Ministers’ Deputies

Records

CM/Del/Act(2003)845-final (Confidential) 16 July 2003

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845th meeting, 2 July 2003

Records
Addendum to CM/Del/Dec(2003)845

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CONTENTS[1]

           

2.1        Current political questions

            b. Other questions

            . Statement by the Representative of Albania................................................................................. 2

2.3        Priorities of the Italian Presidency of the European Union –

Exchange of views with Senator Roberto Antonione,

            Under-Secretary of State, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Italy........................................................ 2

4.2        Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights –

            Presentation of his annual Report for 2002................................................................................... 6

845th meeting – 2 July 2003

Item 2.1b

Current political questions

b.       Other questions

          .Statement by the Representative of Albania

The Representative of Albania made the following statement:

“Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the countries connected by Corridor 8, such as Albania, Bulgaria, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Greece, Italy and Turkey, as well as Representatives of the European Commission held a meeting in Tirana. The idea to have this meeting in Albania was initiated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Albania, Mr. Ilir Meta.

This meeting followed the signature, some months before, of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Development of Pan-European Corridor 8 of Transports, by the Ministers of Transport of the countries concerned.

The aim of this meeting was the institutionalisation of concrete lobbying for the Project of Corridor 8, which would prove to the international community and donors the serious commitment of the countries supporting the initiative of the construction of Corridor 8.

The fact that Italy has offered the necessary infrastructure and financial support for the Bari Secretariat is welcomed and appreciated by all members of this Corridor. We consider the role of Italy, as a member of Corridor 8, and now as the Chair of the European Union, an added value to the efforts of this Corridor and in this framework we expect much more from it.

The meeting in Tirana will promote the involvement in this process of all state’s, parliament’s, government’s, media’s, civil society’s structures. This factor will create favourable conditions for the international community and donors who would like to take part in the realisation of Corridor 8, as a very positive evolution in this region.

This meeting will also promote a bilateral and multilateral cooperative spirit in the region in order to fulfil every future obligation in this framework. Only two weeks after the Thessaloniki Summit, organised successfully by the Greek Presidency, where the countries of the region were sharing the same values and the same perspective, the meeting in Tirana about Corridor 8, confirmed the will to co-operate as an important factor, which will make the region a reliable partner for international community and donors.” 

845th meeting – 2 July 2003

Item 2.3

Priorities of the Italian Presidency of the European Union – Exchange of views with

Senator Roberto Antonione, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy

The Chairman made the following statement:

“Dear Senator,

I have the pleasure to welcome you, in your capacity of Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, for an exchange of views on the priorities of the Italian EU Chairmanship.

As everybody knows, the Italian term of office at the head of the European Union has started yesterday, on

1 July 2003.  The Italian Chairmanship comes at a crucial moment in the history of our continent, after the historical decisions on the enlargement of the European Union made under the previous Danish and Greek Chairmanships, and at a time when the European Convention chaired by Mr Giscard d’Estaing has almost finished its work.

Indeed, the ambitious process of both enlarging and deepening the European Union will have a major impact on the European architecture, and of course also on the Council of Europe.  This is why we have a direct interest in the priorities that Italy is proposing to the European Union for the next six months, and in the course of this exchange of views we will no doubt be able to focus on the areas where the Council of Europe and the European Union could best co-operate during this period.

I particularly welcome the fact that – as far as I know – this is the first time that the priorities of an EU Chair are presented to the Ministers’ Deputies by an official of the country concerned who has a ministerial rank.  In my mind, this “première” is an obvious sign of the importance that the Italian authorities attach to the co-operation between the Council of Europe and the European Union, and I want to thank you – as well as Ambassador Ago – for that.

This being said, I would like to invite you now to present the Italian priorities for the next six months.  I already welcome the opportunity that my colleagues and myself will have, after your presentation, to hold an exchange of views with you on the main issues of common interest for our two Organisations.”

Senator Roberto Antonione, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Italy, made the following statement:

“Yesterday Italy took over from Greece the responsibility of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union with the difficult task of leading the Union through fundamental challenges ahead of us concerning the future of Europe. My Government is grateful to Greece for having so masterfully presided over the previous semester.

I would like to greet Moldova, which is holding since last May the Chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, and encourage her to move forward with determination along the path of reform and to be fully committed to the commonly shared values of Europe. I trust such a commitment could be a first step towards a solution of the problem of Transnistria and the convening of the Joint Constitutional Commission.

Today, Prime Minister Berlusconi addressed the European Parliament, setting out the main aims of the Italian Presidency. Strasbourg was intentionally chosen because it lies at the heart of Europe, and is the symbol of European institutions which embodies political ideals arising from a desire to share within a single space the values of human rights protection, pluralist democracy, and the rule of law.

Italy's turn in the Presidency of the European Union comes at a particularly sensitive moment in international affairs, and at a crucial phase in the integration process, following the signing of the accession treaties, and on the eve of a constitutional reform that will set down the distinctive features of the future Europe. Major challenges will be posed by the new European institutional architecture. Ever since her term as the Presidency of the Council of Europe three years ago, Italy has unceasingly advocated the need to convene the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government as soon as possible. Italy is aware of the vital contribution that such an important event can offer to shaping the future role of the Council of Europe, whose enlargement is almost completed, in the context of the new constitutional architecture and the enlargement of the European Union.

The Italian Presidency will endeavor to strengthen the overall political profile of Europe. More than ever before, the European Union must act as a factor of stability and peace on the world stage, and as the guarantor of the freedom, security and prosperity of its citizens. The drafting of a Constitutional Treaty is aimed at confirming the evolutionary character of European integration. Drawing on the results of the Convention and the conclusions of the Thessaloniki European Council, Italy intends to convene in October the Intergovernmental Conference which will have to adopt the new Constitutional Treaty. We hope that we shall be able to attract the broadest political support for the constitutional text by December this year, in view of its signing in Rome between the date of the accession of the new member States (1 May 2004) and the elections for the European Parliament (June 2004).

The Third Summit will therefore be an event of extraordinary political relevance. Taking place between the end of 2004 and the spring of 2005, it will coincide with a phase in the construction of Europe that will enable it to offer important indications regarding the role that the Council of Europe will be required to play in the European architecture of the 21st century.

The Italian Presidency intends to strive for a strengthening of Europe's economic competitiveness for the benefit of our shared prosperity and an open society. Drawing strength from the opportunities provided by the Euro and the programme of work set out in the "Lisbon Strategy", three objectives are proving decisive: promoting investment in trans-European networks and other infrastructures in order to make the enlarged European Union internal market fully operational; a thorough debate on the sustainability of European pension and welfare systems; and drawing up effective employment policies by adequately reforming labour markets.

These objectives coincide with the work carried out by the Council of Europe. Strengthening Europe's infrastructure facilities is meant to facilitate closer relations among the European Union member states and citizens; with the enlargement, the trans-European transport networks are bound to extend throughout the continent, fostering closer integration between the peoples of Europe and at the same time boosting economic growth. But balanced economic development must go hand in hand with policies that create greater social cohesion. The rapid ageing of our societies will require pension and welfare policies, as well as employment policy, to be revised. This is where the Council of Europe has an extraordinary opportunity to help disseminate a new awareness of the social dimension. The pursuit of solidarity and social and inter-generational cohesion must be accompanied by enhancing corporate social responsibility.

Italy is strongly committed to safeguard Europe's common values, such as the full protection of individual rights, plural democracy and the rule of law. We believe that closer coordination between the Council of Europe and the European Union can be very effective in promoting these values. The complex mosaic of Council of Europe treaties represents an invaluable legal heritage, and must in some cases further I am thinking, for example, of the Convention on the trafficking in human beings which is currently under preparation, and develops the principles of the Palermo Protocol. I have also in mind the strengthening of regional government. In this regard, it is essential for the work of the Council of Europe to be integrated with the work not only of the European Union but also of the OSCE, wherever this is feasible. We believe that this sort of co-ordination, while taking into account the respective institutional responsibilities, must be pursued effectively, aiming at making the most of the potential of each of the organisations involved.

The European Court of Human Rights must continue to be the central instrument for safeguarding human rights in the Wider Europe, and must continually spur governments to pursue a permanent process of improvement of the national legal systems. It is therefore in the European Union's interest to make sure that it operates more efficiently. In the current debate about the overhaul of the Court's to face its increased case-load, we therefore want to promote a common European strategy that should reconcile the need for efficiency and speed with the principle that citizens may sue privately before the Court. The accession of the European Union to the Convention of Human Rights, once the new European Constitution comes into effect, will also be an important milestone for all Europe's citizens.

The Italian Presidency will also focus on the work of the Union relating to issues of direct relevance to Europe's citizens: specific measures will be adopted to protect children, disabled persons, consumer safety, and public health. In these sectors the Council of Europe has acquired a relevant experience along the years, which can be placed at the disposal of the European Union.

The challenges of the "third millennium" make it essential to continue on the path towards the creation of a "Wider Europe". We are therefore committed to the completion of the process of European Union enlargement, assuring the active participation of the acceding members in the work of the Council of the European Union, and facilitating their integration into the Union's institutions. We intend to define a Road Map for Bulgaria and Romania so that they can accede in 2007, and to implement the pre-accession strategy for Turkey that was agreed at the Copenhagen European Council. We also intend to reaffirm the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries and promote the strategy of the "Wider Europe" by

enhancing relations with the European countries bordering the enlarged Union, and above all by strengthening the Union's relations with the Russian Federation. Relations with countries outside Europe with which we share historical and cultural ties, such as the countries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, will also be strengthened by enhanced dialogue.

The present phase in Europe is marked by historical changes. The rapid sequence of events, of which enlargement is the most evident, makes it essential to deal with the challenges of the future in a farsighted manner. In this connection, as Europe's oldest Institution, the Council of Europe must be forward-looking. Its enlargement is now only a step away from completion. We shall carefully monitor the situation in Belarus, hoping that no more unpleasant events take place in that country, and that the signs of readiness, showed by the Government through the reopening of the OSCE office and dialogue between Foreign Minister Martynov and the European Union, lead to tangible steps towards the implementation of democratic and pluralist reforms.

Italy intends to give a fresh impetus to the work of the European Union on the international stage. In the wake of the most acute phase in the Iraqi crisis, against an international background fraught with numerous factors of instability, and the growing threat of international terrorism, we intend to rebuild a climate of trust and co-operation across the Atlantic. We must bring back relations between Europe and the United States to their natural climate, strengthening a partnership which is of fundamental strategic importance. Particular stress will be placed on conflict prevention to which the Council of Europe could also make an essential contribution, by encouraging more of its member States to accede to its corpus of conventions. I am also thinking in this regard of enhanced regional co-operation.

We believe that international co-operation is becoming increasingly necessary today to deal with crucial challenges, starting from the fight against terrorism. We therefore intend to proceed with determination to fully implement the European Union's Action Plan against terrorism. Our efforts will be aimed at advocating every possible effort, also in the framework of the Council of Europe, to combat this phenomenon. At the 112th Session of the Committee of Ministers, the Protocol amending the 1977 European Convention on the Repression of Terrorism was opened for signature; Italy is convinced of the importance of this instrument in the fight against terrorism. We are also interested in the idea raised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to draft a European Convention on terrorism, in conjunction with the work of the United Nations, which will take account of the new scenarios that have opened up in recent years. At all events, any initiative in this area must be coordinated in a way that will ensure complementarity with other initiatives of the United Nations, the OSCE, NATO and the G8, to make our response to terrorism, global and effective.

The Iraqi crisis has called into question the European Union's capacity to play a role on the international stage. The phase following military intervention in Iraq will pose a challenge to the external projection of the Union, and to its capacity to be as a major player in areas of direct concern to Europe. On Iraq, we intend to act credibly, based on a number of benchmarks that the European Council has already identified, such as safeguarding Iraq's territorial integrity and sovereignty, the central role of the United Nations, the establishment of a government representing the whole of the Iraqi people, and the full co-operation between the Europeans and the Americans.

Italy will promote dialogue with the Arab and Islamic world to fully exploit the possibilities to re-start the peace process in the Middle East. The formation of a representative government in the Palestinian Territories, the publication of the Road Map with the support of the Quartet and the renewed involvement of the United States, Europe and Russia in relaunching the peace process all create increased responsibilities for the European Union Presidency, while opening up great opportunities.

I would like to conclude mentioning another important objective of the Italian Presidency. We intend to support the creation within Europe of an area of freedom, security and justice at the service of our citizens. It is in this area, which is particularly relevant to the daily lives of Europe's citizens, that the effectiveness of the European Union's work will be judged by public opinion.

Our priority in this regard will be to continue to assure the implementation of the measures decided at the Seville European Council to combat illegal migration, jointly manage the external, borders, establish relations with the countries of origin and transit, complete the migration and asylum legislative framework as foreseen by the Thessaloniki European Council. The purpose will be to eventually set up an effective common European immigration and asylum system supported by all the member states. Our aim is to establish common procedures for managing external borders according to the principle of burden-sharing, to enhance relations with third countries of origin and transit by adopting a common approach, with migration issues placed at the centre of the Union's relationship with these countries, to apply common visa legislation as uniformly as possible, and to encourage the mobilisation of adequate resources, also financial ones, in order to effectively implement the agreed measures, and those still worked out.

With regard to judicial co-operation, particular care will be devoted to family law and parental responsibility, which is directly relevant to the Convention on Personal Relations Regarding Children, signed at Strasbourg.

We are aware that these are ambitious objectives. The Italian Presidency of the European Union Council intends to pursue them with determination, taking into consideration their extraordinary political importance for the European Union and for the continent as a whole. During our semester we intend to provide a concrete contribution not only to the institutional construction of Europe and its political, social and economic progress, but also to preparing the Union to take up the challenges of the 21st century. “

The Chairman concluded as follows:

“Thank you very much, dear Senator, for this most interesting and fruitful exchange of views.  I wish the best luck to you and to the Italian authorities for the very important responsibilities which you will be assuming for the next six months.  As far as we are concerned, we will have the possibility to continue our discussions at the next GR-EU meeting, on 16 July, on the basis of both your presentation of today and a summary of the achievements of the outgoing Greek EU Chairmanship.”

845th meeting – 2 July 2003

Item 4.2

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
Presentation of his annual Report for 2002
(BCommDH(2003)13)

The Representative of Albania made the following statement:

“On behalf of my authorities, I would like to express our appreciation to Mr. Gil-Robles for the visit he paid to Albania, last year. We have considered this visit and the discussion held, as an excellent opportunity for exchanging information about human rights issues in Albania and profit from the wide and valuable experience of the Human Rights Commissioner.

The Albanian authorities have already started to implement the recommendations made by the Commissioner for solving the human rights problems facing the Albanian society,.  During this visit, it was agreed to hold a joint regional conference on combating trafficking in human beings and violence against children, taken into account also the National Strategy against trafficking in human beings, adopted by the Albanian Government in 2001. The preparations for holding this conference are under way and we fully support the co-operation between the Albanian authorities and the Office of the Commissioner.”