The Committee on Cultural and Scientific Questions, a list of the members of which is attached at Appendix " A " , has pleasure in presenting its first annual report to the Consultative Assembly.
(a) The Committee of Ministers at the meeting mentioned in paragraph two above also considered the Recommendations relating to the free circulation of cultural material, co-operation in the field of scientific research including the pooling of material resources, and the encouragement of private associations working to promote European culture and decided to instruct the Secretary-General to establish contacts with the organisations already engaged in those fields, particularly the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the Permanent Commission of the Brussels Treaty Powers and the Cultural Commission of the Scandinavian States. The Secretary-General was also instructed to prépare a report for the Committee of Ministers on the problems inherent in these Recommendations. (b) The Committee of Ministers decided moreover, that the three other Recommendations submitted for its consideration, namely, the Conference of Ministers of Education, the meeting of University authorities, and the establishment of a European Cultural Centre could more usefully be examined if it were first provided with the report mentioned in the preceding sub-paragraph. Further discussion on the Recommendation was, consequently, deferred to the following Session of the Committee.
(a) The Bureau of the Committee on Cultural and Scientific Questions met in Strasbourg on the 2nd April 1950 and preparations were made for a plenary meeting to be held on the 28th Apri!. During the course of the meeting of the Bureau, the Chairman apprised his coîleagues of the substance of the report which had been prepared by the Secretary-General and presented to the Committee of Ministers on the 30th Mardi. The Bureau was also informed of the conclusions reached by the Committee of Ministers on the three Recommendations mentioned in paragraph 4 (a) above. The text of these conclusions is attaehed at Appendix " C ". (b) The Chairman of the Committee further acquainted the Bureau with ihe décision formulated by the Committee of Ministers on the second group of Recommendations referred to in sub-paragraph 4 (b) above. It was to the effect that the Committee of Ministers had agreed to convene a meeting of Governmental experts whose terms of reference would be to examine these Recommendations and, in addition to consider, and report on, the eight-point programme adumbrated by the Consultative Assembly for a European plan of cultural co-operation (See Appendix " B " — Recommendation No, 6). The Committee of Ministers had also intimated that Governments would be free to exercise their discretion in designating either a senior official, a Member of the Cultural Committee of the Assembly, or an independent expert.
(a) The Committee on Cultural and Scientific Questions met in plenary session from the 28th-29th April. The Committee after taking note of the decisions of the Committee of Minis-^ ters mentioned above proceeded to redraft the Recommendation relating to the practical aid to be furnished to private associations working for the promotion of European culture. (See Appendix " B " — Recommendation No. 4). A new text was subsequently approved together with the procedure for its implementation. A copy is attached at Appendix " D ". This text will be presented in the form of a Recommendation to the Consultative Assembly at its Second Session in August. (b) The Committee discussed the text of the draft agreement of Unesco on the importation of educational, scientific and cultural material. The Chairman referred to its bold character as compared with its predecessor and added that as he was due to attend the Fifth General Conference of Unesco as a member of the Italian delegation, he would.be in a position at the same time to voice the views of the Consultative Assembly when the draft was under discussion. (c) The Committee also gave preliminary consideration to the question of extending to the Member States the benefits of the cultural identity card recently issued by the Permanent Commission of the Brussels Treaty Powers and agreed that a Recommendation to this effect would be presented at the forthcoming Session of the Assembly. (d) The Committee after being informed that the meeting of cultural experts mentioned in paragraph 5 (b) above would be held in Strasbourg on the 28th June, instructed M. V. Larock, the Rapporteur, and M. E. Giacchero to attend it in a consultative capacity.
The meeting of experts sat from the 28th-30th June. The Rapporteur was unable to be present owing to the political situation in Belgium. M. E. Giacchero gave an account of the proceedings to a meeting of the Bureau which was convened on the 30th June at Strasbourg.
M. Alessandro CASATI (Chairman) - ITALY
M. Herman SMITT Ingebretsen (Vice-Chairman) - NORWAY
M. V. Larock (Rapporteur) - BELGIUM
M. Gabriel BOLIFRAUD - FRANCE
Mr. Winston CHURCHILL - UNITED KINGDOM
Mr. Seymour COCKS - UNITED KINGDOM
Mr. E. DE VALERA - IRELAND
M. Enzo GIACCHERO - ITALY
Miss HERBISON - UNITED KINGDOM
M. Stefano JACINI - ITALY
M. Frode JAKOBSEN - DENMARK
M. Jean LE BAIL - FRANCE
M. Léon MACCAS - GREECE
M. Bertil OHLIN - SWEDEN
M. J. J. R. SCHMAL - NETHERLANDS
M. Léopold SEDAR SENGHOR - FRANCE
M. Jean-Pierre WOLTER - LUXEMBOURG
M. Sunt Kemal YETKIN - TURKEY
5. That in the near future the Committee of Ministers be recommended to invite the Ministers of Education to meet with a view to drawing up a European plan for cultural co-operation. The Ministers of Education may be assisted by such experts as they may desire.
6. That the Committee of Ministers invite the responsible authorities (Rectors, Chancellors, Vice-Chancellors, etc.) to a meeting to consult each other on the measures to be adopted in regard to matters that come under the jurisdiction of the Universities.
The plan of co-operation to be submitted to the next session of the Assembly should relate in particular to the following points :
7. That the Committee of Ministers institute a European Cultural Centre.
Note : The Assembly, in so far as these Recommendations relate to those for which Unesco is responsible at a European level, recommends that an effective liaison be established with that Organisation.
(a) That Member States be requested to support, as far as possible, the far-reaching measures at present being taken by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation to prepare an international agreement covering the terms of this Recommendation and, in particular, to impress upon Governmental delegations attending the Fifth General Conference of the Unesco to be held in Florence in May, 1950, the importance which the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe attaches to a suitable agreement being adopted at this Conference.
(b) That the Committee of Ministers welcomes the measures initiated by the 0. E. E. C. which, it considers, satisfy the practical aspects of the Assembly's Recommendation and request that it be kept informed of ensuing developments with the view of informing the Second Session of the Consultative Assembly of the results achieved in this field.
(c) That inasmuch as Unesco is already furnishing the aid required by the terms of this Recommendation, clarification of the words " practical aid " be requested from the Second Session of the Consultative Assembly through its Committee on Cultural and Scientific Questions.
The Committee on Cultural and Scientific Questions recommends that the support of the Council of Europe be given to private international organisations the object of which is to promote European culture. This support might take the form of simple patronage if such is required; it might be extended to include financial aid if an appropriate sum were subsequently to be included in Lhc budget of the Council of Europe.
Draft Procedure :