(fourth monitoring cycle)

Adopted on 19 March 2014

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe:

1. Considering the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the European Convention on Human Rights;

1. The Parliamentary Assembly observes that a number of territorial entities in Council of Europe member states are aspiring to be recognised as independent states.
2. It notes that the criteria for statehood remain a contentious issue in contemporary international law.

Resolution CM/ResCMN(2013)7

on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Romania

(Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 18 December 2013

at the 1187bis meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies)

The opinion can be found here in all official languages of the EU.

MCL16(2009)11 03 November 2009

Introduction

Strasbourg, 11 March 1996

Introduction

Recommendation Rec(2004)12
of the Committee of Ministers to member states
on the processes of reform of boundaries and/or structure of local and regional authorities

Ms President, members of the Congress,
First of all, I would like to thank the Chamber of Regions for inviting me to take part in this important debate on the process of decentralisation in Ukraine.

1. The resurgence of tensions in Europe, which vary in intensity and are frequently the product of unresolved conflicts within states, remains a cause of concern to the Parliamentary Assembly. Today, indeed, most political crises in Europe occur within states.

Adopted by General Assembly resolution 47/135 of 18 December 1992

The General Assembly,

(The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe)

1. In 2003, the Parliamentary Assembly debated the question of preferential treatment of national minorities by the kin-state in the light of the Hungarian law of 19 June 2001 concerning Hungarians living in neighbouring countries (“Magyars”). In Resolution 1335 (2003), the Assembly noted in connection with the Hungarian law, which defined the concept of “nation” in its preamble, that to date there was “no common European legal definition of the concept of ‘nation’”.

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the European Council

The Congress,

Taking into account:

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the European Council

Recommendation 43 (1998)1 on territorial autonomy and national minorities
The Congress,

on the protection of national minorities and languages within the framework of the European Union

- Summary -