19/12/2016
Paris - During its meeting in Paris on 14 December 2016, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decided to request an opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft law on the amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey.
09/12/2016 - 12/12/2016
Skopje - A delegation of the Venice Commission accompanies the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation to advise on the legal framework of the early parliamentary elections scheduled on 11 December 2016 in "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". The PACE delegation is to observe the opening, voting and counting processes of the early parliamentary elections.
09/12/2016 - 10/12/2016
The Commission:
- Paid tribute to the late Mr Boualem Bessaïh, member of the Venice Commission in respect of Algeria;
- Elected Ms Jasna Omejec as Co-Chair of the Joint Council on Constitutional Justice and Chair of the Sub-Commission on Constitutional Justice, following the non-renewal of the term of office of Mr Tanchev;
- Noted on the proposal of the Bureau that the substitute member of the Kyrgyz Republic is no longer able or qualified to exercise his function as substitute member of the Venice Commission;
- Adopted the amicus curiae brief for ... read more
07/12/2016
Venice - The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe in co-operation with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and with the International Association of Constitutional Lawyers (IACL-AIDC) organised an international Conference entitled “Global Constitutional Discourse and Transnational Constitutional Activity”.
02/12/2016
The Supreme Tribunal of Monaco joined the World Conference on Constitutional Justice, which now has 103 members.
Turkey - request for an opinion on the measures provided in the recent emergency decree-laws with respect to the freedom of the media.
02/12/2016
At the request of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of PACE, the Venice Commission will prepare an opinion on the effects on the freedom of the media of the recent measures taken within the state of emergency. The opinion will be presented at the March 2017 Plenary Session in Venice.
01/12/2016
Moscow – a delegation of the Venice Commission participated in the IV International Congress of Comparative Law entitled “Modern judiciary: international and national dimensions”. More than 90 legal specialists from 9 countries discussed the topic in plenary and then in various workshops.
The event was organised by the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation.
28/11/2016
Brussels - The Venice Commission is invited to participate in a meeting on the follow-up to EU and OSCE/ODIHR election observation missions, organised by EODS (Election Observation and Democratic Support, European Commission).
22/11/2016 - 24/11/2016
Rabat - The Venice Commission contributes to a training session for collaborators of the mediator institutions, members of the AOMF (Association of Ombudsmen and Mediators of Francophonie) and the AOM (Association of Mediterranean Ombudsmen). This event is organised by the Training and Mediation Exchange Center of Rabat and the Mediator Institution of the Kingdom of Morocco. The general subject of the session is “The Ombudsmen’s role in the protection of the rights of children on the move during their migratory journey”.
This contribution is funded through the Joint EU - Council of... read more
21/11/2016
The Supreme Court of Justice of Namibia joined the World Conference on Constitutional Justice, which now has 102 members.
21/11/2016 - 22/11/2016
Yerevan, Armenia – A delegation of the Venice Commission will be travelling to Yerevan on 21-22 November 2016 to discuss the new draft law on the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia.
The relevant draft opinion is on the agenda of the December plenary session of the Venice Commission.
16/11/2016
Kyiv – A delegation of the Venice Commission is visiting the country to exchange views with the national authorities with regard to the new draft law on the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.
The visit takes place in the framework of the preparation of the draft opinion on the above-mentioned draft law, requested by the President Poroshenko on 7 October 2016.
The relevant draft opinion is on the agenda of the December 2016 plenary session of the Commission.
This activity falls in the framework of the Action Plan for Ukraine of the Council of Europe.
14/11/2016 - 15/11/2016
Yerevan – A delegation of the Venice Commission, together with representatives of the OSCE/ODIHR, will travel to Yerevan on 14 and 15 November to discuss the new draft law on political parties.
The relevant draft opinion is on the agenda of the December plenary session of the Commission.
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Co-operation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
14/11/2016
Vilnius - The Constitutional Court of Lithuania set up a web-site for the 4th Congress on "the Rule of Law and Constitutional Justice in the Modern World" (Vilnius, Lithuania, 11-14 September 2017).
OSCE/ODIHR - Annual meeting of the Core Group of Experts Political Parties
10/11/2016 - 12/11/2016
Warsaw - The Venice Commission participated in the annual meeting of the Core Group of Experts on Political Parties, organised by the OSCE/ODIHR on 10-11 November 2016.
The object of this meeting was to discuss the revision of the Joint Guidelines on Political Parties regulation.
Kosovo - Information seminar on co-operation with the Venice Commission
08/11/2016
Pristina – an information seminar is organised together with the Council of Europe Office in Pristina for the Constitutional Court as well as the Ministry of Justice of Kosovo. The aim of this seminar is to explain how co-operation with the Venice Commission works and how member states can request opinions and how constitutional courts may turn to the Venice Commission for an amicus curiae brief.
07/11/2016
Bratislava - Upon invitation by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia, Mr Miroslav Lajčák, the President of the Venice Commission, Mr Gianni Buquicchio, met with the President of Slovakia, Mr Andrej Kiska, the Prime Minister, Mr Robert Fico, the President of Parliament, Mr Andrej Danko and the President of the Constitutional Court, Ms Ivetta Macejková, in order to discuss the issue of appointment of judges to the Constitutional Court.
04/11/2016
Rabat – The 3d Campus UniDem Med seminar was organised by the Venice Commission at the request of and in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Service and Modernisation of the Administration of the Kingdom of Morocco on theme of the “Reform of the General Statute of the Civil Service” on 30 October – 3 November 2016 in Rabat. The seminar examined four general topics:
(I) public service principles and values,
(II) strategic management of human resources,
(III) professionalization and training, and
(IV) ethics and deontology.
The Rabat meeting brought together aro... read more
04/11/2016 - 07/11/2016
Sofia - A delegation of the Venice Commission accompanies the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation to advise on the legal framework of the presidential elections scheduled on 6 November 2016 in Bulgaria. The PACE delegation is to observe the opening, voting and counting processes of the presidential elections.
03/11/2016 - 04/11/2016
Ankara - following a request submitted in October by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, a group of rapporteurs of the Venice Commission, accompanied by Secretary Thomas Markert, will visit Ankara in order to meet the local stakeholders and discuss with them emergency decrees adopted after the failed coup attempt. The opinion will be then drafted and submitted for adoption at the December 2016 plenary session of the Venice Commission.
03/11/2016 - 04/11/2016
Strasbourg - The Venice Commission took part in the 2nd meeting of the Ad-hoc Committee of Experts on Legal, Operational and Technical Standards for E-Voting (CAHVE).
Austria - Electoral Seminar on Election Observation and Follow-up of Recommendations
02/11/2016
Vienna - Upon invitation from the OSCE/ODIHR, Mr Richard Barrett, member of the Venice Commission on behalf of Ireland, participated in a seminar on the follow-up of recommendations issued by international election observation missions.
02/11/2016 - 03/11/2016
Chisinau - A delegation of the Venice Commission (including experts from DGI) will visit Moldova on 2 and 3 November 2016 to discuss two draft laws supplementing and amending the existing legislation on " security mandates. " The delegation will be received by the Moldovan authorities, and meet with local stakeholders.
After the visit, a draft opinion will be submitted for adoption by the next plenary session of the Venice Commission to be held in December.
31/10/2016
Bucharest - Conference on "Parliamentary and judicial control of the intelligence and security services - Romania and the EU", co-organised by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation in Romania and the National Union of Judges of Romania. Iain Cameron, a member of the Venice Commission in respect of Sweden, will present the work of the Venice Commission in this area.
31/10/2016 - 03/11/2016
Rabat - the Venice Commission in cooperation with the Ministry of Civil Service and Modernisation of Administration of the Kingdom of Morocco, organises the 3th Seminar UniDem Med (Universities for Democracy for the Southern Mediterranean). The theme of the seminar is the reform of the general statute of the public service.
50 participants of the seminar are senior government officials from the MENA region (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestinian National Authority, Tunisia) as well as experts from the two shores of the Mediterranean. The working ... read more
29/10/2016 - 31/10/2016
Chisinau - A delegation of the Venice Commission accompanies the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation to advise on the legal framework of the presidential elections held on 30 October 2016 in the Republic of Moldova. The PACE delegation is to observe the opening, voting and counting processes of the presidential elections.
Request for amicus curiae opinion – Albania - "Vetting Law"
25/10/2016
The Constitutional Court of Albania, after suspension of the Law on “The transitional re-evaluation of judges and prosecutors in the Republic of Albania” (“Vetting Law”), decided to request the Venice Commission to give an Amicus Curiae Opinion on this law.
24/10/2016 - 25/10/2016
Venice - The Venice Commission participated in a regional conference related to the follow-up given to recommendations made by international election observation missions.
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Co-operation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
24/10/2016 - 25/10/2016
Lima, Peru – The Venice Commission, in cooperation with the Constitutional Court of Peru, organises an international conference entitled “Constitutional reform and democratic stability: the role of Constitutional Courts”. The President of the Venice Commission, as well as a delegation of members of the Commission will attend this even, together with judges and other representatives of more than 10 countries of Latin America.
The Conference will be followed by a meeting of the Sub-Commission on Latin America of the Venice Commission; the President of the Inter-American Court of Hum... read more
Uzbekistan - Establishment of national human rights institutions - conference
20/10/2016 - 21/10/2016
Tashkent – a Venice Commission representative participated in a conference dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the establishment of national HR institutions of Uzbekistan. The event’s title was as follows: "National system of ensuring reliable protection of human rights and freedoms in Uzbekistan: achievements over the years of independence".
20/10/2016 - 23/10/2016
Yerevan - Conference on “The role and importance of constitutional courts decisions in addressing legislative gaps and legal uncertainty” co-organised by the Constitutional Court of Armenia, the Venice Commission and the Conference of the Constitutional Control Organs of the Countries of New Democracy.
This Conference is financed by the CoE/EU programme : “Programmatic Cooperation Framework in the Eastern Partnership Countries” .
17/10/2016
Gdansk – The President of the Venice Commission, Mr Buquicchio, participated in the Conference on “The Constitutional Court as Guardian of Constitutional Values” co-organised by the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland and the Mayor of Gdansk, held in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland. In his welcome speech, Mr Buquicchio informed the participants about the adoption of the Commission’s Opinion on the Act on the Constitutional Tribunal on 14 October 2016.
14/10/2016 - 17/10/2016
Podgorica - A delegation of the Venice Commission accompanies the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation to advise on the legal framework of the parliamentary elections held on 16 October 2016 in Montenegro.
The PACE delegation is to observe the opening, voting and counting processes of the parliamentary elections. The team will meet with diplomats, representatives of political parties, of mass media and of NGOs.
Request for opinion – PACE / Bulgaria - Election Code
14/10/2016
Strasbourg - the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested the Venice Commission to provide an opinion on the amendments to the Electoral Code of Bulgaria as recently adopted by the Bulgarian Parliament.
The Venice Commission, jointly with the OSCE/ODIHR, evaluated in 2014 the then draft election code of Bulgaria.
Request for opinion – PACE / Bulgaria - Judiciary
14/10/2016
Strasbourg - the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly requested the Venice Commission to provide an opinion on the Bulgarian Law on Judicial Power as amended by the two packages of amendments passed in March and July 2016.
14/10/2016 - 15/10/2016
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista
Request for opinion – Armenia – political parties
10/10/2016
The Minister of Justice of Armenia requested the Venice Commission to provide an opinion on the draft law on political parties of Armenia.
07/10/2016
Kyiv – during a meeting with the President of the Venice Commission Mr Buquicchio and the Commission’s Secretary Mr Markert, President of Ukraine Mr Poroshenko requested the Venice Commission’s opinion on the draft law on the Constitutional Court.
07/10/2016 - 08/10/2016
Kiev - Conference on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. This event is co-organised by the Constitutional Court and the Venice Commission under the Council of Europe/European Union Eastern Partnership Programmatic Co-operation Framework, the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine and IRZ-Stiftung.
06/10/2016 - 09/10/2016
Tbilisi - A delegation of the Venice Commission accompanies the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation to advise on the legal framework of the parliamentary elections held on 8 October 2016 in Georgia.
The PACE delegation is to observe the opening, voting and counting processes of the parliamentary elections. The team will meet with diplomats, representatives of political parties, of mass media and of NGOs.
05/10/2016 - 08/10/2016
Rabat - A delegation of the Venice Commission accompanies the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation to advise on the legal framework of the parliamentary elections held on 7 October 2016 in Morocco.
The PACE delegation is to observe the opening, voting and counting processes of the parliamentary elections.
Request for opinion - Armenia - Ombudsman
03/10/2016
The Minister of Justice of Armenia requested Venice Commission’s opinion on a draft law on human rights defender.
28/09/2016 - 29/09/2016
Kyiv - A Joint delegation of the Venice Commission, the Directorate General of Human Rights and Rule of Law and the OSCE/ODIHR visited Kiev in the framework of the preparation of an opinion on two draft laws on guarantees for freedom of peaceful assembly. The opinion was requested by the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.
The draft opinion is to be adopted at the October 2016 plenary of the Venice Commission.
27/09/2016
Tirana - During its meeting of 22 September 2016, the Monitoring Committee of the
Parliamentary Assembly requested the Venice Commission to provide an opinion on “the overall compatibility of the implementation of the state of emergency in Turkey, in particular all subsequent decree-laws, with the Council of Europe standards.”
27/09/2016 - 30/09/2016
Chisinau – Conference of Head of Institutions of the Association of Constitutional Courts using the French Language (ACCPUF).
26/09/2016 - 28/09/2016
Rabat - A delegation of members of the Venice Commission and the CEPEJ are meeting representatives of the Ministry of Justice and Freedoms and professional associations of judges for an exchange of views on the implementation of two organic laws (on Superior Council of the Judiciary and Status of Judges) prepared in accordance with Title VII of the Constitution of the Kingdom of Morocco, adopted in July 2011.
23/09/2016
Strasbourg - I am alarmed by the fact that, despite a decision by the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina of 17 September 2016 to suspend the referendum in Republika Srpska scheduled for 25 September 2016, the authorities of Republika Srpska intend to go ahead with the organisation of the referendum. In a state governed by the rule of law the judgments of the Constitutional Court are implemented and are not made the subject of a vote, whether in parliament or by the people.
The Constitutional Court has declared the Day of the Republika Sprska unconstitutional as being ... read more
23/09/2016 - 24/09/2016
Windhoek – The Venice Commission and the World Conference on Constitutional Justice participated in the Conference and Annual General Meeting of the on the Southern African Chief Justices Forum on “Contemporary Issues in the Prevention of Organised Crime”.
22/09/2016 - 23/09/2016
Tirana – A representative of the Venice Commission participates in the 25th Annual conference of the ACEEEO entitled “25 years of electoral processes”. The representative of the Venice Commission intervenes at the occasion of a World Leaders Summit dedicated to this topic.
21/09/2016 - 22/09/2016
Skopje - A delegation of the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR - two organisations preparing a joint opinion on the Election Code amended in November 2015 - will meet representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Central Election Commission, the major political parties, the State Audit Office, the public broadcaster and the civil society.
The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested the opinion of the Venice Commission on the Electoral Code of "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" amended in November 2015. Following this request a... read more
21/09/2016 - 22/09/2016
Sofia - The President of the Venice Commission participated in the International Conference on “The Protection of Fundamental Citizens’ Rights and National Security in the Modern World. The Role of Constitutional Courts” on the occasion of the 25th anniversary Constitutional Court of Bulgaria.
20/09/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg – Constitutional modifications proposed for vote in a referendum in Azerbaijan next Sunday 26 September 2016 are assessed negatively and “at odds with European constitutional heritage” by the Venice Commission in its Preliminary Opinion made public today.
The draft modifications concern 29 provisions of the Constitution and concern:
• a number of human rights provisions;
• additional powers of the President, his term of office and introduction of the figure of (appointed) Vice-President.
The opinion criticises the procedure of ad... read more
19/09/2016
Ankara - A delegation of the Venice Commission visits Turkey in the framework of the preparation of an opinion on “suspension, by a provisional clause, of article 83 of the Constitution of Turkey, which guarantees the parliamentary inviolability of members of the Grand National Assembly”.
The delegation is composed as follows:
- Jasna Omejec, member (Croatia),
- Dan Meridor, member (Israel),
- Thomas Markert, Director, Secretary of the Venice Commission,
- Schnutz Rudolf Durr, Head of the Constitutional Justice Division, Ve... read more
18/09/2016 - 21/09/2016
Amman – A delegation of the Venice Commission accompanies the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation to advise on the legal framework of the early parliamentary elections in Jordan held on 20 September 2016.
17/09/2016 - 18/09/2016
Tbilisi – In view of the forthcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled on 8 October 2016, the Supreme Court of Georgia, is organising a training seminar on electoral dispute resolution for 100 judges, in co-operation with the Central Election Commission of Georgia and the Venice Commission. The training is devoted to best practices on electoral dispute resolution, case studies and European standards. An expert of the Venice Commission will be one of trainers at this seminar.
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Co-operation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaij... read more
15/09/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - Today the President of the Venice Commission Mr Gianni Buquicchio met with the Speaker of the Montenegrin Parliament Mr Darko Pajovic. The current situation in the country and the cooperation between Montenegro and the Commission were the main topics of the exchange of views.
15/09/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - on the occasion of the International Democracy Day, the President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio made the following statement:
"The Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, throughout its existence, has strenuously worked towards achieving democracy though law in Europe and beyond. Democracy is not a label. It is not by putting the word “democracy” in a constitution or in the name of a country that they become democratic. Democracy is a continuous process and is never fully achieved, nor irreversible. Good legal texts are not sufficien... read more
13/09/2016 - 15/09/2016
Chisinau – In view of the forthcoming presidential election, scheduled on 30 October 2016, the Venice Commission, in co-operation with the training Centre of the Central Electoral Commission of Moldova, is organising four training sessions on electoral dispute resolution for various groups of participants (judges, members and staff of the Central Election Commission and chairpersons of the district election commissions). The sessions are devoted to best practices on electoral dispute resolution, case studies and European standards.
This activity falls in the framework of the Progra... read more
12/09/2016
Paris - Gianni Buquicchio, President of the Venice Commission, participated in the colloquy entitled "Is the defence of human rights in Europe outdated? The Council of Europe is more necessary than ever", which the French National Assembly and Senate organised in Paris on 12 September. Eminent speakers, including French politicians Claude Bartolone, Speaker of the French National Assembly, René Rouquet, Chair of the French delegation to PACE, Harlem Désir, French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Robert Badinter, former French minister, and Council of Europe top figures Thorbjørn Jagl... read more
12/09/2016 - 13/09/2016
Taraclia - The rapporteurs of the Venice Commission visit the Republic of Moldova to discuss the draft law on the ethno-cultural status of the district of Taraclia, submitted by the Moldovan authorities for legal assessment. The delegation will hold meetings with representatives of the Moldovan Government, of relevant parliamentary committees and the different political parties represented in Parliament, the local authorities from the Taraclia district, the civil society and the international organisations present in the Republic of Moldova.
A draft opinion will be prepared with a... read more
12/09/2016 - 13/09/2016
Warsaw - A delegation of the Venice Commission will visit Poland in the framework of the preparation of an opinion on the Act on the Constitutional Tribunal adopted by the Seim this summer. The programme of the visit includes meetings at the Supreme Court, Parliament, the Ministry of Justice, the Constitutional Tribunal, the Ombudsman and the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.
The delegation will be headed by the Vice-President of the Venice Commission, Mr Tuori (Finland) ; Ms Cleveland (USA) and Mr Scholsem (Belgium) take also part in the delegation.
The rapporteurs are accompani... read more
10/09/2016 - 11/09/2016
Batumi - A delegation of the Venice Commission will participate in an international conference entitled “Constitutional justice in transitional democracy: success and challenges of constitutional review in Georgia and Eastern Europe”. This event is organised by the Constitutional Court on the occasion of its 20th anniversary.
This activity falls in the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, a programme funded jointly by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe.
Belarus - Parliamentary elections - legal assistance to the PACE observation mission
09/09/2016 - 12/09/2016
Minsk – A delegation of the Venice Commission accompanies the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) delegation to advise on the legal framework of the parliamentary elections in Belarus held on 11 September 2016.
The PACE delegation is to observe the opening, voting and counting processes of the parliamentary elections. The team will meet with diplomats, representatives of political parties and of NGOs.
06/09/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - Today the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has endorsed the Rule of Law Checklist elaborated by the Venice Commission (CDL-AD(2016)007). On this occasion the Committee of Ministers invited relevant authorities in the member States to make use of the Checklist and to disseminate it widely in the relevant circles.
05/09/2016
Strasbourg, Council of Europe – The Bureau of the PACE requested the Venice Commission to provide an opinion on the draft amendments to the Constitution of Azerbaijan submitted to the referendum of 26 September 2016.
A preliminary opinion will be issued and made public in the week preceding the date of the referendum. This preliminary opinion will be subsequently submitted to the Plenary Session of the Venice Commission which will take place on 14-15 October 2016 in Venice, for endorsement.
30/08/2016
Strasbourg - OSCE/ODIHR and the Venice Commission published a Preliminary Joint Opinion on the Draft Law on Introduction of Changes and Amendments to the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic.
29/08/2016 - 30/08/2016
Astana – The Venice Commission is invited to participate in the annual August readings organised by the Constitutional Council of Kazakhstan. This year’s conference is entitled “Constitution - a basis for dynamic development of Society and State”.
22/08/2016 - 26/08/2016
Mexico City – on the occasion of the 20 years since the establishment of the Mexican Electoral Tribunal the latter organises an international conference entitled “20 years of electoral justice in Mexico: the evolution in Mexico and in the world”.
Several members of the Venice Commission, including one of the Vice-Presidents and the Secretary, will make presentations at this conference on the recent trends in electoral justice in Europe.
22/08/2016
Appointment of the President of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice Mr Ernesto JINESTA LOBO as Member and of Judge at the Supreme Court of Justice Mr Fernando CASTILLO VIQUEZ as Substitute member in respect of Costa Rica.
Costa Rica became the 61st member of the Venice Commission on 6 July 2016.
17/08/2016
Strasbourg - On the basis of a letter of the Acting Chairperson of the Committee on Constitutional Legislation, State Structures and Regulations of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) of the Kyrgyz Republic to the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the OSCE/ODIHR invited the Venice Commission to prepare a joint preliminary opinion on the draft amendments to the Kyrgyz Constitution.
08/08/2016 - 18/09/2016
Tbilisi - At the request of the Central Election Commission of Georgia, the Venice Commission assists the electoral authority of the country by providing an election expert who is assisting the Commission on legal matters in view of the forthcoming parliamentary elections scheduled on 8 October 2016.
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
08/08/2016 - 13/08/2016
Nusa Dua - In his key-note speech at the 3rd Congress of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC), the President of the Venice Commission highlighted the close cooperation between the Venice Commission and the AACC and the contribution of the AACC to the establishment of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice. He expressed the support of the Venice Commission and the World Conference for Constitutional Courts which are under undue pressure from other state powers. He also welcomed the initiative by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Ko... read more
05/08/2016
The Venice Commission learned that Constitutional amendments are being prepared currently in the Kyrgyz Republic and that a referendum for their adoption is going to be called.
The proposed amendments seem, inter alia, to affect the position of the Constitutional Chamber. In 2015, the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR prepared a Joint Opinion on draft constitutional amendments, which also affected the Constitutional Chamber (CDL-AD(2015)014). This Opinion may be relevant to the current amendments as well as to the procedure for amending the Constitution.
Such amendments d... read more
28/07/2016
Tirana – The President of the Venice Commission Mr Gianni Buquicchio participated in the ceremony organised by the Ad hoc Committee on Justice System Reform of the Albanian Parliament on “Justice reform : the challenges of today, the guarantee of the future”. The ceremony was held on 28 July 2016 at the Presidential Palace, in the presence of the highest national authorities, the EU and the US Ambassadors.
27/07/2016
Tirana - In the evening of 21 July the Albanian Assembly approved the constitutional amendments related to the justice reform, with a unanimous vote. The current constitutional amendments provide for the re-organisation of the High Judicial Council, the Constitutional Court and several other supreme State institutions related to the judiciary, as well as for the creation of a temporary vetting mechanism supposed to remove corrupt and incompetent judges from the judiciary.
These amendments were the result of a long and laborious process, to which the Venice Commission contributed b... read more
19/07/2016
The Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR transmitted to the Armenian authorities the second preliminary opinion on the Electoral Code of Armenia (as amended on 30 June 2016).
Second meeting of the Political Finance Community of Practice
19/07/2016
London – The Venice Commission will participate in the meeting of the Political Finance Community of Practice, organised by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which will bring together representatives of many international organisations active in the field of funding of political parties and election campaigns.
Execution of judgments of the European and Inter-American Courts on Human Rights - International Seminar
18/07/2016 - 19/07/2016
Heidelberg - The Venice Commission participates in the International Seminar organised by the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Law and entitled “Execution of judgments of the European and Inter-American Courts on Human Rights”.
18/07/2016
I strongly condemn the attempted coup d’état in Turkey; any changes in the government must follow democratic channels.
At the same time, I am alarmed by the Turkish media reports: since the failed coup, two judges of the Constitutional Court and five members of the High Council of Judges and Prosecutors have been arrested. More than 2700 judges have been suspended and many have been detained. I am convinced that especially while reacting to a violent attempt to overthrow an elected government, it is essential to respect the rule of law.
Mass dismissals and arrests of j... read more
Request for opinion - Albania - Restitution of property
07/07/2016
The Constitutional Court of Albania has made a request for an amicus curiae brief from the Venice Commission on the restitution of property.
The amicus curiae brief should be adopted by the Venice Commission at its 108th Plenary Session in October 2016.
06/07/2016 - 07/07/2016
Kyiv - The Venice Commission will participate in the Political Party Expert Workshop which will take place at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla, Kyiv, Ukraine.
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
06/07/2016
Strasbourg – Following a request by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica on 6 July 2016 the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe invited the country to become the 61st member state of the Venice Commission.
04/07/2016
Berlin - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will organise a parliamentary conference on "Media Freedom as a Cornerstone for Democratic Elections", in co-operation with the Venice Commission. The Venice Commission delegation will intervene on standards for media in the context of elections, media ethics and transparency regarding party political interests and on the role of parliaments in ensuring media freedom in the context of elections.
The event is hosted by the Deutsche Bundestag (Federal Parliament of Germany) and falls in the framework of the Programmatic Coo... read more
Request for opinion – Republic of Moldova – the district of Taraclia
01/07/2016
The Moldovan authorities requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft law on the ethno-cultural status of the district of Taraclia. A draft opinion will be prepared with a view of its submission for adoption at the next Plenary Session of the Venice Commission in October 2016.
Request for opinion – Republic Moldova – “Security mandate”
30/06/2016
The authorities of Republic of Moldova requested the Venice Commission to prepare an opinion on the draft Laws n° 161 and n° 281 amending and supplementing certain legislative acts in the areas of special investigation activities, fighting extremism and preventing and combatting cyber criminality.
29/06/2016 - 29/06/2016
Brussels - The Venice Commission will take part in a public hearing on the European control mechanism on the rule of law and fundamental rights.
1st Congress of the Association of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of the Baltic and Black Sea Regions
29/06/2016 - 01/07/2016
Chisinau – Ms Hanna Suchocka, Honorary President of the Venice Commission, participated in the 1st Congress of the Association of Constitutional Justice of the Countries of the Baltic and Black Sea Regions, organised by the Constitutional Court of Moldova.
28/06/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - Mr Jan Helgesen, Former President of the Venice Commission, will introduce the Rule of Law Checklist before the Monitoring Committee of the Congress.
28/06/2016 - 01/07/2016
Lima - The Venice Commission and the World Conference on Constitutional Justice participated in the XIth Ibero-American Conference of Constitutional Justice on “Constitutional State and Economic Development”.
24/06/2016
On 24 June 2016, the working group of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR held discussions with representatives of the opposition on the on-going electoral reform in Armenia. It subsequently held a working meeting with Ms Arpine Hohvanissyan, Minister of Justice and Mr Davit Harutyunyan, Chief of Staff of the Government. Both meetings included discussions on the recent mutual agreement reached in Yerevan between the government and the opposition on the "organisational and technical mechanisms for oversight over the lawfulness of the electoral process".
The Venice Commission and the ... read more
Meeting with representatives of the working group on electoral reform of Ukraine
22/06/2016 - 23/06/2016
Strasbourg.- Members of the working group on electoral reform, created under the auspices of the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, will come to Strasbourg on 22 and 23 June to have an exchange of views on the content of the reform with representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Venice Commission and different departments and experts of the Council of Europe.
Request for opinion - PACE - Turkey
22/06/2016
On 22 June 2016 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted Resolution no. 2121 (2016) on “The functioning of democratic institutions in Turkey”, whereby the PACE requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft law on the restructuring of the Court of Cassation and Council of State of Turkey and on the constitutional aspects of the appointments of members of high judicial bodies in this country (§35). An opinion will be prepared with a view of its submission for adoption at the next Plenary Session of the Venice Commission in October 2016.
21/06/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - Ms Herdis Kjerulf Thorgeirsdottir, Vice President of the Venice Commission, introduced the Rule of Law Checklist before the Committee of Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly. The meeting was opened by Her Excellency Ms Marina Kaljurand, Chair of the Committee of Ministers. Ms Anne Brasseur, Former President of the Parliamentary Assembly and member of the Committee of Legal Affairs and Human Rights, intervened too.
17/06/2016
Strasbourg - Statement by the President of the Venice Commission: "I am very pleased to announce that, with the accession of the Constitutional Tribunal of Cape Verde, the World Conference on Constitutional Justice has reached the 100 membership mark, with its members hailing from all five continents. These 100 Constitutional Courts, Constitutional Councils and Supreme Courts, members of the World Conference, are all committed to the common values of democracy, the protection of human rights and the rule of law as expressed in the Statute of the World Conference, which is essential for the pr... read more
Request for opinion - Bosnia and Herzegovina
10/06/2016
The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina has made a request for an amicus curiae brief from the Venice Commission on the mode of elections of delegates in the House of Peoples of the Parliament of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The amicus curiae brief should be adopted by the Venice Commission at its 108th Plenary Session in October 2016.
10/06/2016 - 11/06/2016
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista - The Commission:
- Held an exchange of views with Ms Arpine Hovhannisyan, Minister of Justice of Armenia, endorsed the preliminary joint opinion by the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on the draft electoral code of Armenia as of 18 April 2016, previously endorsed by the Council for Democratic Elections on 9 June 2016 and, upon the Minister’s request and in the light of the urgency, authorised the rapporteurs to prepare an opinion on the amendments to the Electoral Code adopted after the publication of the preliminary opinion and to... read more
Armenia - electoral matters - request for an opinion
09/06/2016
The Armenian Minister of Justice has requested for an opinion on the final version of the amended Electoral Code, in the light of amendments following the first Joint Opinion made public on 10 May 2016, and to the extent that these amendments implement the recommendations presented in the opinion.
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
09/06/2016
The Supreme Court of Justice of Guinea-Bissau joined the World Conference on Constitutional Justice, which now has 99 members.
07/06/2016 - 08/06/2016
Venice – the 15th meeting of the Joint Council on Constitutional Justice of the Venice Commission was held on 7 June 2016, followed by a mini conference on the issue of “Migration” on 8 June 2016. The mini conference an integral part of the annual meeting of the Joint Council on Constitutional Justice, which unites the liaison officers of the Constitutional Courts and Courts with equivalent jurisdiction of the Venice Commission’s member States and is open to the members of the Venice Commission.
02/06/2016
Strasbourg – The President of the Venice Commission, Gianni Buquicchio, welcomed today’s adoption by the Verkhovna Rada of the constitutional amendments required for the reform of the judicial system of Ukraine. “I am very happy that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted this crucial reform with an overwhelming majority. All those who voted for the reform have shown their readiness to act responsibly in the interest of the country. The decision shows that, despite a difficult situation, the country is capable of carrying out major reforms. The Venice Commission has worked on this reform for m... read more
01/06/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio presented the Annual report of activities of the Commission in 2015 and its recently adopted Rule of Law Checklist. The presentation was followed by the exchange of views with the Ambassadors of the member states of the Council of Europe.
01/06/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg – Today the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe welcomed the Venice Commission’s standard-setting document entitled “Rule of Law Checklist”, calling it an “extremely useful tool”.
The Checklist contains detailed questions which enable assessing the degree of respect for the Rule of Law in any given country. It is a tool that is available to all stakeholders, including international organisations, national authorities and civil society.
The Commission issued the Checklist as a publication.
Request for opinion - Ukraine
31/05/2016
By letter of 31.5.2016, Mr Andrii PARUBII, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, requested the opinion of the Venice Commission on two draft laws on guarantees of freedom of assembly (No 3587 of 7 December 2015 and No 3587-1 of 11 December 2015).
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
31/05/2016
The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada requested the Venice Commission’s opinion on the compatibility with international standards of the draft law of Ukraine no. 3587 of 7 December 2015 on “Guarantees for Freedom of Peaceful Assembly” and the draft law of Ukraine no. 3587-1 of 11 December 2015 on “Guarantees for Freedom of Peaceful Assembly in Ukraine”.
31/05/2016 - 01/06/2016
Bucharest – The Venice Commission participates in a conference on “The role of Assistant-Magistrates in the jurisdiction of constitutional courts”. This activity is organised by the Constitutional Court of Romania.
Egypt - Annual Youth Forum
27/05/2016 - 30/05/2016
Alexandria – The Venice Commission will participate in the Regional Youth Exchange Programme "Do we need a gender agenda for politics?”
The event is organised by the Swedish Alexandria University and by the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute.
The participation of the Commission experts is funded through the South Programme "Towards strengthened democratic governance in the Southern Mediterranean".
26/05/2016 - 27/05/2016
Mexico City – The President of the Venice Commission participated in an international conference on the role of courts and the protection of fundamental rights”.
Request for opinion - Turkey
26/05/2016
Paris - on 23 May 2016, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly decided to request the opinion of the Venice Commission on the duties, competences and functioning of the criminal peace judgeships established in 2014 in Turkey.
26/05/2016
Kyiv - The Venice Commission, in cooperation with the Election Law Institute of Ukraine, has issued a new publication in Ukrainian on all recent electoral opinions on Ukraine and general reports in the electoral field adopted by the Venice Commission.
The publication was presented in Kyiv at the National University “Kyiv-Mohila Academy”.
Electoral legislation in Ukraine in the context of European democratic standards - International scientific conference
26/05/2016 - 27/05/2016
Kyiv - Venice Commission in cooperation with the Election Law Institute of Ukraine and National University "Kyiv-Mohyla Academy" organised an international scientific conference on «Electoral legislation in Ukraine in the context of European democratic standards».
26/05/2016
Kiev - A Venice Commission delegation met with the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, Mr A. Parubiy, to discuss the electoral reform, the constitutional amendments on the judiciary and the reform of the rules of procedure of the Verkhovna Rada.
26/05/2016 - 27/05/2016
Riga – Organisation by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia together with the Venice Commission of an International Conference on “Judicial Activism of Constitutional Courts in a Democratic State” in celebration of the Court’s 20th anniversary.
This activity is organised with the support of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF), which is a programme financed by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe.
Request for opinion - “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”
25/05/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly requested the opinion of the Venice Commission on the amended electoral code of November 2015 of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”.
25/05/2016 - 26/05/2016
Tunis - The Venice Commission participates in a brainstorming workshop on "the foundations of the independence of independent bodies." The event is organised by the instance of Truth and Dignity, by the UNDP and by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
This workshop will bring together representatives of independent bodies created after the revolution (ISIE, HAICA, INLUCC, IVD, IPSJJ) and aims to discuss the foundations of the independence of these bodies with particular emphasis on the following issues:
- the process of selecting and removing members of the instanc... read more
Georgia - forthcoming opinion - amendments to the Organic Law on the Constitutional Court of Georgia and to the Law amending on Constitutional Legal Proceedings
24/05/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - In the framework of the preparation of an opinion on amendments to the Organic Law on the Constitutional Court of Georgia and to the Law amending the Law on Constitutional Legal Proceedings, representatives of the President of Georgia will provide information to the Secretariat. The Ministry of Justice and the Parliamentary Committee of Human Rights and Civic Integration the will provide information via Skype the following day.
24/05/2016
Max Plank Institute, Germany - The volume “The Freedom of Peaceful Assembly in Europe”, recently published by the Nomos publishing house, presents an overview of the current state of the legislation on the freedom of assembly in eleven selected member states of the Venice Commission: the UK, France, the US, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, the Russian Federation, the Ukraine, Poland, Hungary and Tunisia.
This publication may serve as a reference for researchers or practitioners who seek specific information on the legal bases, restrictions, or implementation of the freedom of assembly in... read more
Request for opinion – Georgia
20/05/2016
The Venice Commission received two requests for an opinion on amendments to the Organic Law on the Constitutional Court and on the Law on Constitutional Legal Proceedings of Georgia: from the Head of the Presidential Administration, on behalf of the President of Georgia, and from the Permanent Representative of Georgia with the Council of Europe, on behalf of the Georgian Government and Parliament. In view of the urgency of the matter, the President requested an opinion to be prepared within 10 days.
Republic of Moldova - Constitutionality of Constitutional Amendments – Roundtable
20/05/2016
Chisinau – The Venice Commission participated in a roundtable on “Constitutionality of Constitutional Amendments”, organised by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Moldova.
19/05/2016 - 20/05/2016
University of Liverpool London Campus, London – The Venice Commission will participate in an international conference “Challenges to Implementing the Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights: Dialogues on Prisoner Voting Rights”.
The effectiveness of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) is dependent on how readily its judgments are executed by the Contracting Parties. This workshop will look at one of the most controversial confrontations between the ECtHR and the Contracting Parties in its history: the prisoner voting issue.
The Council of Europe, Univer... read more
18/05/2016
Minsk – The Venice Commission participated in a round table on "Electoral standards and the electoral process improvement”. The event was organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in cooperation with the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus.
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
17/05/2016
Saint-Petersburg – The President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio addressed an international conference organised on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the activity of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation. The conference, which is part of the St. Petersburg Legal Forum, was devoted to the following topic: “Modern Constitutional Justice: Challenges and Prospects”.
Morocco - 17th Training session of collaborators of the Mediators members of the AOMF
17/05/2016 - 19/05/2016
Rabat - The Venice Commission contributes to a training session organised by the AOMF and the Mediator Institution of the Kingdom of Morocco in Rabat on 17-19 May 2016. The general subject of the session is “Communication objectives and strategies for the mediation institutions in the times of the “social web”.
This contribution is funded through the Joint EU - Council of Europe programme "Towards a Strengthened Democratic Governance in the Southern Mediterranean”
13/05/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg – The Venice Commission has just published a new book containing its main reference texts in the field of elections and political parties in Russian language.
This publication represents a collection of the fundamental documents of the Venice Commission regarding the general conduct of elections and referenda, as well as the participation of political parties in elections. Each of the three sections of the book opens with the document where the main principles of the European electoral heritage are developed, in particular the “Code of good practice in... read more
10/05/2016 - 11/05/2016
Moscow - In the framework of a request of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Venice Commission is preparing an opinion on the Law “on undesirable activities of foreign and international organisations”, adopted by the State Duma of the Russian Federation on 19 May 2015 (Federal Law No. 129-F3 on Amending Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation).
The rapporteurs visited Moscow on 10-11 May to exchange views with the representatives of the State Duma, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor’s General Office, the Human Rights Ombudsman, as well ... read more
05/05/2016
Mexico City – The National Electoral Institute of Mexico invited the Venice Commission to participate in an international workshop on “Financing of political parties and electoral campaigns”. The presentation of the Mexican system of control over financial resources of political parties and their ways of financing of electoral campaigns was followed by an exchange of experiences between different countries of Latin America and international organisations, notably the OAS (Organisation of American states), the Center for Electoral Promotion and Assistance (CAPEL) and the Venice Commission of t... read more
Malta - workshop on e-voting
04/05/2016
Valletta – The Venice Commission participates in a workshop on e-voting, organised by the Electoral Commission of Malta.
03/05/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg – At the request of the Armenian authorities, a meeting with representatives of the Venice Commission to discuss the latest version of the draft electoral Code took place at the Council of Europe’s premises, in the framework of the preparation of the joint opinion of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on this draft. The joint preliminary opinion will be released after the meeting.
This activity fell in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the ... read more
03/05/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg – The Council of Europe Publishing, upon the initiative of the Venice Commission, has just published a new issue in the collection “Point of law – point of view” entitled “Mass surveillance: who is watching the watchers?”
In the past decades in several countries, a massive “surveillance-industrial complex” has evolved, which risks escaping democratic control and accountability and threatens the free and open character of our societies.
Certain surveillance practices endanger fundamental human rights, including the rights to privacy, freedo... read more
28/04/2016 - 29/04/2016
Warsaw – a delegation of the Venice Commission travelled to Warsaw to discuss the recent amendments to the Law on the Police. It held discussions with the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of the Interior, Prosecutor’s Office, Chancellery of the Sejm and the Senate, Bar Council, Commissioner for Human Rights, Special Services Coordinator and NGOs.
The delegation was composed of Venice Commission members from the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland and 2 Secretariat officials.
The opinion of the Venice Commission on this issue has been requested by the Parliamentary Assembly... read more
27/04/2016 - 28/04/2016
Moscow - a delegation of the Venice Commission travelled to Moscow and Saint-Petersburg to exchange views with the Russian authorities in the framework of the preparation of the final opinion on the amendments to the Federal Law on the Constitutional Court. The delegation held meetings with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Justice, the Constitutional court.
The adoption of the final opinion is planned for the next Plenary session which will take place on 10-11 June 2016 In Venice.
26/04/2016 - 27/04/2016
Ankara - In the framework of a recent request of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Venice Commission is preparing an opinion, to be adopted in June 2016, on the legal framework for the imposition of curfews in Turkey. The rapporteurs visited Ankara on 26-27 April to exchange views with the relevant authorities - Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, under Secretariat of Public Order and Security, the Constitutional Court – as well as with the representatives of political parties and of the civil society.
The delegation of the Commission is as follow... read more
25/04/2016
Madrid – In the framework of the preparation of an opinion on amendments to the Organic Law on the Constitutional Court of Spain, a delegation of the Venice Commission composed by Vice-President Grabenwarter and Mr Neppi Modona, held meetings with the Constitutional Court, the Constitutional Commission of the Congress of Deputies, the General Council of the Judiciary, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice and with academics.
Turkey - Constitutional Justice
25/04/2016 - 26/04/2016
Ankara - The President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio participated in the event marking the 54th anniversary of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Turkey.
Serbia - Early parliamentary elections - Legal assistance to PACE
22/04/2016 - 25/04/2016
Belgrade - A delegation of the Venice Commission provided legal advice to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe delegation observing the early parliamentary elections in Serbia scheduled on 24 April. The PACE delegation observed the opening, voting and counting processes of the early parliamentary elections. The team met with the representatives of political parties, NGOs and international community.
22/04/2016
Prague - IFES organised a meeting of the "Political finance community of practice", which brought together representatives of many international organisations active in the field of funding of political parties and election campaigns. A representative of the Venice Commission took part in a mapping exercise whereby current gaps and opportunities in the field will be identified.
Bulgaria – Independence and impartiality of the judiciary
21/04/2016 - 22/04/2016
Sofia – The President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio was invited to participate in a High-Level Conference of Ministers of Justice and representatives of the judiciary on the "Strengthening the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, a prerequisite for the rule of law in member states of the Council of Europe".
This conference was organised by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Bulgaria in cooperation with the Council of Europe, in the framework of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
19/04/2016 - 20/04/2016
Ankara – In the framework of the preparation of an opinion on the regulation of publications on the internet and combating crimes committed by means of such publication, a delegation of the Venice Commission visited Turkey on 19-20 April 2016.
The delegation met with the representatives of the following Turkish authorities: the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications, the Telecommunication Communication Presidency, the Union of Access Providers, the Court of Cassation, the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, the Ministry of Justice, the Prosecutor’s Office, Peace... read more
19/04/2016 - 21/04/2016
Dead Sea – a delegation of the Venice Commission participated in a workshop entitled «The role of electoral management bodies in enhancing women’s participation in elections», which took place at the Dead Sea in Jordan, on 19-21 April 2016.
The Commission’s participation in the event was funded through the South Programme "Towards strengthened democratic governance in the Southern Mediterranean", a joint programme funded by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe.
Request for opinion - Moldova
18/04/2016
Moldovan authorities requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft law on the amendment and completion of the electoral code regarding direct elections of the President.
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
Spain - Seminar on political parties and referendums
14/04/2016
Valladolid - The Venice Commission was invited to attend a seminar organised on 14 April at the University of Valladolid, to discuss the relationship between forms of direct democracy, such as the organisation of referendums, and the role played by mechanisms of representative democracy through political parties.
14/04/2016 - 15/04/2016
Bucharest - The Venice Commission organised in cooperation with the Permanent Electoral Authority the thirteenth European Conference of the Electoral Management Bodies. The Conference was dedicated to "New Technologies in Elections: Public Trust and Challenges for Electoral Management Bodies". All details are available on the Conference's dedicated webpage (link below).
This activity partially falls in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council... read more
12/04/2016 - 13/04/2016
Bucharest - The Venice Commission organised, in co-operation with the Permanent Electoral Authority of Romania, the 1st “Electoral Expert” debates on “Electoral Law and New Technologies: Legal Challenges”. This conference aims in particular to address the implications of constitutional and international law principles in the field. The reports delivered at this occasion will appear in the "Electoral Expert" review published by the Permanent Electoral Authority of Romania, the only review dedicated to electoral law in Europe.
11/04/2016 - 12/04/2016
Warsaw - Representatives of the Venice Commission participated in the Panel meeting of the OSCE-ODIHR on the revision of the joint guidelines on freedom of assembly.
Portuguese-Speaking Countries - Constitutional Justice
07/04/2016 - 08/04/2016
Brasilia - The President of the Venice Commission participated in the IVth General Assembly of the Conference of Constitutional Jurisdictions of the Portuguese-Speaking Countries (CJCPLP).
05/04/2016
Kyiv - National Television and Radio Broadcasting Council of Ukraine, Central Election Commission, Verkhovna Rada and the Council of Europe organised a conference on «Media and elections in Ukraine: challenges and possible solutions», which took place on 5 April 2016.
An expert of the Venice Commission presented a report on the following subject: "Media coverage of elections: international experience and Ukrainian context".
The conference was organised with the financial support of the Council of Europe projects “Strengthening freedom of media and establishing a public ... read more
04/04/2016 - 07/04/2016
Rabat, Morocco - The Venice Commission, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Service and Modernisation of the Administration of the Kingdom of Morocco, organised the second UniDem Campus seminar for high-level civil servants of the MENA region (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, the Palestinian National Authority and Tunisia).
The seminar focused on “Open government”. The topics discussed were as follows:
• Open government: principles and implementation;
• Citizen participation;
• Transparency and budgetary transparency, accountabi... read more
Kazakhstan - forthcoming opinion on draft Code of Judicial Ethics - visit to the country
04/04/2016 - 05/04/2016
Astana - At the request of the Kazakh authorities dated 20 January 2016, a delegation of the Venice Commission visited Astana on 4 and 5 April 2016 with a view of preparing an opinion on the draft Code of Judicial Ethics of Kazakhstan.
The opinion will be presented at the June 2016 plenary session in Venice.
“Blasphemy and other limitations of freedom of expression” - mini-publication
02/04/2016
Following the Joint Council on Constitutional Justice’s very successful mini-conference on “Blasphemy and other limitations of freedom of expression” held in Bucharest on 12 June 2015, the Secretariat of the Venice Commission produced a mini-publication of the presentations made at that event in order to broaden the access to these concrete examples and highlight the work of the Liaison Officers to the Venice Commission.
23/03/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg – The Venice Commission has published an overview of the judicial systems of Central Asia. It aims to be a short guide for lawyers and academics wishing to familiarise themselves with the judiciary of the following five Central Asian States: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The idea of the publication was not to assess and evaluate, but to provide an overview of the judiciary in the region, contributing to a better understanding of the typical features, setting out the different national characteristics and helping the... read more
PACE – Request for opinion - Ukraine
18/03/2016
Paris – During its meeting in Paris on 9 March 2016, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly decided to request the opinion of the Venice Commission on the amendments to the Law on the election of the people’s deputies of Ukraine (law n˚ 3700).
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
18/03/2016
The Rule of Law is a topical theme. Far from being confined to the discussion of specialists, it has become a subject of political discussion and assessment. It is essential for these discussions and assessments to fully understand their subject. The Venice Commission did this by adopting the Rule of Law Checklist.
The Checklist aims at enabling an objective, thorough, transparent and equal assessment. Various actors wishing to assess the respect of the Rule of Law in a country now have therefore a reliable tool for doing so. This applies, for example, to parliaments and other Sta... read more
16/03/2016
At its 106th plenary session (Venice, 11-12 March 2016), the Venice Commission had to discuss several cases of undue interference in the work of Constitutional Courts in its member States, a topic which will also be a focus of the 4th Congress of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice (Vilnius, 10-13 September 2017).
A specific opinion, adopted at the 106th plenary session, dealt with amendments to the Law on the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland.
The Venice Commission expresses serious concern over statements made by the President of Turkey who has declared tha... read more
PACE – Request for opinion – Turkey
15/03/2016
Paris – During its meeting in Paris on 9 March 2016, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly decided to request the opinion of the Venice Commission on the compatibility of the legal framework governing curfews in Turkey with Council of Europe standards.
Kazakhstan - request for opinion and visit to the country - draft Code of Judicial Ethics
15/03/2016
At the request of the Kazakh authorities dated 20 January 2016, a delegation of the Venice Commission visited Astana on 4 and 5 April 2016 with a view to preparing an opinion on the draft Code of Judicial Ethics of Kazakhstan.
The opinion will be presented at the June 2016 Plenary Session in Venice.
15/03/2016
Strasbourg, Council of Europe – The Venice Commission published an opinion in which it states that the framework of the current constitutional reform in France could be improved. In particular, any decision to deprive persons of their nationality must fully respect the right to a fair trial and the principle of proportionality.
In the Commission’s opinion, the introduction of a system for the deprivation of nationality or the rights attached to nationality, applying to all French nationals, whether of French origin or naturalised, or mono-, bi- or multinational, does not in itsel... read more
Armenia - Electoral reform - country visit
14/03/2016 - 16/03/2016
Yerevan - From 14 to 16 March 2016, a delegation of the Venice Commission visited Armenia to discuss the ongoing draft electoral reform with the national authorities.
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
12/03/2016
Venice - The World Conference on Constitutional Justice held a meeting of its Bureau.
11/03/2016 - 12/03/2016
Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista, Venice - The Commission
- Held an exchange of views with Mr Kristaq Traja, Chair of the High Level Expert Group on the Amendment of the Constitution of Albania, and adopted the final opinion on the draft constitutional amendments on the judiciary of Albania;
- Held an exchange of views with Mr Thomas Campeaux, Director of Public Liberties and Legal Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, and adopted the opinion on the draft constitutional law “on protection of the Nation” of France, previously examined by the Sub-Commission on Fundam... read more
04/03/2016
Paris – a delegation of the Venice Commission visited France to discuss with the authorities recently proposed constitutional amendments on the state of emergency and deprivation of nationality. The visit took place in the framework of the preparation of the opinion requested by the PACE on 28 January 2016 on the compatibility of the draft revision of the French Constitution with the Council of Europe standards.
The delegation met representatives of the State Council, the Constitutional Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Office of the Prime Minister and mem... read more
Poland - Opinion on the amendments to the Law on the Constitutional Tribunal
03/03/2016
Strasbourg, Council of Europe - The Bureau of the Venice Commission decided not to postpone the adoption of the opinion on the amendments to the Law on the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland.
Its adoption at the plenary session of the Commission on 11 to 12 March 2016 allowed to discuss and address, on the basis of the final opinion of the Venice Commission, the real issue at stake, i.e. how to guarantee the continued effectiveness of the Constitutional Tribunal as a guardian of the Constitution.
“The science of Constitutions: the foundations of constitutions and why some succeed, others fail” – Workshop
03/03/2016
St Catherine’s College, Oxford - The Foundation for Law, Justice and Society, in association with the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies, University of Oxford and Wolfson College, organised a workshop on “The Science of Constitutions: The Foundations of Constitutions and Why Some Succeed, Others Fail”. The representative of the Venice Commission intervened on the topic of « Constitutions and the Council of Europe”.
02/03/2016
Strasbourg, Council of Europe - The Venice Commission regrets that the draft opinion on the amendments to the Law on the Constitutional Tribunal of Poland was leaked to a Polish newspaper. Such draft opinions are restricted and not public documents since they do not reflect an official position of the Commission as a whole. In order to prepare the discussions at the plenary sessions of the Commission draft opinions are circulated to a large number of people and institutions – the members and substitute members of the Venice Commission, the Permanent Representations of member States at the Cou... read more
28/02/2016 - 29/02/2016
Dead Sea - President Gianni Buquicchio and a delegation of the Venice Commission participated in the Conference “Arab Constitutional Courts and Councils: Possible Reforms and Challenges in Light of Regional Changes”. This Conference was co-organised by the Constitutional Court of Jordan in the framework of the Regional Rule of Law programme Middle East/North Africa run by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.
The Conference was intended for the members of the Union of the Arab Constitutional Councils and Courts (UACCC).
26/02/2016 - 26/02/2016
Brussels - The Venice Commission took part in the session on "Rule of Law Threats in the EU: The Challenges of a New Rule of Law Mechanism" of the CEPS (Centre for European Policy Studies) Ideas Lab 2016.
Tunisia - Institution of the Administrative Mediator
25/02/2016 - 25/02/2016
Tunis - Evaluation in cooperation with the AMO of the legislation on the Administrative Ombudsman of Tunisia vis-a-vis the "Paris Principles" and other European and international standards as well as the evaluation of the organisational structure of the institution (internal procedures, management, public relations, training needs).
This event is held within the framework of the Joint EU/Council of Europe South Programme “Towards a Strengthened Democratic Governance in the Southern Mediterranean”, funded by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe.
22/02/2016
Budva – President of the Venice Commission Gianni Buquicchio participated in the international conference on freedom of expression and accountability of media, organised by the Council of Europe and the Parliament of Montenegro. He addressed the subject of “Public broadcaster – acting for the benefit of the power or of the people?”. On the side-lines of the event President Buquicchio held a joint press conference with the Speaker of the Parliament Ranko Krivokapić, met with Deputy Prime Minister Duško Marković and other representatives of the Montenegrin authorities.
Morocco – "Promoting human dignity for living in unity"- Parliamentary Social Justice Forum
19/02/2016 - 20/02/2016
Rabat - The House of Councilors of Morocco organised a Parliamentary Social Justice Forum on the theme: “Promoting human dignity for living in unity”. A representative of the Venice Commission intervened on "The role of constitutional justice in promoting social justice".
The participation of the Venice Commission in this event was financed by the contribution of the Norwegian Government.
18/02/2016 - 19/02/2016
Tbilisi – A delegation of the Venice Commission took part in a Regional Conference on Money in Politics, organised by the State Audit Office of Georgia, USAID, OSCE/ODIHR, International IDEA, the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, IFES and the Council of Europe. The Venice Commission delegation intervened more particularly on the issue of misuse of administrative resources during electoral processes.
This activity is held in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF), which is a programme financed by the European Union and implemented by the Council ... read more
16/02/2016 - 17/02/2016
Lopota Lake, Kakhetia– A delegation of the Venice Commission took part in the 6th Meeting of Electoral Management Bodies orgainsed by the Central Election Commission of Georgia. The topic is “Electoral Integrity”. The Venice Commission delegation intervened on “Migration as a challenge to electoral integrity” and moderated one session of the Meeting.
15/02/2016 - 15/02/2016
Tbilisi - In the context of the preparation of an opinion on amendments to the Election Code of Georgia requested by the Parliament of Georgia, a delegation of the Venice Commission participated in a series of meetings with Georgian stakeholders, jointly with the OSCE/ODIHR.
This activity is held in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) , which is a programme financed by the European Union and implemented by the Council of Europe.
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – forthcoming opinion - a visit of the delegation of the Venice Commission
08/02/2016 - 09/02/2016
Skopje - Following a request submitted in December 2015 by the Macedonian authorities, a group of rapporteurs of the Venice Commission visited Skopje on 8 and 9 February 2015 to meet the local stakeholders and to discuss with them the two laws adopted in 2015 – the Law on the protection of privacy and the law on the protection of whistleblowers.
The opinion was then drafted and submitted for adoption at the March 2016 plenary session of the Venice Commission.
08/02/2016 - 09/02/2016
Warsaw – a Delegation of the Venice Commission visited Poland to discuss with the authorities the amendments to the Act on the Constitutional Tribunal adopted on 22 December 2015. The visit took place in the framework of the preparation of an opinion requested by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on 23 December 2015.
The delegation meets the Administration of the President of Poland, the Ministry of Justice, the Constitutional Tribunal, the Supreme Court and Parliament, the National Council of the Judiciary and the Ombudsman.
The delegation is headed by the President of th... read more
02/02/2016 - 04/02/2016
Kyiv - The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe co-organised several events entitled the “Electoral System Week”. The week aimed to facilitate an exchange of ideas among experts, academics, politicians and other stakeholders on electoral system design for future legislative and local elections in Ukraine. Members of the Ukrainian parliament, the leading experts in the election system design, representatives of CEC and civil society were invited to participate in the three events that took place at the President hotel on 2 Feb... read more
29/01/2016
The Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly requested the opinion of the Venice Commission on the Polish draft law amending the Law on Police and several other laws”.
Request for opinion – PACE - France
28/01/2016
Strasbourg - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe requested the Venice Commission to give its opinion on the compatibility of the draft revision of the French Constitution aimed at incorporating rules on a state of emergency and on the deprivation of nationality - with the Council of Europe standards.
26/01/2016
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - a delegation from Ukraine met with Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR experts in Strasbourg to discuss the Law on the condemnation of the Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) regimes and prohibition of their symbols and possible amendments to this Law, following the interim opinion adopted by the Venice Commission in December 2015. A final opinion will be prepared on the amendments and discussed at one of the next plenary sessions of the Venice Commission
21/01/2016 - 22/01/2016
Tirana - On 21 and 22 January 2016 a delegation of the Venice Commission visited Tirana in order to discuss the revised draft of the constitutional amendments concerning the judiciary. This revised draft was prepared within the Parliament on the basis of recommendations made in the interim opinion of the Venice Commission adopted in December 2015. The final opinion on the revised draft was prepared in February and submitted to the March 2016 Plenary Session.
15/01/2016
The Minister of Justice of Armenia requested a joint opinion of the Venice Commission and the OSCE/ODIHR on the new draft electoral Code.
14/01/2016
The Georgian authorities requested the Venice Commission to provide an opinion on amendments to the Election Code of Georgia dealing with redrawing of single-member constituencies and electoral threshold.
This activity falls in the framework of the Programmatic Cooperation Framework (PCF) for Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Belarus, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe.
Human Rights and Election Standards – international workshop
14/01/2016 - 15/01/2016
Atlanta, USA - The Venice Commission took part in a workshop on Human Rights and Election Standards, organised by the Carter Center.
13/01/2016 - 14/01/2016
Ankara – A delegation of the Venice Commission visited Ankara in the framework of the preparation of an Opinion on Articles 216, 299, 301 and 314 of the Turkish Penal Code.