The EU operates through a hybrid system of supranational independent institutions and intergovernmentally made decisions negotiated by the countries part of the Union (the Member States). Important institutions of the EU include the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the European Central Bank.
The Council of Europe (COE) is an international organisation which has cloth links with the European Union. It is based in Strasbourg France and has 47 members, from the whole European region.
It seeks to develop throughout Europe common and democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals. Its main focuses are on human rights, justice, the promotion of democracy, intercultural dialogue and the overall well-being of citizens.
The results of its work are traditionally presented in Recommendations, Resolutions and Conventions which do have a binding power.
COE Member States maintain their sovereignty but commit themselves through conventions (i.e. public international law) and co-operate on the basis of common values and common political decisions. Those conventions and decisions are developed by the Member States working together at the Council of Europe, whereas secondary European Community law is set by the organs of the European Union. Both organisations function as concentric circles around the common foundations for European integration, with the Council of Europe being the geographically wider circle. The European Union could be seen as the smaller circle with a much higher level of integration through the transfer of powers from the national to the EU level. Being part of public international law, Council of Europe conventions could also be opened for signature to non-member states thus facilitating equal co-operation with countries outside Europe.
Health is part of the Directorate for Social Cohesion of the Council of Europe. It has developed policies regarding:
– pharmaceutical: in the EDQM, the European Directorate Quality of Medicines & Health Care
– human genetics,
– general healthcare: blood transfusion, mental health, palliative care, patients’ role, transplantation, patient safety,
– health promotion and health policy – to name just a few.
The COE also established the European Social Charter which is a Council of Europe treaty that guarantees social and economic human rights. It was adopted in 1961 and revised in 1996.
http://www.coe.int