Activities

Council of Europe - Activities

Human rights: protection, promotion and prevention
Media and democracy
Legal co-operation
Local democracy and transfrontier co-operation
Social cohesion
Health protection
Education
Culture and heritage
Environment and regional planning
Sport
Youth
Co-operation with the European Union

Human rights: protection, promotion and prevention

Human rights: protection, promotion and prevention

The daily search for better ways to protect human rights is one of the Council of Europe's basic goals, to be achieved in four main areas:

effective supervision and protection of fundamental rights and freedoms;
identifying new threats to human rights and human dignity;
developing public awareness of the importance of human rights;
promoting human rights education and professional training.

Among the most significant treaties in this area are the European Convention on Human Rights, the European Social Charter, the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

The European convention on human rights

THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
A decisive step forward	The Council's most significant achievement is the European Convention on Human Rights, an international treaty of unprecedented scope which was adopted in 1950 and came into force in 1953. It sets out a list of rights and freedoms which states are under an obligation to guarantee to everyone within their jurisdiction. It has also established international enforcement machinery whereby states and individuals, regardless of their nationality, may refer alleged violations by contracting states of the rights guaranteed in the Convention to the judicial institutions in Strasbourg established by the Convention. The Convention enshrines, among other things, the right to life, to protection against torture and inhuman treatment, to freedom and safety, to a fair trial, to respect for one's private and family life and correspondence, to freedom of expression (including freedom of the press), thought, conscience and religion and to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. Protocols have added other rights to those set out in the Convention, such as the abolition of the death penalty (Protocol No. 6).
Enforcing the Convention	The original enforcement machinery consisted of two institutions, the European Commission of Human Rights (1954), which essentially performed a filter function, and the European Court of Human Rights (1959), which passed judgment on cases referred to it by the Commission or by governments. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (government representatives from the Council's member states) supervised execution of the Court's judgments and adjudicated in cases which had not been referred to the Court where the Commission had found a violation. From the early 1980s, the number of applications rose steadily, overburdening the system and increasing the length of proceedings, which could take up to five years from the introduction of an application to a final decision on the merits.
A constantly developing system	Reform of the procedure was necessitated by the increasing number of applications, their growing complexity and the widening of the Council of Europe's membership from 23 in 1989 to 40 in 1996. To this end, a new protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights, Protocol No. 11, entered into force on 1 November 1998, setting up a single permanent Court in place of the Convention's two existing institutions. The aim of the reform, as laid down by heads of state and government of the Council's member states in Vienna on 9 October 1993, was to enhance the efficiency of the means of protection, to shorten procedures,to make the system more accessible to individuals, and to maintain the present high quality of human rights protection.
A single Court of Human Rights ...	The European Court of Human Rights is now directly accessible to the individual and its jurisdiction is compulsory for all contracting parties. It sits on a permanent basis and deals with all the preliminary stages of a case, as well as giving judgment on the merits. The Court consists of a number of judges equal to the number of contracting states to the Convention. Although candidates are initially put forward by each government, judges enjoy complete independence in the performance of their duties and do not represent the states which proposed them. The first elections took place in January 1998, and the judges elected took up their duties on 3 November 1998. The current President of the Court is Luzius Wildhaber (Switzerland). Any cases that are clearly unfounded are sifted out of the system at an early stage by a unanimous decision of the Court, sitting as a three-judge Committee. In the large majority of cases, the Court sits as a seven-judge Chamber. If applications are then judged admissible, the Chamber may attempt to reach a friendly settlement with the parties. If this is impossible, the Chamber delivers its judgment. Exceptionally, for example in cases raising a serious issue concerning the interpretation or application of the Convention, a case may be referred to a Grand Chamber of seventeen judges either by a Chamber before judgment or by one of the parties within three months of a Chamber judgment. Chamber judgments become final after three months and Grand Chamber judgments are final. The Court's final judgments are binding on the state concerned. Monitoring the Court's judgments in which a violation is found is the task of the Committee of Ministers, which ensure that states take any general measures needed to prevent further violations (changing legislation, case-law, rules or practice). It also makes sure that just satisfaction awarded by the Court is paid to the applicant and, in certain cases, that other concrete measures are taken to make sure full compensation is granted (such as reopening procedures, lifting a banning or confiscation order, striking off a police record or granting a residence permit).
...covering a wide range of issues	Individual complaints concern an ever-broadening range of issues: disappearances and unlawful killings; torture and ill-treatment of detainees; arbitrary loss of liberty; lack of access to a court; lack of a fair trial within a reasonable time; telephone tapping; deportation and extradition; discrimination against homosexuals; freedom of the press; rights of parents of children taken into care; interference with property rights; dissolution of political parties.

The European social charter

THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL CHARTER
Fundamental social rights, employment conditions and social cohesion	At the Council of Europe's second summit in Strasbourg in October 1997,the heads of state and government of the member states undertook to "promote social standards as embodied in the Social Charter and in other Council of Europe instruments" and called for "the widest possible adherence to these instruments". The 1961 European Social Charter and its 1988 additional protocol guarantee a series of fundamental rights which can be divided into two categories: those which concern employment conditions and those pertaining to social cohesion. Rights relating to employment include the right to work, the right to vocational guidance and training, non-discrimination in employment, prohibition of forced labour, trade union rights, the right to bargain collectively and the right of women and men to equal pay for work of equal value. Social protection rights include the right to health protection and to social security.
Supervisory machinery	An international system of supervision monitors the implementation of the Charter by the 28 states which have ratified it. Governments must regularly submit reports on the application of the provisions of the Charter that they have accepted. These are examined by the European Committee of Social Rights - made up of independent experts - which gives a legal assessment of the conformity of the situation with the Charter. In the light of these conclusions, the Committee of Ministers issues recommendations to governments asking them to change their national legislation or practice to ensure conformity with the Charter. Its decisions are prepared by the Governmental Committee on which the contracting parties are represented along with employers' and trade union representatives as observers.
A system of collective complaints	An additional protocol to the European Social Charter providing for a system of collective complaints was adopted in 1995, and allows certain workers' and employers' organisations and non-governmental organisations to lodge complaints with the European Committee of Social Rights if there is an alleged violation. The European Social Charter has been revised in order to bring it up to date and to extend its scope to new categories of rights. These rights include in particular protection against poverty and social exclusion, the right to decent housing and the right to protection in cases of termination of employment.

The convention for the prevention of torture

THE CONVENTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF TORTURE
Preventing torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment	Little is seen of what goes on behind the closed doors of prisons, police stations, mental health institutions and the like. It is for this reason that the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was adopted in 1987 and came into force in 1989. The Convention supplements the protection available under the European Convention on Human Rights by establishing a European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). The CPT is made up of independent and impartial experts from a variety of backgrounds, including law, medicine, prison affairs and politics.
Spot checks	The CPT visits places of detention, such as prisons, youth detention centres, police stations, military barracks or psychiatric hospitals, to see how detainees are treated. The committee has unlimited access to places of detention and may interview detainees in private. It can also communicate freely with any other person who can provide relevant information, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) concerned with human rights. The aim of the committee's work is to strengthen the protection of detainees against torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,rather than to condemn states for abuses. After the committee has completed a periodic or an ad hoc visit to a country, it sends a report which may contain requests for information, recommendations and comments to the state concerned. The state is requested to provide an interim response to the report within six months and a full reply within twelve months. The CPT's reports, as well as the replies from the states concerned,are confidential, but it has become common practice for states to agree to make them public. Exceptionally, if a state fails to co-operate, the CPT may decide to make a public statement.

The framework convention for national minorities

THE FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR NATIONAL MINORITIES
Protecting persons belonging to national minorities	Following the 1993 Vienna summit of heads of state and government, the Council of Europe in 1994 adopted the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the first legally-binding multilateral instrument to protect national minorities in general. The convention sets out objectives which contracting parties undertake to pursue through national legislation and policies. These objectives include ensuring equality before the law, preserving and developing cultures, safeguarding identities, religions, minority languages and traditions, guaranteeing access to the media, and establishing free and peaceful contact across borders with people legally resident in other states. The Convention entered into force on 1 February 1998. Contracting states have to report on the measures they have taken within one year of the entry into force and then once every five years. They may also be asked to produce ad hoc reports. The Committee of Ministers, assisted by an advisory committee composed of 18 independent experts, evaluates these reports, determines whether the obligations have been complied with and, where appropriate, adopts recommendations. The rules governing this monitoring procedure also contain a number of guarantees for its transparency.
National minorities in Europe	The Framework Convention and its supervisory machinery are complemented by a number of other activities organised in connection with the Intergovernmental Programme of Activities and the "National Minorities in Europe" joint programme. The Intergovernmental Programme of Activities provides for a committee of government experts from all member states on issues concerning national minorities, as well as information meetings in member states and legislative and policy counselling missions, which are often undertaken together with other international organisations. The second joint programme between the European Commission and the Council of Europe on National Minorities was launched in January 1999 for a 18-month period as a follow-up to the Action Plan adopted in October 1997 at the Strasbourg summit. This new programme, open to all Council of Europe member and applicant states, is based primarily on a thematic approach involving sub-regional or bilateral projects (seminars, round tables, workshops, study visits) and is aimed at strengthening participation by representatives of national minorities. About twenty proposals for activity have been implemented so far.

The council of Europe is active wherever human rights are involved

THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE IS ACTIVE WHEREVER HUMAN RIGHTS ARE INVOLVED
Promoting equality between women and men	From a general perspective of protecting and promoting human rights, the Council of Europe seeks to combat any interference with women's liberty and dignity (for example violence against women, trafficking in human beings for the purpose of sexual exploitation and free choice in matters of reproduction), to eliminate sex discrimination, and to promote a balanced representation of women and men in political and public life. The Steering Committee for Equality between Women and Men (CDEG) prepares ministerial conferences, organises seminars and publishes studies on these questions.
Combating racism and intolerance	The heads of state and government participating in the 1993 Vienna summit adopted a Declaration and Plan of Action against racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance, and decided to set up the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). ECRI, whose activities have been reinforced by the second summit (Strasbourg, 1997), works to strengthen legal and political guarantees against all forms of racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and related intolerance. It evaluates the effectiveness of all existing national and international measures, with a view to their reinforcement where necessary, and stimulates appropriate action at local, national and European levels. ECRI actively contributed to the organisation of the "European contributionto the World Conference against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobiaand related intolerance" organised by the Council of Europe in October 2000.
Human rights co-operation and awareness	The Council of Europe co-operates with member states and NGOs in their efforts to promote respect for human rights. Through the ADACS* programme (Activities for the Development and Consolidation of Democratic Stability), the Council of Europe organises activities such as training for judges and lawyers on the application of the European Convention on Human Rights, expert opinions on the compatibility of legislation or draft legislation with European human rights standards, translation and publishing of human rights documentation in the languages of new member states, seminars and round tables with and about national human rights institutions, and training for the staff of government agents for the European Court of Human Rights. The ADACS* human rights programmes are complemented by a broader range of related awareness, training and information activities aimed at the general public, as well as specialists: developing human rights awareness and understanding in universities,schools and among members of professional groups, such as police forces and lawyers; fostering public awareness of human rights issues through informationcampaigns, publications, audiovisual and other materials and the Internet; operating a network of human rights institutes and non-governmentalorganisations active in the field.
A Commissioner for human rights	The new post of Commissioner for Human Rights was created in 1999. The Commissioner is responsible for promoting education, awareness and respect for human rights in member states and ensuring full and effective compliance with Council of Europe texts such as conventions, recommendations and resolutions adopted by the Committee of Ministers. The Commissioner plays a supporting and essentially preventive role, performing different functions from those of the European Court of Human Rights and other treaty-based organs. The Commissioner does not have legal powers but provides advice and information on the protection of human rights and the prevention of human rights violations. The Commissioner's terms of reference also provide for co-operation with other international institutions involved in human rights promotion and protection, and for the possibility of acting on any relevant information from governments, national parliaments, national ombudsmen or similar institutions, individuals and organisations. Working with other Council of Europe bodies, the Commissioner can submit a report, recommendation or opinion on a specific matter to the Committee of Ministers and to the Parliamentary Assembly where appropriate. The first holder of the post is Alvaro Gil-Robles (Spain) who was elected by the Parliamentary Assembly in September 1999. *New title: Programmes for Democratic Stability
Select documentation	Council of Europe Publishing: International law - Conventions of the Council of Europe 1999) , ISBN 92-871-3845-1 Human Rights today - European legal issues (1999), ISBN 92-871-3813-3 Human rights every day: The impact of the Council of Europe's work in the field of human rights (2000) H/INF (99) 3 (drugie wydanie poprawione i uzupełnione) Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and protocols to the said Convention (ETS No. 5) (1991), ISBN 92-871-1961-9 Short guide to the European Convention on Human Rights (1999), ISBN 92-871-3754-4 The death penalty - Abolition in Europe (1999), ISBN 92-871-3874-5 European Social Charter - The Charter, its protocols, the revised Charter (1999), ISBN 92-871-4052-9) European Social Charter - Collected texts (1997), ISBN 92-871-3366-2 Law and practice of the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Social Charter (1996), ISBN 92-871-2956-8 Council of Europe action in the field of equality between women and men EG (2000) 3 European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (ETS No.126) (1987), ISBN 92-871-1526-5 Ninth general report on the activities of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1999) Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (ETS No.157) (1995), ISBN 92-871-2514-7 Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities - Collected texts (1997), ISBN 92-8713907-5 Human Rights and the Police (1997), ISBN 92-871-3296-8 Gender mainstreaming (1999), ISBN 92-871-3799-4 Activities of the Council of Europe with relevance to combating racism and intolerance ECRI (99) 56 final In our hands - The effectiveness of human rights protection 50 years after the Universal Declaration (1999), ISBN 92-871-3771-4 Stand up NOW for human rights! (film video, 1995) The European Convention on Human Rights: starting points for teachers (materiały dla nauczycieli także dostępne w wersji polskiej)
Websites:	www.humanrights.coe.int www.echr.coe.int www.cpt.coe.int www.ecri.coe.int www.conventions.coe.int www.commissioner.coe.int For further information, please contact: Human Rights Information Service Council of Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex Tel.: +33 3 88 41 20 24 Fax: +33 3 88 41 27 04 E-mail:

Media and democracy

Media and democracy
Free, independent and pluralistic media, in accordance with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, are central to the functioning of our democratic societies. The work of the Council of Europe in the media sector is geared towards: strengthening freedom of expression and information and the free flow of information and ideas across frontiers; developing pan-European policy measures and appropriate legal and other instruments for this purpose; formulating appropriate measures to ensure that media law and policy keep pace with technological, economic and regulatory change in the media sector.
Freedom of expression and information	The European Declaration on the Freedom of Expression and of Information, adopted by the Committee of Ministers in 1982, expresses the commitment of member states' governments to freedom of expression and information.
Facilitating transfrontier broadcasting	In force since 1993, the European Convention on Transfrontier Television is intended to facilitate the circulation of television programme services across frontiers by guaranteeing freedom of reception and retransmission of such services on the territories of the contracting parties. The convention achieves this objective by ensuring that contracting parties abide by a minimum set of principles dealing with programme content, the right of reply, advertising and sponsorship. In 1998, the Committee of Ministers adopted a protocol amending the convention in order to ensure coherence between this instrument and the European Union's revised "Television without Frontiers" Directive.
Other binding instruments	European agreements on: programme exchanges by means of television films (in force since 1961); the protection of television broadcasts (in force since 1961); the prevention of broadcasts transmitted from outside national territories (in force since 1967) and protocols there to; European conventions relating to: questions on copyright law and neighbouring rights in the framework of transfrontier broadcasting by satellite; legal protection of services based on, or consisting of, conditional access.
Recommendations	The Committee of Ministers has adopted a series of legal and policy measures on various aspects of the mass media: protection of journalists' sources of information; media and elections; sound and audiovisual piracy; media transparency and pluralism; the legal protection of encrypted television services; protection of rights holders; exclusive rights for the broadcasting of major events; the independence of public service broadcasting; "hate speech"; the distribution of videograms of a violent, brutal or pornographic nature.
European ministerial conferences on the media	The ministerial conferences, held at regular intervals, are intended to reaffirm commitment to media freedom, adopt important strategy proposals and provide guidelines for the Council of Europe's future work in the media sector. The 1997 ministerial conference (Thessaloniki) was devoted to new communications technologies and services and their impact on human rights and democratic values. At the ministerial conference held in Cracow in June 2000, ministers examined the future of the Council of Europe's media policy in the evolving audiovisual landscape.
Priority concerns	Current work is now focused on three major themes: media and democracy (monitoring media concentrations, studyingthe implications of the new communications technologies for human rights and democracy, ensuring a high degree of protection for rights holders, freedom of information, etc.); media in a pan-European perspective (working out strategies for deepeningcommitment to media freedoms, etc.); media and human rights (media reporting on legal proceedings, acceptable restrictions to the dissemination of information and opinions in the media about political figures and public officials).
The European Audiovisual Observatory	The Observatory is a partial agreement, set up in 1992. It collects, processes and distributes information about developments in the market, legal and resource fields - three key strategic areas of the audiovisual sector in Europe. The information is collected from the 34 countries and the European Commission which are currently members of the Observatory. It is distributed by way of the annual Statistical Yearbook and through the monthly legal review Iris. The Observatory's website contains a large number of reference files and provides links to other sites. The main users of the Observatory's services are professionals working in the audiovisual sector in Europe, and public bodies in the member countries.
Select documentation	Council of Europe Publishing : Protocol amending the European Convention on Transfrontier Television (ETS Nr 171) (1998) ISBN 92-871-3760-9 European Convention on Transfrontier Television (ETS Nr132) (1989) and explanatory report ISBN 92-871-1819-1 European Convention Relating to Questions on Copyright Law and Neighbouring Rights in the Framework of Transfrontier Broadcasting by Satellite (ETS No.153) and explanatory report 1994, ISBN 92-871-3012-4 Activities in the Media Field DH-MM (2000) 1 Council of Europe co-operation and assistance programmes in the media field DH-MM (2000) 5 Media and elections - Handbook (1999), ISBN 92-871-3952-0 Mass Media Files" series (seria obejmująca 10 tytułów) Statistical Yearbook - Film, Cinema, Television, Video and New Media in Europe (wydanie 2000) ISBN 92-871-4227-0 Iris - Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory (miesięcznik) Legal Guide to Audiovisual Media in Europe - Recent Legal Developments in Broadcasting, Film,Telecomunications and the Global Information Society in Europe and Neighbouring States (1999), ISBN 92-871-4161-4
Websites:	www.humanrights.coe.int/media www.obs.coe.int

Legal co-operation

Legal co-operation
The Council of Europe plays an important part in shaping common European legislation. Its work is in three main areas: modernising and harmonising national legislation in line with the principles of democracy, human rights and the rule of law; improving justice by simple and flexible judicial procedures; seeking common solutions to the legal and ethical problems arising from scientific and technical progress by adopting regulations to cover the problems facing modern societies. The Council of Europe has been the driving force behind many European treaties and has been directly instrumental in developing common standards and improving European legal systems. Two forms of legal instrument result from the Council of Europe's work in this field: conventions and recommendations.
Conventions: the force of law	Conventions are essential instruments of legal co-operation between states. They are binding on states which ratify them. They are instruments of co-operation and simplification: a multilateral convention can replace dozens of bilateral treaties between member states. Konwencje są niezbędnymi instrumentami współpracy prawnej między państwami; mają one charakter obowiązujący dla państw, które je ratyfikowały. Jako instrumenty służące współpracy i upraszczaniu procedur, wielostronne konwencje Rady Europy mogą zastąpić kilkanaście dwu-stronnych porozumień zawieranych między państwami członkowskimi.
Recommendations: guidelines	Not all questions need to be regulated by conventions. The Committee of Ministers also adopts recommendations which are addressed to the governments of member states, giving guidelines for national legislation or administrative practice. These represent, for the governments,a means of devising effective and practical solutions to new problems.
Open to non member states	Most Council of Europe conventions are open to non-member states. The conventions in question relate, for example, to: extradition; confiscation of the proceeds of crime; protection of wildlife and natural habitats; doping in sport; bioethics and cloning; nationality; corruption.
A wide range of issues	The Council of Europe deals with all matters relating to justice. Typical areas include moves to bring national laws into line with social change and assist states in their legislative reforms. Work continues on the effectiveness of criminal and civil justice, and the reform of family law and nationality law.
Law as a tool for democracy	The European Commission for Democracy through Law, also known as the Venice Commission, was set up in May 1990 under a Council of Europe partial agreement. In January 2002, the Commission totalled 43 member states, 3 associate members and 11 observers. The Commission studies constitutional, legislative and administrative measures which serve to establish the basic principles of the Council of Europe. Member states are able to consult it when developing their constitutional processes. The main issues currently on the Commission's agenda are: the judicial system in Kosovo; the reform of state institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina at the end of the transitional period envisaged by the Dayton Agreements; the reform of the legal system concerning minorities in Croatia; the conformity of constitutional reform in Moldova with the democraticstandards of the Council of Europe; the conformity of the process of constitutional reform in Ukraine with European standards. The Commission is also carrying out a study on the execution of constitutional court decisions. Venice Commission studies on themes of comparative law, as well as the proceedings of UniDem (University for Democracy) seminars, are published in the series "Science and Technique of Democracy". The Commission also publishes the Bulletin on Constitutional Case-Law, which contains summaries of the most important decisions from constitutional courts and equivalent bodies of around 40 countries, as well as the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Communities.
Assistance to new democracies	The ADACS* programme (Activities for the Development and Consolidation of Democratic Stability) is concerned with assisting within the reform of legal systems according to the rule of law and helping the countries involved to integrate into the structures of European co-operation, in particular the Council of Europe. Various activities are organised, such as multilateral and bilateral seminars, workshops, expert opinions on legislation and assistance in setting up training institutions for legal and judicial professions and study visits. A number of co-operation activities have been set up under joint programmes with the European Commission. *New title: Programmes for Democratic Stability

Practical achievements

PRACTICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Privacy protection	The European Convention on Data Protection defines a number of principles for the fair and lawful collection and use of personal information. This is a topical question for privacy protection in view of the increasing possibilities for the electronic transfer of personal information worldwide at high speeds, for example on the Internet.
Everyday life without frontiers	An example of the direct result of a Council of Europe convention is the European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities, which has greatly improved co-operation in towns and villages across Europe's frontiers.
Family law	Much work has been carried out to ensure that states have appropriate family law systems. The European Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Decisions concerning Custody of Children and on Restoration of Custody of Children ensures that children who have been improperly removed across a frontier are returned.
Bioethics	New medical techniques bring major benefits for health, but they also raise questions concerning the individual, society and humanity. The Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, signed in Oviedo in 1997, lays down a series of principles, amplified in the additional protocols, which aim to ensure that the human being takes precedence over technology, and which form the nucleus of an up-to-date European code of patients' rights. In addition to the protocol on the prohibition of cloning human beings, which was signed in Paris in 1998, protocols are being prepared on: transplantation of organs and tissues of human origin, biomedical research, human genetics and protection of the human embryo and foetus.
Animal welfare and biotechnology	The Council of Europe has laid down principles and minimum standards for animal welfare in five conventions on the protection of animals during international transport, as well as animals for slaughter, farm animals, laboratory animals and pet animals. The impact of biotechnology on food safety is also the focus of other related committees.
Damage to the environment	In 1993, the Council of Europe adopted the European Convention on civil liability for damage resulting from activities dangerous to the environment, striking a proper balance between environmental protection and industry. The Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law was opened for signature in 1998.
Combating corruption and organised crime	Two international treaties have been adopted by the Committee of Ministers to strengthen the Council of Europe's fight against corruption: the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption and the Civil Law Convention on Corruption. A Model Code of Conduct for Public Officials was adopted in 2000. Moreover, a monitoring mechanism, the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), based on the principles of mutual evaluation and peer pressure, has been set up with a view to ensuring the proper implementation by states of these two conventions, the 20 Guiding Principles for the fight against corruption and other international legal instruments to be adopted by the Council of Europe in the fight against corruption. Every year the Council of Europe produces reports on the state of organised crime in Europe and prepares best practice surveys on certain measures containing useful information for combating this phenomenon. Concerning the fight against corruption and organised crime in countries in transition, the European Commission and the Council of Europe have launched a joint initiative entitled the Octopus Project. It aims to strengthen legislation, institutions and practice in each of the 17 states involved. The Council of Europe also organises annual conferences of specialised services for the fight against corruption. The 2000 conference held in Istanbul, dealt with investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating corruption cases.
The fight against money laundering	The Select Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures is responsible for examining, through a procedure of mutual evaluation and peer pressure, legislation and practice against the laundering of criminal proceeds in Council of Europe member states which are not members of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Moreover, the Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime contains effective provisions to deprive criminals of the proceeds from crime and is an essential legal instrument for any effective fight against money laundering.
The fight against cyber-crime	A Convention on Cyber-Crime, one of the first international treaties in this area, was adopted by the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers with a view to combating this growing and dangerous type of crime. The convention deals with the criminalisation of certain types of misuse committed through or against computer and telecommunication systems, as well as with "content-related offences", such as the distribution of child pornography via the Internet. It also provides for specific international co-operation measures to facilitate the investigation and prosecution of this type of crime in a computer environment.
Refugees and asylum-seekers	Intergovernmental activities concerning refugees and asylum-seekers have contributed to the setting of legal and policy standards and the regular exchange of information on this subject. Conventions and recommendations drawn up by the Council of Europe have helped to develop common European standards concerning topical issues such as reception, treatment and legal protection of refugees, asylum-seekers and persons in need of international protection in Europe.
Nationality	In 1997, the Council of Europe adopted the first comprehensive European Convention on Nationality, which deals with all aspects of nationality and aims in particular to prevent situations of statelessness.
Public administration and the private individual	The Council of Europe has published a report on the status of public officials in Europe outlining a set of principles related to the status and working conditions of public officials in its member states. The Committee of Ministers has also adopted a recommendation on this subject.
International law	Activities in this field are carried out by the Ad hoc Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI), which is the only pan-European committee where legal advisers from member states' ministries of foreign affairs can exchange their views on subjects of common concern while developing and codifying European public international law. The committee has published a report with Kluwer Law International on state practice regarding state succession and issues of recognition. In addition, the Committee of Ministers adopted a recommendation on responses to inadmissible reservations to international treaties.
Information technology and law	The Committee of Experts on information technology and law monitors research, development and teaching trends concerning new information and communication technologies in the legal field, with a view to assessing and promoting the use of these technologies and hence improving the efficiency of the administration of justice.
Select documentation	Council of Europe Publishing : European Conventions and Agreements (7 tomów) Treaty-making in the Council of Europe (1999), ISBN 92-871-3899-0 Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (ETS Nr. 164) (1997), ISBN 92-871-3223-2 Bioethics in Europe (1995), ISBN 92-871-2566-X The human rights, ethical and moral dimensions of health care - 120 practical case studies (1998), ISBN 92-871-3055-8 The rights of the child - A European perspective (1996), ISBN 92-871-3006-X Programme of action against corruption (1997), ISBN 92-871-3208-9 Rebirth of democracy - 12 constitutions of eastern and central Europe (1996, 2. wydanie), ISBN 92-871-3094-9 Transition to Democracy - Constitutions of the New Independent States and Mongolia (1997), ISBN 92-871-3356-5 The Administration and you - A handbook (1997), ISBN 92-871-3124-4 Co-operation in penal matters - Conventions, Vol. 1 (1997), ISBN 92-871-3354-9) "Science and Technique of Democracy" series (seria obejmująca ponad 25 tytułów) The Council of Europe French-English legal dictionary (1994), ISBN 92-871-2496-5)
Websites	The conventions, recommendations and agreements concluded within the Council of Europe, their explanatory reports, the chart of signatures, ratifications and accessions, as well as the texts of the reservations, declarations and communications made by the signatories and parties can be consulted in English and French on the Council of Europe's treaty website: conventions.coe.int/ www.legal.coe.int

Local democracy and transfrontier co-operation

Local democracy and transfrontier co-operation
Enlargement of the Council of Europe has reinforced its intergovernmental work in the field of local democracy and transfrontier co-operation. The Council's activities focus on: fostering local and regional self-government; analysing the administrative and legal structures and the finances of local and regional authorities; promoting democratic citizenship; promoting transfrontier co-operation between local and regional authorities; promoting regional cultural diversity.
Promoting fair and efficient local democracy	The Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) provides a forum for governments to share experiences and co-ordinate policies on the legal and institutional framework for local democracy. It studies structures, administration, finances and management of local and regional authorities, as well as the participation of citizens in public life at local level, and local public services. It also prepares recommendations for adoption by the Committee of Ministers. The European Charter of Local Self-Government lays down the fundamental rules guaranteeing the political, administrative and financial autonomy of local authorities and the principles that any democratic local government system should respect. The CDLR makes proposals for action according to these principles and encourages their implementation. Following the 1993 Vienna Declaration of the heads of state and government on the Council's role in the "new Europe", an assistance programme was set up to promote transfrontier co-operation in central and eastern Europe.
Where frontiers are all in the mind	The European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation is designed to facilitate co-operation between territorial communities or authorities in border regions. It includes model agreements concerning environment, economic development, education and the setting up of transfrontier associations and bodies. The Outline Convention has been reinforced by two additional protocols. While the first protocol deals with bodies sharing a common border, the second one concerns inter-territorial co-operation between non-adjacent territorial communities or authorities. An intergovernmental committee of experts prepares comparative studies and legal texts to facilitate local transfrontier co-operation.
Preserving Europe's linguistic diversity	The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages aims to halt the decline of such languages and to promote their spoken and written use in education, public administration, courts of law, social and economic contexts, culture and the media. Implementation of the charter is monitored by a committee of independent experts. The committee examines the periodical reports submitted by the contracting states and subsequently submits to the Committee of Ministers a report on states' fulfilment of their undertakings, with proposals for recommendations.
Rights for foreign residents at local level	The Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level aims to secure genuine civil and political rights, progressively, for foreign residents in local communities.
Practical assistance to new democracies	The ADACS* Local Democracy Programme offers technical and legislative assistance to help central and eastern European countries reorganise local and regional self-government and consolidate local democracy. The programme provides expertise for the drafting of the relevant legal texts. It gives advice on local government financing, management and staff training. Groups comprising local and national politicians, high-ranking officials and academics meet for seminars and study visits to share experiences and draw conclusions for their work. Some activities are carried out jointly with the European Commission, the World Bank and the OECD. *New title: Programmes for Democratic Stability
Select documentation:	Council of Europe Publishing: European Charter of Local Self-Government (ETS No.122) (1985), ISBN 92-871-0804-8 European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities (ETS No.106) (1982), ISBN 92-871-0021-7 Additional Protocol to the European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities (ETS No. 159) (1995), ISBN 92-871-2915-0, and explanatory report Protocol No. 2 to the European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Commmunities or Authorities concerning interritorial co-operation (ETS No. 169) (1998), ISBN 92-871-3646-7 and explanatory report Convention on the Participation of Foreigners in Public Life at Local Level (ETS No.144) (1992), ISBN 92-871-2061-7 European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (ETS No.148) (1993), ISBN 92-871-2210-5 International Conference on the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (1999), ISBN 92-871-3775-7 Implementation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (1999), ISBN 92-871-4077-4 Study series on: "Local and regional authorities in Europe" "Structure and operation of local and regional democracy" "Transfrontier co-operation in Europe"
Websites:	www.local.coe.int

Social cohesion

Social cohesion
The Council of Europe actively promotes social cohesion. Its main objectives are: to guarantee an adequate level of social protection; to promote employment, vocational training and workers' rights; to provide protection for the most vulnerable groups of society; to promote equal opportunities; to combat exclusion and discrimination; to consolidate European co-operation on migration.
A social cohesion strategy	Social cohesion was identified at the Council of Europe's second summit in 1997 as one of the Organisation's leading priorities in the coming years. A new body, the European Committee for Social Cohesion, is in charge of developing a strategy for social cohesion. Building on the results of the earlier project "Human Dignity and Social Exclusion", the strategy focuses on making social rights a reality for all and on supporting families and children.
Handling issues linked to social cohesion	The Social Cohesion Development Division, set up in response to the Second Summit Action Plan, carries out research and analytical work and is responsible for policy development and project work in member states (ADACS programmes). It is also in charge of implementing the joint programme between the Council of Europe and the Council of Europe Development Bank (see below), and establishing strategic links with various national and international partners.
European conventions to protect social rights	The European Social Charter, along with its protocols and the Revised Charter, guarantees a number of fundamental social rights (see chapter on "Human rights: protection, promotion and prevention"). The European Code of Social Security and its protocol guarantee a minimum level of protection, including medical care, sickness, industrial injury, maternity, unemployment, invalidity and survivors' benefits, family allowances and pensions. The revised code (1990) takes account of recent changes in social security legislation in member states, and improves the protection guaranteed at national level.
Protection abroad	The following agreements facilitate international mobility for workers and their families, integration into host countries without loss of cultural identity, legal protection and welfare provision: The European Convention on Social Security is based on four fundamental principles: equality of treatment, uniformity of applicable legislation, conservation of rights and payment of benefits abroad. The convention applies to all legislation concerning the following branches of social security: sickness and maternity benefits, invalidity benefits, old-age benefits, survivors' benefits, benefits in respect of occupational injuries and diseases, death grants, unemployment benefits and family benefits. The European Convention on Social and Medical Assistance is based on the principle of equal treatment. Each of the contracting parties undertakes to ensure that nationals of other contracting parties who are lawfully present in their territory are entitled to the same social and medical assistance as its own nationals. The European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers enshrines the principle of equal treatment for migrant workers and nationals of the host country and guarantees the right to family reunion. A consultative committee monitors its application.
Improving social security systems	The Council of Europe has analysed examples of social security innovation throughout its member states, in order to achieve a better understanding of the problems faced by national social security systems. These national practices have been published in a resource book (see select documentation below).
Dependency and social protection	The Council of Europe is studying the various aspects of extended life expectancy in Europe and the costs arising from it. One area covered is dependency, with a view to improving the social protection of elderly and dependent persons and those who care for them.
Policies to promote employment	One of the key components of the Council of Europe's social cohesion strategy is promoting access to employment for those in the Council's member states who are unemployed and seeking work. The Committee of Experts on Promoting Access to Employment is examining the development of lifelong learning policies, effective partnerships between private, public and voluntary sectors, and the role of the non-market sector in dealing with problems of unemployment. It has decided to collect examples of good practice with a view to developing guidelines on combating long-term unemployment through local employment initiatives, with particular reference to the situation in central and east European states. Other project activities have focused on encouraging a non-discriminatory approach in national employment services.
Social policies in the city	The Council of Europe has, since 1997, conducted a study of innovative social policies in cities. By compiling a list of some 50 projects, a network of national correspondents has examined the social and political challenges facing European cities and ways of dealing with these challenges. One of the project's aims is to spread examples of good practice in European cities.
Programme for Children	Launched in 1998, the Programme for Children addresses various problems concerning children by means of a European forum, focus groups, seminars and groups of experts. Areas examined include: the situation of children in Albania and Kosovo, social support systems, child day care, vagrant children, sexual abuse and exploitation, and children in residential care. Proposals and recommendations are being drawn up with the emphasis on children's rights.
Integrating people with disabilities	The Council of Europe aims to promote a coherent policy for people with disabilities, with particular emphasis on medical rehabilitation, social integration and participation in the life of the community. It has defined a model policy which takes account of the principles of full citizenship and independent living, and has helped to implement it at European level, as a source of inspiration for national legislative reform and several European Union initiatives. The aim of the policy is to eliminate barriers to integration, whatever their nature: psychological, educational, family-related, cultural, social, professional, financial or architectural.
Integrating migrants	A multidisciplinary project on relations between immigrant groups and host societies concluded that education, social services and the media should be geared to the demands of a multi-ethnic society. Projects on equal opportunities and social integration for migrants, designed to improve understanding of the problems of discrimination and racism, are being carried out and propose practical action in member states.
Roma/Gypsies	The Council of Europe is assisting member states in improving the situation of the Roma/Gypsy minority. It promotes the formulation and implementation of comprehensive policies at national and local level, stressing the need for participation of the Roma/Gypsy communities in these processes. The Specialist Group on Roma/Gypsies is drawing up guidelines and recommendations for member states on various aspects of policy on Roma/Gypsies (human rights, education, employment, housing, etc). The Co-ordinator of Activities on Roma/Gypsies is implementing various policy-making projects under its project for Roma/Gypsies in Europe, and playing an active role in the co-ordination of activities undertaken by various international organisations in this field.
Population and demography	The European Population Committee monitors demographic trends in member states and pools information and analysis. This includes publishing an annual report on "Recent demographic developments in Europe", which provides significant data on population trends throughout Europe. The committee also advises decision-making centres and publishes studies on demographic problems throughout the continent.

Solidarity

SOLIDARITY
The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB)	The Development Bank was set up in 1956 under a Council of Europe partial agreement and currently has 35 member countries. Its main priority is to provide financial assistance to member states facing social problems owing to the presence of refugees or displaced persons or victims of natural or ecological disasters. The Bank's field of action extends beyond its primary objectives to take account of new social and economic priorities. It grants loans of up to 50% of the total cost of social investment projects aimed at: creating jobs in small and medium-sized businesses in disadvantagedregions; developing vocational training programmes; building low-cost housing; providing social infrastructures in the fields of health (hospitals, healthcentres, etc.), education (schools, universities, etc.), environmental protection (sewage and refuse treatment plants, etc.), rural modernisation, urban renewal and the protection and rehabilitation of the historic heritage. The Bank has set up a "Selective Trust Account" through which it channels a share of its annual profits into interest subsidies for projects with a particularly high social content in its more needy member countries. Since it was set up, the Bank has granted loans of over 13 billion euros. Its subscribed capital amounts to approximately 1.4 billion euros, its own total funds, including reserves, to approximately 2.4 billion euros. A capital increase, decided in November 1999, should increase the Bank's own funds to 4.1 billion euros by the end of the subscription period in March 2001.
A centre for global solidarity in Lisbon	The European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity (the North-South Centre) was set up in Lisbon (Portugal) in 1990 as a Council of Europe partial agreement. The centre has two objectives: to raise the European public's awareness of North-South interdependence and solidarity and to develop links with governments, local authorities, NGOs, parliamentarians and the media in countries in other parts of the world, with a view to promoting the development of human rights, pluralist democracy and global education.
Educating, informing, communicating	Through its workshops, forums, seminars, educational material, publications and other activities, including an annual North-South Prize and a Global Education Week, the Centre seeks to raise awareness of the human rights dimension and the role of civil society, develop international solidarity at local level, build support for international development aid, promote media freedom and improve North-South relations. The North-South Centre publishes a monthly newsletter, The Interdependent.
Select documentation	Council of Europe Publishing: Social Security Systems and their Operation in a Difficult Economic Context: a Social Security Resource Book (1999) Developments in national social security legislation (1999), ISBN 92-871-3719-6 A coherent policy for the rahabilitation of people with disabilities (1992), ISBN 92-871-2147-8 Council of Europe Development Bank: Report of the Governor (1999) Current trends in international migration in Europe (1999) Recent demographic developments in Europe (2000), ISBN 92-871-4464-8 +CD ROM International migration and regional population dynamics in Europe: a synthesis (1999), ISBN 92-871-3923-7 Ageing and its consequences for the siocio-medical systems (1995), ISBN 92-871-2685-2 Children and work in Europe (1996), ISBN 92-871-3122-8 Opportunity and risk: trends of social exclusion in Europe - Project on Human Dignity and Social Exclusion (1998) Activities of the Council of Europe concerning Roman/Gypsies and Travellers MG-S-ROM (98) 13
Websites:	social.coe.int/ www.coebank.org www.nscentre.org

Health protection

Health protection
The Council of Europe's goal is the development of an ethics-driven European health policy, by: bringing together human rights, social cohesion and health agendas; harmonising the health policies of member states with regard to safety and quality; developing prevention and health education; promoting fair access to health care, patients' rights, citizen participation and the protection of vulnerable groups.
Conferences of European Health Ministers	The two most recent conferences of European health ministers have sought to face the challenge of marginalisation and to ensure greater social cohesion by examining the themes of equity and patients' rights (5th Conference, Warsaw, 1996) and the need for a balanced approach to healthy ageing (6th Conference, Athens, 1999). The first European Health and Human Rights Conference in March 1999 was organised in partnership with the Nordic School of Public Health, taking the health policy debate into new territory.
Health care services: a social cohesion perspective	A great deal of work is being done to organise health care services (quality improvement, management of waiting lists), to adapt them to modern needs (citizen participation, criteria for preventive policies and health promotion, evidence-based practice guidelines) and to give better protection to vulnerable groups (people in detention, the elderly in homes, single-parent families, the chronically ill, the marginalised and the socially excluded).
Health education for young people	The Council of Europe, the European Commission and the World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe joined forces in 1991/1992 to set up the European Network of Health-Promoting Schools. Having begun as a pilot project in four countries of central and eastern Europe, the network now includes over 500 pilot schools with 400 000 students in 40 countries. Health-promoting schools aim to achieve healthy lifestyles for the whole school population by building partnerships and encouraging teachers, pupils, parents and the wider community to work together to promote and improve health.
Blood transfusion: safety and ethics	Voluntary unpaid blood donation and the safety and improvement of haemotherapy are the Council's guiding principles in the harmonisation of transfusion practices. A guide to the preparation, use and quality assurance of blood components is updated on a yearly basis. A blood bank containing frozen supplies of blood from rare blood groups has been set up in Amsterdam.
Organ transplants: saving lives	The Council of Europe has developed ethical principles governing organ transplantation. Guidelines have been published on organ donation and European standards on safety and quality assurance for organs and tissues are being drawn up. A committee has been set up to study the ethical and social implications of xenotransplantation - the use of living organs and tissues from animals for transplantation into humans.
Pharmacopoeia: a world leader	The European Pharmacopoeia sets out common and compulsory standards (monographs) to guarantee the quality of medicines in all member states. Standardisation work is carried out on all substances used in medicines for human or veterinary use and on analytical methods to ensure optimal quality for the health of consumers. National standards are being harmonised progressively and over 1500 compulsory European standards for new medicines have been published. The work is carried out under a European convention ratified by 27 member states and the European Union. However, the European Pharmacopoeia's influence stretches far beyond the frontiers of the member states; many other countries refer to its standards in their national legislation. The European Pharmacopoeia is published every year in English and French, both as a bound book and as a CD-ROM.
The Pompidou Group: co-operation in tackling drug problems	The Pompidou Group is a multidisciplinary forum for ministerial co-operation to combat drug abuse and trafficking. The Group has 33 member states at present. Increasingly close co-operation with the new democracies in the fight against drugs is being developed through training seminars, exchange programmes and a training scheme for drug-care workers. The Pompidou Group meets at ministerial level every three years to review its work and set new co-operation requirements and priorities. The Group's current priorities include the prevention of drug abuse, the social reintegration of addicts and drug users, the operation of the criminal justice system and the promotion of training and research, particularly on the social costs of drug abuse.
Health protection for consumers	The Council of Europe aims to improve the level of health protection for consumers. It has been instrumental in the formulation of national legislation and European Union Directives on products which have a direct or indirect impact on the human food chain, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics with a view to harmonising laws, regulations and practices governing quality, efficiency and safety controls for products, and the safe use of toxic or noxious products. A new approach to nutrition and food safety is also being developed.
Select documentation	Council of Europe Publishing: Guide to the preparation, use and quality assurance of blood components (2000), ISBN 92-871-4179-7 Meeting the organ shortage: current status and strategies for improvement of organ donation (1999) The human rights: ethical and moral dimensions of health care - 120 practical case studies (1998), ISBN 92-871-3055-8 Reducing drug misuse in Europe (ulotka Grupy Pompidou) Outreach work with drug users: principles and practice (1996), ISBN 92-871-3110-4 Women and drugs - Focus on prevention (1997), ISBN 92-871-3508-8) Handbook on Prevention (1998) Road traffic and drugs (1999), ISBN 92-871-4145-2 Other publications European Pharmacopeia (trzecie wydanie, 1997). ISBN 92-871-2991-6; 2001 supplement and CD-ROM version European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines 2001 catalogue (Principal publications and services of the European Pharmacopoeia) Meeting with Health Challenges - Activities of the European Health Committee of the Council of Europe (1998)
Websites:	social.coe.int/ www.%20pheur.org www.pompidou.coe.int

Education, culture and heritage, sport and youth

The European Cultural Convention establishes the framework for the Council of Europe's work on education, culture, heritage, sport and youth. The Convention was opened for signature in Paris on 19 December 1954, and entered into force on 5 May 1955. To date, 48 European states have acceded to it and take part in the Council's work on these subjects.

Education

Education
A framework for action	The Council's programmes on education and culture are managed by the Council for Cultural Co-operation (CDCC). It is assisted by four specialised committees on education, higher education and research, culture and the cultural heritage. There are also regular conferences of specialised ministers.
Education: investing in Europe's future	How can education help to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms and strengthen pluralist democracy? How can it bring the peoples of Europe closer together and establish greater mutual understanding and confidence? How can it help Europe's governments and citizens to meet the challenges facing our societies? The Council of Europe is tackling these wide-ranging questions by: carrying out major projects on school, higher and adult education; pooling ideas, experience and research; promoting links and exchanges and developing new partnerships and networks; promoting the recognition of qualifications; publishing practical studies and handbooks for policy-makers and educators; co-operating with other European institutions and non-governmental organisations.
Educational assistance programmes for the new democracies	Education for human rights and active, responsible citizenship is crucial for the development of pluralist democracies. The Council of Europe is undertaking special programmes to help countries in democratic transition to develop new curricula and teaching resources in these key subjects. A considerable number of policy-makers and practitioners have been trained in these new approaches in the new democracies. Since 1996, the Council of Europe has carried out a specific assistance programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina to develop human rights education through annual summer schools for several hundred primary and secondary school teachers. It has also carried out a study for the World Bank on the governance of the whole education system in this country. It co-operates with other organisations in establishing an inclusive higher education system in Kosovo.
A secondary education for Europe	This project shows how secondary schools should prepare young people for study, training, work, mobility, leisure and everyday living in a democratic and multicultural Europe. A series of symposia have reviewed reforms concerning the objectives, content and methods of secondary education, co-operation between schools and their local communities, teacher training and qualifications. Special attention is being paid to ongoing reforms in the new democracies. The Council has also published a secondary education guide consisting of monographs on each country. The introduction of the European dimension into secondary education is also being illustrated by a series of publications describing practical initiatives, and by pedagogical material on European themes. Finally, the Council has set up a network of national agencies to promote school links and exchanges. This project is now outlining its conclusions at national and regional seminars. In 1999, to follow up the project, the Committee of Ministers adopted a recommendation to member states on secondary education reforms.
Democratic security, social cohesion and educational policies	This activity is part of the Council's role as a pan-European forum for educational policies on democratic security and social cohesion. It aims to study topical problems quickly and effectively, and in particular: to identify the major educational problems in the context of the new Europe; to underscore the trends, guidelines and options in member states' educational policies; to facilitate dialogue, on a pan-European scale, between decision-makers, teaching staff, parents and NGOs, by exchanging information and spreading new ideas and good practice. Reports have been published on the following issues: violence at school, the challenges of science education, new information technologies in schools, equality at school and strategies for educational reform.
Education for democratic citizenship	In 1997, the Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC) project was set up by the CDCC with the aim of reassessing the meaning of participatory democracy and the status of the citizen. The basic questions were: which values and skills are necessary for individuals to participate as citizens and how can they be acquired and passed on to others? Activities during the project's exploratory phase (1997-2000) have resulted in studies on the necessary skills and training strategies. In addition, training activities and an analysis of grass-roots citizen projects, so called "sites of citizenship", have been carried out. It is envisaged that the EDC project's follow-up phase (2000-2003) will focus on assisting policy development for, and implementation of, citizenship education, supporting the networking of practices in member states and setting up a European clearing house for citizenship activities and networks. The Council of Europe is responsible for co-ordinating activities in the field of education for democratic citizenship under the Stability Pact for South-East Europe.
Higher education	The Council's Higher Education and Research Committee (CC-HER) seeks solutions to the challenges facing Europe's universities and higher education institutions. It provides a forum where representatives of ministries and universities may exchange views and develop European programmes. Current priorities include the role of higher education in lifelong learning, European studies for democratic citizenship, the recognition of qualifications and the reform of legislation on higher education in new member states.
Mutual assistance for educational reforms	This programme is designed to help new member states reform their legislation on higher education. Its work is carried out through: advisory visits, multilateral workshops analysing common issues in the development of higher education, multilateral study visits, and the publication of a series of comparative studies. Advisory programmes are being developed in other areas of education policy.
Language policies for a multilingual and multicultural Europe	The Council for Cultural Co-operation's Modern Languages Project aims to promote a more diversified approach to language learning in the context of democratic European citizenship. Activities include analysing language policies and outlining effective strategies for greater diversification, including the development and piloting of common European instruments of reference. Special importance is attached to intercultural education, the international recognition of comparable qualifications to improve mobility and employment prospects, and lifelong learning for participation in an international learning society.
European Year of Languages 2001	The European Year of Languages (EYL 2001) was organised by the Council of Europe and the European Union. Unesco also played an active role. The Year took as its starting point the principle that language skills are important for mutual understanding, democratic stability, employment and mobility. The aim of EYL 2001 was to: raise awareness of and promote the linguistic heritage of Europe; motivate all European citizens to learn languages, including those less widely used; support lifelong language learning as a way of responding to economic, social and cultural changes in Europe. The European Year of Languages highlighted the value of linguistic diversity and the importance of offering all citizens the opportunity of developing at least a certain level of competence in several languages.
The European Centre for Modern Languages	The Centre was set up in Graz (Austria) under an enlarged partial agreement, initially for three years (1994-1997), and is now a permanent Council of Europe institution. At present, 28 states subscribe to the agreement. The Centre is a forum for teacher trainers, training programme administrators, textbook authors, curriculum developers, experts on educational standards, evaluation and certification methods and officials responsible for language policies. Its specific duties are to deal with the implementation of language policies and innovation, and to disseminate good practice in the area of modern language learning and teaching.
History teaching in schools	A priority of both the Vienna and Strasbourg summits, the project "Learning and teaching about the history of Europe in the 20th century" is producing documents aimed at teacher training reform and teaching resources focusing on the 20th century for use in secondary school classrooms. The principal product will be a history teachers' handbook on different ways to teach the 20th century, complemented by guides or teaching packs on integrating women's history into classroom practice, nationalism, the Holocaust, migration flows - both voluntary and forced - and using films in history teaching. The project also stresses the use of diverse sources, such as museums, oral history, the audiovisual media and archives, in its endeavour to help students develop the critical ability necessary to understand the forces that shaped the last century.
The reform of history teaching and textbooks	History and history teaching have a special contribution to make because of the role they play in instilling knowledge, skills and attitudes in the future citizens of democratic societies. The Council of Europe has a long tradition in history education, and is now drawing on it to assist new member states in reforming their history curricula, publishing new history textbooks and training history teachers. Three major programmes are currently being carried out in this field: a programme on curricula, standards, new textbooks and training in the Russian Federation; the Black Sea Initiative, involving Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine in seminars, projects and the production of a teaching pack; and the Tbilisi Initiative involving authors from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the Russian Federation in the preparation of a joint history textbook. The Council of Europe is also responsible for co-ordinating activities on history teaching in south-east Europe under the Stability Pact, focusing on the training of history teachers, teaching resources, higher education, and non-formal education for young people.
Europe at School Competition	This annual event for schools is co-sponsored by the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Cultural Foundation. It is designed to interest young people of school age in European affairs. In 2000, several hundred thousand young people took part in the competition in 32 countries party to the CDCC. The theme of the competition was "Towards a United Europe A Challenge for the Citizen of the 21st Century". An increasing number of new democracies are taking part. An Internet Award Scheme with the motto "Towards a Citizens' Europe" was set up in 1999/2000 and is open to school in the 32 countries involved in "Europe at school".
In-service training programme for teachers	This programme helps teachers to attend short in-service training courses in another member country, and to broaden their professional experience. Up to 1 000 places are available each year, and are offered in particular to teachers from new democracies. The seminars organised by the programme are mainly devoted to Council of Europe priorities such as democratic citizenship, human rights, intercultural education, school links and exchanges, modern languages, history and the European educational dimension.
School links and exchanges	Recognising the important contribution school links and exchanges can make to European integration, the Council of Europe set up the Network on School Links and Exchanges in 1991. The network: promotes educational aspects of school links and exchanges through teacher training; issues publications and holds ongoing discussions on quality standards; helps member states to set up the necessary infrastructure for successfulschool links.
European Secondary School Student Exchange Programme (ESSSE)	This programme, launched in 1998, is designed to contribute to European integration by offering bursaries to upper-secondary-school students, enabling them to study in another European country for three months. It is based on the concept of cultural exchange, and linguistic considerations play a minor role. Participants stay with host families and go to school in the same way as their peers in the host country. The programme is implemented in conjunction with organisations with experience in this field. Emphasis is placed on East-West exchanges, and on bursaries for south-east European students.
Academic mobility and recognition	The joint Council of Europe/Unesco Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region facilitates recognition and hence the movement of people and ideas in higher education. It was opened for signature at a diplomatic conferencein April 1997 and came into force in February 1999. Twenty countries have ratified the convention and a further twenty have signed it. The Council co-operates with Unesco in running a network of national information centres on academic mobility and recognition.
Select documentation	Council of Europe Publishing : Series of monographs on the European dimension of secondary education (more than 10 titles)) Series of monographs on secondary education in member states (more than 25 titles)) Teaching 20th century women's history: a classroom approach (2000), ISBN 92-871-4304-5 Violence at school: awarness-raising, prevention, penalties (2000), ISBN 92-871-4075-8 The challenge of science education (1999), ISBN 92-871-4095-2 Information technologies in schools: reasons and strategies for investment (2000), ISBN 92-871-4194-0 Lessons in history: the Council of Europe and the teaching of history (1999), ISBN 92-871-3905-9 Towards a pluralist and tolerant approach to teaching history: range of sources and new didactics (1999), ISBN 92-871-4097-9 Communication in the modern languages classroom (1991), ISBN 92-871-1552-4 Other publications: Relations between the State and Higher Education, Vol.1 in the series "Legislating for Higher Education in Europe",Veld, R., Fuessel, H.-P. and Neave, G. (Kluwer Law, The Hague, 1996), ISBN 90-411-0246-9 Democracy and Governance in Higher Education, Vol.2 in the series "Legislating for Higher Education in Europe" de Groof, J., Neave, G. and Sivec. J. (Kluwer Law, The Hague, 1998), ISBN 90-411-0245-0
Websites:	culture.coe.int/edu/eng/edulist.html culture.coe.int/her/index.html www.ecml.at culture.coe.int/AEL2001EYL

Culture and heritage

Culture and heritage
European cultural diversity and identity	Diversity lies at the heart of Europe's cultural richness, which is its common heritage and the basis of its unity. The Council of Europe's cultural programme aims: to promote awareness of Europe's multi-faceted cultural identity and to develop it; to meet the challenges facing European society, such as the globalisationof business and the repercussions this may have on the cultural policies of member states.
Cultural policies and activities	The European programme of national cultural policy reviews encourages the pooling of experience, in order to: draw practical lessons from the success or failure of national and regionalmeasures and to identify comparable problems; provide the Council of Europe with a broad overview of the cultural problems facing the member states, and propose possible solutions; gather information on objectives and practices of the different countriesand make international comparisons between them. Cultural policy has already been reviewed in Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovenia and Sweden. Evaluation is under way in Andorra, Moldova, Slovak Republic and Turkey.
The regional dimension of cultural action	The operational follow-up to the "Culture and Regions" project, completed in 1987, is provided by a European network of training centres and a travel bursary system for cultural administrators. The Council of Europe also supports interregional artistic co-operation initiatives and promotes co-operation between European artistic and cultural networks as a forum for discussing Europe's major cultural policy issues.
Promotion of European cinema	Having drafted the European Convention on Cinematographic Co-production, which seeks to guarantee the future of the European cinema through high quality co-productions, the Culture Committee is finalising a convention on protecting the audiovisual heritage. Current areas of work are the distribution and circulation of the audiovisual heritage, short films, and cinema for young people, which was one of the themes of the 8th Conference of European Ministers for Culture (Budapest, 1996).
Eurimages	Eurimages is the Council of Europe fund for the co-production, distribution and exhibition of European cinematographic works. Set up in 1989 as a partial agreement, it currently has 27 member states and annual funding totals almost 20 million euros. Since it was set up, Eurimages has supported the co-production of more than 700 full-length feature films and documentaries. The rules and conditions under which assistance is awarded were recently changed to reflect developments in film-making and to respond better to the needs of those working in the industry. The Board of Management decided to set up two schemes: one for films with real circulation potential and one for films reflecting the cultural diversity of European cinema. Support for distribution and cinemas is available to member states which do not have access to the distribution and cinema support scheme administered by the European Union's Media programme.
New information technologies	In accordance with the priorities set by the Strasbourg summit, a specific "New Information Technologies" project was launched in 1999 in order to develop a European policy on the new information technologies, respect for human rights and cultural diversity, to promote freedom of expression and information and to maximise the educational and cultural potential of these new technologies.
Electronic publishing, books and archives	Books and electronic publishing contribute towards freedom of expression, democracy and human rights and play an essential role in the promotion of cultural and linguistic diversity and pluralistic expression. The "Electronic Publishing, Books and Archives" project was initiated in response to the conclusions of the meeting of European culture ministers in Paris in 1992. Activities aim at strengthening pluralist democracy, promoting access to information in central and east European countries and adapting the book sector to the new electronic environment. Examples include guidelines on book development and electronic publishing and library legislation, national book sector reviews and demonstrations of print-on-demand, a technique ideally suited for the distribution of literature in less common languages. Legislative and technical assistance is also provided to promote the preservation, digitalisation and accessibility of archives, particularly in central and eastern Europe. Activities include helping to draft a European recommendation on democratic access to archives and their preservation, and supporting the computerisation of the Komintern archives and the "Reconstitution of Polish Archives" project.
European art exhibitions	The art exhibitions organised by the Council of Europe are designed to promote knowledge and appreciation of European art. Twenty-six exhibitions have been staged so far, covering the major artistic periods from prehistory to the present day, the cultural role of certain prominent historical figures and more recently the question of the interaction between artand society in Europe. The 27th exhibition comprises two parts: "Otto the Great, Magdeburg and Europe" (Magdeburg, 2001) and "The Centre of Europe around 1000 AD" (successively in Budapest, Cracow, Berlin, Mannheim and Prague between 2000 and 2002).
Cultural heritage	Promoting and preserving the cultural heritage are responsibilities of the Cultural Heritage Committee, which is in charge of implementing the conventions on the architectural and archaeological heritage. These conventions strengthen, develop and seek to harmonise policies on preserving and enhancing the heritage in Europe, and provide a framework for exchange and collaboration between countries. In the run-up to the European Conference of Heritage Ministers, to be held in Slovenia in 2001, a specific assessment is being carried out on the functions that European society expects the cultural heritage to perform in a changing world. There is particular emphasis on the role of civil society, the voluntary sector and partnership between the public and private sectors, and on the Council of Europe's principles.
Technical and vocational co-operation	The Technical Co-operation and Consultancy Programme on the integrated conservation of the cultural heritage has been developed to provide advice on the forms of intervention that may assist national, regional and local authorities in tackling complex conservation issues. This also involves the reform of legal and administrative frameworks and the management and enhancement of the cultural heritage. Specific responses are being considered to answer the needs of countries in south-east Europe. Various multinational vocational co-operation schemes have also been set up with networks instigated by the Council of Europe, with support from the European Foundation for Heritage Skills.
A common heritage	The "Europe, a Common Heritage" campaign comprised an array of projects for raising public awareness Europe-wide in the period 1999-2000. The essential aim was to promote a shared sense of European identity and to foster mutual understanding between the various cultural communities in Europe through familiarisation with the values which the heritage reflects. The European Heritage Days take place annually as a Council of Europe initiative with support from the European Union. They are an ideal way of acquainting people with the cultural heritage in European countries and with Europe's diversity. The Council of Europe's heritage education programme fosters cultural and environmental awareness among young people.
Cultural routes	The Cultural Routes aim to familiarise Europeans with European cultural identity by means of quality tourism exploring sometimes little-known aspects of the heritage. The Council of Europe co-ordinates the programme in partnership with public and private bodies. The routes include a silk and textiles route, a Baroque route, a route exploring monastic influence, a Viking route, a Hanseatic route and a fortifications trail in Luxembourg. The Luxembourg-based European Institute of Cultural Routes helps the Council of Europe devise and manage the programme.
European Foundation for Heritage Skills (FEMP)	FEMP's aim, as laid down in its statutes, is to develop heritage-conservation skills and help pass them on to future generations. A non-profit-making body, it operates with the Council of Europe, which provides its secretariat. FEMP's prime remit is to help design multilateral initial and further vocational training programmes and to assist in the technical and financial preparation of international pilot projects. A further activity is the setting up of a resource centre through the creation of a European information network (European-heritage.net). Since 1999, it has been operating its programmes through a Strasbourg-based association of partners.
Select documentation	Council of Europe Publishing: European Cultural Convention (ETS No.18) (1982), ISBN 92-871-0074-8 40 Years of Cultural Co-operation, 1954-1994 (1997), ISBN 92-871-3231-3 In from the margins - A contribution to the debate on culture and development in Europe (1997), ISBN 92-871-3336-0 "Policy notes" series Cultural policies in Europe: method and practice of evaluation (1999), ISBN 92-871-3759-5 Networking culture - The role of European cultural networks (1999), ISBN 920-871-3925-3 Maximising the cultural and educational potential of the new information technologies (1999), ISBN 92-871-4027-8 Concention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe (ETS No. 121) (1985), ISBN 92-871-0799-8 Convention on the Protection of Archaeological Heritage (znowelizowana) (ETS No. 143) (1992), ISBN 92-871-2052-8 Compedium of basic texts of the Council of Europe in the field of cultural heritage (1998) CC-PAT (98) 65 Inf. Guidance on the development of legislation and administration systems in the field of cultural heritage (2000) "Europe, a Common Heritage" campaign book (2000) European Convention on Cinematographic Co-operation (ETS No. 147) (1992), ISBN 92-871-2185-0 Eurimages Guide: support for the co-production of full-length films, animation and documentaries (2000) European Foundation for Heritage Skills activity reports (from 1997) Campaign Express: The "Europe, a Common Heritage" Campaign Newletter (as from October 1999) European Heritage (as from 1994)
Websites:	culture.coe.int/clt/eng/eculture.html culture.coe.int/postsummit/nti/index.html culture.coe.int/Eurimages culture.coe.int/pat/eng/patlist.html culture.coe.int/patrimonium culture.coe.int/skills www.european-heritage.net

Environment and regional planning

Environment and regional planning
The Council of Europe's member states face various challenges regarding the environment and regional or spatial planning, which often require an international approach. The Council of Europe has drawn up a number of instruments to: protect and manage the natural environment in Europe; conserve and enhance the human environment and habitat; develop spatial planning and development concepts.
Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy	At the ministerial conference on "Environment for Europe" (Sofia, 1995),the environment ministers of 55 European countries endorsed the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy. They established a co-ordinating framework to conserve and enhance nature and the landscape throughout Europe, to ensure that: threats to Europe's biological and landscape diversity are reduced substantially; the resilience of Europe's biological and landscape diversity is increased; Europe's ecological coherence is strengthened; the public is fully committed to preserving biological and landscape diversity. The Strategy is an innovative and proactive approach to reversing the deterioration of Europe's biological and landscape diversity. It aims to integrate ecological considerations into social and economic sectors. The Strategy reinforces existing measures and identifies additional measures to be taken over the next two decades. It also provides a consistent approach and common objectives for national and regional action to implement the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The Strategy is being implemented through the commitment of the major European institutions. Its secretariat is provided jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Council of Europe.
European fauna and flora: preserving wildlife	The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (1982), better known as the Bern Convention, aims to protect rare and endangered animal and plant species and natural habitats. It lists protected species, contains provisions for protecting natural habitats, regulates the methods used to exploit certain species and asks states to regulate trading in animals, particularly rare species. The Bern Convention is also open to European and African non-member states. It has been ratified by thirty-eight member states, the European Community, Monaco and three African states (Burkina Faso, Senegal and Tunisia).
European network of biogenetic reserves	A variety of natural habitats have been listed in an inventory. There is now a European network comprising some 340 protected "biogenetic" reserves covering more than 3 million hectares.
Information and education for action	The Council of Europe's Centre Naturopa, an information and documentation centre on nature conservation, was set up in 1967 to provide information for decision-makers and the general public, as a complement to political intergovernmental action. With the support of a network of 41 national agencies and numerous correspondents, the Centre has been involved in many awareness-raising campaigns, the most recent being the "Europe, a Common Heritage" campaign (1999-2000) and European Nature Conservation Year (1995). Taking as its motto "The right information to the right person at the right time", the Centre Naturopa produces publications in several languages.
An award for nature conservation	The European Diploma of Protected Areas is awarded to areas whose natural heritage is particularly important and which are adequately protected. The sites awarded the diploma bear witness to the wealth and diversity of nature in Europe. Some 60 diplomas have been awarded to date.
Regional planning: squaring quality of life with socio-economic activity	The European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning (CEMAT) has met regularly since 1970 to examine the challenges of regional or spatial planning. CEMAT embraces all the Council's member states and focuses on sustainable economic, environmental and social development in greater Europe through regional or spatial planning. The European Regional/Spatial Planning Charter advocates a comprehensive, functional, long-term planning policy designed to achieve: balanced socio-economic development in regions; improvements in everyday living conditions; responsible management of natural resources; protection of the environment and rational land use.
Scientific co-operation on natural and technological disasters	An Open Partial Agreement on the Prevention of, Protection against, and Organisation of Relief in Major Natural and Technological Disasters (EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement) was established in March 1987. It is open to both member and non-member states and has 24 signatories at present. The European Commission, Unesco, WHO and the United Nations Department of Humanitarian Affairs participate in the Agreement. Japan has observer status. The objectives of the Agreement are: to reinforce and promote co-operation between member states in a multi-disciplinary context by calling upon current resources and knowledge to ensure the efficient and interdependent management of major disasters; to support the creation of European centres to promote direct interestand participation in member states. These structures ensure the effective contribution of partners with common objectives, through European information, training and research programmes. There are twenty such centres at present.
Select documentation	Council of Europe Publishing: Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats ("Bern Convention") (ETS No. 104) (1982) ISBN 92-871-0020-9 Globally threatened birds in Europe - Action plans (1996 ), ISBN 92-871-3066-3 Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy (1996), ISBN 92-871-3046-9 Convention on civil liability for damage resulting from activities dangerous to the environment (ETS No.150) (1993), ISBN 92-871-2320-9 European Regional Planning Strategy (1992), ISBN 92-871-1995-3 The challenges facing European society with the approach of the year 2000 - Strategies for sustainable development of European states in the Mediterranean basin (1997), ISBN 92-871-3227-5 Strategy Bulletin (published every other month in English, French, German, Italian and Russian) Naturopa (magazine published in five languages) "Nature and Environment" series (more than 100 titles) "Environment Encounters" series (more than 40 titles) Oceans (1999), ISBN 92-871-3876-1 European Landscape Convention - Florence (ETS No. 176) (2000)
Websites:	www.nature.coe.int www.europarisks.coe.int

Sport

Sport
Promoting tolerance and ethics in sport	Sport is another area where the Council of Europe's activities are governed by the European Cultural Convention. The Committee for the Development of Sport (CDDS) implements relevant conventions, manages a pan-European work programme and prepares the European Sports Ministers' Conferences. Israel has observer status with the CDDS.
Promoting tolerant, fair and democratic sport open to everybody	The Council of Europe acts on two fronts to maintain the integrity and the virtues of sport, the first of which was emphasised at the Strasbourg summit in 1997: promoting "Sport for All" as a means of improving the quality of life,facilitating social integration and contributing to social cohesion, particularly among young people; fostering tolerance through sport and defending sport against the seriousthreats currently facing it. The Council of Europe is involved in these specific fields because it regards sport as important for the example it sets, the part it plays in social integration, especially of socially disadvantaged groups, its contribution to the health and well-being of the population, and the ethical values it promotes.
Democracy in sport	The adoption in 1975 of the Sport for All Charter transformed the European sports landscape and helped to democratise sport on an unprecedented scale. Twenty-five years later, the Council of Europe needs to address the same challenge and encourage similar developments in the new member countries, for instance by promoting voluntary activities. Since 1992, the work of the Committee for the Development of Sport (CDDS) has been guided by the European Sports Charter (an update of the 1975 charter), complemented by the Code of Sports Ethics. It aims to make ethical, safe and healthy sport accessible to everybody through the widest possible co-operation and the appropriate distribution of responsibilities between governmental and non-governmental organisations.
Personal well-being	As in-depth research work demonstrates, close links exist between physical exercise and health. The CDDS has initiated various activities to promote healthy lifestyles and participation in sport, such as Eurofit, a set of physical fitness tests covering flexibility, speed, endurance and strength which was devised for children of school age and has been used in many European schools since 1988. A similar Eurofit for adults was published in 1995.
Doping: pleasure in competing or chemical crutches?	The Anti-Doping Convention (1989) aims to reduce and eventually eliminate doping in sport at all levels by establishing binding rules to harmonise anti-doping regulations. It has to date been ratified by 34 member states of the Council of Europe, as well as Australia and Canada. The convention includes measures to: restrict trafficking in doping substances; step up dope testing and improve doping control procedures; support education and information programmes; make sure that the penalties imposed on offenders are effective. The "Clean Sports Guide", an educational and information pack (produced in co-operation with the European Union), is available for schools and sports organisations. The Council of Europe is also represented on the Board of the new World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Football: pleasure in the game or violence in the stands?	The European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events and in particular at Football Matches was drawn up in 1985. The convention's Standing Committee monitors compliance with the anti-violence measures it contains and issues practical recommendations (for example, a list of 70 items to be checked before any major sports event). In particular, the convention recommends: policing grounds and access routes; separating rival supporters; controlling ticket sales; excluding troublemakers; curbing alcohol sales; security checks; clearly apportioning responsibility between organisers and authorities; constructing grounds and temporary stands to guarantee spectator safety. The convention has an article on education, the aim being to instil tolerance and fair play in a new generation of sports lovers. Specific efforts are also made to prevent racist behaviour and discrimination at sports events. To date, 32 countries have ratified the convention.
Sport, tolerance and fair play	In May 1996 the CDDS, together with the Dutch authorities, held a highly successful Round Table on Sport, Tolerance and Fair Play. National Ambassadors for Sport, Tolerance and Fair Play were subsequently appointed in more than half the member states. Their role is to encourage fair play, tolerance and respect for others in sport in their home countries and to set up programmes to teach and encourage tolerance and other ethical values in and through sport.
Social cohesion and sport	The role that sport can play in furthering social cohesion is another area where the Council of Europe - supported by the Committee of Ministers' adoption of a recommendation on the subject - contributes to the democratisation process, particularly among young people. Considerable emphasis has been laid on providing sports programmes for minority groups such as migrants, refugees, the unemployed, prisoners and young delinquents and people with disabilities. The programmes are either carried out in conjunction with central, regional or local government or entrusted to the voluntary sports sector in the countries concerned. Social cohesion through sport has a special and very important role to play in the reconstruction and the reconciliation process in south-east Europe.
The new challenges	Following the rapid increase in its membership, the CDDS set up a mutual assistance programme known as SPRINT (Sports Reform Innovation and Training) in 1991 to help new member states reform their sports structures. The programme covers the following: legislation on sport; the funding of sport; sports management training; the promotion of voluntary activities. In order to ensure that the principles set out in the European Sports Charter are applied throughout Europe, the CDDS conducts various ad hoc activities (training and promotion seminars) to encourage the practical application of particular articles of the Charter in areas such as: protecting sport from harmful influences (combating intolerance,encouraging sportsmanship and fair play); preventing discrimination in sport (publicising information on the application of the principles of the European Sports Charter to women and people with disabilities); publicising the links between sport and health; defending the place of sport in the education of young people on the basis of the 1995 Lisbon Manifesto; exchanging information on new types of sports facilities; investigating the economic impact of sport.
Select documentation	Council of Europe Publishing: European Convention on Spectator Violence and Misbehaviour at Sports Events in particular at Football Matches (ETS No.120) (1987), ISBN 92-871-0796-3 Ani-Doping Convention (ETS No.135) (1989),ISBN 92-871-1782-9 European Charter on Sport for All : disabled persons (1987), ISBN 92-871-0991-5 European Sports Charter (Recommendation No. R (92) 13) Code of Sports Ethics (Recommendation No. R (92) 14) Eurofit Tests of physical fitness for children and young people (1993, 2nd revised edition) Eurofit for adults - Assessment of health-related fitness (1995), ISBN 92-871-2765-4 The significance of sport for society: health, socialisation, economy (1995), ISBN 92-871-2716-6 Study of national sports legislation in Europe (1999), ISBN 92-871-3833-8 Dying to win - Doping in sport and the development of anti-doping policy (1999), ISBN 92-871-3589-4
Co-editions :	Sports Information Bulletin (Clearing House, 3 issues per year) Sports structures in Europe (Clearing House)
Websites:	culture.coe.int/sp/splist.html

Youth

Youth

Opening up Europe to young people

The Council of Europe's main goal in the youth field is to devise common European policies promoting youth participation, responsible citizenship and better educational and employment opportunities. To this end, young people, civil movements, government agencies and experts participate in an on-going consultation on policy objectives and practice in the youth field. The Council of Europe also encourages the development of youth associations, networks and initiatives, and stimulates international co-operation between youth organisations.

Training for European youth work

TRAINING FOR EUROPEAN YOUTH WORK
The European Youth Centres (EYCs)	The European Youth Centres in Strasbourg and Budapest are international training and meeting centres with residential facilities where a team of educational advisors provide educational and technical assistance in the preparation, running and follow-up of youth activities. Each year, several training courses are organised at the European Youth Centres for young people active in youth organisations and initiatives. The courses deal with European youth activities, international co-operation, intercultural education, and working methods, with a particular focus on intercultural learning. Subjects receiving particular attention are human rights education and training for minority youth leaders, as well as training for youth participation in the development of civil society in areas of conflict and civil war. Around 40 one-week international study sessions per year bring together members of youth organisations and experts for discussions on a large variety of subjects. Consultative meetings and symposia allow a range of people active in the youth field to exchange views on selected issues in order to enrich and broaden their perspectives on the future of youth policy in Europe. Participants' ideas and recommendations on youth policy are fed back into the Council of Europe's policy-making system.
Financial support for international youth projects	The European Youth Foundation (EYF) is a fund set up by the Council of Europe to provide financial support to national or international youth activities, with an annual budget of approximately 2.3 million euros. More than 280 000 young people have benefited from EYF-supported activities since 1973, most of them nationals of Council of Europe member states.
Getting young Europeans on the rails	The Council of Europe and the International Union of Railways (IUR) have joined forces to set up a mobility fund for disadvantaged young people. Since its creation in 1995 the fund has worked with approximately 140 projects and enabled some 2 500 participants to travel across Europe for international meetings and projects.
Youth Cards: carte blanche for youth mobility	The partial agreement set up between the Council of Europe and the European Youth Card Association (EYCA) provides for a system of Youth Cards for young people under 26 years of age, facilitating their mobility and their access to various goods and services necessary for their personal and cultural development.
Europe-wide research	A European research network has been set up to promote contact between scientists, non-governmental youth organisations and governments, and ultimately to foster comparative multinational research projects.
Development and consolidation of democratic stability	As part of the Council of Europe's "Activities for the Development and Consolidation of Democratic Stability" (ADACS*) programme, training courses, study visits and consultations in central and east European countries seek to: establish and develop youth associations in central and eastern Europe to encourage the development of civil society; help these countries define and further youth policy at national level; foster intercultural dialogue; encourage and promote exchanges with young people from all overEurope.
European youth worker training	The European Commission's Directorate for Education and Citizenship and the Council of Europe's Directorate of Youth and Sport signed an initial partnership agreement in November 1998. The programme consists of: training for European youth workers, a series of educational publications (T-Kits), a magazine (Coyote), networks of trainers in youth work at European level and the development of quality standards in the field of European youth worker training. *New title: Programmes for Democratic Stability
Youth policies: encouraging participation and citizenship	The European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) brings together representatives of ministries or bodies responsible for youth matters from the 47 European Cultural Convention member states. The CDEJ works more specifically on issues related to youth participation and citizenship, non-formal education and youth voluntary service. It has drafted the Committee of Ministers recommendations on: information and counselling for young people in Europe; communication and co-operation in the field of youth research in Europe; the promotion of voluntary service; youth mobility; youth participation and the future of civil society.
Select documentation	Council of Europe Publishing: The participation of young people (1997), ISBN 92-871-3235-6 Paticipation and citizenship - Training for minority youth projects in Europe (1999), ISBN 92-871-3650-5 Youth in the Information Society (1997), ISBN 92-871-3514-2 European Youth Trends reports National youth policy reviews Domino (handbook on peer education as a means of combating racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance) T-Kits (training resource files) Coyote ((magazine on European youth worker training, issued in co-operation with the European Union) ) Europe - Youth - Human Rights (multimedia CD-ROM on the Council of Europe for young people)
Contact:	For further information, please contact: European Youth Centre Strasbourg 30, rue Pierre-de-Coubertin F-67000 Strasbourg Tel.: +33 3 88 41 23 00 Fax: +33 3 88 41 27 77/78 e-mail: youth@coe.int European Youth Centre Budapest Zivatar utca 1-3 H-1024 Budapest Tel.: +36 1 212 40 78 Fax: +36 1 212 40 76 e-mail: secretariat@eycb.hu European Youth Foundation Tel.: +33 3 88 41 20 19 Fax: +33 3 88 41 27 78 e-mail:
Websites:	www.coe.fr/youth www.eycb.hu

Co-operation with the European Union

Co-operation with the European Union
Information on the Internet:	The Council of Europe website: Section: Council of Europe and European Union The European Union website: Section: The EU's relations with the Council of Europe

Information Office of the Council of Europe
Al. Niepodległości 22,
02-653 Warszawa
tel. (48 22) 845 20 84, 853 57 73
fax (48 22) 853 57 74

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Special events

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Building Europe
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Wild Web Woods

All Different, All Equal