European economic relations

Recommendation 338 (1962)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 24th and 25th September 1962 (14th, 15th, 16th and 17th Sittings) (see Doc. 1471, Report of the Economic Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 25th September 1962 (17th Sitting).

1. The Assembly,

2. Convinced that the economic integration of the whole of Western Europe, which represents an objective of capital importance for all the member countries of the Council of Europe, can and should be effected around the nucleus of the European Economic Community by those European countries, which can accept the political and economic principles of the Treaty of Rome and ensure their implementation, joining the European Economic Community, and by those European countries, which are not able either to accept all the principles concerned or are not able to apply them completely at the present time, becoming associated in one way or another ;

3. Taking account of the ratification in August 1962 of the Association Agreement concluded between Greece and the Common Market, of the requests for negotiations addressed successively to the European Economic Community by Turkey, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Ireland, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Norway and Portugal, and of the most recent state of the negotiations and/or formal discussions undertaken as a result of these requests ;

4. Convinced that the negotiations opened between the United Kingdom and the member countries of the European Economic Community are at once the most difficult and the most important of all the negotiations to come, partly because of their economic implications and partly because, on their successful conclusion, depend the progress and the outcome of the negotiations between the European Economic Community and the majority of other European countries ;

5. Believing, so far as the negotiations between the United Kingdom and the member countries of the European Economic Community are concerned, that, even if there remain certain vital points on which the two sides have not yet been able to reach agreement, it has, on the other hand, proved possible to reach agreed solutions for a very large number of fundamental questions, thanks to the common will to succeed showed by all the countries concerned ; and holding, in particular, that these solutions have been worked out in such a way that the Community character of the European Economic Community, and the principles set out in the Treaty of Rome will be respected in the future enlarged Community ;

6. Considering, furthermore, that it is necessary to avoid inflicting on third European countries and non-European countries, particularly those of the Commonwealth, damage or risks going beyond those rendered absolutely necessary by the need to respect the fundamental characteristics of the Community as defined in the Treaty of Rome,

7. Recommends to the Committee of Ministers :

that it should most earnestly invite the Governments of member countries who are taking part in the negotiations concerning the United Kingdom's joining the European Economic Community to make every effort to achieve early agreement on all those points which are still at issue in the negotiations, in that spirit of understanding which should animate future partners ;

that it should inform the Governments concerned of the wishes firmly expressed by the Consultative Assembly, by calling their attention to the Preamble to the present Recommendation and to the debate of the Assembly thereon.