EU/Council of Europe Statement of Intent – Questions and Answers

Why has this agreement come about?

• The 28-member European Union and the 47-nation Council of Europe are separate organisations which have different priorities, working methods and scope

 

• The role of the Council of Europe is to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law – which are also key values for the European Union – through its binding international treaties, monitoring bodies and assistance programmes

 

• It makes sense for the European Union to combine its own capacities with the experience and expertise of the Council of Europe to help promote these values in nearby countries – many of which are already members of the Council of Europe

How does this change existing forms of cooperation between the two organisations?

• The two organisations have worked closely together for decades, and there has been a clear strengthening of this cooperation in recent years, notably following on from the formal Memorandum of Understanding which was signed in 2007 and the EU’s 2010 Lisbon Treaty

 

• The EU is already the largest financial contributor to the Council of Europe’s activities on the ground, through a large number of “Joint Programmes” targeting specific countries and themes; various other forms of cooperation are also already in place

 

• This new framework will enable longer-term and more flexible planning and execution of cooperation activities with a jointly-agreed focus in terms of geographical and thematic priorities, as well as expected outcomes

Which countries and regions are involved?

• The new framework will cover three specific regions:
  • EU enlargement countries (Turkey and the Western Balkans)
  • countries covered by the EU’s Eastern Partnership programme (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine)
  • countries in the Southern Mediterranean region (initially Morocco and Tunisia, but possibly also other countries in the future)

What kind of projects will be carried out under the new framework?

• Specific projects will depend on the circumstances in each region and country, but will generally include helping to strengthen capacities to fight human rights abuses, improve systems of democratic governance and tackle threats to the rule of law such as corruption.