What is the OSCE and what does this organization do? Operating structures, institutions and budget of the OSCE
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The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has been operating since January 1, 1995. OSCE goals
are:
1) promoting the improvement of mutual relations, as well as creating conditions to ensure long-term peace;
2) support for the easing of international tension;
3) recognition of the indivisibility of European security, as well as mutual interest in developing cooperation between member states;
4) recognition of the close interconnectedness of peace and security in Europe and throughout the world;
5) contribution to human rights, economic and social progress and the well-being of all peoples. The main organ of the OSCE
is the Meeting of Heads of State and Government. Every two years it meets in session. The OSCE consists of representatives of the parliaments of countries that signed the Helsinki Act of 1975 and the Charter of Paris of 1990. The Parliamentary Assembly discusses issues raised at meetings of the Council of Ministers and at the summits of OSCE member states; develops and promotes the implementation of mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution; provides support to the strengthening and consolidation of democratic institutions in OSCE participating States. OSCE bodies are the Council, the Committee of Seniors officials
, secretariat, conflict prevention center, etc. The Council, consisting of the foreign ministers of the participating states, is the central forum for regular consultations within the OSCE process, the Council considers issues related to the OSCE and makes appropriate decisions. It prepares meetings of the heads of state and government of the participating states and carries out the tasks determined at these meetings and the decisions made at them, and holds its meetings regularly, at least once a year.
The OSCE Secretariat provides administrative services for meetings of the Council and the Committee of Senior Officials. It maintains an archive of OSCE documentation and distributes documents at the request of participating States. The Secretariat consists of four departments and administrative and technical staff. The Secretary General is appointed by the Council of Ministers for 3 years.
The Conflict Prevention Center assists the Council in reducing the risk of conflict. The OSCE peace settlement system consists of the following four elements: the OSCE Dispute Settlement Mechanism (adopted in Valletta in 1991), the Convention on Conciliation and Arbitration (adopted in Stockholm in 1992), the OSCE Reconciliation Commission (adopted in Stockholm in 1992) and the Regulations on Directive Conciliation (adopted in Stockholm in 1992). 53 states are members of the OSCE, including Russia.
The initiative of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to develop a Treaty on European Security and the reform of the OSCE will be central topics for the Russian side at the upcoming meeting of the organization's Council of Foreign Ministers on December 4-5 in Helsinki, he said in an interview with RIA Novosti official representative Russian Foreign Ministry Andrei Nesterenko.
Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international regional political association of 56 states of Europe, Central Asia and North America based on common goals and principles of security and cooperation. Formed in 1975 year in the form of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE).
The OSCE (before January 1, 1995 - CSCE), recognized as a regional agreement within the meaning of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, is considered as one of the main organizations for the peaceful settlement of disputes in the region of its operation, one of the key instruments for early warning, conflict prevention, regulation crises and post-conflict reconstruction.
The OSCE operates on the basis of the concept of common and comprehensive security, which unites three dimensions - military-political, economic, environmental and humanitarian; is guided by the principles of equal partnership, solidarity and transparency. All participating states have equal status.
Governing bodies discuss security issues of concern to states and make decisions on these issues. All decisions are made based on consensus. They are not legally binding, but carry political obligations of states.
The highest organ of the OSCE is summits, which are held by agreement of states, usually once every two to three years, depending on the requirements of the international political situation. In years when summits are not held, meetings of the Council of Foreign Ministers (CMFA) are held.
The permanent governing body of the OSCE is Standing Council, meeting in Vienna at the level of permanent representatives of the participating states. Created by decision of the Rome Council of Foreign Ministers in 1993.
The coordinating role in the work of the organization and its collective bodies is performed by the Acting chairman OSCE, whose functions are entrusted to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the presiding state.
Military-political issues, including disarmament, arms control, confidence-building measures, etc., are discussed at Forum for Security Cooperation OSCE (FSB), which meets weekly in Vienna at the level of state representatives. The forum was created in 1992 by decision of the Helsinki Summit.
On Economic Forum The OSCE, which convenes annually in Prague, examines current issues of pan-European economic and environmental cooperation.
Human dimension issues are discussed at annual Conferences to review the implementation of humanitarian commitments, which are held in Warsaw.
OSCE Secretariat located in Vienna. Headed by the Secretary General. Consists of seven divisions. These are: the office of the Secretary General; Conflict Prevention Center; coordinator of economic and environmental activities; senior police adviser; Department of Support Services and Budget; Human Resources Department; Prague office (archive).
Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has been operating in Warsaw since 1990. Engaged in assistance in holding elections and monitoring them, supporting democratic institutions, NGOs, human rights, etc.
High Commissioner on National Minorities (HCNM) has been operating since 1992 in The Hague. A tool of preventive diplomacy. Its main task is to warn as soon as possible early stage conflicts on ethnic grounds.
Representative for Freedom of the Media has been operating since 1997 in Vienna. Provides assistance to state governments in the development of a free press.
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly established in 1991 as an independent parliamentary structure. Consists of parliamentarians from OSCE countries who meet twice a year for summer and winter sessions in one of the participating States. Assembly resolutions do not have binding force for governments.
There are 17 missions and field presences of the Organization operating in the OSCE space. The OSCE headquarters is located in Vienna (Austria).
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
OSCE (from the English OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, French Organization pour la sécurité et la coopération en Europe) - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The largest in the world regional organization dealing with security issues. It unites 57 countries located in North America, Europe and Central Asia.
The OSCE was created on August 1, 1975 in Helsinki, Finland, where 35 heads of state signed the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Accords) that day.
Goals and objectives of the OSCE
The main goal of the OSCE is to prevent conflicts in the region, resolve crisis situations, and eliminate the consequences of conflicts.
Basic means of ensuring security and solving the main tasks of the organization:
1) “First basket”, or political-military dimension:
- arms proliferation control;
- diplomatic efforts to prevent conflicts;
- measures to build trust and security.
2) “Second basket”, or economic and environmental dimension:
- economic and environmental safety.
3) “Third Basket”, or human dimension:
- protection of human rights;
- development of democratic institutions;
- election monitoring.
All OSCE participating States have equal status. Decisions are made based on consensus. They are not legally binding, but have great political significance.
The organization's staff is about 370 people employed in the governing bodies of the organization, as well as about 3,500 employees working in field missions.
OSCE participants
- Austria
- Malta
- Azerbaijan
- Moldova
- Albania
- Monaco
- Andorra
- Mongolia
- Armenia
- Netherlands
- Belarus
- Norway
- Belgium
- Poland
- Bulgaria
- Portugal
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Russia
- Vatican
- Romania
- Great Britain
- San Marino
- Hungary
- Serbia
- Germany
- Slovakia
- Greece
- Slovenia
- Georgia
- Denmark
- Tajikistan
- Ireland
- Turkmenistan
- Iceland
- Türkiye
- Spain
- Uzbekistan
- Italy
- Ukraine
- Kazakhstan
- Finland
- Canada
- France
- Croatia
- Kyrgyzstan
- Montenegro
- Latvia
- Czech
- Lithuania
- Switzerland
- Liechtenstein
- Sweden
- Luxembourg
- Estonia
- Macedonia
OSCE partners
- Algeria
- Afghanistan
- Egypt
- Israel
- South Korea
- Jordan
- Thailand
- Morocco
- Japan
- Tunisia
- Australia
Structure of the OSCE
The main bodies of the organization are:
- Summit (high-level meeting) is a periodically held meeting of heads of state and government of the OSCE countries.
- The Council of Foreign Ministers is an annual (except for the year of summit meetings) meeting of the foreign ministers of the OSCE participating States.
- A standing council under the leadership of the current chairman (Chairperson-in-Office, CiO), who holds this post for a year. Conducts political consultations and makes decisions on a regular basis (meets weekly in Vienna).
- Forum for Security Cooperation - regularly discusses arms control and CSBMs (meets weekly in Vienna).
- High Commissioner on National Minorities.
- OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
- OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
- Representative on Freedom of the Media - monitors developments in the field of media mass media in 56 OSCE participating States.
Official languages of the OSCE
The official languages of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe are:
- English,
- Spanish,
- Italian,
- German,
- Russian,
- French.
OSCE Leadership
The Chairman-in-Office (he becomes the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the chairing country) manages the current activities of the OSCE. Coordinates the work of OSCE agencies/institutions. Represents the organization, monitors and facilitates resolution of conflicts and crisis situations.
At a meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in early December 2013 in Kyiv, Switzerland was elected as the OSCE Chairmanship in 2014, led by the current President of the country Didier Burkhalter.
Secretary General - heads the secretariat. Appointed by the Council of Ministers for a period of 3 years. From 2011 to the present it is Lamberto Zannier.
OSCE budget
The OSCE's consolidated budget consists of two parts: the budget for the secretariat and institutions and the budget for field operations. In 2013, the organization's budget amounted to 145 million euros.
OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine
The OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM) is an unarmed civilian mission whose main tasks are to impartially and objectively monitor and report on the situation in eastern Ukraine, and to facilitate dialogue between all parties to the conflict. The SMM began its work on March 21, 2014 in connection with the appeal of the Ukrainian government to the OSCE and general decision of all OSCE participating countries. The mission's mandate is renewed every six months.
A.V.Torkunov
This structure, called the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) for more than two decades, began functioning in 1973 as a diplomatic forum consisting of 35 states. These included almost all European countries as well as the USA and Canada. The uniqueness of the CSCE lay in the fact that states belonging to different socio-political systems and included in military structures opposing each other - NATO and the Organization Warsaw Pact(OVD), as well as neutral and non-aligned states, were able to organize a constant process of dialogue and negotiations on current problems ensuring peace and stability on the continent.
The result of the CSCE's activities was the Final Act adopted in Helsinki in 1975. It defined the principles of relations between states (the “Helsinki Decalogue”), and also outlined specific steps to develop cooperation in a number of areas. A continuation of this line was the meetings of representatives of the CSCE states in Belgrade (1977 - 1978), Madrid (1980-1983), Vienna (1986 - 1989), the organization of scientific (Bonn, 1980) and cultural (Budapest, 1985). ) forums, holding conferences on economic cooperation(Bonn, 1990;), on the human dimension" CSCE (Copenhagen, 1990; Moscow, 1991), on the Mediterranean (Palma de Mallorca, 1990).
An important area of CSCE activity was ensuring military detente on the continent. Specific measures to increase mutual trust in military field were determined by the Helsinki Final Act; their further development and deepening were provided for by the relevant documents adopted in Stockholm (1986) and Vienna (1990). Within the framework of the CSCE, negotiations were held on the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (1990), which became a landmark event in strengthening stability on the continent. In accordance with CSCE commitments to greater openness and transparency military activities States parties signed the Treaty on open sky(1992).
In general, by the turn of the 80s and 90s, the CSCE made an extremely important contribution to the stabilization of the situation in the European region and the development of pan-European cooperation. Ending cold war in Europe was largely the result of the activities of the CSCE and objectively placed this structure at the center of the post-confrontational phase of international political development on the continent. The Charter of Paris for a New Europe, adopted at a meeting of heads of state and government of the CSCE countries in 1990, was generally based on precisely this vision.
The collapse of the socialist community and then the Soviet Union, as well as the resulting dramatic changes in the European international political landscape, could not but leave a noticeable imprint on the activities of the CSCE. Characteristic feature The 90s saw significant innovations carried out in a number of directions, and at the same time ongoing debates about the functional purpose of this structure and its role in the organization of international life in Europe.
Steps were taken to strengthen the CSCE institutionally and to consolidate it structurally. This was also the aim of the above-mentioned document of the Paris Summit (1990), in 1992. in Helsinki, the document “Challenge of the Time of Change” and a package of organizational decisions were adopted; in 1994 At the Budapest Summit, it was decided to transform the CSCE from a negotiating forum into a permanent organization and to call it the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in 1995.
There has been a significant expansion of the circle of OSCE participants. All post-Soviet states, as well as countries that emerged on the territory of the organization, were accepted into the organization. former Yugoslavia. As a result, 55 states are currently members of the OSCE. This undoubtedly gave the OSCE a more representative character and at the same time became a factor promoting integration into global community new states that emerged in Transcaucasia and Central Asia. However, if previously these regions were part of the “European space” as part of the Soviet Union, now the countries that emerged in them are directly represented in the OSCE. Thus, the OSCE area geographically extends far beyond Europe.
The highest structural level in the OSCE is the meeting of heads of state and government, convened every two years. The central governing body is the Council of Ministers (composed of foreign ministers), which meets annually. The Governing Council (replacing the Committee of Senior Officials) convenes periodically at the level of directors of policy departments of foreign affairs agencies (this body meets once a year as the Economic Forum). The main body for conducting political consultations and making day-to-day decisions is the Permanent Council, located in Vienna and including permanent representatives of the participating states; it may also be convened when emergency circumstances arise.
The overall management of the operational activities of the OSCE is carried out by the Chairman-in-Office; these functions are performed alternately by the foreign ministers of the member countries for one year. The current chairman relies on the assistance of the previous and subsequent chairmen (together they form the institution of the “troika”), can appoint and direct personal representatives, and initiate the creation of special task forces; he also maintains contacts with the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly. The organization's chief executive officer is the Secretary General, elected for a three-year term by the Council of Ministers and heads the OSCE secretariat based in Vienna.
In the activities of the OSCE, increased attention has been paid to the problems of international political development in Europe, which are gaining special meaning in the post-Cold War environment. To assist the Council of Ministers, a Conflict Prevention Center based in Vienna has been established, within which member states conduct relevant consultations. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (based in Warsaw) promotes cooperation in the human dimension and the formation of civil society in new democracies. In 1997, the position of Representative on Freedom of the Media was introduced in the OSCE. The OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation is a permanent body dedicated to new negotiations on arms control, disarmament and confidence- and security-building.
Particularly noteworthy is the OSCE's appeal to the problems of conflict situations in the organization's area of operation. Statements adopted at the level of heads of state and government or foreign ministers have repeatedly touched upon the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Tajikistan, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria and other “hot spots”. However, the adopted declarations and calls, which in terminology often resembled resolutions of the UN General Assembly, remained, as a rule, without practical consequences. The issue of increasing the effectiveness of the OSCE in conflict prevention and resolution is one of the most pressing in its activities.
This is due to the fact that the OSCE is called upon to become the main instrument for early warning and conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict reconstruction in Europe. And one cannot fail to note the achievements of the OSCE in this area. Long-term missions of this organization for the purpose of political monitoring, encouraging contacts between conflicting parties, promoting the construction of democratic institutions were sent to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, Tajikistan, Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine; special groups under the OSCE were located in Russia (Chechnya), Albania and Belarus. The establishment of the post of High Commissioner on National Minorities in the OSCE and his activities contributed to a certain easing of tension in a number of potential conflict situations (for example, in connection with the situation of the Russian-speaking population in some Baltic countries).
Significant efforts have been made by the OSCE to resolve the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh. Under its auspices the so-called Minsk Group operates, aimed at developing a solution to this conflict situation. The OSCE Budapest Summit (1994) decided to create, on the basis of a relevant UN Security Council resolution, a multinational peacekeeping force after the parties had reached an agreement to end the military conflict. It was also decided to develop a plan for the formation and composition of operational activities of this type of force. The implementation of this, in fact, would mean a fundamentally new role for the OSCE in conflict resolution.
One of the fundamentally important issues in the activities of the OSCE concerns the determination of its future role. There is general agreement that it will occupy one of the central places in the organization of international political life in Europe. However, in practice, due to the desire of a large group of countries in Central and of Eastern Europe, as well as the Baltics to join NATO and the European Union, there is a tendency to marginalize the role of the OSCE. Attempts initiated by Russian diplomacy to increase the status and real significance of this organization are often seen only as aimed at opposing it to NATO. The Charter for European Security being developed within the OSCE could neutralize this trend and contribute to a more complete use of the potential of this organization in the interests of strengthening stability on the continent.
Over the twenty years of its existence, the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) as an international legal institution has evolved from an international conference - a mechanism for multilateral interstate negotiations and consultations held in the form of regular meetings - to an international organization - the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe ( OSCE).
How international Conference The CSCE was held in accordance with the rules traditionally established in the practice of such meetings, as well as its own rules of procedure. The following provisions became the important elements of this procedure: The meeting is held “outside military alliances”; States participate in the Conference “in conditions of complete equality”; decisions of the Meeting are taken on the basis of consensus, which is defined “as the absence of any objection expressed by any representative and put forward by him as representing an obstacle to making a decision on the issue under consideration.”
35 states were initially represented at the Meeting, including 33 European ones, as well as the USA and Canada.
As a result of the summit meeting in Helsinki on July 30 - August 1, 1975, the heads of state and government signed the Final Act, which included a preamble and five sections: “Issues relating to security in Europe”, “Cooperation in the field of economics, science and technology and environment", "Issues related to security and cooperation in the Mediterranean", "Cooperation in humanitarian and other areas", "Further steps after the Meeting".
The most important part of the first section was the “Declaration of Principles that Will Guide the Participating States in Mutual Relations,” which reproduces and concretizes the well-known principles of the UN Charter; At the same time, the norms on the inviolability of borders, on territorial integrity states on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, provisions defining their content are formulated.
This characterizes the Final Act as a source of international law.
In addition, it establishes new norms for international law on confidence-building measures, which include advance notifications of military exercises and troop movements, the invitation of observers, and the exchange of military personnel, including visits of military delegations.
Other sections provide recommendations for concerted action in various fields cooperation, including legally significant provisions regulating contacts between people, including family reunification and marriages between citizens of different states, the procedure for the dissemination and exchange of information, cooperation and exchanges in the field of culture and education.
The participating States stated their determination to “take due account of and implement the provisions of the Final Act of the Conference” and to “continue the multilateral process initiated by the Conference,” in particular by holding new meetings at various levels. These include the Madrid Meeting 1980-1983, the Stockholm Conference on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures and Disarmament in Europe 1984-1986, the Vienna Meeting 1986-1989, and the Paris Summit in November 1990. , in Helsinki in July 1992 and in Budapest in December 1994, in Lisbon in 1996. Within the framework of the Meeting, three meetings of the so-called Conference on the Human Dimension of the CSCE (including in Moscow in 1991), several meetings were held experts in the peaceful resolution of disputes.
The “Paris Charter for a New Europe” act signed as a result of the meeting in Paris on November 21, 1990, the document of the meeting in Helsinki “Challenge of the Time of Change” of July 10, 1992, developing its provisions, and adopted at the meeting in Prague on January 30-31, 1992 The document on the further development of CSCE institutions and structures marked a fundamentally new stage in the status and activities of the CSCE.
In the Helsinki Document, the heads of state stated that they viewed the CSCE "as a regional agreement in the sense of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations." This status is recognized General Assembly The UN, which at its 48th session in 1993 granted the CSCE official observer status at the UN.
A package of documents adopted at the meeting of heads of state and government in Budapest on December 5-6, 1994 - the Political Declaration “Towards a Genuine Partnership in a New Era” and the Budapest Decisions (including “Strengthening the CSCE”, “Code of Conduct Concerning Military political aspects of security", "Human Dimension", "Economic Dimension") - represent the legal basis for the transition to a new stage in the activities of the CSCE as an international organization. The term "regional organization" is not used in official documents; At the same time, as stated in one of the decisions of the Budapest meeting, the participating states will deepen cooperation “as participants in a regional agreement in the sense as defined in Chapter VIII of the UN Charter.” By decision of the Budapest meeting, on January 1, 1995, the CSCE was renamed OSCE - the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the level and powers of the bodies were increased. However, the document “Strengthening the CSCE” makes the following comment:
"Renaming the CSCE to OSCE does not change the nature of our CSCE commitments or the status of the CSCE and its institutions." Such a statement obviously has continuity in mind. The OSCE does not yet have a comprehensive constituent act. We can say that its role is temporarily played by the documents of the Paris (1990), Helsinki (1992) and Budapest (1994) meetings.
The OSCE structure is in its infancy.
Council of Ministers(formerly the Council) is characterized as the central governing body responsible for decision-making. It meets at the level of foreign ministers and appoints a country whose representative will serve as OSCE Chairman-in-Office for a year. Within the Council there is a peculiar formation called the Troika: it consists of the current chairman, the minister who performed this function in the previous year, and the minister who will become the acting chairman in the next year. .
Governing Council replaced the Committee of Senior Officials that had existed for several years, which performed such duties as preparing meetings of the Council, implementing its decisions, and coordinating the activities of subsidiary bodies. His competence also included consideration of issues in the event of critical situations and the use of a peaceful settlement mechanism, and, if necessary, making decisions on the conduct of CSCE peacekeeping operations. Obviously, the Governing Body will have to perform similar functions. As stated in the decision of the Budapest meeting, it "will discuss and formulate guidelines of a political and general budgetary nature" and will also be convened as an Economic Forum. Meetings of this Council at the level of senior officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs are held in Prague at least twice a year.
Standing Council(formerly the Standing Committee) is defined as the main body for conducting political consultations and making day-to-day decisions, as well as for considering emergency situations. It is composed of permanent representatives of the participating states. Meetings are held in Vienna.
Secretariat provides organizational and technical services for meetings of these main bodies, manages documentation and archives, and publishes documents. The Secretary General, whose position was established in 1992, participates in coordinating the activities of various bodies, assists the current chairman, and takes part in Troika meetings at the ministerial level.
The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities, and the Parliamentary Assembly also operate within the OSCE.
This organization of Western countries acquired this name in 1993, having gone through a long path of development and reorganization of European communities.
The European Communities (EC) united three international organizations: the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), and the European Economic Community (EEC).
The leading position in its functions and real significance was occupied by the EEC, whose task was to form common market through the gradual abolition of customs duties and quantitative restrictions on the import and export of goods, the free movement of labor, capital and services, and the coordination of economic, social, monetary and investment policies.
In 1965, an agreement on the merger of communities was signed and unified governing and executive bodies were created.
The original members of the communities were six states - France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg; in subsequent years Denmark, Ireland, Great Britain, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Finland, and Sweden were included.
European Communities (often used name in singular"European Community") have become an important factor not only in European, but also in global international relations. Initially, the core competence of the EU extended to the area of trade, Agriculture and competition regulation. A significant revision of the original Treaty of Rome was undertaken in 1986 with the adoption of the Single European Act, which stimulated two important processes: development along with economic integration political cooperation and a common foreign policy and the introduction of the principle of qualified majority (rather than unanimity) when adopting EU acts. The law of the European Communities gradually emerged as an independent legal system.
The long process of improving the European Communities ended with the signing of the Treaty on European Union on February 7, 1992 (Maastricht, the Netherlands). By October 1993, all member countries had ratified it. On November 1, 1993, the Treaty entered into force and the European Union acquired legal status (the name “European Communities” remains).
The EU has become the largest integration association, virtually without analogues. This is an international organization, but what distinguishes the Union from existing organizations is that it has become not a coordination, but a supranational organization: EU law takes precedence over national law, and its subjects are not only states, but also individuals and legal entities; decisions of the Union have direct effect on the territory of the member states; its power is independent of states, EU officials and members of the European Parliament represent not states, but peoples; it is assumed that the Union can independently expand the powers of its bodies.
Member countries gave up part of their sovereign rights to create supranational structures and powers, rose to new level cooperation: from coordination of actions to a common unified policy. The key points of the new EU strategy are the construction of an economic and monetary union, a common foreign policy and defense, cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs, and the establishment of a single citizenship.
The creation of an economic and monetary union goes through three stages. At the first stage (even before the signing of the Maastricht Treaty), the liberalization of capital movements within the Union, the completion of the formation of a single market, and the development of measures to bring macroeconomic indicators closer together must be ensured. On the second (until the end of 1998) - the establishment of the European Monetary Institute, the development of a European system central banks led by the European central bank(ECB), preparation for the introduction of a single currency - the euro, common economic policy by defining “main guidelines” and implementing multilateral monitoring of their compliance. The third stage should be completed by mid-2002 with the beginning of the functioning of the ECB, the implementation of a single monetary policy, the introduction of the European currency into non-cash and then into cash circulation.
The political union embraces the common foreign policy and security, justice and home affairs. Politics and security are aimed at ensuring pan-European values and fundamental interests of the EU by coordinating positions and joint actions, including military ones. Justice and internal affairs cover a wide range of issues from the right to movement, the introduction of common passports to cooperation between courts in criminal matters.
The agreement provides for the introduction of a single EU citizenship, which is also unknown to any international organization. This is accompanied by the consolidation of certain political rights, in particular voting rights. Every citizen residing in another Member State of the Union has the right to vote and be elected in municipal elections and elections to the European Parliament.
The EU bodies are the European Council, the Council of Ministers, the Commission, the European Parliament, and the Court.
European Council - the highest body of the Union - represents periodic meetings of heads of state and government, at which they agree general principles Union policy. Council of Ministers- these are monthly meetings of ministers on relevant issues (separately - the ministers of foreign affairs, economics and finance, and agriculture). EU Commission - chief executive permanently acting body Union, coordinating and monitoring the implementation of EU policies, with the right to issue binding directives. The Chairman of the Commission and its members have a 4-year term of office. The apparatus includes 23 directorates general, which are like small ministries. European Parliament includes 518 deputies directly elected by the entire adult population of EU countries for 5 years. Previously, parliament was an advisory body; now it is endowed with real legislative and control powers and is involved in decision-making in such important areas as legislative, financial, and foreign policy. New functions include the appointment of an ombudsman, the acceptance of petitions, and the creation of investigative committees.
Court of Justice of the EU(13 judges and 6 advocates general) has the powers of supreme judiciary in the area of EU jurisdiction. It is authorized to assess the legality of the actions of the institutions of the Union and the governments of the member states in the interpretation and implementation of treaty norms of the Union. The Court resolves disputes (in specific cases) between EU member states and between them and EU bodies. He is also competent in the field of legal assessment of acts of EU bodies.
The European Union is an independent subject of international law. It develops broad international relations with other organizations, with states, is a party to agreements, and has more than 100 foreign representative offices, including in the Russian Federation. On June 24, 1994, a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement was signed on the island of Corfu, establishing a partnership between the Russian Federation, on the one hand, and the European Communities and their member states, on the other hand.
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe as a regional international organization has existed since 1949. It was founded by ten Western European states, and currently covers almost the entire European space. 40 states are members of the Council of Europe, including the Russian Federation since February 28, 1996.
The founding documents of this organization are the Statute of the Council of Europe of May 5, 1949 and the General Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe of September 2, 1949.
Russia's accession to the Council of Europe was preceded by certain measures, which included both the accession of the Russian Federation to a number of European conventions, which do not condition participation in them on membership in the Council of Europe, and a set of measures approved by the order of the President of the Russian Federation of February 13, 1996. A few days earlier, 25 January 1996, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe considered Russia's application, submitted on May 7, 1992, recommended that the Committee of Ministers invite the Russian Federation to become a member of the Council of Europe, accompanying the invitation, formulated in the form of Conclusion No. 193 (1996), with wishes in the form of 25 points , which were designated as obligations assumed by Russia. The procedure for the accession of the Russian Federation to the Statute of the Council of Europe and to the General Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe took only 4 days: the corresponding federal laws accession agreements were adopted State Duma February 21, approved by the Federation Council on February 22, signed by the President of the Russian Federation on February 23, entered into force on February 24, 1996.
The official reception at the ceremony in Strasbourg on February 28, 1996 was accompanied by the signing of a number of European conventions on behalf of the Russian Federation.
According to the Statute, “the purpose of the Council of Europe is to achieve greater unity among its members in order to defend and implement the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and to promote their economic and social progress” (Article 1). In accordance with Art. 3 Each member of the Council shall recognize the principle of the rule of law and ensure to all persons subject to its jurisdiction the enjoyment of rights and fundamental freedoms.
Cooperation to achieve this goal includes the conclusion and implementation of conventions, protocols and agreements, the number of which has reached 170. Traditionally, they are called European conventions, which are devoted to human rights, issues of education, culture, health, social security, sports, development of civil, environmental, administrative law , criminal law and procedure. .These include the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (1950), together with eleven protocols supplementing or amending its individual provisions, the European Social Charter (1961, revised in 1996), the European Convention on Nationality (1998 g.), European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987), Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (1995), European Charter of Local Self-Government (1985), a number of acts of criminal law and procedural nature - on extradition (1957), on mutual assistance in criminal matters (1959), on the transfer of criminal proceedings (1972), on the transfer of convicted persons (1983), on compensation for victims of violent crimes (1983), on laundering, identification, seizure and confiscation of proceeds from crime (1990)*.
* For the texts of a number of conventions and review materials, see: Law of the Council of Europe and Russia (collection of documents and materials). Krasnodar, 1986; Russian legal journal. 1997. No. 1, 3.
Bodies of the Council of Europe:
Committee of Ministers, consisting of the foreign ministers of member states or other members of government. The Committee adopts conclusions on the issues under consideration in the form of recommendations to governments. On certain issues, its decisions are binding.
Parliamentary Assembly*, which includes representatives of each member state elected (appointed) from its parliament. Various representation is provided: from Germany, Great Britain, France, Italy, Russia - 18 each, from Spain, Turkey, Ukraine - 12 each, from Greece, Belgium, etc. - 7 each, from Austria, Bulgaria, etc. - 6 each, from the rest - 5, 4, 3, 2 representatives. The Assembly is an advisory body that makes recommendations to the Committee of Ministers.
* Originally called the Consultative Assembly.
Congress of local and regional authorities Europe, representing the relevant bodies of the member states and including delegations from territorial entities (according to quotas established for the Parliamentary Assembly). His work takes place in the ward local authorities authorities and the Chamber of Regions.
Secretariat, which is the administrative body of the Council of Europe and is headed by Secretary General(elected by the Parliamentary Assembly for 5 years).
The Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms provided for the creation of two special bodies- European Commission of Human Rights and European Court of Human Rights. All member states of the Council of Europe were represented in both the Commission and the Court. Protocol No. 11 to the Convention carried out a reorganization - replacing the Commission and the Court with a single permanent body - the European Court of Human Rights (see § 6 of Chapter 10).
The headquarters of the Council of Europe is located in Strasbourg (France). The Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation is accredited at the headquarters. The official languages are English and French. A translation of a convention or other document into a language not recognized as an official language is called a version (for example, a translation into Russian is a Russian version). However, in relation to a text that has undergone the ratification procedure in highest body state and published in the official publication, the term “official translation” is used. Such an explanation is given when publishing in the Collection of Legislation of the Russian Federation the Statute of the Council of Europe, the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and other acts.
The Interdepartmental Commission of the Russian Federation for the Affairs of the Council of Europe was established as a coordinating body.