EU Delegation Statement on recent listings under the Russian laws on “undesirable organisations” and “foreign agents”

13.01.2021
Brussels

1392nd meeting of the Committee of Ministers on 13 January 2021

  1. The European Union deplores the recent decisions of the Russian authorities to include the Association of Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe and Prague Civil Society Centre on their list of “undesirable organisations” and a number of other organisations on their list of “foreign agents”. 
  2. The Council of Europe Schools of Political Studies – of which there are now more than twenty – were established to train future generations of political, economic, social and cultural leaders in countries in transition on topics such as European integration, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and globalisation. The first ever school of political studies was created in Moscow in 1992. It is regrettable that the Association which acts as an umbrella organisation for a network of schools supported by the Council of Europe is labelled as “undesirable” by a Council of Europe Member state. 
  3. The EU urges the relevant Russian authorities to reconsider its legislation on “undesirable organisations” and “foreign agents”, and to remove all national, international and foreign organisations, whose operations aimed at strengthening civil society in the Russian Federation have been affected by this legislation, including the Association of Schools of Political Studies of the Council of Europe, from the lists of “undesirable organisations” and “foreign agents”. We reiterate our longstanding and clear position that the Russian legislation on “undesirable organisations” and “foreign agents” contributes to restricting civil society, independent media and the rights of political opposition and has a negative impact on the work of civil society in Russia.  
  4. We once again urge the authorities of the Russian Federation to review current legislation in order to bring it in line with its own commitments under European and international human rights law including the relevant Venice Commission opinions.