Finnish Delegation to the Council of Europe

The Council of Europe, created in 1949, is the continent’s oldest and most inclusive organisation for political cooperation. Finland became a full member in 1989. The organisation’s main organs are the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly. The latter body presents initiatives and makes recommendations, on the basis of which the Committee of Ministers arrives at its decisions, which are binding on the member states.

Goals

The Council of Europe came into being in the aftermath of the Second World War. The aim was to safeguard stability and prosperity in Europe, thereby preventing new conflicts. The organisation’s 10 charter members believed that the unity of the continent could be safeguarded by strengthening European values and creating a common set of legal norms. Today, with a membership that has in the meantime increased to 47, the Council of Europe is still performing this historic task. The fruits of its work include some 200 European treaties covering a great variety of fields. The main fields in which the Council of Europe works are human rights questions, legal cooperation, cooperation in the sectors of education and culture, social and health questions as well as environmental cooperation. With the rapid enlargement of the Council’s membership since 1989, the emphasis in activities has shifted more and more towards defending the organisation’s basic values - human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Countries

The Council of Europe has 46 member states. Three countries from outside Europe (Canada, Israel and Mexico) have observer status in the Parliamentary Assembly.

Representatives

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is comprised of 315 representatives (and an equal number of substitutes), who are chosen by the parliaments of the member states. The number of representatives allocated for each member state, and thus its relative voting weight, is based on the population size. The maximum number of representatives is 18 and the minimum two (two members and two substitutes). A representative’s term begins at the opening session of a term (in January) and ends at the opening session of the next term in January the following year. The political distribution of seats in national parliaments should be reflected in the composition of national delegations and the national delegations must include members of both sexes.

Finland's delegation

The Parliament nominates Finland’s five representatives at the Parliamentary Assembly and their five substitutes. The Finnish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly submits a written annual report to the Parliament on its activities. The report is available in Finnish and Swedish.

Conventions and treaties

Approximately 200 international treaties and agreements have been created within the Council of Europe framework (adopted by the Committee of Ministers). In addition to the Statute of the Council of Europe (1949) the most important of these include the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Human Rights Convention, the European Cultural Convention (1954) and the European Social Charter (1961), the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and the European Charter of Local Self-Government, as well as the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. Monitoring systems have been set up for the main treaties. States which are not members of the Council of Europe may accede to some conventions and agreements. Partial Agreements are a form of agreement, in the preparation and financing of which only some of the member states take part. In addition to conventions and agreements, the Council of Europe issues recommendations guiding policies pursued in member states.

The Assembly's tasks

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe discusses topical themes and produces initiatives, on the basis of which decisions are taken by the Committee of Ministers. The most important European conventions and agreements, such as the Human Rights Convention (1953) and the Social Charter (1961), resulted from initiatives by the Parliamentary Assembly. The Parliamentary Assembly’s deliberations, reports and research have led to amendments of national legislation in, for example, family and civil matters, administrative law, consumer protection, the use of animal tests, the rights of minorities as well as drugs and alcohol policy.

Sessions

The Parliamentary Assembly holds four annual part-sessions, each of them lasting a week (in January, April, June and October). The sessions take place at the Council of Europe’s headquarters, the Palais de l'Europe in Strasbourg. The President and 19 Vice-Presidents of the Assembly are chosen at the beginning of the January session, in addition to which the ten statutory committees are appointed. The President, the Vice-Presidents and the chairs of the political groups comprise the Parliamentary Assembly’s presidium, which is called the Bureau. The representatives’ term begins at the opening session in January and ends at the opening of the next term in January the following year. Sessions are public and can also be followed live through audio and video images transmitted via the Internet. The link (TV magazine under "News") to Internet transmissions is on the Parliamentary Assembly’s home page (active during sessions).

Committees and presidium (Bureau)

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has ten permanent committees. The issues with which they deal are political questions, economic affairs and development, social, health and family matters, legal affairs, including human rights, culture, science and education, environment and agriculture, migration, refugees and demography, gender equality, the Council of Europe’s rules of procedure, and the honouring of obligations and commitments by member states. The President, 19 Vice-Presidents and the Chairpersons of the political groups or their representatives make up the Bureau of the Assembly. The Standing Committee, which comprises the members of the Bureau, the Chairpersons of national delegations and the Chairpersons of the special committees and political groups, is normally convened three times a year. Its major task is to act on behalf of the Assembly when the latter is not in session. The Joint Committee is a forum for representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Europe’s decision-making body, the Committee of Ministers. The Finnish delegation has one actual member and one substitute on nine committees and their sub-committees. The Finnish delegation chooses its representatives and their deputies on the various committees from among its own number. For up to date information on Finnish committee members contact the secretariat of the Finnish delegation.

Political groups

Most of the members of the Parliamentary Assembly belong to one of the five political groups: the Socialist Group, Group of the European People's Party, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for, European Democrat Group, Group of the Unified European Left. Some members do not belong to any group. The political distribution of seats in national parliaments must be reflected in the composition of national delegations.

Budget

The Council of Europe’s budget is financed through the membership fees paid by states. The amounts of these contributions are determined on the basis of GDP and population, in such a way that no state pays more than 12.6% or less than 0.12% of the budget. Member states may additionally make voluntary contributions of funds to meet specified requirements. Finland contributes 1.18% of the organisation’s total budget and has additionally given about ? 500,000 per year in voluntary payments.

Languages

The official languages of the Council of Europe are English and French. The documents of the Parliamentary Assembly are published in these two languages, in addition to which German, Italian, Russian and Spanish are used as working languages. Speeches at sessions are translated simultaneously into all of the working languages.

Secretariat, headquarters

Headquarters and secretariat of the Council of Europe The headquarters of the Council of Europe and its secretariat with around 1,300 civil servants are located in Strasbourg, France. Secretariat of the Finnish delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly The Finnish secretariat is situated in the Parliament’s International Unit. During sessions the Finnish secretariat is in Strasbourg, on the fifth floor of Palais de l’Europe, room 5170, tel. (33) 388 41 26 66 (from Strasbourg 03 88...), Fax (33) 388 41 27 48 (from Strasbourg 03 88...).

Human rights affairs, complaints

Human rights are one of the Council of Europe’s most important fields of work. This work is based on the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which was adopted in 1950. All Council of Europe member states are required to sign and ratify the Convention.

The European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights, created in 1959, ensures as the highest instance that the states which are party to the convention respect the human rights enshrined in it. It cannot act on its own initiative, but only at the request of an individual, a group or a state. Complaints can be made to the court about actions for which a public body (e.g. a court or an administrative authority) is responsible. Thus it cannot examine complaints against private persons, organisations or companies.

Commissioner for Human Rights

Since 1999 the Council of Europe has had a Commissioner for Human Rights, who is chosen for a six-year term by the Parliamentary Assembly on the basis of a recommendation of the Committee of Ministers. The Commissioner examines the human rights situation in the member states and makes recommendations to governments when necessary. The Commissioner can not deal with individual complaints, which must be made to the Court of Human Rights. The Commissioner’s tasks are defined in a resolution adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 7.5.1999.

Committee of Ministers

Governments guide the work of the Council of Europe through its decision-making body the Committee of Ministers. This body, which is composed of the foreign ministers of member states, meets twice a year, in May and November. The ministers’ deputies, who are usually the Permanent Representatives of the member states, meet weekly. The matters on which the Committee of Ministers decides include the organisation’s budget, the admission of new members as well as the main lines of policy and action pursued by the organisation. The chair of the Committee of Ministers rotates between the member states in alphabetical order every six months.

Other organs and institutions

Numerous separate units and institutions work with Council of Europe funding. Below are links to several of them and pages dealing with theme categories. (All pages are in English and/or French)