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PACE 006 (2017)

The media and journalism in Europe, highlight of the 2017 winter part-session

Strasbourg, 16.01.2017 - Debates on attacks against journalists and media freedom in Europe, the challenges and accountability of online media and journalism, and the need to end cyberdiscrimination and online hate speech will be at the heart of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) winter plenary part-session to be held in Strasbourg from 23 to 27 January 2017.

There have also been requests for an urgent debate on the functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey and for a current affairs debate on the situation in Syria and its effects upon surrounding countries.

Addressing the Assembly will be Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus, Klaus Iohannis, President of Romania, and Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, will present his communication to Assembly members, and Ioannis Kasoulides, the Cypriot Foreign Minister, will be speaking in the context of the Cypriot Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers.

Other highlights of the session will be the debates on the functioning of democratic institutions in Ukraine, the situation in Lebanon and challenges for regional stability and European security, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Assembly will also be focusing on the progress of its monitoring procedure (September 2015-December 2106).

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The Assembly will decide its final agenda on the opening day of the session.

Monday 23 January

·         Election of the President of the Assembly

·         Election of the Vice-Presidents of the Assembly

·         Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee

·         Communication from the Committee of Ministers presented by Ioannis Kasoulides, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers

Tuesday 24 January

·         Elections of judges to the European Court of Human Rights

·         Address by Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations

·         Free debate

·         Address by Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus

·         Communication from the Secretary General of the Council of Europe presented by Thorbjørn Jagland

·         Attacks against journalists and media freedom in Europe

·         The humanitarian crisis in Gaza

Wednesday 25 January

·         Joint debate

- Online media and journalism: challenges and accountability

- Ending cyberdiscrimination and online hate

·         Address by Klaus Iohannis, President of Romania

·         The functioning of democratic institutions in Ukraine

·         Reinforcing social dialogue as an instrument for stability and decreasing social and

economic inequalities

Thursday 26 January

·         Possible debate under urgent procedure or current affairs debate

·         The progress of the Assembly's monitoring procedure (September 2015-December 2016)

·         The situation in Lebanon and challenges for regional stability and European security

Friday 27 January

·         Joint debate

-       Human rights compatibility of investor–State arbitration in international investment

protection agreements

-       “New generation” trade agreements and their implications for social rights, public health and sustainable development

·         Promoting the inclusion of Roma and Travellers

·         Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee (continued)

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Practical information

Live web stream: The session is streamed live on PACE’s website.

Twitter: #PACEwinter2017

Press conferences: Press conferences will be announced on the spot. They are streamed live over the web.

For TV planning units: Audiovisual Facilities: videos in broadcast quality summing up PACE highlights can be downloaded for free. Contact: [email protected]

For Press accreditation: Directorate of communication, please fill in the form

Further details: see the Assembly's website.

Contact: PACE Communication Division, tel. +33 3 88 41 31 93; [email protected]

The Assembly brings together 324 members from the national parliaments of the 47 member states.

President: Pedro Agramunt (EPP/CD) - Secretary General of the Assembly: Wojciech Sawicki.

Political groups: EPP/CD (Group of the European People's Party); SOC (Socialist Group);

EC (European Conservatives Group); ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe);

UEL (Group of the Unified European Left).