The EU’s Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn has hailed the Council of Europe’s role as a “moral compass”, and called for the Council of Europe and the EU to combine their strengths in a strategic partnership to boost their shared values in a time of change.
Addressing parliamentarians in Strasbourg, Mr. Hahn said that democracy, human rights and the rule of law were the bedrock of the EU’s enlargement strategy and remained at the heart of its neighbourhood policy. “It’s in all our interests to put together the right solutions for stabilising the countries in our neighbourhood,” he said.
This was not just a matter of ensuring a more coherent presence between the two organisations, the Commissioner said, but also about boosting their shared values.
