The Council of Europe
The Council of Europe was founded on 5 May 1949 by the Treaty of London. The Treaty of London or the Statute of the Council of Europe was signed in London on that day by ten states: Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. It is the oldest political organisation of Europe.
Already in 1946 the British opposition leader Winston Churchill argued for a kind of United States of Europe. Next to the economic OEEC and the military cooperation in the NATO the political unification of the continent took form through the Council of Europe.
Today the Council of Europe is a widespread European international organisation with 47 member states.
The seat of the Council of Europe is in Straßbourg, France with English and French as its two official languages.
On 5 May 1964 - the 15th anniversary of its founding, the Council of Europe established the 5th May as annual Europe Day.
Germany entered into the Council of Europe in 1951,
Spain in 1977,
Poland in 1991,
the Ukraine in 1995.
The Council of Europe is in institutionel terms not connected with the European Union, although both use the same flag and the same hymn. The Council of Europe should not be confused with the European Council and the Council of the European Union.
The Council of Europe is a forum for debates on general European questions. In its frame transnational, binding according to international law agreements (Council of Europe conventions) are made aiming at preserving the common heritage and to support economic and social development.
Since 1993 the Council of Europe applies oneself to protect democratic security. That means:
- speaking for human rights,
- securing democratic principles as well as
- constitutional basic principles.
The two main institutions of the Council of Europe are the Committee of Ministers, in that the mamber states are represented by their foreign ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly, to which the member states send ambassadors.
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe is the third column of the Council of Europe and acts as consultative institution.
The organs are supported by a secretariat headed by the general secretary of the Council of Europe. He is elected by the Parliamentary Assembly.
The European Court for Human Rights is associated to the Council of Europe and guards the compliance with the European Convention of Human Rights.
Some of the overall 202 international treaties are (year when they came into effect in brackets):
- European Convention on Human Rights (1952)
- European Cultural Convention (1954)
- European Social Charter (1961)
- European Agreement on Social Security (1977)
- European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation betw. Territorial Communities or Authorities (1998)
- Council of Europe Framwork Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (2005)
amongst others there are information offices of the Council of Europe in Poland and the Ukraine:
for Poland
Mrs. Hanna Machinska
Director
Al. Niepodleglosci 22
PL - 02653 Warsaw
Poland
Tel: + 48 22 853 57 73 / 845 20 84
Fax: + 48 22 853 57 74
Mail:
informwarsaw@coe.int
Web: www.coe.org.pl
for the Ukraine
Mr. Olexander Pavlitchenko
Director
24-A, Ivan Franka Str.
UA - 01030 Kyiv
Ukraine
Tel: + 38 044 234 3778
Fax: + 38 044 234 4084
Mail: informkiev@coe.int
Web: www.coe.kiev.ua