION

1.            The Bureau of the Consultative Council of European Prosecutors (CCPE) held its 22nd meeting in Strasbourg on 11 March 2015. The meeting was chaired by Mr Cedric VISART de BOCARME (Belgium), President of the CCPE.

2.            The following Bureau members were also present:

-       Ms Alessandra GIRALDI (Denmark), Vice-President of the CCPE;

-       Mr Peter McCORMICK (Ireland).

3.            The agenda is set out in Appendix I.

II.            COMMUNICATION by the President, members OF THE BUREAU AND THE SECRETARIAT[1]

4.            The President informed of his participation in the Working Group on prison overcrowding established by the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC).

5.            The members of the Bureau and Secretariat briefly discussed the CCPE’s involvement in the activities of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS) and the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competition.

6.            The request of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan to receive observer status to the CCPE was also discussed.

III.           PREPARATION OF the Opinion No. 10 on relations between prosecutors and investigation services

7.            The Bureau discussed the elements concerning the preparation of the draft structure of Opinion No. 10. Particular attention was given by the Bureau to the sensitivity of the topic of this Opinion and the need to cover in a comprehensive manner all relevant principles which regulate relations between prosecutors and bodies in charge of investigations. The rationale for such relations, their objectives, positive aspects as well as challenges should also become an integral part of the Opinion.

8.            As a result of discussions, the members of the Bureau elaborated a basic draft structure of the Opinion (document CCPE-GT(2015)1) consisting of the following chapters: 1) introduction; 2) which is the role/what are the rights/responsibilities of prosecutors in the investigation; 3) principles of ethics governing the action of the police or other investigation bodies; 4) the role of prosecutors concerning the respect of the rights of the defence during investigations; 5) the control of the police or other investigation bodies.

9.            The Bureau decided to submit this draft structure to the CCPE Working Group during its 16th meeting (12-13 March 2015) for further elaboration of the final detailed version.

10.         The Bureau decided, once the detailed structure is finalised and adopted by the Working Group, to invite its members to divide the preparation of different chapters of the draft Opinion between themselves. The timetable for contributions should be decided by the Working Group.

11.         The members of the Bureau and the Secretariat briefly discussed the possible topics for the CCPE Opinions in 2016 and 2017, and mentioned in particular the rights of the defence, the rights of victims, the rights of witnesses and involvement of lawyers in criminal proceedings

IV.          OTHER WORK OF THE CCPE

12.         The complaint from Ukraine submitted by the Chairman of the District Administrative Court of Kyiv to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe was discussed along with the draft comments prepared by the CCPE as a response to this complaint[2].

V.            OTHER ITEMS

13.         The next meeting of the Bureau would take place in Paris on 24 June 2015.


Appendix I

AGENDA

1.         Opening of the meeting / Ouverture de la réunion

2.         Adoption of the agenda / Adoption de l’ordre du jour

3.         Preparation of the CCPE Opinion No. 10 on relations between prosecutors and investigation services / Préparation de l’Avis No. 10 sur les relations entre les procureurs et les services d’enquêtes

4.         Preparation of other items of the CCPE-GT meeting / Préparation des autres points de la réunion du CCPE-GT

5.         Any other business / Divers



[1] For more details, see the report on the 16th meeting of the CCPE Working Group in Strasbourg on 12-13 March 2015, document CCPE-GT(2015)1.

[2] Ibid., para 29.