Cultural activities of the "Six"

Recommendation 301 (1961)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 27th September 1961 (18th Sitting) (see Doc. 1332,Doc. 1332, Report of the Cultural and Scientific Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 27th September 1961 (18th Sitting).

The Assembly,

Having regard to its Recommendation 242 of 28th April 1960 on the action taken by the Economic Communities (the EEC and the EAEC) in the cultural field;

Having regard to the opinion given by the Committee of Ministers on this Recommendation on 3rd July 1961, expressing the hope "that all member countries of the Council of Europe together with others which have acceded to the European Cultural Convention will have the option of acceding to the conventions on the European University which it is proposed to found at Florence, and to the conventions relating to scientific and academic co-operation" ;

Noting that the Conference of the Heads of State or Government of the member countries of the European Economic Community meeting in Bonn on 17th July 1961 envisaged the formation of a Council made up of the Ministers of Education or Ministers responsible for cultural relations, assisted by a Committee of Experts, and further advocated the negotiation of one or more agreements for the following purposes :

1 co-operation and exchanges between the universities of the member countries of the Communities;

2 conferring "European status" upon national research institutes and universities;

3 the setting up, by Italy, of the European University in Florence to which the six Governments will contribute both economically and intellectually ;

4 the setting up of other European institutes for university education or scientific research;

Whereas the new machinery for European cultural co-operation which was recommended by the ad hoc Committee appointed by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and which is to be set up as from 1st January 1962 is calculated to ensure that the plans for cultural co-operation at present being studied by member Governments of the European Economic Community are put into operation within the framework of greater Europe,

Recommends that the Committee of Ministers should invite member Governments of the European Communities to entrust the future Council for Cultural Co-operation of the Council of Europe with the implementation of the plans mentioned above.