EU observer has today published an article analysing reports on the 11th EU-Russia human rights consultations which took place in Brussels on 28 April.  Russian reluctance to cooperate and a dearth of information on both sides seems to be the overriding themes of the European feedback:

Moscow refuses to send people from the interior ministry or general prosecutor’s office to the meetings, even though one Russian diplomat told this website that law enforcement agencies are the “only” bodies which have a “full picture” of the problems.

When asked by the EU to help audit the past six years of work, Russia reacted negatively. “The RF [Russian Federation] seemed reserved and surprised, despite previous contacts in Moscow and Brussels on this matter. The idea of evaluating the impact of consultations on human rights situation in the RF appeared to bewilder the Russian side,” the internal EU report said.

The EU has no legal mandate to press for changes to the set-up because the whole “consultation” process is based on a verbal agreement at an EU-Russia summit in 2004.