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updated: 19 February 2010
THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE (COE)
General Information
Role of Council of Europe (COE)
The COE is the oldest political European Organisation. The COE has 47 member states and is distinct from the 15-nation European Union. It can only indicate directions and give recommendations. There is no direct influence on the legislations of any member state.
The primary aim of the Council of Europe is to create a common democratic and legal area throughout the whole of the continent, ensuring respect for its fundamental values: human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Objectives:
- to protect human rights, pluralist democracy and the rule of law;
- to promote awareness and encourage the development of Europe's cultural identity and diversity;
- to find common solutions to the challenges facing European society;
- to consolidate democratic stability in Europe by backing political, legislative and constitutional reform
To know more http://www.coe.int/defaulten.asp
The main parts of the COE are:
- The Committee of Ministers, is composed of 45 Foreign ministers, and is the COE's decision-making body (http://www.coe.int/t/cm/home_en.asp)
- The Parliamentary Assembly, grouping 318 members) from the 47 national parliaments (http://assembly.coe.int/default.asp)
- The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
- Commisioner for Human rights
- The conference of INGO’s http://www.coe.int/T/NGO/default_en.asp
Role of the Non Governmental Organisation ( NGO’s) at the COE
More than 400 INGOs enjoy participatory status and make up, since 2005, the Conference of INGOs which constitutes civil society’s pillar in the Council of Europe “quadrilogue” with the Committee of Ministers, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. Through this status, the Council of Europe includes INGOs in intergovernmental activities and encourages dialogue of members of parliament and local and regional authorities with associations on challenges facing society. The Conference of INGOs is now recognised as an institution of the Council of Europe.
The NGOs are organised in differentcommittees. The EAPC is part of t The Social Cohesion and Eradication of Poverty Committee, that brings together some 130 NGOs.. The NGOs meet three times a year. To know more http://www.coe.int/t/ngo/conf_intro_en.asp
The EAPC is a recognised NGO of the Council of Europe
Since the EAPC has obtained its recognition as NGO of the Council of Europe. Maurice CHAUSSON (Director of the Association Pierre Clément based in Strasbourg, and Member of the Board of the Societé Française de Soins Palliatifs SFAP) had represented EAPC at the Council of Europe. Beginning 2005 he stood down from office. Andre Rhebergen, EAPC Secretary registered official Substitute at the COE offices agreed to take his place.
The EAPC Board expresses their thanks to Maurice Chausson for having taken on this task to represent the EAPC at the Council of Europe.
HEALTH GROUP MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
In this group the main issues proposed since 1999 for the future were the following ones:
- Palliative care and GPs. Palliative care and independent nurses Which means of dissemination ? Which training programmes . Is it possible to find examples of achievements ( even limited) in Europe that can be reproduced ?
- Palliative care and society What is the involvement of the citizens ? The importance of the voluntary work in the future .
to know more or to collaborate please contact:
Andre Rhebergen (members of the EAPC Board)
Palliative Care at the COE
In 2003 released a document on palliative care from Council of Europe, Committee of Ministers. “Recommendation REC 24 (2003) of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the organisation of Palliative Care”. Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 12 November 2003. To know more about the initiative for the diffusion and promotion of this docuemnt and to download it, go to Recommendations on Palliative Care 24 (2003)
Document about Palliative Care adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly on 25 June 1999. Doc N° 1418: “Protection of the human rights and dignity of the terminally ill and the dying” (This document mentions the need of Palliative care and is also cited in the Marty report)
Palliative care is an essential and innovative complement to curative medicine, click here
Resolution on palliative care, adopted on 29th of January by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, click here
Rapporteur: Mr Wolfgang WODARG
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Recommendation 1418 (1999)
Documents linked to Recommendation 1418 (1999) and replies of the Committee of Ministers.
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Doc. 8421, 21 May 1999 , Report, Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee
Rapporteur: Mrs Edeltraud Gatterer, Austria, Group of the European People's Party
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Doc. 8454, 22 June 1999, Opinion(1), Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights,
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Doc. 8888, 7 November 2000, Reply from the Committee of Ministers
adopted at the 728th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (30 October 2000)
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Doc. 9404, 8 April 2002, Reply from the Committee of Ministers, adopted at the 790th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (26 March 2002)
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