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17 април 2016

Пролетната сесия на ПАСЕ 18-22 април 2016г. - втора сесия в рамките на българското председателство на Комитета на министрите



 
 
  

На сесията ще говори Министър Даниел Митов - Председател на Комитета на Министрите на Съвета  на Европа, който ще отговаря на въпроси от депутатите в ПАСЕ

Пред ПАСЕ ще говорят също - Жан Клод Юнкер - Президент на Европейската комисия, Президентът на Австрия Хайнц Фишер, Премиерът на Турция Ахмет Давутоглу, Премиерът на Грузия Георги Квирикашвили и Европейският Комисар по правата на човека Нилс Муйзниекс

Генералният секрета на Съвета на Европа Тьобьорн Ягланд ще отговаря на въпроси на депутати

 

 The Session: 

Speeches by 

the Presidents of Austria and 

the European Commission, 

and the Prime Ministers of Georgia and Turkey

 

Фото: Съвет на Европа

 

The President of Austria, Heinz Fischer, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the Prime Ministers of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, and Turkey, Ahmet Davutoglu, are among leading personalities due to address the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe during its spring session (18-22 April 2016).
The refugee and migrant crisis in Europe will be on the agenda, with debates on a stronger European response to the Syrian refugee crisis, the human rights of refugees and migrants in the Western Balkans and the new challenge posed by forced migration.
Other items on the agenda include debates on assessing the impact of measures to improve women’s political representation, preventing the radicalisation of children, humanitarian concerns with regard to people captured during the war in Ukraine, the handling of international public health emergencies, and the fight against antisemitism in Europe. There have also been several requests for urgent and current affairs debates.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Daniel Mitov, will address the Assembly in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, will present his annual activity report 2015. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, will answer questions from parliamentarians.
The Assembly will also be evaluating the partnership for democracy in respect of the Palestinian National Council.
The Assembly will decide its final agenda on the opening day of the session.

18.04.2016


"Family Photo" оf EPP Group

Сеимейна снимка на групата на ЕНП в ПАСЕ в началото на сесията.

Фото: Съвет на Европа
Президентът на ПАСЕ Педро Аграмун, новият председател на групата на ЕНП Аксел Фишер (Германия) и Президентът на цялата Европейска Народна Партия Жозеф Дол на първия ред.


Фото: Съвет на Европа
Тримата лидери от ЕНП с обща снимка при откриването на сесията на ПАСЕ - Жозеф Дол, Педро Аграмун и Аксел Фишер.


19.04.2016


 Среща на Ръководителя на българската делегация в ПАСЕ д-р Джема Грозданова с ръководителя на делегацията на Устония в ПАСЕ г-жа Мариане Мико.

На следващата сесия на ПАСЕ през юни Естония ще ръководи Комитета на Минстирите.

На срещата бяха обсъдени приоритетите на българското председателство на парламентарно ниво, това което беше постигнато и необходимостта за продължаване на работата по някои от темите лансирани от българската делегация в ПАСЕ. Естония ще поеме част от темите на българското председателство като свои приоритети, за да бъдат те доведени до успех. 


The Head of the Bulgarian Delegation Dr. Dzhema Grozdanova and the Head of Estonian Delegation Ms. Marianne Mikko 



От Агенция ПИК : Джема Грозданова в Страсбург: България доказа способността си да обединява и да сътрудничи за приемане на трудни решения с консенсус  

Линк :


В рамките на Парламентарното измерение на председателството България предложи организирането на Четвърта среща на върха на държавни и правителствени ръководители на държавите-членки на Съвета на Европа.  
Инициативата е подкрепена от всички председатели на политически групи в ПАСЕ. 
С тази инициатива е свързана Софийската декларация, приета единодушно от Постоянната комисия на ПАСЕ през месец ноември м.г. в София.
"България участва активно в дневния ред на Съвета на Европа, като по време на Председателството доказа способността си да обединява и да сътрудничи за приемане на трудни решения с консенсус. 
На 18 май България ще предаде председателството на Комитета на министрите (КМ) на Естония. 
На срещата, която проведох с ръководителя на естонската делегация в ПАСЕ г-жа Мико, обсъдихме общите приоритети на двете страни, като естонската страна ще продължи работа по Софийската стратегия за децата и инициативата за Четвъртата среща на върха", заяви Джема Грозданова по време на втората редовна сесия на ПАСЕ в Страсбург.
По време на второто в историята ни председателство на КМ на Съвета на Европа,  България изведе на преден план няколко приоритета.  
Защитата правата на децата се превърна в т. нар Софийска Стратегия по детски права след стратегиите от Монако и Стокхолм.
 Защитата на уязвимите групи е подкрепена от скорошното подписване на Истанбулската конвенция на Съвета на Европа за защита на жените от домашно насилие. 
Правителството упълномощи министър Екатерина Захариева да подпише конвенцията.
Независимата и прозрачна съдебна система е третият основен приоритет, който ще бъде подкрепен от т. нар. План за действие, който ще бъде приет утре на конференция на министрите на правосъдието на държавите-членки на Съвета на Европа (СЕ). 
По този повод в София пристига генералния секретар на СЕ Торбьорн Ягланд.



Изложба "Тоталитаризмът в Европа" на Платформата за европейска памет и съвест.
Изложбата се проведе по инициатива на ръководителят на делегацията на Увгария Жолт Немет и Председателят на групата на ЕНП Аксел Фишер


Фото: Съвет на Европа

 На снимката горе - Гьоран Линдблад, Жолт Немет и Нийла Винкелман


Фото: Съвет на Европа
Нийла Винкелман, Гьоран Линдблад и Жолт Немет


Фото: Съвет на Европа
Между публиката, с навитите на руло книжа в ръка и мое смирение, споменат от ораторите като инициатор на Резолюция 1481/2006 за Международно осъждане на престъпленията на тоталитарните комунистически режими. 

Докладчикът на ПАСЕ по тази резолюция беше Гьоран Линдблад, сега Президент на Платформата.



                                               20.04. 2016

 Председателят на Комитета на министрите г-н Даниел Митов, министър на външните работи на България направи изялнеие пред ПАСЕ и отговори навъпроси на депутати в пленарната зала.


Фото: Съвет на Европа


Това е заключителното му обращение към депутатите в ПАСЕ поради завършването на българското председателство на 18 май. Тогава на заседание на Комитета на Министрите в София, Даниел митов ще предаде председателството на Министърът на воншните работи на Естония, която е следващият председател на Комитета на Министрите.


Фото: Съвет на Европа

Фото: Съвет на Европа

Фото: Съвет на Европа


Фото: Съвет на Европа

 Видеозапис на обращението на Министър Митов :
  Videorecord :
https://vodmanager.coe.int/coe/webcast/coe/2016-04-20-3/en/3



.... и като стенограма от заседанието - тук :


2016 ORDINARY SESSION
________________________
(Second part)
REPORT
Fifteenth sitting
Wednesday 20 April 2016 at 3.30 p.m.


(…)
http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/Records/2016/E/1604201530E.htm


2. Communication from the Committee Of Ministers to the Parliamentary Assembly, presented by Mr Daniel Mitov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers

      The PRESIDENT – The first item of business this afternoon is the communication from the Committee of Ministers to the Assembly presented by Mr Daniel Mitov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers. 
This will be followed by questions to Mr Mitov. We have only 45 minutes.

      Dear Mr Mitov, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to our Assembly again. Bulgaria is making great efforts in achieving the goals set out at the beginning of the chairmanship. I particularly congratulate you on the new Council of Europe strategy on the rights of the child launched in Sofia some weeks ago. The strategy is extremely necessary at a time when thousands of children in Europe are suffering exploitation, abuse and discrimination. We must build a society in which they can grow up healthy and safe. The floor is yours.

      Mr MITOV (Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers) – Mr President, members of the Assembly, excellencies, and ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honour to address, for the second time, the plenary sitting of the Parliamentary Assembly in my capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The work done by the Committee of Ministers under the Bulgarian chairmanship in the three months since my previous participation have been rich in events and positive developments. I am glad to be able to share with you some information.
      Unfortunately, during this period Europe has continued to face tragic events such as the terrorist attacks in Turkey and Brussels. As Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, on 18 February I issued a statement condemning the terrorist attack in Ankara and on 22 March in another statement I conveyed my condolences to the victims of the terrorist attacks in Brussels the same day. These were yet further attacks against our democracies. I confirmed that we must resolutely continue to combat terrorism in full respect of the values and principles that unite our continent.
      On 30 March, the Committee of Ministers adopted a statement condemning in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks carried out in Turkey and Belgium. It pointed out that these horrendous attacks are unjustifiable and that they can only strengthen the determination of the Committee of Ministers to continue the fight against terrorism in full respect of the principles of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
      Those events only confirmed that the fight against terrorism will continue to be part of the agenda of the Council of Europe. We must constantly work on finding ways to tackle the roots of this problem, while ensuring respect for fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. In this respect, several steps have been taken in the last period. On 15 March, the Ministers’ Deputies held a thematic debate on “Rising extremism, radicalisation and xenophobia in the fight against terrorism: Building inclusive societies as a cure/ The need for collective action”. The Committee of Ministers also adopted guidelines for prison and probation services regarding radicalisation and violent extremism, as well as an action plan for 2016 to 2020 on transnational organised crime.
      On 13 April, the Committee of Ministers decided to hold the 2016 exchange on the religious dimension of intercultural dialogue from 9 to 10 November 2016 in Strasbourg. The main theme of the exchange will be “The role of education in the prevention of radicalisation leading to terrorism and violent extremism” and the two sub-themes will be “Education for democratic citizenship in the context of cultural and religious diversity” and “Empowering women and the role of the family in countering radicalisation and violent extremism”.
      In the field of education, a Council of Europe conference of Ministers of Education took place on 11 and 12 April 2016 in Brussels. In their final declaration, the participants expressed their support for a new tool that has been developed to promote democracy and democratic values in schools and other settings. The new tool, called the Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture, sets out a series of 20 key competences needed to play an active role in democratic society and explains how these can be defined and measured. The tool is designed to help tackle violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism and to promote inclusive societies.
      At the beginning of April, there was another worrying event – the escalation of violence in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. On 5 April, I issued a statement expressing my deep concern in this regard and I called on the parties to respect their commitments and take all appropriate steps without delay to put an end to the escalation of violence, respect the ceasefire and renew dialogue, under the aegis of the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group, towards a negotiated solution.
      Having touched on those unfortunate events, allow me to continue with some positive information concerning one of the main priorities of the Bulgarian chairmanship. In the framework of the Bulgarian chairmanship, on 9 February an international high-level conference “Democratic stability based on the European unity and co-operation” was held in Sofia, hosted by the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria. The event was attended by the chairpersons of the committees of foreign affairs of national parliaments of Council of Europe member States, the Parliamentary President, Pedro Agramunt, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Gabriella Battaini Dragoni, and other representatives of governmental and non-governmental organisations. During that forum, the participants discussed the challenges for democratic security and co-operation in Europe, the migration and refugees crises and the process of reconciliation and pan-European unification. One of the main topics was the idea of holding a fourth summit of the Council of Europe, proposed by the Sofia Declaration, aiming to reaffirm at the highest political level the Council of Europe member States’ commitment to the common values and principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
      Another important event under the Bulgarian Chairmanship was the high-level conference "Reaching the Heights for the Rights of the Child", held on 5 and 6 April 2016 in Sofia. The event was opened by the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe together with the Presidents of the Republic of Bulgaria and of Malta in the presence of ministers from many countries and high-level representatives of international organisations. The event officially launched the Council of Europe’s Child Right’s Strategy, covering 2016-21, now known as the Sofia strategy, which was adopted on 2 March 2016 by the Committee of Ministers. The conference was co-organised by the Council of Europe, the State Agency for Child Protection in Bulgaria and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of Bulgaria.
      It was an honour for my country to be host of the conference and to contribute to this very important area of the Council of Europe’s activity, namely the protection of the rights of the child. It was attended by all member States, with a high level of political representation. Over 300 experts, policy makers and representatives of international and non-governmental organisations discussed how to translate the strategy into specific concrete action at a national level. Children and young people participated alongside adults throughout, showing that at the Council of Europe we practise what we preach when it comes to child participation. I am confident that the conference helped to foster new networks of political leaders, experts and young people who will continue to drive the implementation of the strategy, which will be also guided by the new ad hoc Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child.
      Nine thematic sessions were held at the conference, in conformity with the five priorities of the new strategy. At those sessions, the achievements of Council of Europe member States in the area of the protection of the rights of the child, the main challenges in the area and the working methods to achieve the objectives of the new strategic document were discussed. A special focus was placed on the protection of the rights of unaccompanied minors. Again, in the framework of the Bulgarian chairmanship, an international conference on good governance at local level – challenges and prospects – was organised by the Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works in co-operation with the European Committee on Democracy and Governance of the Council of Europe. The conference was held on 31 March in Sofia and many representatives of central and local authorities from Bulgaria and other member States of the Council of Europe took part. The main topics on the agenda included an exchange of views concerning mechanisms for fostering development of good governance at local level in the member States of the Council of Europe. The further development of the strategy for innovation and good governance at local level of the Council of Europe, for the implementation of which the Republic of Bulgaria has a leading role among European states, was also one of the main focuses for discussions during the aforementioned conference.
      I would like to use this opportunity to inform you that last week the Government of Bulgaria took the decision to sign the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention. The convention will be officially signed tomorrow in Sofia in the presence of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
      In addition to those topics of primary importance, in the last three months the Committee of Ministers continued its work on a number of other significant issues. On 13 April, the Committee of Ministers adopted a plan of action on “strengthening judicial independence and impartiality”, which is to be launched at the high-level conference of Ministers of Justice and representatives of the judiciary, which is organised in the framework of the Bulgarian chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers and will start tomorrow in Sofia. The conference is organised by the Ministry of Justice of Bulgaria and I will have the pleasure, together with Secretary General Jagland, to take part in its opening.
      During the last period, the Committee of Ministers held several interesting exchanges of views with: the new President of the European Court of Human Rights, Mr Guido Raimondi; the Commissioner for Human Rights; the President of the Advisory Panel of Experts on Candidates for Election as Judge to the European Court of Human Rights; the President of the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings; the President of the European Committee of Social Rights; the President of the Committee on the Prevention of Torture; and the President of the International Criminal Court at the Hague. In March, the committee had a very important discussion on the longer-term future of the system of the European Convention on Human Rights. The committee endorsed several solutions in response to the present and future challenges concerning: the authority of the Convention; its implementation at national level; the authority of the Court; the authority of the Court’s judgments, execution of judgments and supervision; and the place of the Convention mechanism in the European and international legal order.
      At their 1250th meeting, the Ministers’ Deputies decided to close the examination of 88 decisions and judgments of the Court. At the end of March, the Committee of Ministers held an exchange of views on the execution of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights in the light of the 2015 annual report on the supervision of the execution. The committee also adopted in March a reply to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 2079 from 2015 on “Implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights”, in which in particular it reaffirmed that full and prompt execution of Court judgments, in accordance with the obligation set out in Article 46 of the Convention, is essential for the effective functioning of the Convention system.
      With regard to co-operation with other organisations, the Committee of Ministers held an exchange of views with Mr Gernot Erler, special representative of the German federal Government for the German OSCE Chairmanship. Furthermore, the 23rd meeting of the co-ordination group between the Council of Europe and the OSCE, held on 18 March 2016 in Strasbourg, took stock of co-operation between the two organisations regarding the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities and the promotion of tolerance and non-discrimination. The group’s next meeting will take place in Vienna in the second half of 2016 to examine co-operation in the areas of the fight against terrorism and the fight against trafficking in human beings.
      The committee held its annual exchange of views on human rights issues within the framework of the United Nations with experts from capitals. The discussion addressed the developments and main results of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, co-operation between the Council of Europe and the United Nations in the human rights field in 2015, and major themes for the Human Rights Council in 2016. The Chairman of the UN Human Rights Council participated in the exchange of views. Several topics of a political nature continued to be part of the agenda of the Committee of Ministers. Here, I would like to inform you that, in accordance with one of the priorities of the Bulgarian chairmanship, namely to bring Belarus closer to the Council of Europe, in my capacity as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers I paid an official visit to Minsk on 11 April 2016. During the visit, I had meetings with a number of government officials, as well as with representatives of civil society.
      In particular, I had a very constructive conversation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Mackey, who expressed willingness to deepen co-operation with the Council of Europe. The Belarusian side also expressed a wish to restore its status as special guest to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. On my side, I pointed out that the improvement of the human rights record and, in particular, the establishment of a moratorium as a first step towards the abolition of the death penalty, will show the genuine intentions of the Belarusian side and will clear the path for our further rapprochement. I also announced the Bulgarian contribution to the Council of Europe Information Point in Minsk, amounting to €10 000 and offered all possible support, including expertise, for Belarus to continue its efforts to align itself with Council of Europe standards.
      Of course, the issue of Ukraine was constantly on the agenda. A delegation from the Rapporteur Group on Democracy of the Ministers’ Deputies visited Ukraine on 3 and 4 March 2016, in order to meet representatives of the Ukrainian authorities and civil society and take stock of the current state of implementation of the Council of Europe Action Plan for Ukraine, its results and the next steps. Following my statement as Chairman of the Committee of Ministers on 10 March, on 30 March the Committee adopted a decision on Ms Nadia Savchenko. In particular, the committee expressed its concern following her sentencing on 22 March by a court of the Russian Federation and called upon the Russian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Ms Savchenko, on humanitarian grounds and in keeping with the “Package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk agreements”. On 13 April 2016, the Secretary General presented to the Ministers’ Deputies the results of the mission sent to Crimea in January in order to assess the human rights and rule of law situation on the ground.
      The Committee of Ministers reviewed in March the state of implementation of the commitments, accepted by Armenia, on the basis of a report prepared by the Secretariat. The committee welcomed the constant progress made by Armenia in fulfilling statutory obligations and specific commitments as a member of the Council of Europe, as well as the commitment of the Armenian authorities to further reforms, aimed at strengthening the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It encouraged the Armenian authorities to implement constitutional reform, and to carry out the ongoing reform of the electoral code, through an inclusive approach, based on full compliance with European standards.
      Still in March, the Committee of Ministers approved an action plan to provide assistance to Georgia for the period 2016-19. I would like to use this opportunity to inform you that I will make a visit to Georgia, together with Secretary General Jagland at the beginning of May.
      Since the beginning of the year, the Committee of Ministers has been especially active with regard to the freedom of media and the freedom of Internet, which also is in line with one of the priorities of the Bulgarian chairmanship. In this period, several important documents were adopted. In February, the Committee of Ministers adopted a Recommendation on the Internet of Citizens, calling on member States to recognise digital culture as one of the key issues for modern cultural policy making and to revisit their cultural policy approaches with a view to implementing the policy guidelines contained in the recommendation, so as to serve citizens to the best of their ability. In April, the Committee adopted a Recommendation on the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists and other Media Actors, and a Recommendation on Internet Freedom. On 30 March, the Committee of Ministers approved the Council of Europe Strategy on Internet Governance 2016-19, which aims to tackle the challenges to human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the rapidly evolving online environment. The objective of the strategy is to help member States effectively protect and respect human rights and the rule of law online, and empower people to explore the Internet’s potential for education and democratic participation.
      The committee also adopted guidelines on the protection and promotion of human rights in culturally diverse societies, which provide practical advice on how to ensure better protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the context of culturally diverse societies, based on respect for the inherent and equal dignity of every human being. The committee agreed to examine the follow-up given by member States to the present guidelines five years after their adoption.
      The Committee of Ministers approved in March a Thematic Action Plan on the Inclusion of Roma and Travellers, again for 2016-19. Following the committee’s agreement in principle in September last year to establish a European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture, it was informed in March that the German Government is willing to host the ERIAC in Berlin.
      During the reporting period, the Committee of Ministers adopted several declarations and statements on the death penalty in respect of the United States, Belarus and Japan.
      One of the main topics that you are debating during this session is the different aspects of the migration and refugees crises and I cannot refrain from saying a few words in this regard. The refugee flow is an unprecedented challenge to all of us. It is the international community that has the overall responsibility for improving the difficult humanitarian situation. We have a responsibility to define a clear path forward guided by international refugee law, human rights and humanitarian law.
      It is necessary to pay more attention to the national legislation applicable to immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and Governments and political leaders should refrain from using xenophobic rhetoric linking migrants to social problems or security risks, thereby making the integration of the few migrants staying in the country even more problematic. We also need to define clearly what exactly it is that constitutes a threat to our democracies, but intolerance and hatred undoubtedly do represent such a threat. Our common objective must be to combat terrorism and to protect the human rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
      Lastly, I would like to present for your attention the exhibition “The Roofs of Sofia” by the Bulgarian photographer, Bistra Boshnakova, which you can find outside, in the foyer of the Hemicycle. It has been presented on the occasion of this Parliamentary Assembly session by the Bulgarian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers and I warmly invite you to visit it.
      Thank you for your attention.

      The PRESIDENT – Thank you very much, Mr Mitov. We will now proceed to questions. I remind colleagues that questions are limited to 30 seconds and should be questions, not speeches. I call Mr Billström.

      Mr BILLSTRÖM (Sweden, Spokesperson for the Group of the European People’s Party) – Mr Minister, in the last year and a half the EPP has, on several occasions, tabled written questions on the case of Ms Nadia Savchenko, who might be about to be released. In particular, my colleague Mr Omtzigt has twice tabled urgent written questions on the situation. Both questions were tabled more than a year ago. Despite letters and reminders, we never got a reply. The questions are still very relevant and if they go unanswered we might think that you are not doing any work. Could you please provide answers to those questions within three weeks?

      Mr MITOV – First, the case of Nadia Savchenko has been raised on a number of occasions in the Committee of Ministers, and I share your concern. Last year, the committee expressed its concern about Ms Savchenko’s state of health and called on the Russian authorities to release her without delay on humanitarian grounds. That appeal was reiterated first by me last February, as I mentioned, and again by the committee in March.
      Until Ms Savchenko is released, the guarantees provided by the European Convention on Human Rights and the other Council of Europe instruments apply to her, as they do to any other person under the jurisdiction of a member State. I hope that the developments of the last 24 hours can be taken as a positive step towards a solution and the return of Ms Savchenko to Ukraine. We will continue to follow the case and react at any suitable moment.
      Ms RODRÍGUEZ RAMOS (Spain, Spokesperson for the Socialist Group)* – The recently signed agreement between the European Union and Turkey in the wake of the grave refugee crisis in Europe gives rise to many doubts about the legality of this agreement and its implementation. Different humanitarian organisations have been working in places that have been turned into detention camps. How has the Committee of Ministers assessed the situation with regard to the respect of human rights and the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees?

      Mr MITOV – I would like to address this question from the perspective of the Council of Europe, but I will extend my answer in a national capacity, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria – a European Union member State.
      All treatment of refugees and asylum seekers must comply fully with the European Convention on Human Rights and other relevant international instruments: you are absolutely right. Assurances have already been given that every application for asylum will be treated individually and that there will be no blanket returns or refoulement. It is foreseen that decisions to detain asylum seekers or irregular migrants, and the conditions of the reception facilities where they are accommodated – whether they are open or closed – will comply with the relevant international instruments. It is crucial that those principles are respected without exception. The Committee of Ministers will continue to follow that closely.
      I would like to add something in my national capacity. The European Union was forced to deal with quite an unprecedented situation and to take measures in very difficult conditions. The agreement between the European Union and Turkey is a good first step towards the return of the control of the external borders of the Union and, of course, the creation of a mechanism for resettlement that has clear rules. Otherwise, as you know very well, the uncontrolled inflow of people was giving a lot of ground to populist and nationalist movements. The European citizens wanted, and continue to demand from us, control of the situation.
      We have also insisted that the agreement includes the idea that Turkey will not only co-operate in closing the eastern Mediterranean route – let us call it the Balkan route – but that it will participate and assist preventing the creation of new alternative routes throughout the length of its border with the European Union, which includes the Black Sea, the Bulgarian-Turkish border, the Greek-Turkish land border and so on. Of course, other engagements are taken there and we have all the assurances by the European institutions that, whatever measures are taken and whatever steps are taken to implement the agreement, it will be done in compliance with all the international norms. I reassure you that we will continue following this and will remain in dialogue with our colleagues from the European institutions to be sure that those standards are implemented.

      Ms MATEU (Andorra, Spokesperson for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe)* – When you began your chairmanship, you said that you wanted to promote the values and standards of unity and co-operation in the field of human rights, and the respect of rights, law and democracy. However, some frozen conflicts have unfrozen and have caused explosions that are difficult with some of our borders. Will you say something about concrete measures to defuse a number of frozen conflicts in our territories?
      Mr MITOV – That is quite a vast topic, and I am afraid that we will not have the time to exhaust it in its full length and dimension. The mandate of the Council of Europe is not to resolve conflicts, whether they are frozen or not. That is a matter for other international organisations. However, the Council of Europe has its role when it comes to conflicts that we might characterise as frozen and to conflicts in general. That being so, we must ensure that all people living in Europe can benefit from the protection granted by the Council of Europe’s instruments, particularly the European Convention on Human Rights.
      We know well that whatever the conflict is, we need somehow to think outside the box. The situation of frozen conflicts and other conflicts is quite unusual. Our main purpose is to ensure access to the existing instruments of the Council of Europe for the territories that we can qualify as frozen conflicts. We can use those instruments to assess the situation on the ground and to be sure that the citizens there benefit from the standards on which the Council of Europe stands. The topic will be addressed at the ministerial session in Sofia next month. I urge all my colleagues to take part in the discussion because we need to think about the instruments that the Council of Europe has and the ones that we might eventually invent to ensure access to those territories, and to be sure that we know who is responsible for what and that the citizens in those territories have guaranteed human rights.
      This might sound revolutionary to you but I believe that human rights stand above any other claims. Whatever the claim – territorial or whatever it may be – human rights come first and they must be safeguarded. You are right to ask about instruments and about certain actions. I hope that we can get into those topics in depth in the ministerial meeting in Sofia, because we need solutions to a lot of those open wounds in the heart of Europe.

      Mr GONCHARENKO (Ukraine, Spokesperson for the European Conservatives Group) – I had two questions. The first was about Nadia Savchenko and you have already answered it. The second is about the rapid deterioration of human rights and democratic freedoms in Crimea, which is illegally occupied by the Russian Federation. We consider the recent decision of the Russian occupation authorities to suspend the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people as the beginning of genocide. What practical steps will you take to protect the Mejlis and the Crimean Tatar people in general?

      Mr MITOV – This is an extremely important question, which relates to the previous question. As we all know, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe recently took the initiative, in response to a decision adopted by the Committee of Ministers last April, to send a human rights mission to Crimea. The purpose of the mission was to assess the situation on the ground, not to carry out a fully-fledged monitoring visit. The assessment was done from 25 to 31 January through meetings with numerous interlocutors. The report of the mission was presented to the Committee of Ministers last week. It does not deal with any issue relating to the status of Crimea – we need to be very clear about that.
      A very large number of delegates on the Committee of Ministers expressed their support for the Secretary General’s initiative. The strong hope is that this first step will lead to the re-opening of access to Crimea for the Council of Europe monitoring structures. Viable solutions must now be found to that end and I hope that such solutions can be worked out with the constructive engagement of all concerned parties. The Secretary General of course has my full support in any further dialogue with his counterparts. We all need to contribute to this dialogue. We all need to be involved and to ensure that first we have access – the mission was a good first step towards that – and then that we guarantee the protection of the human rights of the citizens on the ground, or that if there are any violations we are able to assess them, document them and take appropriate measures later on.

      Ms CHRISTODOULOPOULOU (Greece, Spokesperson for the Group of the Unified European Left) – Do you believe that protecting borders is more important than the protection of refugees, their families and their children? Is it compatible with human rights protection to tolerate the actions of so-called headhunter teams who are operating on the Bulgarian-Turkish border?

      Mr MITOV – Migration is a common concern. A long-term working solution can be found only through common efforts in the spirit of understanding among all those affected, including endangered countries. As long as there is conflict in Syria and in the region, the refugee crisis will not go away. The efforts of the entire international community should be focused on ending hostilities in conflict zones, supporting institution-building, the rule of law and respect for human rights.
      We cannot prioritise between the protection of human rights and the protection of borders, but the protection of borders is indeed an important task for any sovereign state and/or union of sovereign states. We therefore cannot allow ourselves not to protect our borders, but we also need to be very firm on the protection of the rights of refugees. Let me make this distinction: among the influx of people there are refugees to whom we have an obligation – that is clear. We have a very different approach for others who are economic migrants. This distinction needs to be clear. We also need to be very vigilant in how we deal with those two separate categories of people.
      On the situation in Bulgaria, I reassure you that having vigilantes guarding the borders and so on is completely intolerable. That has not been, and never will be, tolerated by the Bulgarian authorities. Those groups have already been put under surveillance and called to face the consequences of their actions in accordance with Bulgarian law. That has been expressed by many high-level Bulgarian authorities and we will of course stay there. I repeat that we are in a very difficult and unprecedented situation that might lead to the creation of phenomena that could be considered undesirable. We know there are similar situations throughout the whole European continent – maybe not exactly the same, but there are others. We need to be sure that we act in a way that does not feed populist or nationalist movements, which are waiting for such moments in order to profit from them politically.

      Ms BLONDIN (France)* – On 1 April this year, in a district in Sofia where a number of refugees live, a banner was tied to a scaffold at the entrance of a house. It said, “Refugees not welcome here”. Apparently the authorities did not intervene, stating that it had been placed at the entrance of a private property. I wonder whether you are able to provide us with more information on this incident, the context of which is worrying to all member States of the Council of Europe.

      Ms GÜNAY (Turkey) – Lyutvi Mestan, who headed the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, the third-biggest political group in the Bulgarian Parliament, said that Russia’s violation of Turkish airspace amounted to a violation of the sovereignty of NATO territory. Because of that, Mr Mestan was ousted from his post and expelled from the party. Do you think that that decision complies with the principles of democracy and freedom of speech?

      Mr MITOV – I shall be very quick on both questions.
      The first question is a cause for concern. I need to inform myself a little bit better on that specific case. I undertake to send a written reply on the measures taken in that case.
      On the second question about the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Mr Mestan and his political declarations, and the fact that he was expelled from the party – he is forming another party right now – this is an internal party political matter, with bickering and processes, in Bulgaria. To be fair, I am not here to comment on internal party issues, especially parties that are not my own. Whatever Mr Mestan has said, he has said it. That is his political position.
If his party did not like what he said, it has internal party mechanisms to deal with that. To be fair, this matter should probably not be a concern for the Council of Europe at all.

      The PRESIDENT – That brings to an end questions to Mr Mitov.
      Thank you once again, Mr Mitov, for all your efforts. I am sure that we will continue to co-operate closely both during the rest of your chairmanship and afterwards.



Фасадата на общината в Страсбург с българското знаме

Трамваят в Страсбург с логото на Българското председателство на Комитета на Министрите и Председателят на Комитета на Министрите г-н Митов




 Текст на изказването на д-р Джема Грозданова по доклада на Борис Чилевич от Латвия за борбата срещу антисемитизма в Европа :



Debate:
Renewed commitment in the fight against antisemitism in Europe

Link: 
http://assembly.coe.int/Documents/Records/2016/E/1604201000ADD1E.htm



2016 ORDINARY SESSION
________________________
(Second part)
REPORT
Fourteenth sitting
Wednesday, 20 April 2016 at 10 a.m.

The following texts were submitted for inclusion in the official report by members who were present in the Chamber but were prevented by lack of time from delivering them.
(…)


Ms GROZDANOVA (Bulgaria) – I would like to take this opportunity to commend the report presented by Mr Cilevičs and its draft resolution on the fight against antisemitism. However, I would also share his deep concern about the rise in all sorts of intolerance, defamation, xenophobia and hate speech that have most worryingly re-emerged over the course of the last few years.

Not only as head of the Bulgarian delegation to the Assembly but also as an individual, I have always believed that one of the key tasks and real contributions of the Council of Europe hаs been the promotion, spreading and protection of fundamental human and civil rights. Therefore, we all have aresponsibility, whenever we see the potential for their violation or ignorance of them, to sound the alarm and act decisively.

It is my particular conviction that antisemitism is one of the ugliest and most abhorrent forms of racism, xenophobia and intolerance. Moreover, a little more than 70 years ago, here, in large parts of Europe, antisemitism triumphed and led to the annihilation of millions of Jews across the continent. I should also like to highlight the importance of teaching young people of the malignant effect and destruction that the Holocaust has brought about.

However, speaking about remembering and teaching, I could not possibly miss the opportunity to juxtapose the Shoah story with the not-that-often-told story about the rescue of over 48 000 Bulgarian Jews in the darkest days of the Holocaust. 

It is a particular source of pride and hope to me that a country like Bulgaria, allied with the Nazis, stood against them by not allowing a single Bulgarian Jew to be deported from the territories under Bulgarian jurisdiction. 

Moreover, not only around 48 000 Bulgarian Jews were defended by the Bulgarian people, but, under the auspices of the Bulgarian monarch Boris III, a few thousand  of the so-called “visas-to-life” were also issued by the Bulgarian authorities.


This specific act, which I will not describe as heroic but would rather qualify as “act of normality”, was made possible by three factors: the role of the monarch; the role of the 43 MPs from the then majority in the Parliament, a group headed by the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Dimitar Peshev; and, most importantly, the role played by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. 

All these three elements would not have brought any results if there had not been the indispensable role of the ordinary Bulgarian men and women who found it most inhumane to judge their Jewish fellow compatriots on ethnic or religious grounds.


Българското знаме пред общината в Страсбург

 21.04.2016

ПАСЕ прие резолюция за въвеждане на санкционен „списък Савченко“

/КРОСС/ С мнозинство на гласовете Парламентарната асамблея на Съвета на Европа (ПАСЕ) прие резолюция, в която предлага въвеждане на санкционен „списък Савченко“, предаде РИА Новости.
В него се предлага да бъдат включени участвалите в задържането и произнасянето на присъдата на Надежда Савченко. В резолюцията се посочва още, че списъкът трябва да влезе в сила, ако „тя не бъде освободена незабавно“.
ПАСЕ приветства приетия от Литва „списък Савченко“, в които са включени 46 души.
Такъв списък е създаден и в Украйна. Там обаче се споменават имената на 84 души, сред които са председателят на Следствената комисия на Русия Александър Бастрикин, ръководителят на ФСБ Александър Бортников, прокурорът на Крим Наталия Поклонская, лидерът на ЛНР Игор Плотницки, както и редица съдии и други лица.
Украинският президент Петро Порошенко призова САЩ и европейските страни да се присъединят към този списък. По-рано стана известно, че в Естония вече съставят такъв.

Прочети цялата статия тук: http://www.cross.bg/savchenko-spisuk-pase-1505747.html#ixzz46e1QHWfT

  Оригиналния документ вижте тук :
Resolution 2112 (2016)

The humanitarian concerns with regard to people captured during the war in Ukraine

Author(s): Parliamentary Assembly
Origin - Assembly debate on 21 April 2016 (17th Sitting) (see Doc. 14015 and addendum, report of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons, rapporteur: Ms Nellija Kleinberga). Text adopted by the Assembly on 21 April 2016 (17th Sitting).See also Recommendation 2090 (2016).



Link :
http://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-XML2HTML-en.asp?fileid=22750&lang=en

(…)

  1. The Assembly calls on all member States of the Council of Europe to adopt targeted sanctions (in particular travel bans and freezing of accounts) against individuals involved in the kidnapping, unlawful detention, unfair trial and conviction of Ms Savchenko, whilst respecting the principles laid down by the Assembly in its Resolution 1966 (2014) on refusing impunity for the killers of Sergei Magnitsky (in particular to allow individuals concerned to use appropriate representations in their defence), unless Ms Savchenko is released without further delay. It welcomes, in this connection, the recent adoption, by Lithuania, of a “Savchenko list” blacklisting 46 people for their role in her trial. Similar measures should be considered with regard to the cases of 10 other Ukrainian prisoners reportedly detained by the Russian authorities on fabricated charges.
    (…)
    9.3. respect international humanitarian law and the rights and obligations of the parties in respect of prisoners of war and the protection of civilians, which are provided for in the Third and Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and the two Additional Protocols of 1977 (on international and non-international armed conflicts);
    1. grant international humanitarian organisations access to all detainees, without any conditions.
  1. The Assembly further urges the authorities of the Russian Federation to:
10.1. release all Ukrainian prisoners captured and imprisoned in the Russian Federation and in illegally annexed Crimea on politically motivated charges, including, but not limited to, Mr Ahtem Çiygöz;
10.2. conduct effective investigations and prosecute perpetrators in cases of abduction, enforced disappearances, torture and politically motivated killings of Ukrainian and Crimean-Tatar activists in Crimea;

10.3. use its influence over the separatist groups which control the occupied territories in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to urge them to release all Ukrainian captives;

10.4. immediately provide unimpeded access to Crimea for conventional and monitoring mechanisms of international human rights organisations;
10.5. immediately release Ms Savchenko, who enjoys European parliamentary immunity under the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe, and other illegally detained Ukrainian prisoners, and allow their return to Ukraine.

 
Личната страница в ПАСЕ на Надя Савченко, като депутат и член на делегацията на Украйна


 
Демонстрация "Free Savchenko" в пленарната зала на ПАСЕ на групата на либералите начело с Председателя Жорди Хукла (Испания) - най-ляво на снимката


 
Демонстрация в Съвета на Европа на членовете на Комисията на ПАСЕ по равнопоставеност и недискриминация в подкрепа на освобождаването на депутатката в ПАСЕ Надя Савченко

Свързани теми :

В София : Конференция на Председателите на парламентарните Комисии по външна политика на страните-членки на Съвета на Европа

http://toshev.blogspot.bg/2016/02/blog-post_8.html

Писмен въпрос към Председателя на Комитета на Министрите на Съвета на Европа
 Written question
Sofia Declaration of 27 November 2015 adopted by the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly

Question écrite
Déclaration de Sofia du 27 novembre 2015 adoptée par la Commission permanente de l’Assemblée parlementaire
Зимната сесия на ПАСЕ 25-29 януари 2016г.
http://toshev.blogspot.bg/2016/01/25-29-2016.html

От моята колекция

Русия без депутати в ПАСЕ от 25 януари 2016

http://toshev.blogspot.bg/2016/01/256-2016.html


ЗАСЕДАНИЕ НА БЮРОТО, ПРЕЗИДЕНТСКАТА И ПОСТОЯННАТА КОМИСИЯ НА ПАСЕ В СОФИЯ
26-27 НОЕМВРИ 2015г.
 
Европейски консенсус по българско предложение
 
ОТ СОФИЯ ПАСЕ СВИКА ДЪРЖАВНИТЕ ГЛАВИ И ПРЕМИЕРИТЕ НА 47-ТЕ СТРАНИ-ЧЛЕНКИ НА СЪВЕТА НА ЕВРОПА - ПО БЪЛГАРСКО ПРЕДЛОЖЕНИЕ
 
"Съединението прави силата" – лозунг и на Голяма Европа 
 
От блога на Аспарух Панов : България в Съвета на Европа. Предизвикани размисли

Л. Тошев: Мултикултурният модел не е достатъчен за интеграцията на мигрантските общности в Европа

Важно е, че в този момент подарихме на Европа "Съединението прави силата"
Лъчезар Тошев пред news.bg, интервю на Весела Веселинова


Европа срещу терора с хан Кубрат начело "Съединението прави силата" вече е девиз и на обединена Европа
Автор: Вера К. Александрова
  
В навечерието на българското председателство на Комитета на Министрите на Съвета на Европа


Рубрика: Българското председателство на Комитета на Министрите на Съвета на Европа 10 ноември 2015-18 май 2016г.

По БНР, 29 октомври 2015г. : Важно е да припомним първото председателство на Комитета на министрите на Съвета на Европа в навечерието на второто


ВИДЕОЗАПИС НА ПРИЕМАНЕТО НА БЪЛГАРИЯ В СЪВЕТА НА ЕВРОПА ПРЕЗ 1992г.


Плюене срещу тавана : Проф. Иван Шишманов (1862 – 1928г.) оплют в статия на руски език
http://toshev.blogspot.bg/2015/09/1862-1928.html



........ и още нещо :

ФОРУМ ЗА БЪДЕЩЕТО





Ръководители на българската делегация в ПАСЕ :

Аспарух Панов  1992-1994 (СДС)
Филип Боков 1995-1996 (БСП)
Лъчезар Тошев  1997-2001 (СДС)
Юнал Лютфи 2001-2009 (ДПС)
Живко Тодоров 2009-2011 (ГЕРБ)
Джема Грозданова 2011-2013 (ГЕРБ)
Янаки Стоилов 2013-2014 (БСП)
Джема Грозданова 2014 -  (ГЕРБ)

Докладчици на ПАСЕ–по азбучен ред на имената :
NB (Доклад в ПАСЕ е проект за решение – резолюция  и/или  препоръка и мотиви  или становище по доклад на друга комисия – т.е. втори доклад. Становище е и доклад по искане на Комитета на Министрите за приемане на страна за член на организацията. Информационен доклад е обзор по даден въпрос, без предложен документ за решение)

Alexander ARABADJIEV
  • Human rights of members of the armed forces,  Report, 2006 - Second part-session
  • Role of the public prosecutor in a democratic society governed by the rule of law,  Report, 2003 - Spring meeting
Ivan Nikolaev IVANOV
  • Environmentally induced migration and displacement: a 21st-century challenge, Committee Opinion , 2009 - First part-session
  • Peril of using energy supply as an instrument of political pressure, Committee Opinion, 2007 - First part-session
  • Technological strategies for the reconstruction and economic development of south-eastern Europe, Report, 2001 - First part-session
  • Economic reconstruction and renewal in South-Eastern Europe following the Kosovo conflict, Committee Opinion, 1999 - Fourth part-session
  • Sustainable development in the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins, Committee Opinion , 1998 - First part-session

Valeri JABLIANOV
  • Draft Council of Europe Convention on an Integrated Safety, Security and Service Approach at Football Matches and Other Sports Events, 2015
Evguenia JIVKOVA
  • The functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan, Report , Evguenia  Jivkova- Andres HERKEL, 2008 - Third part-session
Evgeni KIRILOV
  • The Third Summit, Committee Opinion , 2005 - First part-session
  • Honouring of obligations and commitments by Georgia, Report , Mátyás EÖRSI- Evgeni KIRILOV,2005 - First part-session
  • Strengthening of democratic institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Report , 2004 - Third part-session
  • Functioning of democratic institutions in Georgia, Report, Mátyás EÖRSI- Evgeni KIRILOV, 2004 - First part-session
  • Implementation of the economic aspects of the Stability Pact for South-eastern Europe, Report, 2001 - First part-session
  • Economic reconstruction and renewal in south-eastern Europe following the Kosovo conflict, Report , Nikola OBULJEN- Evgeni KIRILOV, 1999 - Fourth part-session,
  • Need for intensified economic co-operation among the countries of South-Eastern Europe, Report, Michael LIAPIS - Evgeni KIRILOV,  1999 - Second part-session
Milena MILOTINOVA
  • Challenges facing the European audiovisual sector, Report , 2004 - September Standing Committee
  • Family mediation and equality of the sexes, Committee Opinion , 2003 - November Standing Committee
Asparoukh PANOV
  • Vietnamese migrants and asylum-seekers in Hong Kong ("boat people"), Committee Opinion, 1993 - 44th Session - Fifth part
Gueorgui PIRINSKI
  • Economic consequences and problems for neighbouring countries arising from the implementation of United Nations sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), Report , 1994 - First part-session
Elena POPTODOROVA
  • Cultural situation in Kosovo, Report, 2001 - Second part-session

  • Cultural situation in Kosovo, Information report, 2001 - First part-session
  • Action plan for the children of Kosovo, Report, 2000 - Second part-session
Maria STOYANOVA
  • European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the state of transition in central and eastern Europe, Report, 2001 - Third part-session
  • Honouring of obligations and commitments by Croatia, Report , 2000 - Fourth part-session
  • Honouring of obligations and commitments by Croatia, Report , 1999 - Second part-session
Latchezar TOSHEV
  • A new parliamentary effort to create a stability pact in the South Caucasus, Information report, 18-02-2013
  • Living together in 21st-century Europe: follow-up to the report of the Group of Eminent Persons of the Council of Europe, Report , 2011 - Third part-session
  • The religious dimension of intercultural dialogue, Committee Opinion, 2011 - Second part-session
  • Military waste and the environment, Report , 2010 - November Standing Committee
  • Parliamentary contribution to the implementation of the Stability Pact in South-East Europe, Report, 2004 - November Standing Committee
  • Transboundary water basins in Europe, Report , 2004 - Third part-session
  • Bio-terrorism: a serious threat for citizens’ health, Committee Opinion , 2004 - March Standing Committee
  • Preferential treatment of national minorities by the kin-state: the case of the Hungarian law of 19 June 2001 on Hungarians living in neighbouring countries ("Magyars"), Committee Opinion , 2003 - Third part-session
  • Parliamentary scrutiny of international institutions, Report , 2002 - Third part-session
  • Interparliamentary co-operation in the Mediterranean and Black Sea basins (6th Conference on Mediterranean and Black Sea basins – Varna, Bulgaria, 19-21 October 2000), Report,  2001 - First part-session
  • Amelioration of disadvantaged urban areas, Report, 2000 - Fourth part-session

  • Application by Latvia for membership of the Council of Europe, Opinion on the request by the Committee of Ministers, 1995 - First part-session

Borislav VELIKOV
  • Management of water resources in Europe, Report,  2004 - Third part-session


at