Brussels, 30/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - Negotiations over the European Union joining the European Convention on Human Rights will officially start in Strasbourg on 6 and 7 July 2010, explained Torbjorn Froysnes, the Council of Europe's representative to the EU, on Tuesday 29 June. The opening of talks will be attended by EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding. Earlier this month, EU justice ministers issued the European Commission with a negotiating mandate (see EUROPE 10153). Froysnes said he was impressed by the good will of all the EU institutions to make progress in this domain, which is particularly important because this will be the first time that the EU as a body will be subject to independent control. He said it would not take long to complete the negotiations. The leading human rights committee (CDDH) that will be running the negotiations for the Council of Europe feels the talks should be completed by this time next year but things should proceed much faster than that. The process of ratification by the EU and the 47 countries that are in the Council of Europe could take two or three years, warned Froysnes. Countries that have ratified the convention could benefit from early application of the treaty, however. Several difficult issues will be addressed during the talks, like setting up an independent judge to represent the EU, enforcement of rulings, the “co-defender” mechanism and signing up to the convention's additional protocols. Once the EU has joined the ECHR, the European Court of Justice will remain the supreme court for deciding on the interpretation of EU law, pointed out Froysnes, hoping to ease the concerns of several member states. (B.C./transl.fl)