656^th meeting - 19^th January 1999

Item 10.1

(CM/Del/Dec(97)602/10.2, 613/4.2; CM(97)144, 183)

The Deputies adopted the following reply to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1315 (1997) on the minimum age for voting:

"The Committee of Ministers has closely considered Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1315 (1997) on the minimum age for voting. It shares the Assembly's concern on the one hand to involve the young more in democratic life by setting a standard minimum voting age of 18 years and on the other hand to develop young people's interest in democratic matters and create the necessary preconditions for their participation in civic life through education and promotion of community involvement.

Firstly, as regards harmonising the minimum voting age, a distinction should be drawn between voting and standing for election, to which different age requirements may apply.

As regards the right to vote, the Committee of Ministers points out that, as far back as 1972, it adopted Resolution (72) 29 on the lowering of the age of full legal capacity, in which, among other things, it recommended "governments of member States to lower the age of majority below 21 years and, if they deem it advisable, to fix that age at 18 years, provided that States may retain a higher age of capacity for the performance of certain limited and specified acts in fields where they believe that a higher degree of maturity is required". Recent studies in this field have shown that, except in certain cases, the minimum voting age is 18 years (see table, Appendix).

As regards the right to stand for election, the same studies show greater discrepancies, with the average varying between 18 and 23 years. The Committee of Ministers accepts that the minimum age for standing for election need not be the same as the minimum voting age and that States are entitled to take the view that more maturity is needed for standing for election, on condition, of course, that any age requirements "do not thwart the free expression of the opinion of the people in the choice of the legislature ^{footnote 5} ". However, the age-limits applied by the member States can be seen to be reasonable ones.

Secondly, as regards young people's participation in civic life through education and promotion of community involvement, the Committee of Ministers points out that in 1997 it adopted Recommendation R (97) 3 on youth participation and the future of civil society, which amply brings the Assembly's concerns to States' notice. In particular the Committee of Ministers recommended governments of member States to "support the development at local and regional levels of appropriate structures for political and civic participation" and "ensure that the Council of Europe's work on education for democracy in the school, higher education and vocational training systems [is] incorporated into the effective practice of democracy". Member States' implementation of this recommendation will be assessed in 1999.

In addition, the subject of youth participation in civic and political life has featured prominently in many ministerial conferences, most recently the Bucharest conference (27-29 April 1998). This recommended, among other things, that States facilitate education for citizenship, democracy and human rights by promoting the establishment and development of youth participation bodies in accordance with the aforementioned Committee of Ministers recommendation. In this connection the European Steering Committee for Intergovernmental Co-operation in the Youth Field (CDEJ) has published two books to create more awareness of work on the question ^{footnote 6} ." The Conference also encouraged member States to renew political motivation, especially when considering the lowering of the age of the right to vote or the right to stand for election.

Appendix to the reply to Recommendation 1315 (1997) / Annexe à la réponse à la Recommendation 1315 (1997)

Appendix / Annexe

Current situation in the different European countries/Situation actuelle dans les différents pays européens

5    See the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights of 2 March 1997 in the Mathieu-Mohin and Clerfayt case, Series A no.113 (concerning Article 3 of Protocol no. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights).

6    "Youth participation, a compendium of CDEJ recommendations in this field"; "Keys to participation: a practitioner's guide". A second volume of the latter work is due out in 1999.