The European Commission and the Council of Europe signed on 1 April a Statement of Intent putting in place a new framework for co-operation in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood Regions for 2014-2020.
The agreement will enable both organisations to work together in a more strategic and result-focused manner to help promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood regions based on the Council of Europe’s binding international conventions, monitoring bodies and assistance programmes.
The statement was signed in Brussels by EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, Štefan Füle, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland.
“The Council of Europe is a very important partner for the EU, and I welcome agreement. I am confident that this new framework will provide the grounds for deeper collaboration between our two organisations for the benefit of our partner countries in the EU Enlargement and Neighbourhood regions” emphasised Füle.
“The Council of Europe and the EU are distinct organisations, but we share the same values. This agreement will further cement our existing co-operation by providing substantial assistance to democracy, human rights and rule of law projects in countries engaged in key reforms,” stressed Jagland.
This administrative agreement sets out working methods for co-operation through joint programmes in the EU Enlargement Region (Turkey and the Western Balkans), countries covered by the EU’s Eastern Partnership Programme (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) and also countries in the Southern Mediterranean region (initially Morocco and Tunisia).
Please find more information on the websites of EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle, the DG Development and Cooperation – Europe Aid – Co-operation with International Organisations and the Council of Europe (regarding their Statement of Intent) respectively
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/fule/index_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/who/partners/international-organisations/index_en.htm www.coe.int
