The Assembly,
Referring to Recommendation 81 (1955) whereby it requested the Committee of Ministers to propose to the Member States "the extension to the nationals of the other member countries of certain travel facilities and advantages granted by a member country to its own nationals" ;
Considering that the war disabled of various Member States of the Council of Europe enjoy, in their own countries, special travel facilities, particularly with regard to railway fares ;
Considering that an Agreement on the Exchange of war Disabled with a view to Medical Treatment was signed on 13th December 1955 by fourteen member countries of the Council of Europe ;
Considering that exchange and contacts between war victims strengthen the ties of friendship between individuals and peoples and substitute comprehension and solidarity for past hostility; that these exchanges and contacts are essential to European reconciliation and friendship; and that it is, consequently, necessary to promote and favour them ;
Considering, moreover, that it would be well, for humanitarian reasons, to give special attention to the case of war disabled persons unable to travel alone or who have difficulty moving about alone,
Recommends to the Committee of Ministers the adoption of a draft Agreement to the following effect :
Article 1
The war disabled, as defined in the legislation of each of the Member States shall, when they travel to and during their stay in one of those States, enjoy the reductions of or exemptions from railway fares which that State grants to its own war disabled.
Article 2
The guide accompanying a war disabled person unable to move about alone or who has difficulty moving about alone shall enjoy the exemptions or reductions granted by the regulations or legislation of the country concerned.
Article 3
The advantages specified in Articles 1 and 2 of the present Agreement shall be accorded upon presentation of a European document approved by the Governments and stating that the holder, whether war disabled person or guide, enjoys the benefits of the provisions of the present Agreement.
Article 4
The laws and regulations in force in the territories of the Contracting Parties and to which the present Convention applies, and the reservations formulated by Contracting Parties, are set forth in Annex I and Annex II respectively.
Article 5
The present Agreement shall be open to the signature of the Members of the Council of Europe who may accede to it either by:
Article 6
The present Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the date on which three Members of the Council shall, in accordance with Article 5, have signed the Agreement without reservation in respect of ratification or shall have ratified it.
In the case of any Member of the Council who subsequently shall sign the Agreement without reservation in respect of ratification, or who shall ratify it, the Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following such signature or deposit of the instrument of ratification.
Article 7
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe may invite any non Member State to accede to the present Agreement. Such accession shall take effect on the first day of the month following the deposit of the instrument of accession.
Article 8
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall notify Members of the Council :
Article 9
The present Agreement shall remain in force indefinitely.
Any Contracting Party may terminate its own application of the Agreement by giving one year's notice to that effect to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised to that effect, have signed the present Agreement.
Done at (date)