European political union

Recommendation 408 (1965)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 25th and 26th January 1965 (17th, 18th and 19th Sittings) (see Docs. 1864Docs. 1864, report of the Political Committee, and 1882, revised draft Recommendation submitted by the Political Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 26th January 1965 (19th Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Recalling Recommendation 390 which was adopted at the conclusion of the debate, in April 1964, on the report on European political union (Doc. 1741) ;

2. Faithful to its mission of defining a common European will ;

3. Believing that it is essential to strengthen the union already achieved among the Six in the economic and social fields and to bring the Six and the other member States of the Council of Europe closer together ;

4. Welcoming the proposals of the Belgian, Federal German and Italian Governments for the reopening of the negotiations on European political union among the Six which reached deadlock in April 1962, and in particular the suggestion of creating a body or committee independent of the Governments and representing the higher interests of Europe and which would engage in a continuous dialogue with the national Governments of the Six ;

5. Welcoming also the declared wish of the Government of the United Kingdom to participate from the outset in any discussion of future political unity in Europe;

6. Expressing the hope that the recent agreement among the EEC member countries on the difficult agricultural problems will facilitate progress towards a wider political unity

- A -

7. Calls for the opening of negotiations on a European political union, on as wide a basis as possible, between such Governments of member States of the Council of Europe, whether Members of EEC or EFTA or of neither, as are ready and willing to take part ;

- B -

8. Considering that there is still insufficient cohesion to allow a treaty of political union to be concluded at present,

9. Gives its support to the idea, put forward in the recent Belgian, German and Italian proposals, of experimenting with a provisional form of European union prior to establishing a genuine community ;

- C -

10. Recalling Recommendation 403, adopted in November 1964, wherein it expressed the belief that the European Communities would continue to be the nucleus and the driving force for the integration of the whole of Europe ;

11. Reaffirming that its objective is to achieve a European union that is as close as possible with regard to relations between European countries and as broad as possible with regard to the frontiers of Europe,

12. Considers that closer union among the Six will make it more necessary than ever to pursue a liberal policy of economic co-operation with the rest of Europe and with other parts of the world; accordingly recommends that the beginnings of political union among the Six should be accompanied by new efforts to secure membership of or economic association with the European Communities, in accordance with Articles 237 and 238 of the Treaty of Rome, for those member States of the Council of Europe which so desire ;

13. Declares that, while it may seem difficult to avoid in the present situation that an attempt to achieve political unity should begin among the six member countries of EEC, it is none the less indispensable that the Community organ of political union as outlined in the Belgian, German and Italian proposals must take into consideration the fact that a political union which corresponds with the wishes of the Council of Europe can only be reached with the participation of its other member States, and expresses the wish that this organ should leave open the possibility of consultations and contacts with other Members of the Council of Europe ;

14. Recommends the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to take advantage of every opportunity available to it to conclude agreements and pursue a policy which will pave the way for the political union of all Europe.