The Assembly,
Having regard to the report of its Political Affairs Committee on European solidarity (Doc. 3909)
Concerned at the trend of events in Europe under the effects of :
the energy and monetary crises, and an economic situation marked in most member countries by inflation and unemployment ;
a lack of economic, social and political balance between Northern and Southern Europe ;
economic, political or even military disputes between certain member countries ;
the present weakness of governmental structures within the democratic political systems ;
Conscious that the continual difficulties and delays in the process of European integration, as well as in intergovernmental co-operation among the states of democratic Europe, are sources of division and confrontation, and hence require an increased effort of solidarity on the part of all European countries ;
Believing that solidarity at national level aiming to bring under control the economic and monetary situation in the worst-hit member countries must go hand in hand with a similar solidarity at European level ;
Aware that the Europe of the Nineteen as well as that of the Nine will be a fiction until there is greater cohesion between Northern and Southern Europe, based on an economic and social balance ;
Convinced that democratic Europe will not be able to honour fully its undertakings vis-a-vis the developing world until there is greater political, economic and social cohesion among its members ;
Convinced of the need for close and harmonious co-operation between the countries of Western Europe and industrialised countries throughout the world ;
Convinced that a series of pragmatic and flexible measures, imbued with a political will, can establish de facto European solidarity without affecting national diversities ;
Mindful of the need to protect the system of pluralist democracy, the only defence against despotism and the sole means of safeguarding individual freedoms ;B
Referring to its Recommendations 704 (1973), 726 (1974), 729 (1974) and 793 (1976) and its Resolution 607 (1975), on the political role of the Council of Europe as the organisation representative of democratic Europe as a whole,
Appeals to the political will of member governments and national parliaments, and urges them to develop the spirit of European solidarity, in pursuance of the Council of Europe's statutory aim, which is "to achieve greater unity between its Members for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress" ;
Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :
the monetary and economic crisis,
energy supplies, and relations between oil-producing and oil-consuming countries,
relations between the industrialised world and the developing world,
the development of security and cooperation in Europe.