About: Council of Europe Archives

A non-profit group has been raising eyebrows in the Council of Europe for its questionable lobbying activities, a British lawmaker told EURACTIV.

Europe's top human rights body on Tuesday (16 March) voiced concern over two draft media laws in Poland and warned about the possible "suffocation of independent media outlets".

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday (23 December)  blasted the top European rights court's call for Turkey to release Kurdish political leader Selahattin Demirtaş after four years in jail.

Hungary has made no progress on implementing recommendations on corruption concerning members of parliament, judges and prosecutors, the Council of Europe's anti-graft body said in a report released on Tuesday (17 November).

The Council of Europe's anti-torture committee on Wednesday (28 October) expressed "serious concern" about conditions in police custody in Poland, urging "urgent and decisive action" by the authorities.

The EU and the Council of Europe on Sunday (26 July) voiced regret and alarm over the Polish right-wing government's move to withdraw from a landmark international treaty combating violence against women.

Safety requires cancelling public festivities but Georgians are marking their National Day by celebrating individually in their hearts and standing together in solidarity, writes David Zalkaliani.

Hungary summoned the ambassadors of four Nordic countries on Monday (11 May) over their countries' criticism of a controversial law that empowers Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to act by decree against the novel coronavirus.

Since the attempted coup in Turkey in summer 2016, the number of asylum applications submitted by Turkish citizens in Germany has increased significantly. In 2019, Turkish asylum seekers were the third-most-registered group, after Syrians and Iraqis, according to the country's agency for migration and refugees (BAMF). EURACTIV Germany reports.

Poland's parliament has backed a plan to conduct the presidential election on 10 May by postal ballot because of the coronavirus pandemic, raising concerns among democracy advocates that the vote will not be fair or fully transparent.

Five European countries have announced plans to derogate from the European Convention on Human Rights, (ECHR), invoking the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Critics, however, fear that this sends the wrong political signal.

Greece has said it is placing migrant camps across the country on a two-week shutdown to visitors to ward off the new coronavirus. "Visits (to camps) by individuals and organisations are suspended for at least 14 days," the migration ministry said …

More work is needed by Greece to restore the ability of its criminal justice system to counter corruption, Europe's main rights watchdog said on Tuesday (17 December).

Bosnia should urgently close a temporary migrant camp or people will "start to die" during the winter period, a European human rights official warned Tuesday (3 December).

Georgia takes over the Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers on Wednesday (27 November). On this occasion, the country's Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani submitted an exclusive op-ed.

The Council of Europe and NGOs have urged EU countries to agree on a "sustainable and predictable" mechanism for disembarking people rescued in the Mediterranean, ahead of an EU meeting of interior ministers.

As the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) marks its 25th anniversary. Maria Pejčinović Burić takes stock of its successes and future priorities.

Despite its continued meddling in European affairs, Russia has been reinstated in the Council of Europe, with full voting powers. The decision will only encourage Moscow to continue its erratic behaviour on the European continent while others, like Turkey, may follow its example, writes Mark Temnycky.

Latvia said Thursday (27 June) that lawmakers will vote next month on whether to suspend its participation in the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly after the rights body agreed to reinstate Russia.

Europe’s leading democracy and human rights organisation elected a new leadership late on Wednesday (26 June), overshadowed by the walk-out of several delegations following the ratification of Russia’s return to the assembly. With 159 votes from 268 members of the Parliamentary …

Who are those ready to forgive Russia thousands of killed Ukrainians and millions of internally displaced persons, and pardon Moscow for the occupation of 7% of Ukraine’s territory, Mykola Tochytskyi asks in this exclusive opinion piece.

Ukraine on Tuesday (25 June) slammed as an “unacceptable concession to Russia” the decision of the Council of Europe to re-admit Russia, after the country was stripped of voting rights following the 2014 annexation of Crimea.

The Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly agreed Tuesday (25 June) to allow Russian representatives to return to the body, five years after it was stripped of its voting rights over the annexation of Crimea.

The Council of Europe, a pan-continental rights watchdog, on Sunday (5 May) marked its 70th anniversary at a time of mounting populism and a standoff with Russia as well as doubts over its own role in the modern world.