Recent and Current Events
28/05/2023
Ankara - A representative of the Venice Commission accompanied the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) election observation delegation to advise on the legal framework of the 2nd tour of the presidential election of 28 May 2023 in Türkiye.
The delegation observed the opening, voting and counting processes of the election.
26/05/2023
On 26 May 2023 the President of the Verkhovna Rada requested the opinion of the Venice Commission on Draft Law No. 9322 dated 25 May 2023 “On Amending Some Legislative Acts of Ukraine Regarding Improving the Procedure for Selecting Candidate Judges of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on a Competitive Basis”, which was registered in the Verkhovna Rada. This draft law replaces draft law No. 9225 dated 19 April 2023, which has been withdrawn.
The draft follow-up opinion, which supersedes the urgent follow-up opinion on Draft law no. 9255, will be submitted for adoption at the 135... read more
26/05/2023
Strasbourg - The President of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, participated in the meeting of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council on the following theme "The examination of the legitimacy and legality of the ad hominem derogation from the term of office of the outgoing President of the Russian Federation".
25/05/2023 - 26/05/2023
Samarkand – The Venice Commission organised in co-operation with the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan an international conference entitled “Models of constitutional complaints in Central Asian countries”.
The conference took place on 25-26 May 2023 in Samarkand and gathered high-level representatives from the Constitutional Courts of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. Venice Commission experts from France, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia participated in the event and contributed to the exchanges on best practices with their Central As... read more
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – Forthcoming Joint Opinion – Online meetings
25/05/2023
In the framework of the preparation of the draft Joint Opinion on the Special Registry and Publicity of the Work of Non-Profit Organisations, a delegation of the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR met on 19 and 24 May 2023 (online) with the representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Republika Srspka and local civil society.
The draft Joint Opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 135th Plenary Session, 09-10 June 2023.
24/05/2023 - 25/05/2023
Paris - In the framework of the preparation of the draft opinion concerning article 49 of the Constitution of France, following the request by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the rapporteurs of the Venice Commission met with the following interlocutors:
• the Chairman of the Law Commission of the Senate,
• the Chairman of the Law Commission of the National Assembly and Vice-Chairmen,
• the Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament,
• the Secretary General of the Government,
• the Secretary General of the Constitutional Counc... read more
24/05/2023 - 25/05/2023
Paris - In the framework of the preparation of the draft opinion on the composition of the Superior Council of the Magistracy and the status of magistrates in France, following the request by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the rapporteurs of the Venice Commission met with the following interlocutors:
• the Chairman of the Senate Law Commission,
• the Chairman of the National Assembly Law Commission and Vice Chairmen,
• the Director of the Keeper of the Seals Office, Ministry of Justice,
• representatives of the Council of State,
• the President ... read more
23/05/2023
Berlin - In the framework of the preparation of the draft joint opinion of the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODIHR on the amendments of the German Federal Election Act and their compliance with Council of Europe standards, a joint delegation of rapporteurs and experts met with the following interlocutors:
• MPs, representing the various political groups (CDU/CSU, AfD, FDP, Bündnis 90/ Die Grünen, SPD, die Linke) ;
• Representatives of the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community:
- Directorate-General V “Public Law, Constitutional Law, Administrative Law”
read more
18/05/2023 - 19/05/2023
Tbilisi - In the framework of the preparation of the final opinion on the draft law “on de-oligarchisation” of Georgia, a delegation of the Venice Commission met with representatives of the following interlocutors:
• Parliamentary majority and opposition;
• Government administration;
• National Security Council;
• Specialised agencies and institutions :
- National Anti-Corruption Bureau
- National Commission of Communications
- Financial Monitoring Service
- National Bank;
• Public Defender’s Office
• International... read more
16/05/2023 - 17/05/2023
Reykjavik, Iceland - Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission, participated in the 4th Summit of the Council of Europe.
15/05/2023
By letter dated 24 April 2023, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights invited the Venice Commission to prepare a joint opinion on the draft law of Republika Srpska on the Special Registry and Transparency of the Work of Non-Profit Organizations.
The draft opinion will be prepared jointly with the OSCE/ODIHR and submitted for adoption at the 135th plenary session of the Commission (09-10 June 2023).
14/05/2023
Ankara - Representatives of the Venice Commission accompanied the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) election observation delegation to advise on the legal framework of the presidential and parliamentary elections of 14 May 2023 in Türkiye.
The delegation observed the opening, voting and counting processes of the elections.
12/05/2023
By letter dated 28 April 2023 Mr Piero Fassino, Chairperson of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly, requested two opinions of the Venice Commission on the French Constitutionregarding the following issues:
- Article 65 of the Constitution on the composition of the Superior Council of Magistracy and the "Ordinance n° 58-1270 of 22 December 1958 establishing an organic law on the status of the judiciary” on nominations, mutations, promotions and disciplinary procedures of magistrates;
- Article 49 of the Constitution, and the established practice of a... read more
12/05/2023
In the framework of the preparation of the draft opinion on the Law on National Minorities (Communities) of Ukraine, the Venice Commission’s rapporteurs held a series of meetings with the Ukrainian stakeholders.
On 31 March 2023 the rapporteurs met in Strasbourg with:
• the Head and the Deputy Head of the State Service on Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Conscience;
• the Deputy Minister of Education and the Head of Main Department of General Secondary and Preschool Education.
On 20 April 2023 online meetings were held with the representatives of the following inte... read more
04/05/2023 - 05/05/2023
Kyiv - As part of an official visit to Ukraine on 4 and 5 May 2023 to discuss the reform of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, legislation on de-oligarchisation and on national minorities, a delegation led by the President of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, met with the President of Ukraine, Mr Volodymyr Zelensky.
During her visit to Kyiv, the President of the Venice Commission, accompanied by the Secretary of the Venice Commission, Ms Simona Granata-Menghini, the Vice-President of the Venice Commission, Ms Angelika Nussberger, and members of the Venice Commissi... read more
10/05/2023 - 12/05/2023
Madrid – The Venice Commission, in cooperation i.a. with the Complutense University of Madrid, the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies, the Global Electoral Justice Network, and the Central Electoral Commission of Spain, held the IIIrd international conference entitled “Cybersecurity and Elections: Guarantees against information disorders in the digital arena - Democracy, rights and elections” in Madrid.
High level civil servants, academics, electoral and cybersecurity experts and journalists from Spanish speaking countries participated in the event. Such international ... read more
09/05/2023 - 10/05/2023
Bern - the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in co-operation with the Swiss Parliament organised an international conference entitled “Elections in times of crisis – challenges and opportunities”. The event was organised in the framework of the 60th anniversary of the accession of Switzerland to the Council of Europe.
The organisers noted that in the last three years, the democracies of Europe have been hit by successive dramatic challenges to the functioning of their democratic institutions. Just as the world was emerging from the unprecedented global shocks of the ... read more
04/05/2023 - 05/05/2023
Strasbourg - The University of Strasbourg and the Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights organised an international conference entitled "European constitutional heritage: between progression and regression" on May 4-5, 2023. The following themes were addressed:
• The components of the European constitutional heritage
• The deconstruction of the European constitutional heritage?
• The reconstruction of European constitutional heritage
The Venice Commission participated in the conference and intervene on the subjects as follows:
• "European constitutional... read more
PACE Monitoring Committee – exchange of views on Serbia
26/04/2023
Strasbourg, Council of Europe – The Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by member States of the Council of Europe held an exchange of views (online) on the legal situation and the functioning of institutions in Serbia with Mr Oliver Kask, Substitute Member of the Venice Commission in respect of Estonia.
24/04/2023 - 25/04/2023
Sofia - The 20th meeting of the Joint Council on Constitutional Justice of the Venice Commission was co-organized and hosted by the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria.
Liaison officers from 35 courts/members of the JCCJ and 7 representatives of 4 of the regional groups (AACC, CCJA, CJCPLP and UACCC) participated in the event.
On this occasion a mini-conference on the topic "Measures taken by States in response to the COVID-19 crisis and their impact on constitutional justice – constitutional case-law on emergency situations" was held.
19/04/2023
Council of Europe, Strasbourg - The President of the Venice Commission, Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, presented the 2022 Annual Report of Activities of the Commission to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
The presentation was followed by an exchange of views with the Ambassadors of the member and observer States of the Council of Europe.
International Justice Network - 5th meeting
12/04/2023
Paris - The Delegation for European and International Affairs of the Ministry of Justice of France organised the 5th meeting of the International Justice Network (RIJ) on "The rule of law and fundamental rights: a common European priority".
Ms Claire Bazy Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission, participated, as the guest of honour, in the 1st panel on “the evaluation of judicial systems, an exercise of the rule of law”.
11/04/2023
Strasbourg - Mr Gianni BUQUICCHIO, President Emeritus and Special Representative of the Venice Commission, received a decoration "the Order of the Rising Sun, Golden Rays in Collar" from the Government of Japan "for his valuable contribution to the strengthening of relations and promoting mutual understanding between Japan and Europe”.
The decoration was presented to Mr Buquicchio by Mr UCHIDA Hiroyuki, Ambassador - Permanent Observer of Japan to the Council of Europe on Tuesday 11 April 2023 at the Consulate General of Japan in Strasbourg.
Japan joined the Venice Commis... read more
02/04/2023
Sofia - Representatives of the Venice Commission accompanied the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) election observation delegation to advise on the legal framework of the early parliamentary elections of 2 April 2023 in Bulgaria.
The delegation observed the opening, voting and counting processes of the elections.
27/03/2023 - 28/03/2023
Bucharest – Upon invitation by the Constitutional Court of Romania, Mme Claire Bazy-Malaurie, President of the Venice Commission, participated in the opening of the event devoted to the 100th anniversary of the adoption of the 1923 Constitution of Romania.
The event, which was held at the Palace of the Parliament of Romania, brought together the highest offices of the state, as well as representatives of the judiciary of Romania, judges of the European constitutional courts, the European Court of Justice and the Association of the Francophone Constitutional Courts.
In t... read more
21/03/2023
Paris - On 21 March 2023 a delegation of the Venice Commission participated in the hearing on “Combatting undue influence: anti-oligarch legislation in Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova” organised by the Committee of the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
Ms Angelika Nussberger, member of the Venice Commission, and Ms Grainne McMorrow, former substitute member of the Venice Commission, together with Ms Simona Granata-Menghini, Secretary of the ... read more
19/03/2023
Podgorica – A delegation of the Venice Commission accompanied the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) election observation delegation to advise on the legal framework of the presidential election of 19 March 2023 in Montenegro.
The delegation observed the opening, voting and counting processes of the election.
17/03/2023
By letter dated 3 March 2023 the President of the PACE, Mr Tiny Kox, requested an opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft law on the amendment of the German Federal Election Act.
The draft opinion will be submitted for adoption at the 135th plenary session of the Commission (Venice, 09-10 June 2023).
15/03/2023
Lisbon (Portugal) - The 8th coordination meeting of the UniDem Med project (University for democracy for the Southern Mediterranean) took place on 15 March 2023 in Lisbon (Portugal) just after the launching event of the joint EU and Council of Europe programme "Protecting human rights, rule of law and democracy through shared standards in the Southern Mediterranean" (South Programme V).
The aim of holding the coordinators' meeting at the same time as the launch of the fifth phase of the Southern Programme wass to create new synergies between the coordinators and the beneficiaries... read more
10/03/2023 - 11/03/2023
Venice, Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista - The Venice Commission:
- Held one minute of silence in commemoration of the victims of the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria;
- Adopted the joint opinion of the Venice Commission and OSCE/ODHIR on the Law on Political Parties of Azerbaijan;
- Held an exchange of views with Ms Sanela Latić, Head of the Department for Cooperation with Domestic and International Judicial Bodies and Comparative Law at the Ministry of Justice of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and adopted the opinion on the draft law on the courts of Bosnia... read more