CPT: 17TH GENERAL REPORT Meetings and working methods 16. The CPT held three one-week plenary sessions during the twelve months covered by this General Report – in November 2006, and March and July 2007. A total of 19 visit reports were adopted by the Committee at these meetings, ten of them according to the expedited procedure (under which draft visit reports circulated at least two weeks before a plenary session are adopted without debate, save for paragraphs in respect of which a discussion has been specifically requested in advance). Besides the adoption of visit reports, plenary sessions are the occasion to review the ongoing dialogue with Parties to the Convention, hold thematic discussions on issues related to the CPT’s mandate and prepare future visits. Much of this activity takes place in the context of subgroups of the Committee – delegations responsible for visits, the medical group, the working group on the Committee’s “jurisprudence”, etc. 17. At its July 2007 plenary session, the CPT had an exchange of views with a representative of the Omega Research Foundation (ORF), Mr Neil Corney. ORF conducts research into the trade in military, security and police equipment and its impact on human rights worldwide, and has been contracted by the Commission of the European Union to undertake the project “Tracking the supply of torture instruments – developing controls and strengthening civil society monitoring”. The CPT is becoming increasingly concerned by certain types of security-related equipment (e.g. electric shock devices) being issued to law enforcement officials and even prison staff in some European countries. In this connection, the Committee wished to explore the possibilities for interaction between its activities and the work of ORF. 18. The above-mentioned exchange of views is just one example of the CPT’s ongoing efforts to promote synergy with other bodies. The CPT has taken careful note of the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the Council of Europe and the European Union, in which the Committee is invited to reinforce its cooperation with relevant institutions of the Union. To date, that cooperation has concerned in the main the exchange of information in relation to EU candidate countries and, when appropriate, contacts between CPT visiting delegations and field missions of the European Union. 9 As was highlighted in a recent study on the implementation of the EU torture prevention guidelines of April 2001, there is no doubt scope for increased cooperation between the CPT and relevant EU institutions in relation to the actual implementation of the recommendations made by the Committee after country visits. In the context of the subject already raised in paragraph 17, consideration could also be given to the role the CPT might play as regards implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1236/2005 concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 19. In the Preface to the 16th General Report, the CPT made clear its wish to work closely with the newly-established United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT). Subsequently, the Committee’s 1st Vice-President and Executive Secretary took part in a detailed exchange of views with the SPT at the latter’s inaugural meeting in Geneva in February 2007. There was general agreement on the need for the two bodies to cooperate and avoid duplication; achieving this should be facilitated by the fact that three of the SPT’s members (including its Chairperson, Ms Silvia Casale) are also members of the CPT. 20. Naturally, the CPT continues to seek the closest possible synergy with other bodies working within the Council of Europe. For example, good working relations have been established with the Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Thomas Hammarberg, and the Committee welcomes his efforts to complement and build upon the outcome of its activities. Moreover, the CPT will fully support efforts currently underway to reinforce relations between the different monitoring bodies operating within the framework of the Directorate General of Human Rights and Legal Affairs. The CPT welcomes every opportunity to contribute to discussions within the Council of Europe concerning matters related to the Committee’s mandate. A CPT member is currently taking part in the work of the Committee of Experts tasked with establishing a mental health reference tool, and the CPT’s President participated in the recent ad hoc meeting of chairs of Council of Europe Committees to discuss the Organisation’s work against terrorism. The CPT was also honoured to have been invited to take part in the Parliamentary Assembly’s debate on the state of human rights and democracy in Europe, held at the April 2007 part-session. The statement made by the Committee’s President on this occasion is set out in Appendix 8.