Strasbourg: PACE concludes summer session

Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) concluded, on 29 June, in Strasbourg its summer session. Internal corruption and a possible re-evaluation in reference to participation of national delegations were among the main topics that have been discussed.

RRA Special Envoy to PACE summer session, Dan Preda: At least two major arguments have prompted the Council of Europe to enter a deep reforming phase, that being the only solution to ensure or even extend its existence.

On one hand, a serious involvement in the fight against corruption, with the "Caviargate" affair - when several members of the Assembly were bribed with caviar, in exchange for voting, by the Azerbaijani authorities, and on the other hand, the need for the Council to clarify its position on Russia.

As is well known, Russian lawmakers have been deprived of the right to vote and, as a result, they haven’t even come to Strasbourg, but at the same time Moscow has given up paying the membership fee to the Council of Europe. Implications are quite heavy..

Russia's relations with the Council fall to zero, and in Strasbourg, everybody thinks that Russia may soon be convinced to make changes, as a Member State of the Council of Europe, plus the failure to pay the 33 million euro contribution produced a profound blow to the budget.

So, the end of the summer session brings two very important news for the future of this organization. First - decision to exclude 14 former members of the Assembly involved in the above mentioned corruption scandal. They come from Belgium, Italy, Azerbaijan, Slovenia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Poland and Germany. They are denied access forever to any Council of Europe location.

Second information comes after the Assembly Bureau has declassified a report made by an ad-hoc special commission, a document that is said to have an impact on the good functioning of the organization and on its members’ participation in the works of the Council.

Thus, PACE might consider to re-evaluate validation of national delegations, as well as the procedure for the right to vote.

“As an organization which brings together almost all European states on the basis of common values, principles and legal standards, the Council of Europe is today best placed to help meet the challenges raised by growing nationalism and avoid the building of new walls”, concluded the PACE summer session in Strasbourg the newly-elected Assembly’s President, Ms.Liliane Maury Pasquier.

Source:RRA.Translated by Miruna Matei