Development of problem areas in Europe

Recommendation 201 (1959)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

(see Doc. 988Doc. 988, Report of the Social Committee). This Recommendation was adopted by the Assembly at its 9th Sitting, 25th April 1959

The Assembly,

Considering that by its Order No. 96, adopted on 21st April 1956, the Assembly placed the following question on the Agenda of its Social Committee :

"Measures to be taken by Member States with a view to the social and cultural adjustment of the individual and the family to conditions arising from mechanisation and industrialisation, both in under-developed areas and other problem areas already affected by these conditions";

Taking note of the report of the Social Committee concerning this question,

Thanks the experts for the important work they have done for the economic and social atlas in preparation;

Considering that it has been proposed to the Assembly to set up a Special Committee to study the following question:

"Improvement of living standards in the less developed areas of the European territories of Member States - Study of the demographic, economic, agricultural,

social, cultural and political aspects of the problem and of the action required to produce such improvement or in consequence thereof",

Considering that, under the auspices of the Social Committee, a Social and Economic Atlas of the Regions of Europe is in an advanced stage of preparation;

Being informed that the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation, the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community take an interest in the development of less developed areas within the territories of their Member States;

Considering that the European Parliamentary Assembly, on 15th January 1959, adopted a Resolution on the social questions dealt with in the First General Report on the activity of the European Economic Community, which, in Part III, dealing with the less developed regions, requested the Commission of the E.E.C. to approach the Council of Europe and the O.E.E.C. in connection with the study of the problems relating to the development of the less developed regions,

Recommends that the Committee of Ministers should :

1 take all appropriate steps, in agreement with the above-mentioned organisations, with a view to the co-ordination of the activities of the E.C.S.C., the E.E.C. and the Euratom, on the one hand, and those of the O.E.E.C. and the Council of Europe, on the other hand, with regard to the development of problem areas in Europe;

2 take steps, in particular, in agreement with the said organisations, towards the establishment of a common documentary centre which would be responsible for compiling an index of the studies and research material existing in this field, and for the compilation and keeping up to date of a list of the principal research institutes or organisations and the subjects in which each of them specialises;

3 support the follow-up of the work necessary to complete the economic and social atlas.