Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) was founded in 1949, as a consultative body, with no legislative power. Its headquarters are in Strasbourg and it is one of the two political organs of the Council of Europe (CoE), the other being the Council of Ministers. The Assembly covers areas of European and worldwide interest, primarily political, economic, social, cultural and/or legal matters, except matters related to defense and security. 

The parliaments of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe are represented within the Assembly that brings together 324 representatives and an equal number of substitute members, belonging to one of the five political groups that participate to the Assembly.

The Republic of Cyprus became member of the Council of Europe on 24 May 1961. The House of Representatives participated in the PACE with a delegation until 1964, when, due to the intercommunal strife and the withdrawal of the Turkish Cypriot representatives from the legislature, the Republic of Cyprus had to suspend its participation to the Council of Europe until 1984. In that year, the Cyprus Parliament returned to the Assembly, taking up one of the three seats allocated to it, on the basis of the agreement reached, following the abnormal situation that resulted after 1974 and the inability of the Turkish Cypriot representatives to participate in the Cyprus delegation. Following the adoption by the Assembly of Resolution 1113(97) on the Situation in Cyprus, and since January 1997, the House of Representatives participates with a cross-party delegation, consisting of two representative and two substitute members. The third seat for the representation of the Turkish Cypriot community (representative and substitute) remains provisionally vacant, even though since October 2004, representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community participate in the work of the Assembly on an ad hoc basis. 

The present composition of the delegation comprises of Mr. Nicos Tornaritis, head (DISY), Mr. George Loucaides (AKEL), Ms Christiana Erotokritou (DIKO) and Mr. Constantinos Efstathiou (KSEDEK). The members of the Cyprus delegation participate in the four part-sessions of the Assembly (January, April, June and October) and in Committee meetings (Table 1), as well as meetings of their respective political groups (Table 2). They also attend the Standing Committee. Every six years or so, a member of the delegation participates in the Bureau of the Assembly, as Vice-President of the Assembly. Members of the Cyprus Delegation hold important positions in the Assembly. Mr. George Loucaides is currently Chairperson of the Sub Committee on the Middle East and the Arab World and Mr. Constantinos Eftstathiou is Vice-Chairperson of the Sub Committee on Culture, Diversity and Heritage. In recent years, members of the Cyprus delegation were appointed Rapporteurs of the Assembly and have presented important reports, that were subsequently adopted by the Plenary. The House of Representatives has also hosted conferences, committee meetings and political group meetings of the PACE.

PACE website https://pace.coe.int/en/ 

TABLE 1
 
COMMITTEES 

TABLE 2
 
POLITICAL GROUPS