24th Session

Strasbourg, 19-21 March 2013

CG(24)13

18 March 2013

Questions tabled by the members of the Congress

for oral reply by

Thorbjørn JAGLAND,

Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Irene LOIZIDOU, Cyprus (L, EPP/CCE)

The Congress attached a great importance to the reform you launched in order to make this Organisation more efficient and more focused on its objectives. In this spirit, we are working to make our recommendations more concrete and concise, more effective and duly implemented by the Member States of the Council of Europe. To this end, the Congress develops action plans on the basis of its adopted recommendations, in cooperation with the relevant bodies of the Council of Europe.

How do you consider this evolution of the Congress activities in the field of the cooperation programmes developed in coordination with the other entities of the Council of Europe?

Lars O. MOLIN, Sweden (L, EPP/CCE)

During this session, we will be examining a draft resolution on developing political dialogue after the monitoring process and after the observation of elections by the Congress. This resolution aims at strengthening the cooperation and the spirit of dialogue that we have with national authorities at central, regional and local levels, to discuss with them how to effectively implement our recommendations, and to agree on a roadmap to this end.

We know that you are currently working on improving the coordination of Council of Europe monitoring bodies with a view to moving towards a homogeneous procedure.

Do you think that this new initiative of the Congress on post monitoring with a view to reinforcing its political dialogue with the authorities of member states goes in the right direction in the light of the "matrix" that you are proposing in this Organisation regarding the better use of the results of monitoring processes and their meaningful implementation?

Helen EADIE, United Kingdom (R, SOC)

As you know, in the Congress’ drive to increase its impact and effectiveness, we included in our 2011 priorities, the reinforcement of our statutory activities through the development of more operational activities as a direct follow-up to our recommendations on the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and following the observation of local and regional elections.

A few weeks ago, I attended the launch of the project to strengthen local government and to increase cooperation between local and regional authorities in Albania. This project, which is conducted jointly with the Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform of the Council of Europe, gives us the possibility for a regular dialogue with the central, local and regional authorities as well as concrete action in the field. I take the opportunity today of thanking Switzerland for its continuing support for local democracy and to this particular project.

Could you confirm your support to this new objective the Congress has undertaken? Do you see it becoming an important and sustainable part of the future work of the Council of Europe?

Jean-Claude FRECON, France (L, SOC)

Mrs Orlova and myself being Rapporteurs on the Congress budget and resources, we take this opportunity to ask you directly questions which are raised in our report which the Congress will examine this afternoon.

The Council of Europe, like all other international organisations, is affected by the economic crisis, which has severely hit our member states. We would like to thank you for your efforts to try keeping the budget at a stable level.

Could you tell us what short term perspectives you can foresee for the next bi-annual budget (2014-2015)? What budgetary impact can be expected for the activities and the staff of this Organisation?

In this context, I would like to recall the relevant efforts already made by the Congress, both in terms of budget and of reduction of staff, which are more than proportional to the size of our entity as compared to other entities of the Organisation. Furthermore our staff /activity ratio is 56/44 which is one of the best for the Organisation.

Svetlana ORLOVA, Russian Federation (R, EPP/CCE)

As co-rapporteurs of the budget and resources of the Congress, Mr Frécon and I would like to take this opportunity to put the questions raised in our report (to be examined this afternoon by the Congress) to you directly.

At the session held in October last year the Congress established the priorities for its activities for the period 2013-2016. We have been pleased to see that our priorities coincide with the ones you announced for the Organisation as a whole in your address to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly on 22 January earlier this year: fighting against corruption, combating intolerance and xenophobia, protecting minorities and consolidating the legal area of the Council of Europe.

Discussion is due to begin shortly within the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers on the budget of the entire Strasbourg organisation for the period 2014-15.  In the current budget cycle, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities has suffered one of the most massive cutbacks to its budget and secretariat staff, despite the fact that it handles the task of promoting the most authentic form of democracy that is closest to ordinary people in our countries: democracy at local and regional level.  I might add that this activity has been declared as a transversal priority by not one but several chairmanships of the Committee of Ministers. 

Can we count on your support to enable the Congress to continue to effectively foster these aims and priorities?  In particular, can we be certain of your backing to ensure that our secretariat and its budget are spared from cutbacks and, consequently, we will be able to successfully fulfil the obligations we have entered into?

John WARMISHAM, United Kingdom (L, SOC)

This Congress Session will host the Launch of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion – an initiative of the Council of Europe, aimed at supporting the local and regional authorities in implementing policies for the inclusion of the Roma population. We are grateful for your support to this initiative. Could you elaborate on your vision of the role of the Alliance within the Council of Europe and its relations with other international partners?

Yoomi RENSTRÖM, Sweden (R, SOC)

The heart and spine of the Council of Europe is to advocate and support Human Rights for all people. Everyone should be entitled to the fundamental freedoms of a democratic and free society.

In difficult times, the Council of Europe has always been the shield for vulnerable individuals and groups.

In Europe today, the human rights of millions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons are being violated. This is especially clear when it comes to basic rights such as the possibility to openly express opinions through demonstrations.

The Congress has initiated a report to discuss relevant measures to ensure implementation of human rights based on the situation at local and regional level for LGBT-persons.

What is your view on the present situation for LGBT-persons in Europe?

How would you like to work together with the Congress to support human rights at local and regional level for LGBT-persons?

Zinaida DRAGUNKINA, Russian Federation (R, EPP/CCE)

During his recent trip to the Baltic countries, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, said that there should be no stateless children in Europe, with reference to this enduring sad phenomenon in Council of Europe and European Union member States such as Latvia and Estonia.  The Commissioner further stressed that governments should stop foisting the blame on history, other States or “irresponsible parents” but rather take the initiative to address statelessness and prioritise the best interests of the child.  It would be hard to disagree with that statement.

Can you tell us how the Council of Europe is planning to promote the swiftest possible resolution of the problem of statelessness, particularly of children, in a number of its member States, which is casting a shadow over the high democratic standards of the Council of Europe?

Jolanta BARSKA, Poland (L, NR)

We have a crisis in Europe, we also have the demographic crisis. The European population decreases.

In many of our municipalities, population is reducing.

Poland municipalities implement actions to strengthen the role of families, because according to experts, the family is very important in the process of demographic transition.

Do you plan in the Council of Europe action in favour of family and actions to improve the demographic situation in Europe?

Dariusz WROBEL, Poland (L, ECR)

In February and March, you met the Polish Minister and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. How do you evaluate the level of cooperation between the Council of Europe and Poland in the field of democracy and the protection of human rights as well as in other areas?

Gunn Marit HELGESEN, Norway (L, EPP/CCE)

In the light of the strong efforts you have made to strengthen the Council of Europe, how do you foresee the role of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in the future?

Ludmila SFIRLOAGA, Romania (R, SOC)

The reform of the Organisation has been the key-priority pursued during your mandate. How do you find the co-operation with the Congress after the important steps taken so far, both by our institution and by the Organisation, and what more could be done to develop it further?

Luciano VECCHI, Italie (R, SOC)

There has been, in the Russian Federation, a legislative package adopted aimed at suppressing freedom of association and expression for LGBT citizens

I would ask you, as Secretary General of the Council of Europe, if you consider that such legislation and actions by the authorities of the Russian Federation against the LGBT citizens are consistent with principles and standards of the Council of Europe?

What actions do you plan to eliminate – within the Council of Europe member states – all kind of discrimination based on sexual orientation?

Gaye DOGANOGLU, Turkey (L, EPP/CCE)

We are here to address the issues at the grass roots level and therefore my question would relate to family, which is the grass roots level of a socially cohesive society.

We observe that in certain member states, increasing number of children are taken away from their biological parents and placed with institutions or foster families. In certain cases there are reasons to believe that arbitrary decisions are taken without thorough examination of the incidents. Besides, there is a perception of mostly parents with migrant backgrounds are affected from such actions or decisions. There are cases where children taken away are placed with foster families which are completely different in terms of culture, way of life etc.

How do you think that the Council of Europe should address this issue which might pose risks to social cohesion in member states?