Movement of persons between the Member States of the Council of Europe
Recommendation 879
(1979)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 5 October 1979 (12th Sitting) (see Doc. 4405, report of the Legal Affairs Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 5 October 1979 (12th Sitting).
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members ;
3. Convinced of the need to improve contacts between people and nations, in accordance with the objectives of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe ;
4. Reaffirming the right of every individual to freedom of movement, as recognised by the Fourth Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights ;
5. Considering that harmonisation and standardisation at the European level of national identity cards is desirable ;
6. Stressing the need for international recognition of national identity cards as proof of identity or nationality,
7. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :
7.1 invite the governments of the member states which have not signed or ratified the following three instruments to do so as soon as possible ;
European Agreement on Regulations governing the Movement of Persons between member states of the Council of Europe (1957),
European Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees (1959),
7.2 invite member states to implement fully Resolution (77) 26 of the Committee of Ministers, on the establishment and harmonisation of national identity cards, and keep the Assembly informed of progress made in the implementation of this resolution by member states ;
7.3 accelerate its programme of measures to extend the harmonisation and mutual recognition of national identity cards, which should have the same status as passports, for the purpose of identification and travel in and among Council of Europe member states ;
8. Further recommends that the Committee of Ministers :
8.1 urge all member states to seek uniformity in their regulations concerning minor imports of a non-commercial nature by travellers, along the lines of the system already in force within the European Community ;
8.2 instruct the ad hoc Committee of Experts for Identity Documents and Movements of Persons to examine this question and suggest solutions where possible ;
8.3 also instruct this ad hoc committee of experts to examine any other practical questions relating to the movement of persons, particularly the number of crossing points between neighbouring states and whether they are open at night.
