Committee of Ministers

Committee of Ministers. It is the principal decision-making and statutory body of the Council of Europe, composed of the Foreign Ministers of all member states. Established by the Statute of the Council of Europe in 1949, it defines the political direction of the organization, oversees its program of activities, and adopts legally binding decisions and recommendations to member states. The Committee also serves as a forum for political dialogue on issues of common European concern, acting as the guardian of the Council's fundamental values, including human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

History

The body was created alongside the Council of Europe itself in the aftermath of World War II, as part of the broader movement for European integration championed by figures like Winston Churchill and Robert Schuman. Its founding was formalized by the Treaty of London which established the Statute of the Council of Europe. Throughout the Cold War, it played a key role in maintaining political dialogue between Western European states, notably addressing issues related to the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. Following the fall of the Berlin Wall, it oversaw the rapid enlargement of the organization to include many states from Central and Eastern Europe, such as Poland, Hungary, and the Baltic states. Landmark moments in its history include supervising the post-accession monitoring of countries like Russia and Turkey, and adopting consequential texts like the European Cultural Convention and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

Composition and membership

The body consists of the Foreign Ministers from each of the 46 member states of the Council of Europe. Each minister is represented in Strasbourg by a permanent diplomatic representative, known as a Deputy, who conducts the day-to-day work. The Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers rotates among member states every six months, following an alphabetical order; recent chairs have included Germany, Hungary, and Iceland. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe provides administrative support and attends its meetings. The rules governing participation are outlined in the Statute of the Council of Europe, with each member state having one vote, and the Holy See, Israel, Japan, Mexico, and the United States holding observer status.

Functions and powers

Its primary function is to act as the decision-making organ of the Council of Europe. It adopts recommendations to member states on matters ranging from legal cooperation and social cohesion to education and culture, and supervises the execution of judgments from the European Court of Human Rights under Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights. It also holds a political dialogue on current issues, such as conflicts in the South Caucasus or the Western Balkans, and can take decisions on the suspension of a member's rights, as seen in the case of Russia following the annexation of Crimea. Furthermore, it approves the Council of Europe's program of activities and budget, concludes international agreements like the European Convention on Human Rights, and monitors member states' compliance with their statutory obligations through mechanisms like the Monitoring Committee.

Decision-making process

Decisions are taken either by unanimity or by a two-thirds majority of the representatives casting a vote, as stipulated by the Statute of the Council of Europe. Most substantive decisions, including the adoption of recommendations, require unanimity. Its meetings are held at ministerial level typically once a year, while the Deputies meet weekly in Strasbourg. The work is prepared by various rapporteur and working groups, and its decisions are published in the *Agreed Volumes*. The process for supervising European Court of Human Rights judgments involves a specific group, the Committee of Ministers' Deputies, examining action plans and reports from respondent states like the United Kingdom or Italy.

Relationship with other Council of Europe bodies

It maintains a distinct but interconnected relationship with other major institutions of the Council of Europe. It engages in a political dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which can adopt opinions on its activities and recommendations. It supervises the implementation of rulings from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, a unique judicial-political interaction. It also collaborates with the Congress of the Council of Europe on issues of local democracy, and receives reports from advisory bodies like the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance and the Group of States against Corruption. The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe regularly provides information and reports for its consideration.

Category:Council of Europe