Organisation of a European network of trunk road communications as a part of European regional planning
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 22 January 1971 (24th Sitting) (see Doc, 2903 Doc, 2903, report of the Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities). Text adopted by the Assembly on 22 January 1971 (24th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Having examined the report on the organisation of a European network of trunk road communications as a part of European regional planning, presented by its Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities (
Doc. 2903) ;
2. Recalling its
Resolution 430, by which it instructed the Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities to submit a final report defining the "basis for a European communications network which :
would be capable of dealing with present-day transport techniques and with Europe's total future needs ;
would, in particular, create a better balance between the various regions of Europe ;
would open up for every region all means of communication... ;
would avoid excessive centralisation... " ;
3. Noting with satisfaction that the ideas set out in
Resolution 430 and the above-mentioned report are already shared by eminent statesmen and experienced Ministers, including the President of the French Republic who believes that road networks and in particular the system of motorways play an essential part in regional planning, and the German Minister of Transport who stressed the need for defining the main communications arteries, and in particular developing a European network of fast land communications based on advanced techniques,
4. Welcomes the fact that the Ministerial Conference on Regional Planning in Bonn stated its awareness of the importance of organising a practical European communications network and the possibilities of such a network in benefiting peripheral and backward regions ;
5. Resolves to give its full support to the proposals made by its Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities concerning a fast land communications network of this nature, based on advanced techniques ;
6. Approves, in particular, the proposal to build a first line operating on air cushion and linking the towns between Brussels and Geneva (Luxembourg, Strasbourg and Basle) where the European institutions have their headquarters and considers this an expression of political determination to recognise the polycentric structure of the Europe of tomorrow and preserve it from any dangerous tendency towards centralisation and concentration ;
7. Instructs its Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities to pursue the implementation of this project and study in particular, with the help of the Secretariat and various experts, the means of putting the project into effect, financing it and operating such an inter-regional European line ;
8. Instructs its Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities to report to it in due course ;
9. Expresses the hope that the next Ministerial Conference on Regional Plan-ning will devote its proceedings to delving further into the problem of organising a network of European trunk communications, and in particular defining such a network in terms of the needs of a voluntary, wellbalanced development of the territory of Europe on the basis of the proposals made in the report of the Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities (
Doc. 2903) ;
10. Expresses the hope that it may be possible to establish a form of co-operation between the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport in order to make this network function ;
11. Resolves, in view of the essential importance of this question for every region of Europe, to submit the report of its Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities for opinion to the European Conference of Local Authorities in pursuance of the first paragraph of Article 1 (b) of the Charter of the Conference.
