COUNCIL OF EUROPE

COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

________

RESOLUTION (96) 31

INVITATION TO CROATIA

TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 2 July 1996,
at the 570th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)

    The Committee of Ministers,

    Considering the wish expressed by Croatia to become a member of the Council of Europe;

    Having taken note of the intention of the Government of Croatia to sign the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Protocol No. 11 upon the deposit by the said government of its instrument of accession to the Statute of the Council of Europe;

    Expecting that these instruments be ratified as soon as possible and that the said government, on this occasion, recognise the right of individual application under Article 25 and the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court under Article 46 of the Convention;

    Having, in accordance with the provisions of Statutory Resolution (51) 30 A, consulted the Parliamentary Assembly, which has expressed a favourable opinion (Opinion No. 195 (1996) adopted on 24 April 1996);

    Having taken note of Resolution 1089 of the Parliamentary Assembly adopted on 29 May 1996 on the implementation by Croatia of its commitments in the framework of the procedure of accession to the Council of Europe;

    In the light of the exchange of correspondence between the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Croatia whereby Croatia accepted the priority commitments and expectations associated with the accession of Croatia to the Council of Europe;

    Observing that Croatia is willing to comply with the conditions laid down in Article 4 of the Statute,

    Resolves:

i.    to invite Croatia to become a member of the Council of Europe subject to the possibility for the Committee of Ministers, at a meeting at the level of Ministers' Deputies during the second fortnight of September 1996, to reconsider this decision in the light of the manner in which, according to information they may receive from all relevant sources, Croatia

    - has respected its obligations deriving from the Peace Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in particular has contributed to the proper conduct of the elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina;

    - has demonstrated its willingness to honour all its commitments and to respond to the priority expectations of the Council of Europe, as specified in the appendix to the letter from the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia dated 7 June 1996, in the context of accession, as well as its ability to comply with the other conditions required by the Statute;

    - and co-operates with the Council of Europe, inter alia, in applying the Constitutional Law on Human Rights and Freedoms and the Rights of National and Ethnic Communities or Minorities in the Republic of Croatia;

ii.    to fix at five the number of Croatia's Representatives in the Parliamentary Assembly;

iii.    to determine Croatia's various proportionate financial contributions to the Council of Europe according to the appendix to this resolution, of which it forms an integral part;

    Instructs the Secretary General to notify the Government of Croatia of these decisions and to make all necessary arrangements for their implementation.

Appendix to Resolution (96) 31

1.    The Committee of Ministers, in accordance with Resolution (94) 31 on the method of calculating the scale of member states' contributions to Council of Europe budgets, fixes the rate of the contribution of Croatia to the ordinary and pensions budgets at 0,34 % for 1996, to be applied pro rata temporis from the day of accession.

2.    The Committee of Ministers, in accordance with Resolution (86) 30, fixes the proportion of the Republic of Croatia's contribution for the financing of the Human Rights Building at 0,31 %.

3.    The amount which Croatia is to contribute to the Working Capital Fund, calculated in accordance with the same percentage as for the ordinary budget, is 64 600 French francs which is added to the fund's present total.