Report

The Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association appointed a delegation of three parliamentarians to participate in the first part of the 2021 Ordinary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), which took place on January 25–28, 2021. This first part was held in a hybrid format. Delegations were on site in Strasbourg, France, and others participated virtually. Given the moratorium on international travel, which is still in effect at the Parliament of Canada, the Canadian delegation participated by videoconference. The Canadian delegation was composed of the Honourable Lucie Moncion, Senator; Stéphane Bergeron, MP; and Luc Berthold, MP. The delegation was supported by two association secretaries: Josée Thérien and David Chandonnet.

PARTICIPATION IN THE FIRST PART OF THE 2021 ORDINARY SESSION OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

On January 25–28, the delegation participated in the first part of the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, in which Canada enjoys observer status.

A. Overview of the agenda of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

During the first session, the Assembly and its committees and political groups held debates on various topics. The Assembly debated the following:

• Progress report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee;
• Observation of the parliamentary elections in Georgia (October 31, 2020);
• Progress of the Assembly’s monitoring procedure (January–December 2020);
• Implementation of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights;
• Judges must remain independent in Poland and the Republic of Moldova;
• Amendment to the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly – follow up to Resolution 2319 (2020) on the Complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations;
• COVID 19 vaccines: Ethical, legal and practical considerations;
• Current affairs debate: The arrest and detention of Alexei Navalny in January 2021;
• Restrictions on NGO activities in the Council of Europe’s member States;
• Challenge on procedural grounds of still unratified credentials of the parliamentary delegation of the Russian Federation;
• Current affairs debate: Freedom of expression (Article 10 of the ECHR) threatened by the “Internet giants”; and
• Ethnic profiling in Europe: An issue of great concern.

The Assembly also heard from the following speakers:

• Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe;
• Heiko Maas, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, President of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe; and
• Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice.

B. Canadian activities during the session

1. Overview

The members of the delegation actively participated in the proceedings of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, including plenary sessions.

C. Canadian interventions in Assembly debates

Senator Lucie Moncion and MPs Stéphane Bergeron and Luc Berthold participated in the Assembly’s debates during the first part of the session. They made five interventions during the debates and tabled a speech addressing a range of topics. The links to the delegates’ speeches are on the PACE website.[1]

1. Monday, January 25, 2021

Mr. Stéphane Bergeron was unable to speak during the debate entitled “Observation of the parliamentary elections in Georgia (October 31, 2020),” but tabled a speech.

2. Wednesday, January 27, 2021

The three Canadian delegates—Senator Lucie Moncion and MPs Stéphane Bergeron and Luc Berthold—all spoke during the debate entitled “COVID 19 vaccines: Ethical, legal and practical considerations.”

Mr. Luc Berthold also spoke during the current affairs debate entitled “The arrest and detention of Alexei Navalny in January 2021.”

3. Thursday, January 28, 2021

Senator Lucie Moncion gave a speech as part of the debate entitled “Ethnic profiling in Europe: An issue of great concern.”

Respectfully submitted,


Mr. Scott Simms, M.P.
Chair Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association