Council of Europe – membership criteria
The Statute of the Council of Europe (Articles 3 and 4) lays down the political–legal (rule of law, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms) and geographical conditions for membership, i.e. any European country that accepts the political and legal conditions can become a member. The instrument of accession of the Republic of Hungary was deposited with the Secretary General on 6 November 1990, and the Parliament promulgated the Statutes by Act LXXI of 1991. In the 1990s, after the democratic changes in Central and Eastern Europe, the accession of new member states was subject to country-specific recommendations, such as Opinion 175(1993) in the case of Slovakia, and Opinion 176(1994) in the case of Romania. Thanks to the activities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), a number of important recommendations and resolutions have been passed in the field of minority protection (e.g. Recommendation 1201/1993). Although they are not legally binding, they serve as a reference point for admission to the organization. With regard to the enlargement of the Council of Europe, PACE Recommendation 1247(1994) clarified the geographical framework, but the interpretation of the fulfilment of the specific political criteria of membership (Article 3) is still disputed.