European integration after the "Summit" Conference of the Nine (General policy of the Council of Europe)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 24 October 1972 (18th Sitting) (see Doc. 3120, Report of the Political Affairs Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 24 October 1972 (18th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Having regard to its debates on 17 and 18 October 1972 and to its
Resolution 528 (1972) on European integration on the eve of the Summit Conference of the Nine, welcomes the outcome of this conference which in some ways has surpassed the expectations of parliamentary and public opinion in Western Europe,
2. Considers that the "Declaration" by the Nine must provide the basis for future efforts towards European unity, and particularly by a democratic European Community which is concerned with increasing living standards and improving the quality of life ; moreover it should be outward looking towards the rest of the world, and in particular developing countries ;
3. Approves the guidelines and timetables established for the future development of the enlarged Community, whilst expressing the hope that the Summit will result in sufficiently firm commitments to ensure that the tasks assigned to the Community can be fully implemented ;
(i) The internal development of the enlarged Community
4. Expresses its satisfaction at the decisions on the early establishment of a European Fund for Monetary Co-operation, and the commitment to achieving an economic and monetary union by 1980 ;
5. Considers that the European Fund for Monetary Co-operation, in order to contribute to the management of a regime of fixed but adjustable parities, must have power to call upon adequate funds from member countries to counteract speculative capital movements, and must have authority to give guidance on the timing and extent of parity changes for surplus as well as deficit countries ;
6. Considers that the European Fund for Monetary Co-operation, in order to contribute to the management of a regime of fixed but adjustable parities, must have power to call upon adequate funds from member countries to counteract speculative capital movements, and must have authority to give guidance on the timing and extent of parity changes for surplus as well as deficit countries ;
7. Recommends that a form of associate membership of the European Fund for Monetary Co-operation should be offered to countries intending to harmonise their economic and monetary policies with those of the Community ;
8. Regrets that precise guidelines were not established for the permanent coordination of economic policies, in particular to combat inflation, and hopes that substantial progress will be made by the Council of Ministers at their forthcoming meeting and by the Commission ;
9. Believes that the establishment of Community regional, social, industrial and research and development policies, and in particular the creation of a Regional Development Fund for member States, must involve an overall economic policy in the framework of the economic and monetary union ;
(ii) External relations
10. Welcomes the general intention of the Nine to conduct an open external policy towards the rest of the world, but regrets that no precise commitments were made for an increase in development aid contributions ;
11. Endorses the decision to promote price stabilisation agreements for the basic products of developing countries, and to encourage the growth of trade in their manufactured goods ;
12. Expresses its satisfaction at the undertaking to arrive at a rapid solution to the trade problems raised for Norway in her relations with the enlarged Community on the one hand, and on the other to the implementation of the Community's commitments towards the Mediterranean countries ;
13. Regrets that the Summit made no significant progress towards strengthening the existing mechanisms for political cooperation, particularly in the light of the ambitious intentions expressed towards the rest of the world ;
(iii) Strengthening the institutions
14. Welcomes the intention expressed by the Summit to make the fullest possible use of all the provisions in the treaties, including Article 235 of the EEC Treaty, which should ensure that the development of the Community in new areas will be accomplished through the transfer of powers to the institutions ;
15. Warmly welcomes the agreement to institute a Regional Development Fund, but insists that the achievement of a genuine European monetary and economic union in 1980 will require a redistribution of resources through regional development expenditure on a scale sufficient to secure an acceptable minimum level of living standards and social infrastructure throughout the Community ;
16. Considers that progress towards European union requires the establishment of a "Centre of Decision" to co-ordinate the intervention of national governments in economic and monetary affairs with particular reference to the harmonisation of national fiscal, budgetary, demand management and company law reform policy ;
17. Regrets the failure of the Summit to reach binding commitments on strengthening and improving the efficacy and efficiency of the institutions, including the European Parliamentary Assembly, and in particular that there was no commitment on eventual direct elections to the European Parliament ;
18. Believes that the project for a European Union - which remains vague - should involve the creation of a real political authority, which will only be accepted by the peoples of Europe if it is subject to democratic control.
