Council Of Europe Research Articles

The discriminatory situation of the Russian–speaking population of Latvia through the prism of the Council of Europe - past and present

The discriminatory situation of the Russian–speaking population of Latvia through the prism of the Council of Europe - past and present

Abstracts from the 26th Meeting of the European Council for Cardiovascular Research (ECCR).

Abstracts from the 26th Meeting of the European Council for Cardiovascular Research (ECCR).

Renewable energy penetration in Nordic and Baltic countries of the EU

The low carbon transition of the energy sector towards a greater penetration of renewable energy sources (RES) is one of the most impressive examples of political and economic change in the European Union. For nearly two decades, the European Union was rightly considered to be a frontrunner in RES development and deployment around the world. This culminated in March 2007 when the 20-20-20-targets were agreed under the European Council Conclusions. They aimed at creating a carbon neutral society by 2050 and replacing fossil fuels with renewables. This target requires huge transformations of energy systems and transformative shifts in economics and society. Even as renewables can provide numerous environmental, social, and economic benefits, their fast penetration may cause various societal challenges and encounter many barriers. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse the achievements of select EU countries in renewable energy development. For this purpose, an indicators framework is applied to monitor the RES drivers and achievements, RES penetration, and attained benefits of low carbon transformations. The case study focuses on Nordic and Baltic countries that are EU member states.

PACIS XXI: Aligning English language curriculum with the CEFR/CV for 21st century learning

"This article aims to outline and describe how the PACIS XXI team (Projetar a Área Curricular de Inglês para o Século XXI), nominated by the Azorean Regional Government’s Secretary of Education in 2017, designed and promoted the implementation of the CEFR-based English curriculum guidelines. Its acronym, which translated means to launch English as a curriculum component into the 21st century, states the essence of what the team was mandated to do. The key mission was to analyse the state of English language teaching, learning and assessment and design a curriculum document to sustain English language education at the primary level in the Azores, Portugal. In July 2022, the guidelines, Orientações Curriculares de Inglês dos 1.º e 2.º ciclos do ensino básico (OCI), were published. First, we delved into the CEFR/CV with New Descriptors (Council of Europe [COE] 2018), then later, while the guidelines were up for public discussion as a working document, between 2019 and 2022, we enhanced them using the final version of the CEFR/CV (COE 2020). Aligning curriculum guidelines with the CEFR/CV meant not only aligning proficiency levels for different grades, but also looking closely at what it means to take an action-oriented approach to language learning. Hence the need to move forward into designing descriptors for communicative activities, and not for the traditional four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. We presented planning and assessment tools and templates aligned with an action-oriented approach, incorporating the Understanding by Design/Backwards Theory (Wiggins and McTighe 2005). We also looked at pedagogical assessment, where formative assessment is key, as put forward by Dylan Wiliam (2011) as well as the conceptual framework shared by the Projeto MAIA through the Portuguese educational system. Over a hundred teachers in thirty schools were involved. Various types of training were developed, based on the curriculum guidelines, as well as needs expressed by teachers. All this work was not only validated by policymakers, but also by APPI (Associação Portuguesa de Professores de Inglês), the Portuguese English teachers’ association who thoroughly revised the guidelines. In sharing this experience, we hope to lend some insight into how the CEFR/CV can be used and adapted for curriculum design and can enhance teaching, learning and assessment. "

International and European Institutions and Catalan Nationalism

AbstractThe exercise of public power by substate entities poses a challenge for international law. Although such entities lack international legal personality, their actions can have international significance and, because they are state organs, must always adhere to the international obligations assumed by the state. In Spain, the autonomous communities exercise broad powers, which, in the case of Catalonia (via the Generalitat), include education, healthcare, prisons and police. Research shows that the Generalitat has exercised – and, to some extent, continues to exercise – some of its powers in disregard of certain constitutional and legal obligations. This action by public authorities in disregard of the law can have international consequences, and various international organizations have expressed positions on it through their bodies. This paper examines these positions on the Generalitat’s actions in connection with the secession process and other related policies, including both those that have been critical of this behaviour and those that have expressed direct or indirect support for it. The practice of the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the UN Human Rights Council through its Special Rapporteur on minority issues is analysed.

Mapping the SMEEA Gaokao tests to the CEFR

This paper reports on a project where the Shanghai Municipal Educational Examinations Authority (SMEEA) engaged Cambridge University Press and Assessment (Cambridge) to begin the alignment process of their six foreign language tests to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) (Council of Europe, 2001, 2020). These six language tests are developed by SMEEA and form part of China’s National College Entrance Examination system. They are referred to as China’s National College Entrance Examination (Shanghai Paper), or the Shanghai Gaokao. This project was undertaken to enable a comparison of the relative difficulty of each language version of the Shanghai Gaokao, in terms of the CEFR. Additional project aims were to carry out training in the CEFR and in CEFR mapping procedures, using a blend of online delivery and a cascaded training model. This project took place between September 2021 and January 2022, involving a series of linked training and mapping activities and workshops. In this paper the focus is on the practical aspects of a computer mediated CEFR mapping project, on our reflections and recommendations, and on the participant feedback. Some outcomes are included which are directly related to the CEFR, but not any outcomes which are confidential.

Usability of CEFR Companion Volume scales for the development of an analytic rating scale for academic integrated writing assessment

"Successful academic writing from sources requires a broad range of competencies. When writing from sources, students are expected to mine source texts for relevant ideas, present these ideas with precision and in necessary depth, have efficient paraphrasing skills and the knowledge of proper source attribution. In order to assess the combination of these skills in writing and to provide diagnostic feedback to the learners, there is a need to design a rating scale where the required skills are operationalized in separate criteria (Knoch 2011). However, this endeavour may be challenging due to the complex nature of the academic integrated writing construct. This article describes the process of analytic rating scale development in the context of German higher education (HE). We address the issues of construct complexity and the operationalization of the construct elements in rating scale criteria by a combination of theory-based, descriptor-based, empirical, and intuitive approaches to scale development (e.g., Chan, Chihiro and Taylor 2015; Kuiken and Vedder 2021), with a particular focus on the usability of relevant scales from the CEFR Companion Volume (CEFR/CV; Council of Europe 2020). Besides the CEFR scales, we also explore the usability of existing scales for integrated writing and relevant taxonomies (e.g., Keck 2006; Shi 2004). Finally, we present qualitative insights of intuitive expert judgement from a workshop with four content experts who trialled and refined the first draft of the rating scale. The ensuing validation of the rating scale is, however, beyond the scope of this paper and the mixed-methods validation study will be reported elsewhere. The rating scale development reported here was part of the DFG-funded research project Modelling of academic integrated linguistic competencies, conducted at the University of Bremen and the Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education in Frankfurt. The project aim was to evaluate the academic-linguistic preparedness of students taking up English-medium studies in Germany by employing authentic integrated writing tasks and valid assessment procedures. The article offers insights into challenges and critical considerations when developing CEFR-based rating scales for integrated writing, focusing on valid rating criteria, bands, and adapting existing descriptors. "

EFEKTIVITAS UPAYA PENANGANAN KEKERASAN BERBASIS GENDER DI YUNANI: Analisis Istanbul Convention 2018-2022

Gender-based violence is a phenomenon that is widespread throughout the world and is a concern for human security. For this reason, the Council of Europe formed the Istanbul Convention to combat gender-based violence, especially in Europe. The main focus of this research is to analyze the effectiveness of the Istanbul Convention as an international regime in Greece, the country with the lowest level of gender equality in Europe, using the Regime Effectiveness theory. The research method uses an explanatory research type which aims to explain the position of the variables studied and the cause-and-effect relationships that exist between the variables. The results of this research prove that the Istanbul Convention can be categorized as an effective international regime in Greece, along with the implementation of policies that are in line with the values and objectives of the convention. Thus, this research shows that the Istanbul Convention was able to achieve its effectiveness as an international regime in Greece.

The impact of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the global iron and steel trade and emission reduction.

The European Council completed the legislative procedure to establish the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on April 25, 2023, which will be launched in 2027. The iron and steel sector is the main target of the forthcoming CBAM due to the industry's energy-intensive consumption with high carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, minimal existing research has been conducted in this regard. This study employs GTAP-e 11.0 and TOPSIS models to estimate the effects of CBAM implementation on the major nations around the world from 2027 to 2030, examining countries' GDP, social welfare, iron and steel production, trade balance, and CO2 emissions to the global environment. This study concludes: (1) The GDP and social welfare of important iron and steel trade partners throughout the world will be significantly impacted by the application of CBAM. Most nations, including those in the EU, will experience negative GDP effects, with China undergoing the most pronounced social welfare declines followed by India. In contrast, the EU27 will benefit the most in terms of social welfare, followed by the US, Japan, and Russia. (2) Iron and steel production will decrease in all countries outside the EU, but it will have a positive impact on the trade balance of most countries. (3) The CO2 emissions of all countries except for the EU and Japan will decrease, with a positive impact on preventing carbon leakage in the international iron and steel trade. (4) Comprehensive analysis demonstrates that the EU will benefit the most, and China will suffer the most from CBAM application. Based on the above conclusions, this study proposes corresponding policy recommendations.

The Council of Europe, Russia, and the future of European cooperation: any lessons to be learned from the past?

The Council of Europe (CoE) was among the first Western institutions to open its doors to Russia after the end of the Cold War. However, during Russia’s membership (1996–2022) hopes of socializing the country into the CoE’s standards, norms, and principles in the areas of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law never materialized. While the CoE’s norms and principles nowadays need to be secured from Russia, there might be a point in the (distant) future where Russia should be reintegrated into European structures, with the CoE then again being a likely forum to that end. Against this background, this paper analyses the CoE’s interaction with Russia from the mid-1990s until today, focusing on the accession period as well as the organization’s subsequent monitoring activities and (non-)use of sanctions during Russia’s membership. It concludes with lessons that could guide future interactions between the CoE and Russia.

Un flux de activități didactice pentru dezvoltarea competenței pragmatice în limba română ca limbă străină

The following article discusses various strategies on how to develop L2 pragmatics in a classroom setting. Drawing on the importance of developing learners’ pluricultural repertoire raised by the Companion Volume of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) (Council of Europe 2020), we will argue in favour of developing the pragmatic competence together with the intercultural communicative competence (Byram 1997). In the study case we suggest – ordering at the restaurant – we put forward a string of didactic activities as a possibile teaching resource for teachers of Romanian as a second language in multicultural environments. The article is divided into six sections, as follows: 1) Introduction; 2) CEFR on the pluricultural repertoire; 3) On the intercultural competence and the intercultural communicative competence; 4) Case study – teaching a directive speech act (how to order at a restaurant) in Romanian; 5) Conclusions; 6) Annex 1 to the article consisting in the transcripts used for the case study.

The Brussels Side-Effect: How the AI Act Can Reduce the Global Reach of EU Policy

Abstract Over the last few years, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have become embedded in various domains of social life, prompting legislative efforts at both national and international levels. In the European Union (EU), this drive for legislation has been reflected in various legal instruments, notably the proposed AI Act, which is expected to become a global standard through the “Brussels Effect.” This Article argues that while the AI Act will likely produce a Brussels Effect of its own, such an outcome will be accompanied by a side effect that undermines the EU’s ambition to spread legislative text and values in AI governance. Since the AI Act follows EU product safety legislation, its provisions supply limited protection to some of the values the EU policy intends to protect, such as the protection of fundamental rights. These shortcomings are compounded by the EU’s active efforts to shape alternative instruments, such as the Council of Europe’s proposed convention on AI along the lines of the AI Act. As a result, the diffusion of the AI Act as a global standard will have consequences for the EU policy agenda on AI and the conceptualization of the Brussels Effect.

The Promotion of Traditional Values through Films and Television Programmes: The Moscow Patriarchate and the Orthodox Encyclopaedia Project (2005–2022)

On 26 May 2011, the Russian People’s World Council issued a document entitled The Basic Values: The Fundaments of National Unity. The document, prepared by the Synodal Department for Church–Society Cooperation, provided a catalogue of 17 traditional values whose general framework was constituted by a combination of freedom, unity, patriotism, family, and devotion. At that time, the Moscow Patriarchate considered religious faith to be the foundation of traditional values and it continues to do so. The defence and promotion of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values were also central in the Russian National Security Strategy (2015); this was the case in the updated version of this document as well, put out in July 2021. Furthermore, they have been the core of the Moscow Patriarchate’s participation in the Council of Europe and of Patriarch Kirill’s speeches about the war in Ukraine. Finally, on 9 November 2022, The Foundations Of State Policy For The Preservation Of Spiritual And Moral Values was approved. This framework permits us to understand the strict interplay between the Church and the State in the Russian Federation and to see why it is important to refer to the concept of post-secularism when talking about the role of religion in post-Soviet Russia. Proceeding from the Abstract, the present paper aims to analyse this interplay in a specific sector of visual culture: the cinema and television industries. Manuel Castells highlighted the relevance of cultural values in the age of information and the connection between the values and social mobilization that follows it. He pointed out that the Internet has become a way to render this connection predominant, inevitably leading to the development of social movements and networks that have a religious basis. This is unquestionably true; surveys conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (OJSC «VCIOM») and by Nevafilm Research confirm that a high percentage of Russians watch films not only at the cinema or on television (especially the older generations) but also on the Internet (as far as the younger generations are concerned). The importance of this market is also confirmed by the success of the cinema and TV distributor Orthodox Encyclopaedia (2005); in the words of the philosopher Sergei Kravets, who, commenting on it during an interview published in 2006 by the website Sedmits.ru, declared that the expression “orthodox cinema” can be understood as a way to express Russian culture. He asserts that “the fact that today Orthodox films have begun to appear on the central TV channels testifies that Russian film producers and viewers have apparently begun to be aware of themselves as Orthodox, to feel that they are bearers of a special Orthodox culture. [..]”. At the same time, consideration should be given to the importance of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Minister of Culture’s condemnation of films such as Matilda or Monastery. In addition, it is important to consider that, according to a survey conducted in 2022 by the Levada Center, Russian people consider television the most reliable source of information (54%). The long-term implications of this tendency may have very important effects, not only in terms of its objectives but also in terms of the consideration that, after the beginning of the war, many Western film distributors withdrew their licenses from Russia. This paper will analyse “the effect of religion on the institutional system, the regulatory environment of the media and the public sphere” by studying the features of films and TV programs distributed by Orthodox Encyclopaedia, their relations with traditional values promoted both by the Kremlin and the Church, how these have contributed to strengthening the interplay between the Minister of Culture and the Moscow Patriarchate, and the impact this process has had on Russian society and Russia’s relations with the European and Western World in the 2005–2022 period. A list of the films and TV programs being discussed will be provided, and then statements about the project and reviews of the serials and films will be analysed. The analysis will be conducted mainly through the official sites of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Kremlin and by browsing the Integrum database.

Resh(AI)ping Good Administration: Addressing the Mass Effects of Public Sector Digitalisation

Public sector digitalisation is transforming public governance at an accelerating rate. Digitalisation is outpacing the evolution of the legal framework. Despite several strands of international efforts to adjust good administration guarantees to new modes of digital public governance, progress has so far been slow and tepid. The increasing automation of decision-making processes puts significant pressure on traditional good administration guarantees, jeopardises individual due process rights, and risks eroding public trust. Automated decision-making has, so far, attracted the bulk of scholarly attention, especially in the European context. However, most analyses seek to reconcile existing duties towards individuals under the right to good administration with the challenges arising from digitalisation. Taking a critical and technology-centred doctrinal approach to developments under the law of the European Union and the Council of Europe, this paper goes beyond current debates to challenge the sufficiency of existing good administration duties. By stressing the mass effects that can derive from automated decision-making by the public sector, the paper advances the need to adapt good administration guarantees to a collective dimension through an extension and a broadening of the public sector’s good administration duties: that is, through an extended ex ante control of organisational risk-taking, and a broader ex post duty of automated redress. These legal modifications should be urgently implemented.

A Survey of Preservatives Used in Cosmetic Products

The aim of this study was to indicate the type of preservatives used in selected categories of cosmetic products sold in Poland (part of the EU market) and determine the frequency of their use. The tested products consisted of 200 leave-on cosmetics, viz. body lotions (n = 100) and face creams (n = 100) and rinse-off cosmetics (n = 100) and mascaras (n = 25). The product labels of 325 adult cosmetic products from international brands were analyzed for the presence of preservatives based on the INCI compositions. The survey focused on preservatives included in Annex V of the Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and Council of 30 November 2009 on cosmetic products. The tested products contained 29 different preservatives belonging to eight chemical groups. Most preservatives were alcohols or their derivatives, carboxylic acids or their salts, or parabens. The most common types were phenoxyethanol, present in 198/325 (60.9%) formulations, followed by sodium benzoate, in 137 (42.2%), potassium sorbate, in 116 (35.7%), benzyl alcohol, in 76 (23.4%), and methylparaben in 33 (10.2%). Also, 33 of the 60 preservatives included in Annex V of Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009 were not used in any of the tested preparations. In each category of products, the most common were combinations of two preservatives per single product (34.8% of all products), followed by single-preservative products (25.5%) and three-preservative products (19.4%).

Are there historical lessons across time and space? The ethics of ‘never again’ in European history teaching

ABSTRACT This paper explores the intersection of historical remembrance and the ethical imperative of ‘never again’ in shaping a peaceful future, drawing on the context of Council of Europe’s commitment to history education. It believes in the pivotal role of understanding the past for fostering democratic values. However, the paper critically examines the limitations of the widely embraced ‘never again’ ethic, transcending mere historical knowledge. The author, working in a post-conflict setting, discusses the complexities of transforming this ethic into an empirical tool. By delving into examples such as refugee camps during the 2015 crisis and ICE detention camps, the paper highlights the challenges of applying ‘never again’ in new political and social realities. While acknowledging the limitations of relying solely on history education, the paper suggests the need for multidisciplinary approaches and emphasizes competencies beyond historical thinking in shaping a promising future. The conclusion calls for engagement across sectors and broader knowledge incorporation in teacher training programs. Overall, the paper navigates the intricate relationship between historical awareness, ethical imperatives, and the practical challenges of preventing atrocities in the contemporary world.

The digital (il)literacy of local and regional politicians and civil servants –An analysis based on recent data from Romania

In 2021/2022 a consortium of European universities delivered a scientific basis for a policy fighting fake news and hate speech with support of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, describing also the technical and legal basics of both phenomena. In this context a survey was performed with the delegates of the Congress and the book, which contained also the survey results, was presented to the Congress in its Spring Session 2022. In 2023 a broader survey was done in a selection of countries, which also returned 675 filled-in questionnaires from Romania. The part of the questionnaire dealing with possible remedies contained questions which remedies are considered technically and legally feasible by the participants. Confirming the results of the survey in 2021/2022 the results for Romania showed a severe lack of basic knowledge about how the internet works and its governance. In this paper we want to show the results for Romania in detail, discuss them and suggest possible training measures which seem necessary to make the local and regional politics and administration fit for the Digitalization.The analysis of data from other European countries showed that this phenomenon is not restricted to Romania but is widely recognizable all over Europe. It also confirms the results from the survey among the Congress delegates. Therefore, this paper may be based on the Romanian dataset, however it signifies a pan-European issue.The authors are grateful to Vice Dean Nicolae Urs (Babeș-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca) and Catalin Vrabie (National University of Political Studies and Public Administration) for their support in spreading the survey among Romanian municipalities.

Legal Dilemmas of the European Court of Human Rights After Russia's Expulsion from the Council of Europe. Selected Issues

The article argues that the exclusion of the Russian Federation from the Council of Europe created a legal situation which enabled the European Court of Human Rights to develop new ways of proceeding when a State de facto refuses to participate in the proceedings and opened for the Court a possibility to interpret the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights in such a way as to ensure that victims of the Russia’s aggression against Ukraine are afforded the broadest possible protection not only under international humanitarian law, but also under the ECHR.

Ulusal ve Uluslararası Belgelerde Eğitim Hakkının Yasal Dayanakları

Education is a multidimensional social institution that is continuous and open to all citizens, starting from before school, including periods after school and after school, is an obligation of the state and a human right in our age. This perspective, which is gradually expanding the framework of education, requires that education be considered in economic, social and cultural realities in societies. Despite the opinions of thinkers such as Comenius, Locke, Rousseau, the main activities in education have been philosophical and methodological, while legal concerns have remained in the secondary plan. As a result of this situation, the individual's right to education has not been provided with a legal basis for a long period of time. The main goal of the United Nations, which was established after the Second World War in the international arena, is to develop universal respect for human rights and freedoms as a principle. The right to education, which is included in the fundamental rights in this process, has been regulated in some UN and Council of Europe documents, especially the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Human rights and the right to education, which are guaranteed by international conventions, have also been protected by some legal regulations within the national legal system. The fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens in Turkey are regulated through the Constitution and laws. In addition, with the relevant legislation, a framework has been established for how these rights and obligations can be used. Key Words: Right to Education, National Documents, International Documents, Legal Bases

The Czech Republic: Human Rights Defender, Yet No R2P Champion

ABSTRACT The Czech Republic has a strong tradition of promoting human rights; starting in the 1990s it established itself as an active human rights defender, particularly in relation to priority countries such as North Korea, Belarus, Burma/Myanmar, and Cuba. Human rights and their advancement are significant focal points in Czech foreign policy, both bilaterally and within multilateral organizations like the UN Human Rights Council and the Council of Europe with its Venice Commission. It is therefore interesting to examine the Czech position towards the responsibility to protect (R2P) and whether relevant policymakers actively promote R2P norms. Does the Czech Republic rank among R2P champions, which include small states like Costa Rica, Ghana, Rwanda, Denmark, and Slovenia? While the R2P concept may be considered a complement to traditional human rights norms, I argue that a narrow and selective human rights agenda clearly takes precedence among the Czech political elites. This was evident in the Czech response to the crisis in Myanmar. In 2017, despite international calls for a stronger response to the ongoing genocidal violence against the Rohingya, Czech foreign policy focused on the positive prospects of the democratization process and its policy of human rights promotion.