Compendium of Standards, Good Practices and Recommendations Different Approaches Among OSCE participating States, approaches to recognizing freedom of association vary from those that prohibit professional associations entirely, those that have officially sponsored non-autonomous associations, to those that allow independent military associations or unions that are usually, though not always, subject to a restriction on taking strike action. Of these arrangements, the most prevalent would seem to be a legal right to join a trade union or a professional association.259 A significant minority of states, however, prohibit or do not recognize any form of collective representation for armed forces personnel.260 Box 7.4: Are armed forces personnel permitted to join bodies representing their collective interests?261 Yes No Albania, Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Romania, Slovakia Italy, Latvia, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom Box 7.5: Types of bodies that armed forces personnel are permitted to join262 General trade unions Austria, Finland, Germany, Malta, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden Specific sector trade unions Austria, Finland, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland Military associations Albania, Austria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom 259 This is confirmed by the findings of the Council of Europe in 2013, that (of 33 states responding) 21 allowed trade union membership, and that a majority of the remainder allowed the right to join an association: Council of Europe Steering Committee for Human Rights, “Draft Report on the Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec (2010) 4 on the Human Rights of Members of Armed Forces”, 27 February 2013, CDDH (2013) 003, para. 43 260 A Council of Europe survey at the time of the Matelly and ADEFDROMIL decisions found that 19 member states either did not recognize or denied collective association 261 Responses to the ODIHR-DCAF 2018 questionnaire, qu. 16. The questionnaire responses provided various interpretations of the term “trade union” and often used “trade union” and “association” interchangeably. Boxes 7.4 and 7.5 apply the terminology used by participating States in their responses. 262 Responses to the ODIHR-DCAF 2018 questionnaire, qu. 17. Some states permit service personnel to join more than one type of body. 117