Spring Session has started in Strasbourg today and it will last until Friday 24 April. On the occasion of establishing the agenda, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decided to hold on Tuesday 23 April an urgent debate on the human tragedy in the Mediterranean where a large number of emigrants lost their lives. The PACE members paid respects to victims by minute of silence. The PACE also decided to hold on the same day an urgent debate on the Proposal for Additional Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism.  

During the afternoon part of the session Mr Mladen Bosić, member of Delegation of Bosnia and Hercegovina Parliamentary Assembly, and Mr Dimitris Vitsas, member of Delegation of the Hellenic Parliament were elected PACE vice presidents.

During the day, political groups held meetings as well as Committee on Migrations, Refugees and Displaced Persons, Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media and Monitoring Committee.

Furthermore, the ceremony of initiating the global parliamentary campaign for stopping the detention of children of immigrants was held, wherein President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Ms Anne Brasseur participated.

On day two of the Spring Session, the PACE will consider a list of candidates for judges of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Andorra, Austria, Finland, Ireland and Liechtenstein, afterwards the participants will discuss the following topics: mass surveillance, budget and Council of Europe’s priorities in 2016 and 2017 and humanitarian consequences of the actions of the terrorist group known as “Islamic State”.

Additionally, the address of His Majesty the King of the Belgians is envisaged, while in the afternoon hours Secretary General of the Council of Europe Mr Thorbjørn Jagland will answer MPs’ questions.