Participation of European non-Member States in certain of the Council of Europe's activities
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- (see Doc, 276Doc, 276, Report of the Special Committee to watch over the interests of European nations not represented in the Council of Europe) This Resolution was adopted by the Assembly at its 27th Sitting, on 23rd September, 1954
The Assembly,
Reaffirming its often expressed wish that ail the nations which are geographically part of Europe should eventually become Members of the Council of Europe ;
Having regard to the statement made by the Committee of Ministers in their Fourth Report that the Council of Europe remains open to the accession of ail European nations which, as the Statute requires, acknowledge the rule of law and the sanctity of fundamental freedoms ;
Having regard to the following statement made by the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, Chancellor Adonauer, in the Assembly on 20th May, 1954 ; " It is true that as yet the Council does not comprise ail European States, but we desire and hope that those who have not yet joined will also become Members. We do not wish, and indeed are unable, to continue without them in the long run, and they must know that we are expecting them here ",
1. Welcomes the present arrangements whereby Government experts from European non-Member States on this side of the Iron Curtain may be, and in some cases are, invited to participate in the work of certain Committees appointed by the Committee of Ministers, and recommends to the Committee of Ministers that any practical possibilities of extending such arrangements should be developed to the full ;
2. Expresses the hope that other democratic European non-Member States will adopt the practice of sending parliamentary observers to sessions of the Assembly, as is the case with Austria, and trusts that ail such possibilities will be fully explored ;
3. Expresses the hope that parliamentary observers from democratic European non-Member States may be permitted, in accordance with such procedure as may be agreed, to speak in general debates in the Assembly as well as in Committees, without being entitled to vote ;
4. Decides that Assembly Committees may invite representatives from national committees set up by refugees from the European nations still subjected to a totalitarian regime to be heard on specific subjects at meetings of the committees.
