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The Council of Europe and human rights

Study note

The Council of Europe is often confused with the European Union, but they are not the same thing. The Council of Europe is a separate organisation with a different role and many member countries, including the UK. The UK remains a member of the Council of Europe even though it has left the EU.

The main work of the Council of Europe is to protect human rights across its member countries. It has no power to make laws that bind members, but it played a historic role by drawing up the European Convention on Human Rights, which sets out basic rights and freedoms. For the test, the key points are that the Council of Europe is not the same as the European Union, that it cannot make binding laws, and that it produced the European Convention on Human Rights.

Memory tip: Council of Europe (not the EU) drew up the European Convention on Human Rights.

Practise this topic

Question 1 of 1 · true or false

The Council of Europe is the same thing as the European Union.

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Show all questions and answers for The Council of Europe and human rights(1 question with explanations)

The Council of Europe and human rights: questions, answers and explanations

  1. 1. The Council of Europe is the same thing as the European Union.

    • True
    • False

    Correct answer: False

    False. The Council of Europe is separate from the EU and focuses on human rights.

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