Member states ‘must show more will to apply ECHR decisions’

Council of Europe member states must show more political will to implement European Court of Human Rights rulings, says Council secretary-general Marija Pejčinović Burić, on the release of its annual report.

The 46 member states must also devote more resources to implementing the judgments, she says, adding: “The Court is now dealing with more and more cases of increasing complexity.”

She points out that in recent years, members have made great progress in implementing decisions. “In order for this positive impact to continue, our member states must demonstrate the political will to implement judgments fully and consistently.” Heads of government from the member states will meet in Reykjavik next month, when the Council hopes they will reiterate their commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Council of Europe was created in 1949 and has 46 members, including the 27 members of the EU. It was set up to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law and oversees implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights in its member countries.

Within the Council, it is the task of the Committee of Ministers to verify that members translate rulings from its Court into new processes or policies. Of the nearly 1,500 new cases that reached the Committee in 2022, 19 were from Belgium – up from 14 in 2020 and 2021. Of more than 6,000 pending cases, 44 are Belgian. Pending cases include inappropriate detention of people with disabilities. 

^{The Council of Europe in Strasbourg © PHOTO NICOLAS ROSES/ABACAPRESS.COM}