Does the Council of Europe possess the power to enact laws?

The Council of Europe is often confused with the European Union, but they're actually quite different. The Council of Europe was founded in 1949, much earlier than the EU, and its main goal is to uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law across the continent. It's responsible for the European Convention on Human Rights, which is a really important document that protects fundamental freedoms. Now, while the Council of Europe does a lot of important work in setting standards and promoting cooperation, it doesn't actually have the power to create laws that member states *must* follow. That's more the role of bodies like the EU parliament. The Council of Europe focuses on encouraging countries to adopt certain principles and standards, but it's up to each individual country to then implement those ideas into their own national laws. So, while the Council of Europe is influential, it doesn't have the direct power to enact laws itself.