On 5 May 1949, ten countries, including Denmark, signed the founding treaty of the Council of Europe in London. One year later, the European Convention on Human Rights was adopted, establishing a unique system for the protection of human rights. Through the right of individual application to the European Court of Human Rights, the Convention provides individuals in member states with protection against violations of their fundamental rights.
According to the Statute of the Council of Europe adopted in 1949, the Organisation’s purpose is to achieve “a greater unity between its members” in order to safeguard and promote the ideals and principles which constitute their common heritage, while also facilitating economic and social progress. Political developments in the decades that followed, however, meant that the Organisation did not develop either geographically or substantively in the way originally envisaged. The Cold War effectively confined the Council of Europe to Western Europe, while the rapid development of the European Communities, later the European Union, shifted political momentum in many areas away from Strasbourg and towards Brussels.
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 fundamentally changed Europe’s political landscape. The countries of Central and Eastern Europe, newly freed from communist rule, were able to choose their international partnerships freely. With its clear focus on democracy, the rule of law and human rights, the Council of Europe became a natural point of reference. Over the following fifteen years, the Organisation doubled its membership and today brings together 46 member states.
Membership of the Council of Europe played an important role in supporting the stabilisation of emerging democracies. At the same time, enlargement posed a significant challenge for the Organisation, which devoted considerable resources to assisting new member states in meeting the commitments they had undertaken. For many countries, Council of Europe membership also served as an important stepping stone towards European Union accession. Montenegro became the Organisation’s most recent member when it joined at the 117th Session of the Committee of Ministers in May 2007.
The distinction between the Council of Europe and the European Union is often misunderstood. Several factors contribute to this confusion. The name “Council of Europe” is frequently mistaken for the European Council, which is an institution of the European Union. In addition, both organisations have a presence in Strasbourg, where the Council of Europe is headquartered and where the European Parliament also holds sessions. Both organisations also use the same European flag, the blue flag with twelve golden stars, as well as the same anthem based on the final movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Despite sharing the same fundamental values, the Council of Europe and the European Union are distinct organisations with different memberships, mandates and decision-making structures. At the same time, they cooperate closely across a range of areas. All 27 EU member states are also members of the Council of Europe. One of the Organisation’s key objectives today is to help prevent the emergence of new dividing lines in Europe, including between EU member states and non-EU countries.
