The EU’s engagement with the Council of Europe and the OSCE on human rights

Abstract

The chapter outlines the relationship between the European Union (EU) and two other regional organisations active in the field of human rights in Europe: the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Due to the specific nature of these organisations and the history of their interaction with the EU, specific modalities and dynamics have developed in both bilateral engagements, which the chapter attempts at characterising. When it comes to the EU’s engagement with the Council of Europe, the chapter outlines the special status of the European Convention of Human Rights in the EU legal system as well as the EU’s complicated history of and current attempts to accede to the Convention. The chapter also shows political interactions between the two organisations on different, mostly political, fora as well their common endeavours in the field of human rights, especially within the frames of the so-called Joint Programmes. Regarding the relationship between the EU and the OSCE, the chapter explores the modalities of the EU’s presence within the OSCE and the impact of the OSCE’s unique traits, such as its lack of legal personality and the requirement of unanimous agreement in all decision-making processes. Challenges and opportunities within both engagements are presented with a view towards highlighting the actions the EU could undertake in order to improve cooperation and strengthen its impact in the field, leading to better protection and promotion of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe.