European economic relations

Recommendation 229 (1960)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly Debate on 20th and 21st January 1960 (25th, 26th, 27th and 28th Sittings) (see Doc. 1072 Report of the Economic Committee, Doc. 1078, Report of the Committee on Agriculture, Doc. 1079, Report of the Political Committee, and Doc. 1092, draft Recommendation submitted by the Chairmen and the Rapporteurs of the Political and Economic Committees). Text adopted by the Assembly on 22nd January 1960 (29th Sitting).

The Assembly,

Having regard to the stage reached b economic co-operation in Europe, and to its political consequences ;

Noting and welcoming the satisfactory development of the European Community since the latest part- Session of the Assembly and the further proofs which the Community has given of its intention to be outward-looking and to move in the direction of freer trade with non-member countries ;

Noting and welcoming equally the establishment of the European Free Trade Association, and its intention of facilitating closer economic co-operation among all countries members of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (O.E.E.C.) ;

Recalling the point of view embodied in Recommendation 210 and expressing satisfaction at the favourable reactions it called forth ;

Taking note with interest of the views expressed by the Committee of Ministers in their Resolution (59) 31, and especially the express reference to the desirability "of reaching (as soon as possible) an agreement embracing all the member countries of O.E.E.G, in co-operation with the United States and Canada, and in conformity with the principles and rules of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade", as well as the wish "to seek ... a constructive basis for concerted European action on behalf of countries and areas in process of development";

Considering that the decisions taken in Paris on 12th and 13th January 1960 by the Conference of the "Thirteen" and that of the twenty Members and Associate Members of O.E.E.C. in the presence of the Commission of the European Economic Community have introduced a new element into economic cooperation in Europe, namely the co-operation of the United States and Canada ;

Expressing its hope that the O.E.E.C. will be enlarged and reorganised ;

Expressing the hope that decisive action will be taken to obviate the danger of a permanent division of Europe into separate or even antagonistic trading groups,

Recommends that the Committee of Ministers take steps to ensure that the Ministers representing the twenty Members and Associate Members of O.E.E..C should agree:

1 to reaffirm the urgent need of seeking an overall European solution to these problems and to support, as stated in Resolutions (58) 25 and (59) 11 of the Committee of Ministers, every effort to achieve a multilateral association embracing all member countries of O.E.E.C. including, should they so desire, the present associate members; such an association to take the form either of an appropriate type of customs union or that of a free trade area combined with a substantial degree of harmonisation of commercial and economic policies ;

2 to submit to their respective parliaments a declaration to this effect and to agree on suitable arrangements for consultation as to ways and means of implementing the objectives set out in the previous paragraph ;

3 that the economic organisation which is to come into being as a result of the expansion of O.E.E.C should be able to benefit fully from the experience and competence gained and the relations established by O.E.E.C. in more than ten years of existence and that, in particular, supervision should be exercised by the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe whenever the economic interests of all the member countries are concerned ;

4 that, during an intermediate period, machinery be set up, with the co-operation of the United States and Canada, to hear complaints from parties at variance, promote compensatory tariff adjustments and prepare an agreement showing the way towards a unified commercial policy ;

5 that the Committee of Ministers should keep the Assembly constantly informed of progress in this field, so as to enable it to exercise parliamentary influence on developments.