Council of Europe aid to promote European intermunicipal exchanges
Recommendation 524
(1968)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 10 May 1968 (9th Sitting) (see Doc. 2316, report of the Committee on Local Authorities). Text adopted by the Assembly on 10 May 1968 (9th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Considering its
Resolution 211 (1961) instituting a plan to promote European intermunicipal exchanges between young people and the subsequent decisions of the Committee of Ministers to finance this plan by means of an annual appropriation of 50,000 Frs. from the Council of Europe Budget ;
2. Considering the recent statements in which the German Federal Government called for an increase in the financial means employed by the Council of Europe for the promotion of intermunicipal exchanges of young people and advocated the foundations of a European Youth Office, including, if possible, all member states of the Council ;
3. Bearing in mind the statements made before the Consultative Assembly by the French Minister for Youth and Sport concerning a possible extension of the Franco-German Office ;
5. Recalling Resolutions 55 and 57 (1966) of the European Conference of Local Authorities in favour of an increase in the Council of Europe Fund used for subsidising European intermunicipal exchanges ;
6. Whereas the contribution by the French and German Governments of a 1,000th part of the Franco-German Office fund to the Council of Europe fund for intermunicipal exchanges of young people, together with corresponding contributions by the other member countries, calculated according to their share in the Council of Europe Budget, would constitute a gesture of great political significance as well as a measure of indisputable practical value ;
7. Whereas the Council of Europe Fund might be given special status, separate from the Council of Europe Budget, to enable it to receive, besides governmental contributions, donations from other corporate bodies, both public and private, and from individuals ;
8. Emphasising that the new Fund thus created would replace the present budgetary grant of 50,000 Frs. for promoting intermunicipal exchanges of young people, providing financial means on a scale worthier of our institution and the task before us ;
9. Considering that the creation of this Fund would take on especial political significance in as much as it would meet the desire expressed many times by the Committee of Ministers, to favour a growth in European exchanges of young people ;
10. Convinced that the intermunicipal exchange system is one of the most rational ways of organising youth exchange and one which, furthermore, offers the safeguards requested by the French Minister for Youth and outlined by him before the Consultative Assembly as being necessary for any future extension of bilateral exchanges on a European plane ;
11. Whereas such an adaptation of Council of Europe aid to intermunicipal exchanges of young people would constitute an important step on the road to creating a European Youth Office,
12. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers change the Council of Europe annual grant for the promotion of intermunicipal exchanges of young people into a Council of Europe Fund maintained by annual payments from the member governments, but also enjoying a special status allowing it to receive voluntary contributions from individuals or corporate bodies, both private and public ;
13. Invites :
a the French and German Governments to make, as a contribution to this Fund, an annual grant of 1,000th of the Budget of the Franco-German Office ;
b the governments of other member states to contribute to the Fund in the same proportion, according to their customary percentage share in the Council of Europe Budget ;
14. Draws the attention of the German Federal Government in the event of its calling a Conference on a European Youth Office to the possibilities offered by the Council of Europe system of intermunicipal exchanges of young people for establishing such an Office.
