SECRETARIAT

AS/Mon (2019) CB 09 12 December 2019

To the members of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee)

Synopsis of the meeting held in Paris on 11 December 2019

The Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), meeting in Paris on 11 December 2019 in camera, with Mr Boriss Cilevičs (Latvia, SOC), 1st Vice-Chairperson, in the Chair:

• on Wednesday, 11 December 2019 at 9.30 am., as regards:

– The progress of the Assembly’s monitoring procedure (January-December 2019) (rapporteur ex officio: Sir Roger Gale, United Kingdom, EC/DA): considered a draft report and unanimously adopted a draft resolution as amended;

– (co-rapporteurs: Mr Anne Mulder, , ALDE and Mr Emanuelis Zingeris, Lithuania, EPP/CD): appointed Mr Emanuelis Zingeris (Lithuania, EPP/CD) as new co-rapporteur to replace Mr Ionuț-Marian Stroe (Romania, EPP/CD), subject to receiving his declaration of non-conflict of interest; held an exchange of views with Mr Nikola Marković, President of the Commission for monitoring actions of the competent authorities in the investigation of cases of threats and violence against journalists, murders of journalists and attacks on media property of Montenegro; considered a preliminary draft report on the post- monitoring dialogue with Montenegro and agreed to send it to the authorities of Montenegro for comments, which should be submitted by 2 March 2020 latest;

– Armenia (co-rapporteurs: Mr Andrej Šircelj, Slovenia, EPP/CD and Mr Kimmo Kiljunen, Finland, SOC): appointed Mr Kimmo Kiljunen (Finland, SOC) as new co-rapporteur to replace Ms Yuliya Lovochkina (Ukraine, SOC), subject to receiving his declaration of non-conflict of interest;

– North Macedonia (co-rapporteurs: Ms Lise Christoffersen, Norway, SOC and Ms Ria Oomen-Ruijten, Netherlands, EPP/CD): appointed Ms Ria Oomen-Ruijten (Netherlands, EPP/CD) as new co-rapporteur to replace Mr Aleksander Pociej (Poland, EPP/CD), subject to receiving her declaration of non-conflict of interest;

– Republic of Moldova (co-rapporteurs: Mr Egidijus Vareikis, Lithuania, EPP/CD and Ms Maryvonne Blondin, France, SOC): held an exchange of views on recent developments in the country, with the participation of Mr Gaic Vartanean, Member of the Committee on Foreign Policy and European Integration of the Moldovan parliament (for the majority) and Mr Mihail Popsoi, Member of the Moldovan delegation to the PACE (for the opposition); authorised the co-rapporteurs to conduct a fact-finding visit to the Republic of Moldova, subject to the availability of financial resources;

– Azerbaijan (co-rapporteurs: Mr Stefan Schennach, Austria, SOC and Sir Roger Gale, United Kingdom, EC): held an exchange of views with Ms Thorhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland, SOC), rapporteur of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights on Reported cases of political prisoners in Azerbaijan;

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AS/Mon (2019) CB 09

– Poland (co-rapporteurs: Ms Azadeh Rojhan Gustafsson, Sweden, SOC and Mr , Netherlands, EPP/CD); considered a draft report and adopted a draft resolution as amended; was informed of the intention of Mr Dominik Tarczyǹski (Poland, EC/DA) to present a dissenting opinion on the report, in accordance with Article 50.4. of the Rules of Procedure;

– Authorisation of fact-finding visits: authorised the co-rapporteurs to conduct a fact-finding visit to Georgia, subject to the availability of financial resources;

– Next meetings:

Paris, 16 January 2019 (Council of Europe Office) (tbc) Strasbourg, 27-31 January 2020 (during the Assembly part-session) Ankara, 26-27 March 2020 (subject to the authorisation by the Bureau) Strasbourg, 20-24 April 2020 (during the Assembly part-session) Paris, 27 May 2020 (tbc) Strasbourg, 22-26 June 2020 (during the Assembly part-session) Paris, 8 September 2020 (Council of Europe Office) (tbc) Strasbourg, 12-16 October 2020 (during the Assembly part-session) Paris, 16 November 2020 (Council of Europe Office) (tbc) Paris, 10 December 2020 (Council of Europe Office) (tbc)

Agnieszka Nachilo, Bas Klein, Sylvie Affholder, Alexis Salanson

Copy to:

Secretary General of the Assembly Directors and all staff of the Secretariat of the Assembly Secretaries of National Delegations and of Political Groups of the Assembly Secretaries of observer and partner for democracy delegations Secretary General of the Congress Secretary to the Committee of Ministers Directors General Director of the Private Office of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Director of the Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights Director of Communication Permanent Representations to the Council of Europe