Wednesday 26 March 2025

Plenary Sitting

14.30 – 19.30, Hemicycle

Marc COOLS, President of the Congress, took the Chair at 14.31.

1.

Adoption of the minutes of the sitting of the Congress on 25 March 2025

The minutes of the sitting of the Congress on 25 March 2025, in documents CG(2025)48-PV-01am and CG(2025)48-PV-01pm, were adopted.

2.

Adoption of texts approved by the Chamber of Local Authorities

The texts approved by the Chamber of Local Authorities, listed in document CG(2025)48-06, were adopted.

3.

Luxembourg Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe
(13 November 2024 – 14 May 2025)

Statement by Léon GLODEN, Minister of the Interior of Luxembourg on behalf of the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers

The President welcomed Léon GLODEN, Minister of the Interior of Luxembourg, and invited him to make a statement.

Léon GLODEN made a statement on behalf of the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers.

He responded to questions tabled on behalf of political groups, set out in document CG(2025)48-15, from the following Congress members: Bernd VÖHRINGER, Germany (L, EPP/CCE); Bryony RUDKIN, United Kingdom (L, SOC/G/PD); Stewart DICKSON, United Kingdom (R, ILDG); Andrew BOFF, United Kingdom (R, ECR).

The President thanked Léon GLODEN.

4.

The situation of local and regional democracy in Georgia

The co-rapporteurs Cecilia DALMAN-EEK, Sweden (R, SOC/G/PD), and Bernd VÖHRINGER, Germany (L, EPP/CCE), presented the draft resolution and draft recommendation in document CG(2025)48-17.

The President welcomed Claire BAZY MALAURIE, President of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission), and invited her to make a statement.

Claire BAZY MALAURIE made a statement.

The debate was opened.

Speakers: Zurab ABASHIDZE, Georgia (R, NR); Tatia NIKOLASHVILI, Georgia (L, EPP/CCE); Bryony RUDKIN, United Kingdom (L, SOC/G/PD); Stewart DICKSON, United Kingdom (R, ILDG); Elianne DEMOLLIN-SCHNEIDERS, Netherlands (R, EPP/CCE); Enes HOCAOGULLARI, Türkiye (youth delegate); George TKEMALADZE, Georgia (R, SOC/G/PD); Oksana DERKACH, Ukraine (L, EPP/CCE); Brian BAATZSCH, Germany (R, SOC/G/PD); Hmayak AVETISYAN, Armenia (youth delegate); Gunes PEHLIVAN, Türkiye (R, SOC/G/PD); Sevdia UGREKHELIDZE, Georgia (L, EPP/CCE); Otar GRIGOLIA, Georgia (R, SOC/G/PD); Xavier CADORET, France (L, SOC/G/PD).          

Claire BAZY MALAURIE and the co-rapporteurs replied to the debate.

The debate was closed.

The President thanked Claire BAZY MALAURIE.

The Congress proceeded to vote on the draft resolution.

The draft resolution was adopted.

The Congress proceeded to vote on the draft recommendation.

The draft recommendation was adopted.

Gunn Marit HELGESEN, Vice-President of the Congress, took the chair at 16.22.

5.

Foreign interference in electoral processes at local and regional levels

The rapporteur Stewart DICKSON, United Kingdom (R, ILDG), presented the draft resolution and draft recommendation in document CG(2025)48-10.

The Vice-President welcomed Dionisie TERNOVSCHI, President of the Ungheni District Council, Republic of Moldova, and invited him to make a statement.

Dionisie TERNOVSCHI made a statement.

The debate was opened.

Speakers: Iurii FRINTSKO, Ukraine (R, ILDG); Brian BAATZSCH, Germany (R, SOC/G/PD); Maria GAILT, Republic of Moldova (L, SOC/G/PD); Igor STOJANOVIC, Bosnia and Herzegovina (R, SOC/G/PD); Joris BENGEVOORD, Netherlands (L, SOC/G/PD); Oleksandr KORINNYI, Ukraine (L, ILDG); Emina PASANOVIC, Bosnia and Herzegovina (youth delegate); Renars KARLINSKIS, Latvia (youth delegate); Gudrun MOSLER-TOERNSTROEM, Austria (L, SOC/G/PD); Valentina CASIAN, Republic of Moldova (L, ILDG); Melanie LEPOULTIER, France (L, ILDG); Konstantinos KOUKAS, Greece (L, EPP/CCE); Patrik ONDREJECH, Slovak Republic (youth delegate); Viorel FURDUI, Republic of Moldova (L, ILDG); Christos PARMAKKIS, Cyprus (youth delegate); Gunes PEHLIVAN, Türkiye (R, SOC/G/PD); Alexandr TARNAVSKI, Republic of Moldova (R, ILDG); Freja Sofia Margareta FERNHOLM, Sweden (youth delegate); Lukas LANGER, Czechia (youth delegate).

Dionisie TERNOVSCHI and the rapporteur replied to the debate.

The debate was closed.

The Vice-President thanked Dionisie TERNOVSCHI.

The Congress proceeded to vote on the draft resolution.

The draft resolution was adopted.

The Congress proceeded to vote on the draft recommendation.

The draft recommendation was adopted.

Bernd VÖHRINGER, Vice-President of the Congress, took the chair at 17.36.

6.

Water resources under stress: Towards better local and regional governance

The co-rapporteur, Teuvo HATVA, Finland (R, ILDG), presented the draft resolution and draft recommendation in document CG(2025)48-14.

The Vice-President welcomed Theodoros TZOUMAS, Mayor of Skiathos, Greece, and invited him to make a statement.

Theodoros TZOUMAS made a statement.

The debate was opened.

Speakers: Eke FOLKERTS, Netherlands (R, EPP/CCE); Reinhart ROHR, Austria (R, SOC/G/PD); Kevin BENTLEY, United Kingdom (R, ECR); Konstantinos KOUKAS, Greece (L, EPP/CCE); Christos NTONIS, Greece (youth delegate); Pascale PFEIFFER, France (L, EPP/CCE); Max DAVIDOVIC, Slovenia (youth delegate); Frantisek KASICKY, Slovak Republic (L, SOC/G/PD); Christos PARMAKKIS, Cyprus (youth delegate); Eimer CONLON, Ireland (youth delegate); Veronique BERTHOLLE, France (L, SOC/G/PD); Paulius KOLOSOVAS, Lithuania (youth delegate); Eugene McCARTHY, United Kingdom (youth delegate).

Theodoros TZOUMAS and the co-rapporteur replied to the debate.

The debate was closed.

The President thanked Theodoros TZOUMAS.

The Congress proceeded to vote on the draft resolution.

The draft resolution was adopted.

The Congress proceeded to vote on the draft recommendation.

The draft recommendation was adopted.

Marc COOLS, President of the Congress, took the Chair at 18.27.

7.

The role of local and regional authorities in combatting human trafficking for purposes of labour exploitation

The co-rapporteurs Cecilia DALMAN-EEK, Sweden (R, SOC/G/PD), and Martine DIESCHBURG NICKELS, Luxembourg (L, ILDG), presented the draft resolution and draft recommendation in document CG(2025)48-13.

The President welcomed Venla ROTH, Anti-Trafficking Coordinator at the Ministry of Justice, Finland, and invited her to make a statement.

Venla ROTH made a statement.

The debate was opened.

Speakers: Hilde MOERLAND, Netherlands (L, NR); Heather BRANNAN McVEY, United Kingdom (L, SOC/G/PD); Amanda SERJEANT, United Kingdom (L, SOC/G/PD); Lumi REICHENBACH, Finland (youth delegate); Mariana MORAIS, Portugal (youth delegate); Joanne Louise LABAN, United Kingdom (L, ECR); Andrew BOFF, United Kingdom (R, ECR); Tijana RISTOVSKA, North Macedonia (youth delegate); Bram GIERKINK, Netherlands (youth delegate).

Venla ROTH and the co-rapporteurs replied to the debate.

The debate was closed.

The President thanked Venla ROTH.

The Congress proceeded to vote on the draft resolution.

The draft resolution was adopted.

The Congress proceeded to vote on the draft recommendation.

The draft recommendation was adopted.

8.

End of the sitting

The sitting was closed at 19.26.

The final sitting of the Congress would be on Thursday 27 March 2025 at 09.30.