East-West economic and commercial relations
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- SeeDoc. 4919, report of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development. Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 2 July 1982.
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Having regard to the report presented by its Committee on Economic Affairs and Development
(Doc. 4919), as well as the economic provisions in the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) ;
2. Recalling its
Resolution 763 (1982) on the situation in Poland- especially paragraph 7, requiring the abolition of martial law in Poland, imposed on 13 December 1981, as a prerequisite for the resumption of normal relations and exchanges, and paragraph 9, calling for a closer concertation among European states with a view to co-ordinating measures to be taken with regard to Poland and the Soviet Union, in particular in the economic and financial fields- and its
Resolution 775 (1982) on the situation in Poland and East-West relations ;
3. Welcoming, in this connection, the final communique adopted by the Foreign Ministers of the Ten on 4 January 1982, in Brussels, as well as the communique on the events in Poland adopted at the extraordinary ministerial meeting of the North Atlantic Council on 11 January 1982 in Brussels ;
4. Emphasising that the balanced development of economic and trade relations between Western and Eastern Europe should be considered as an important factor in the realisation of the basic objectives of the Final Act of CSCE, which are the strengthening of world peace and security, and the promotion of the fundamental rights, of the economic and social progress and of the well-being of all peoples ;
5. Reaffirming, however, that only the implementation of the Final Act in its entirety can have a lasting impact on the improvement in the relations between states with different economic and political systems, and facilitate mutual understanding between their populations ;
6. Noting that economic performance in the Eastern European countries is rather divergent, and that, generally speaking, those among them that have achieved a higher degree of competitivity and adopted other measures designed to improve productivity have obtained higher standards of living ;
7. Considering that problems of inflation and economic stagnation are also affecting the Eastern European countries, which calls for structural reforms and improved forms of international co-operation both among and between the groups of the centrally planned and the industrialised market economies ;
8. Welcoming, in this connection, the fact that Hungary's application for membership of IMF was accepted on 6 May 1982 ;
9. Considering that in the last decade East-West trade has expanded considerably as a result of the gradual removal or substantial relaxation of obstacles to trade, extensive lending by Western to Eastern countries, and intensification of industrial co-operation between Eastern and Western countries ;
10. Considering also, however, that in recent years the overall trade balance for most Western European countries vis-a-vis the Comecon countries has become negative, mainly as a result of energy imports ;
11. Concerned at the considerable increase in recent years of the external debt of most of the Eastern European countries vis-a-vis Western countries, and noting, in particular, that Poland is now hardly in a position to meet its international financial obligations, which jeopardises future East-West economic co-operation ;
12. Recognising also that the economic and political aspects of the situation in Poland cannot be dissociated, and that further international economic assistance to Poland, linked to progress in the respect of fundamental human rights, is indispensable if the West is to help this country in overcoming its present difficulties and establishing the conditions for greater economic self-reliance without interference by other countries in its internal affairs ;
13. Expressing its concern at the increasing number of compensation transactions concluded in the last few years between firms in OECD and Comecon countries, which often have disturbing effects on multilateral trade relations and may threaten existing market and employment opportunities in OECD countries, particularly in the medium and long term ;
14. Concerned also at the increasing implementation by Comecon countries of a trade system resulting in what amounts to "dumping", which affects most seriously certain sensitive industrial sectors of the economies of the Council of Europe member states, as well as the road, inland waterway and maritime transport sectors,
15. Urges the governments of the Council of Europe member states and of other countries concerned :
15.1 to encourage whenever possible East-West trade, for both economic and political reasons, and to support efforts within the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (ECE/ UN) towards the implementation of the economic provisions of the Final Act of CSCE, in particular those concerning the elimination of obstacles to trade and trade promotion, the notification of modifications in legislation, the harmonisation of statistical nomenclature, industrial co-operation, etc. ;
15.2 to sign and ratify the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution ;
15.3 to give high priority to the improvement of procedures designed to avoid unfair trading practices such as dumping, and to establish better ways and means to settle commercial disputes ;
15.4 to intensify consultations and, where appropriate, co-ordination of economic East-West policies, so as to ensure that these are compatible with the political and security objectives of Council of Europe member states and, in particular as regards the member states of the Co-ordinating Committee for Multilateral Exports Control (COCOM), to continue to consult within COCOM with a view to establishing updated criteria and procedures for the control on trade in strategic goods, equipment and technology with the East bloc countries ;
15.5 to step up their efforts and promote multilateral co-operation in OECD in order to find ways of controlling compensation arrangements, and to submit proposals to reduce any adverse effects of such arrangements on OECD member countries ;
15.6 to intensify co-operation in the energy sector within the appropriate international frameworks, in particular the International Energy Agency of OECD and the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations, in order to diversify energy sources and to avoid a strong unilateral dependence of certain Council of Europe member states on gas exports from the USSR.
