Noting with satisfaction the decision of the Committee of Ministers to call a meeting of experts of Member Governments which should try to find a solution of the problem of refugees and over-population,
Being of the opinion that the evident economic and political dangers inherent in the refugees problem require immediate and concrete actions in order to overcome as far as possible this consequence of the second World War and the division of Europe,
Declares that it is anxious that the Committee of Experts when considering this question should give particular attention to the following measures :
1 Upon the basis of answers to questionnaires regarding the present refugee situation it is to be established what should be regarded as the common European task. Consideration should be given both to the effort that reasonably can be asked of the recipient country itself and to what can be expected from other countries, members of the Council of Europe.
2 It might he expected that a thorough study will show that the refugees problem, as far as Western Germany is < concerned, cannot be solved without recourse to emigration measures. From the outset, therefore, the question should be examined to what extent a partial solution can be found in connection with the United Nations programme for the development of under-developed countries and the United States programme along the same lines, the so-called "Point 4" of President Truman.
3 Attention should further be paid to the ïact that certain more developed overseas countries in many cases welcome immigrants only of the productive age-groups, and frequently limit their choice to technicians, skilled workers and agricultural workers. Since professional training under all circumstances is the key to employment, it is a most important task to investigate the possibilities of inaugurating, under joint European direction, large-scale professional training among the refugees.
4 Many of the trained workers can be expected to seek employment outside Europe. Since it can be of no advantage to Europe however ??economically or demographically?to export skilled workers to any large extent, it should be seriously considered if European countries which have no refugee problem but rather a lack of manpower in various fields could not agree to open their boundaries for a certain quota of immigrant workers whose training they would have facilitated in accordance with point 3 above.
5 I t seems, however, probable that only a small element of the refugee problem can be solved by means of quota immigration to countries without a refugee problem of their own. Since it can be supposed, however, that the introduction of professional training will in itself create new possibilities of employment for the refugees in the areas where they already are, a system of training in arts and crafts organized under common European direction should be made part of the normal economy of the various refugee areas and be combined with measures aimed at the utilization of so far unused productive capacity in Central Europe, with special attention to the typical bottleneck industries and the lack of balance between different sectors of industry.
6 Since, however, at the present time it seems possible to reach only a partial solution in this manner, it should be seriously considered, in the absence of a more definite solution of the problem as a whole, whether'a considerable number of refugees could not be employed in European public works. One should, of course, in this case look for projects of common interest to several countries : primarily might be considered projects in the field of European communications.
7 The problem of financing the common European endeavour to solve the question of refugees should be given careful consideration. This effort will probably to a large extent have to be made in the form of joint contributions in order to create investment possibilities. Investigation should be made of the extent to which an activity of tho kind outlined above could be financed by means of international credits or by an internationally guaranteed loan.
8 From the social point of view it must be ascertained to what extent contributions towards a solution of the refugees' housing problems might be considered a common European task. This question should be studied with due consideration for the varying possibilities of providing employment.
