Preamble
The member States of the Council of Europe, signatories to this Protocol to the Convention
for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, signed at Rome on 4 November
1950 (hereinafter referred to as "the Convention"),
Having regard to Resolution No. 1 and the Declaration adopted at the European Ministerial
Conference on Human Rights, held in Rome on 3 and 4 November 2000;
Having regard to the Declarations adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 8 November
2001, 7 November 2002 and 15 May 2003, at their 109th, 111th and 112th Sessions, respectively;
Having regard to Opinion No. 251 (2004) adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe on 28 April 2004;
Considering the urgent need to amend certain provisions of the Convention in order
to maintain and improve the efficiency of the control system for the long term, mainly
in the light of the continuing increase in the workload of the European Court of Human
Rights and the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe;
Considering, in particular, the need to ensure that the Court can continue to play
its pre-eminent role in protecting human rights in Europe,
Have agreed as follows:
