Strasbourg, 31/01/2001 (Agence Europe) - In a Communication presented before the parliamentary assembly, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Walter Schwimmer raised the relations of his organisation with the European Union.
"It is clear that, with the up-coming enlargement of the European Union, the partnership between the two organisations, working towards the promotion of European unity, will have an increased importance", announced Mr Schwimmer, while asserting that "the accession of the European Community to the European Pharmacopoeia, the European Audiovisual Monitoring Centre and that, probably, to the Council of Europe's Development Bank should encourage us to vigorously continue our efforts to gain the accession of the Union to the European Human Rights Convention and the European Social Charter". He also indicated that a joint declaration of the partnership and cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Commission is being prepared, in view of the signing during the next four way meeting, in the spring of this year.