Tindemans report of the Council of Europe
Recommendation 793
(1976)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 21 September 1976 (16th Sitting) (see Doc. 3827, report of the Political Affairs Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 21 September 1976 (16th Sitting).
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Considering that the Tindemans Report to the heads of state and government of the Members of the European Communities about a future "European union" gives a realistic view of the possibilities of making political progress within the Communities through institutional improvements during the second half of the seventies ;
2. Aware of the possible repercussions of such a development on the Council of Europe and its statutory activities ;
3. Recalling Resolution (74) 4 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, as well as
Recommendation 704 (1973) and
Resolution 607 (1975) of the Assembly, which include largely similar proposals for widening the scale of European co-operation in the framework of the Council of Europe ;
4. Conscious of the responsibility borne by democratic Europe with regard to the urgent political, economic and social problems which must be resolved within the European continent and in that continent's relations with other parts of the world ;
5. Recalling the hope expressed by the President of the Council of Ministers of the European Communities, in his speech to the Assembly on 23 April 1975, that advantage would be taken of any opportunities that may arise to strengthen the relationship between the institutions of the Council of Europe and the European Communities ;
6. Noting with satisfaction that the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe confirmed in his address to the Assembly on 27 January 1976 that the Tindemans Report will be discussed by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe ;
7. Recalling the readiness expressed by the President of the Commission of the European Communities, in his address to the Assembly on 6 May 1976, to work closely and very actively with the Council of Europe ;
8. Noting the statement of the Federal Chancellor of Austria in his address to the Assembly on 5 May 1976 that it is the duty of the European democracies to carry on the policy of détente more constructively, and welcoming his proposal that the Council of Europe should serve as a coordination point between Western democracies inside and outside Europe, with special reference to the implementation of the CSCE Final Act and the preparation of the Belgrade Conference of June 1977, as well as with regard to the development in North-South relations,
9. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :
a consider what consequences the follow-up action taken on the Tindemans Report could have within the European Communities and should have on the achievement of closer unity within the whole of democratic Europe ;
b promote such closer unity :
by the further application of Resolution (74) 4 within various sectors clearly defined for the Council of Europe's intergovernmental activities ;
by increased utilisation of the Council of Europe's Conferences of specialised Ministers ;
by encouraging the participation of the European Communities as such in certain intergovernmental activities of the Council of Europe, and by proposing their accession to conventions and agreements elaborated within the Council of Europe ;
by urging the European Communities to continue the furtherance of the effective implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights and all its implications ;
c contribute, notably through regular discussions of political matters, to the development of a common European policy within the framework of the Council of Europe :
by continuing close exchange of views among member governments with regard to the follow-up of the CSCE, as well as by watching over action taken by member governments to implement the principles and proposals contained in the Final Act in so far as these fall within its responsibility ;
by furthering an independent European position for any multilateral negotiations in the politico-economic field with special regard to North-South relations ; and
by furthering closer co-operation between member states with respect to the discussion of fundamental issues within world organisations ;
d increase the flow of information between the Council of Europe and the European Communities, in order to work closely and actively together for more economic and social progress and justice, as well as closer political unity in democratic Europe.
