Need of reactivating the Council of Europe

Recommendation 255 (1960)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 26th September 1960 (16th Sitting) (see Doc. 1177, Report of the Political Committee) Text adopted by the Assembly on 26th September 1960 (16th Sitting).

1. The Assembly,

2. Believing that a split between the six-Power European Community and the rest of the free nations of Europe would seriously prejudice the cause of European unity ;

3. Convinced that it is highly necessary to bring together the six and seven Power groupings by developing the institutions of wider Europe ;

4. Convinced that the Council of Europe should be the effective instrument of this policy,

5. Urges member Governments to use their right of initiative in the Committee of Ministers to further European unity and enable the Assembly to play its proper role, and further agrees to the Committee of Ministers exercising the right of initiative and amendment in relation to the work of the Assembly and its Committees ;

6. Expresses the view that a revival of the ministerial side of the Organisation can come about through all member Governments taking the initiative to suggest new and important areas of co-operation and integration ;

7. Invites, therefore, member Governments to put forward such proposals for discussion with other partners in the Committee of Ministers ;

8. Recognising the value of the work done by the Council of Europe at intergovernmental level in the cultural, social, legal and other technical fields,

9. Considers that co-operation and integration in these fields would be furthered and more rapidly advanced by having meetings of the Committee of Ministers where member States would be represented by specialist Ministers either on an ad hoc or regular basis,

10. Recommends to the Committee of Ministers that they should reconsider this proposal in a constructive spirit and as a means of giving new impetus and political importance to fifteen-Power association in these matters.