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Council of Europe: The “Other” European Organization

Council of Europe: The “Other” European Organization. Duncan Alford Princeton University Library. COE - Background. International organization created by treaty Began in 1949 Original members – Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK

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Council of Europe: The “Other” European Organization

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  1. Council of Europe:The “Other” European Organization Duncan Alford Princeton University Library

  2. COE - Background • International organization created by treaty • Began in 1949 • Original members – Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, UK • Currently 45 members • All EU members and accession countries

  3. Goals of the COE • Achieve greater unity among its members • Safeguard the ideals and principles of their common heritage • Defend human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law • Create a common legal space • Tools used include treaties, conventions, and agreements

  4. Major Policy Areas • Human Rights • Animals • Bioethics • Cultural Affairs • Economic Affairs and Development • Environment • Social and Public Health

  5. What the COE is Not • The Council of Europe is NOT the EU • Separate, distinct organizations with separate institutions • EU has 15 members, soon to be 25 • COE has 45 members

  6. Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Strasbourg, France European Court of Human Rights Same flag European Union European Parliament (formerly Parliamentary Assembly) Strasbourg, France European Court of Justice Reasons for the Confusion

  7. COE Institutional Structure • Committee of Ministers • Parliamentary Assembly • European Court of Human Rights • Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

  8. Committee of Ministers • Decision-making and policymaking body • Composed of the foreign ministers of the member countries • Meets 2 times per year; deputies monthly • Adopt treaties which are later ratified by the member countries

  9. Parliamentary Assembly • 313 members (plus 313 alternates) • Appointed or elected from the parliaments of the member countries • 2 – 18 members per country, roughly proportional to population • Advises the Committee of Ministers • 4 plenary sessions per year • Has a committee structure • President and Secretary General

  10. Congress of Local and Regional Authorities • Two chambers – local and regional • 313 members in each • Brings local democracy to COE activities • Advises the Committee of Ministers; consultative body only

  11. European Court of Human Rights • Established in 1959 pursuant to the European Convention on Human Rights • Same number of judges as member countries; more than one judge from single member • Elected by the Parliamentary Assembly • 6 year terms • Decisions are binding on member countries, their citizens, and their national courts

  12. How Cases are Brought to the Court • Previously Human Rights Commission was required to approve cases to go to the court • Beginning in 1999, individuals can file applications • Court became full-time in 1999 • As a result, the court’s case load has increased • Lustig-Prean and Beckett v. United Kingdom (1999).

  13. Major Publications • Activities of the Council of Europe • Texts Adopted … (formerly Official Gazette of the Council of Europe) • European Treaty Series / European Conventions and Agreements • Human Rights Information Bulletin • Science and Technique of Democracy • Monographic series • Press releases

  14. European Court of Human Rights Publications • HUDOCS (Web database) • Reports of Judgments and Decisions • Decisions and Reports of the European Commission for Human Rights (ceased 1999) • European Human Rights Reports (E. H. R. R.) – on LexisNexis Commercial/ Westlaw • Yearbook of the European Convention on Human Rights

  15. European Commission for Democracy Through Law • Also known as the Venice Commission • Goal: encourage development of democracy in Central and Eastern Europe • Bulletin of Constitutional Case-Law • Summaries of constitutional court decisions • CODICES database (web and CD) • Constitutional court decisions

  16. Web Resources • Official Web Site • http://www.coe.int/defaultEN.asp • News on front page • Institutions • A-Z Index

  17. Statistics • COE has limited statistical information • Demography, population studies • European Audiovisual Observatory • Criminology • Case law statistics

  18. COE Blanket Order • Princeton University Library has a blanket order for all COE publications through Manhattan Publishing (Voyager Order No. 78949) http://www.manhattanpublishing.com/ • Contact: Tom Johnson 914-271-5194 • About $3500 per year • Exempt from Blanket Order • Pharmacopia • European Audiovisual Observatory • COE internal documents

  19. COE Research Guides • University of Georgia Law Library • http://www.llrx.com/features/coe.htm • Duke University Law Library • http://www.law.duke.edu/lib/ResearchGuides/councilEurope/councilEurope.html

  20. Why Should I Care? • Rich source for European information • http://www.coe.int • Princeton owns most COE publications • In OPAC • NOT depository items • Major policy areas • Human Rights • Cultural property, etc.

  21. New Electronic Resources In Law • LLMC Digital • Index to House of Commons Parliamentary Papers (1801 – 2002) • Hein Online • US Treaty Series plus others • United States Reports – official reporter • Federal Register – from volume 1 • TIARA – treaties database

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