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| Council for Europe Movement | |
|---|---|
| Name | Council for Europe Movement |
| Type | Advocacy group |
| Founded | 20th century |
| Headquarters | Strasbourg |
| Region | Europe |
Council for Europe Movement is a pan-European advocacy initiative promoting enhanced cooperation among European institutions such as the Council of Europe, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the European Court of Human Rights, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Founded by activists, politicians, and civil society figures associated with movements around the Treaty of Rome, the Treaty of Lisbon, and the post-Cold War settlement, it positions itself at the intersection of debates involving the European Convention on Human Rights, the Schuman Declaration, and the legacy of the Congress of Europe. The Movement engages with national parliaments including the British Parliament, the Bundestag, the Assemblée nationale (France), and the Sejm to influence discussions linked to continental governance and human rights enforcement institutions such as the European Court of Human Rights and the European Commission for Democracy through Law.
The Movement traces intellectual roots to the aftermath of the Second World War and initiatives like the Council of Europe (1949) and the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly; founders included figures aligned with the European Movement International, the United Nations, and veteran signatories of the Treaty of Paris (1951). During the Cold War, activists connected with the Movement collaborated with dissidents associated with the Helsinki Accords and networks that involved the Solidarity (Poland), the Charter 77 circle, and émigré communities in cities such as Strasbourg, Brussels, and Geneva. The Movement surfaced publicly in debates over the Maastricht Treaty and the Amsterdam Treaty, advocating reforms referencing precedents like the Nuremberg trials and the European Convention on Human Rights. In the 21st century it engaged in responses to crises such as the aftermath of the Yugoslav Wars, the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, and disputes arising from the Brexit referendum.
The Movement comprises an eclectic federation of local chapters, transnational working groups, and affiliated think tanks modeled on institutions like the European Policy Centre, the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, and the Bertelsmann Stiftung. Its governance includes an executive board, advisory council, and a secretariat comparable to structures in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the International Federation for Human Rights. Regional offices liaise with bodies such as the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the European Commission, and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, while policy units draft position papers referencing instruments like the European Social Charter and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Funding streams mirror patterns seen in the Open Society Foundations, the King Baudouin Foundation, and corporate donors participating in public-private partnerships with entities like the European Investment Bank.
The Movement articulates objectives aligned with the protection of rights enshrined by the European Convention on Human Rights, reinforcement of oversight mechanisms established by the European Court of Human Rights, and promotion of pan-European cooperation akin to ambitions in the Treaty of Rome and the Schuman Declaration. It emphasizes legal standards codified by instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and regional regulatory approaches like those developed by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture. Principles draw on the democratic traditions represented by figures tied to the Congress of Europe and the European Movement International, while advocating policy convergence similar to frameworks used by the European Commission for Democracy through Law and the Council of Europe Development Bank.
The Movement conducts public campaigns, litigation support, and policy advocacy echoing tactics used by groups like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Commission of Jurists. It organizes conferences mirroring events at the World Economic Forum, seminars with academics from institutions such as Oxford University, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, and the Hertie School, and collaborates with parliamentary bodies including the European Parliament and national assemblies. Campaign topics have included responses to rulings from the European Court of Human Rights, migration debates linked to the Migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, and accountability efforts related to conflicts in the Western Balkans and Eastern Ukraine. The Movement publishes reports and policy briefs cited alongside work by the European Council on Foreign Relations and the International Crisis Group.
Membership spans former ministers, members of parliament from parties such as the European People's Party, the Party of European Socialists, and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, alongside jurists drawn from courts like the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. It receives endorsements from NGOs, academic centers such as the Centre for European Reform and the Carnegie Europe, and municipal networks comparable to the Council of European Municipalities and Regions. Donor profiles resemble those backing initiatives by the Open Society Foundations and philanthropic arms of corporate entities involved with the European Investment Fund.
Critics have accused the Movement of reflecting biases associated with establishments linked to the European Union and Western think tanks like the Atlantic Council, prompting debates akin to controversies over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and disputes involving the European Central Bank. Opponents from political currents that reference the Brexit campaign, the National Rally (France), and sovereigntist organizations have challenged the Movement's positions in forums comparable to hearings in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and media outlets such as Euronews and Deutsche Welle. Legal scholars have disputed some litigation strategies with counterarguments rooted in jurisprudence from the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union, generating polemics reminiscent of clashes over the Lisbon Treaty and interpretations of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Category:Pan-European organizations