Athens, 17/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - The General Secretary of the Council of Europe, Walter Schwimmer, urged the expanded European Union to become an "associate member" of the pan-European organisation of the 45. From Athens, where he attended the signing ceremony of the membership treaty of the ten new member States, M. Schwimmer felt that "we must be inventive in order to put or relationship in order and do a pioneering piece of work". According to him a status of associate member of the EU at the Council of Europe would allow "work in close cooperation so as to ensure peace and stability over the whole continent". M. Schwimmer took advantage of the situation in order to reiterate that the European Union as such should adhere to the European Convention on Human Rights.