This publication presents the work carried out in 2015 by the different bodies and sectors of the Council of Europe, highlighting its particular strengths and achievements. The Council of Europe is the continent’s leading human rights organisation. It comprises 47 member states, 28 of which are members of the European Union. All Council of Europe member states have signed up to the European Convention on Human Rights, a treaty designed to protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law. The European Court of Human Rights oversees the implementation of the Convention in the member states.

As this edition of the Council of Europe Highlights was being finalised, our societies were facing unprecedented medical, social and economic challenges due to the coronavirus crisis. ■ The Council of Europe’s task is to assist our member states in making sure that the measures they take to fight the pandemic do not unduly risk the protection of our common European values of democracy, rule of law and human rights. ■ We are reminded of the foundation of these values this year which marks the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights. 2019 – the year covered by these Highlights – marked the 70th anniversary of the Treaty of London in 1949 when the Council of Europe was founded. Since then, Europe has undergone tectonic shifts of its political and economic landscape, not least with the emergence and enlargement of the European Union. ■ The Council of Europe has maintained its own distinct role and place in the international institutional architecture. However, as many of the activities highlighted in this document demonstrate, the Council of Europe and the European Union now work together closely and in a complementary way in the interest of Europe’s citizens. Foreword by Daniel Höltgen (Director of Communications, Spokesperson for the Secretary General) This publication presents the work carried out in 2019 by the different bodies and sectors of the Council of Europe, highlighting its particular strengths and achievements.

Confusion about the differences between the Council of Europe (the parent body of the European Court of Human Rights) and the European Union is commonplace amongst the general public. It even affects some lawyers, jurists, social scientists and students. This book will enable the reader to distinguish clearly between those human rights norms which originate in the Council of Europe and those which derive from the EU, vital for anyone interested in human rights in Europe and in the UK as it prepares to leave the EU. The main achievements of relevant institutions include securing minimum standards across the continent as they deal with increasing expansion, complexity, multidimensionality, and interpenetration of their human rights activities. The authors also identify the central challenges, particularly for the UK in the post-Brexit era, where the components of each system need to be carefully distinguished and disentangled.

The European system of human rights protection faces institutional and political pressures which threaten its very survival. These institional pressures stem from the backlog of applications before the European Court of Human Rights, the large number of its judgments that remain unimplemented, and the political pressures that arise from sustained attacks on the Court's legitimacy and authority, notably from politicians and jurists in the United Kingdom. This book addresses the theme which lies at the heart of these pressures: the role of national parliaments in the implementation of judgments of the Court. It combines theoretical and empirical insights into the role of parliaments in securing domestic compliance with the Court's decisions, and provides detailed investigation of five European states with differing records of human rights compliance and parliamentary mobilisation: Ukraine, Romania, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands. How far are parliaments engaged in implementation, and how far should they be? Do parliaments advance or hinder human rights compliance? Is it ever justifiable for parliaments to defy judgments of the Court? And how significant is the role played by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe? Drawing on the fields of international law, international relations, political science, and political philosophy, the book argues that adverse human rights judgments not only confer obligations on parliamentarians but also create opportunities for them to develop influential interpretations of human rights and enhance their own democratic legitimacy. It makes an authoritative contribution to debate about the future of the European and other supranational human rights mechanisms and the broader relationship between democracy, human rights, and legitimate authority.

The culmination of four years of ethnographic research at the Roma Community Centre in Toronto, Writing the Roma is the first book to provide an overview of the identities, origins, history and treatment of Roma refugees. Cynthia Levine-Rasky traces the historical and cultural roots of the Roma in Europe, through their genocide in the Holocaust, their persecution in Eastern Europe in the post-Communist era, to their settlement as refugees in Canada. What emerges is a book that challenges the stereotypes surrounding this non-territorial nation while exposing the ways that Canadian immigration policies have affected Roma populations.

Online Terrorist Propaganda, Recruitment, and Radicalization is most complete treatment of the rapidly growing phenomenon of how terrorists’ online presence is utilized for terrorism funding, communication, and recruitment purposes. The book offers an in-depth coverage of the history and development of online "footprints" to target new converts, broaden their messaging, and increase their influence. Chapters present the emergence of various groups; the advancement of terrorist groups’ online presences; their utilization of video, chat room, and social media; and the current capability for propaganda, training, and recruitment. With contributions from leading experts in the field—including practitioners and terrorism researchers—the coverage moves from general factors to specific groups practices as relate to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and numerous other groups. Chapters also examine the lone wolf phenomenon as a part of the disturbing trend of self-radicalization. A functional, real-world approach is used regarding the classification of the means and methods by which an online presence is often utilized to promote and support acts of terrorism. Online Terrorist Propaganda, Recruitment, and Radicalization examines practical solutions in identifying the threat posed by terrorist propaganda and U.S. government efforts to counter it, with a particular focus on ISIS, the Dark Web, national and international measures to identify, thwart, and prosecute terrorist activities online. As such, it will be an invaluable resources for intelligence professionals, terrorism and counterterrorism professionals, those researching terrorism funding, and policy makers looking to restrict the spread of terrorism propaganda online.

Across the globe, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft have accumulated power in ways that existing regulatory and intellectual frameworks struggle to comprehend. A consensus is emerging that the power of these new digital monopolies is unprecedented, and that it has important implications for journalism, politics, and society. It is increasingly clear that democratic societies require new legal and conceptual tools if they are to adequately understand, and if necessary check the economic might of these companies. Equally, that we need to better comprehend the ability of such firms to control personal data and to shape the flow of news, information, and public opinion. In this volume, Martin Moore and Damian Tambini draw together the world's leading researchers to examine the digital dominance of technologies platforms and look at the evidence behind the rising tide of criticism of the tech giants. In fifteen chapters, the authors examine the economic, political, and social impacts of Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, and Microsoft, in order to understand the different facets of their power and how it is manifested. Digital Dominance is the first interdisciplinary volume on this topic, contributing to a conversation which is critical to maintaining the health of democracies across the world.

In the European Union (EU), its Member States and the United Kingdom (UK) post-Brexit, as elsewhere, the marketing of pharmaceuticals is subject to an ever more complex web of legislation and regulation, resulting from the intense scrutiny necessary to ensure such essential products are not only efficacious but also safe. This useful volume lays out this system with extraordinary clarity and logic. Adopting a Europe-wide perspective on the law governing pharmaceuticals, expert authors from the law firm Bird & Bird LLP map the life cycle of a medicinal product or medical device from development to clinical trials to product launch and ongoing pharmacovigilance, offering comprehensive and unambiguous guidance at every stage. Following a brief overview of how the exit from the EU by the UK currently affects the regulatory regime, as well as an introductory overview focusing on the regulatory framework for pharmaceuticals in Europe – from its underlying rationales to the relevant committees and agencies – each of the following twenty-one incisive chapters examines a particular process or subject. Among the many topics and issues covered from both an EU and UK perspective are the following: clinical trials; stages and standards for creating a product dossier; obtaining a marketing authorisation; how and when an abridged marketing authorisation procedure can be used; criteria for conditional marketing authorisations; generic products and ‘essential similarity’; paediatric use and the requisite additional trials; orphan medicinal products; biologicals and ‘biosimilars’; homeopathic, herbal and similar medicines; medical devices; pandemics, epidemics and vaccines; pharmacovigilance; parallel trade; advertising; and relevant competition law, intellectual property rights and data protection regulation. In addition, sample forms and URLs for the most important reference materials are included. Pharmaceutical lawyers and regulatory advisers, both in-house and in private practice, will welcome this unique book. It offers immeasurable value for all who need to understand the process of bringing a medicinal product or medical device to market and the continuing rights and obligations.

The Editorial Office of Frontiers in Plant Science would like to thank all the Chief Editors, Associate Editors and Review Editors that played an integral part in Frontiers’ innovative Collaborative Peer-Review process in 2020. In particular, we would like to recognize and thank Prof. Joshua L. Heazlewood – our now former Field Chief Editor, for his commitment, support and enthusiasm for the Plant Science field. Josh’s dedication and leadership has helped Frontiers in Plant Science become the most cited journal in the field with a strong editorial community. Looking forward, we’re excited to welcome Prof. Yunde Zhao, as our new Field Chief Editor in 2021. Having been with Frontiers in Plant Science since 2017, Yunde has contributed extensively to the development of the journal and will continue to ensure the journal goes from strength to strength.