European Council Institutions and Associated Bodies
The Council of Europe, a significant European intergovernmental organisation, is dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Here's a look at its key bodies and current activities.
The Parliamentary Assembly (PA), the parliamentary forum of the Council of Europe, serves as a platform for debate and decision-making. The PA elects the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the judges of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Germany held the chair of the PA from November 2020 to May 2021, with the main theme during its chairmanship being "Strength of Law".
The elected Secretary General, as of September 18, 2024, is Alain Berset, the former President of Switzerland. The Secretary General's role is to lead the Secretariat of the Council of Europe, which assists the organs, organises, coordinates, and develops various activities.
The Committee of Ministers, the decision-making body of the Council of Europe, is composed of the foreign ministers of 46 member states or their deputies. The Committee of Ministers' Deputies meet weekly in Strasbourg to discuss matters, and the Committee of Ministers usually gathers once a year, in May. The Committee of Ministers' Deputies (CM(2021)13) oversees the implementation of judgments of the ECtHR.
The ECtHR plays a crucial role in the Council of Europe, with its judgments being binding and must be fully implemented by member states. Citizens of member states can apply to the ECtHR with individual petitions after exhausting domestic remedies.
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRAE) is another essential component of the Council of Europe. The CLRAE has 324 seats, with Germany holding 18. The CLRAE's mission is to promote local and regional democracy, strengthen local self-government, and encourage cross-border cooperation. The CLRAE conducts election observation at the regional and local levels in member states and provides advisory services to the Committee of Ministers on local and regional policy.
The CLRAE consists of an equal number of regional and local politicians. Notably, the search results do not contain information about which political group in the PA voted in favour of the election of the new Secretary General in September 2024, nor the name of the elected Secretary.
In summary, the Council of Europe is a vital organisation that works tirelessly to promote human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Its various bodies, including the Parliamentary Assembly, the Committee of Ministers, the ECtHR, and the CLRAE, each play a unique role in achieving these objectives.
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