3rd European Ministerial Conference on the Environment (Berne, 19-21 September 1979)

Recommendation 888 (1980)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 29 January 1980 (22nd Sitting) (see Doc. 4463, report of the Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities). Text adopted by the Assembly on 29 January 1980 (22nd Sitting).

Thesaurus

The Assembly,

1. Noting the report on the 3rd European Ministerial Conference on the Environment, held in Berne from 19 to 21 September 1979 ;

2. Welcoming the fact that the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats was opened for signature at the conference and signed immediately by eighteen member states, Finland and the European Economic Community ;

3. Convinced of the need for early ratification of the convention if effective conservation of wild flora and fauna and their natural habitats, and particularly protection of migratory species, are to be ensured ;

4. Welcoming the opportunity for its representatives to discuss, during a colloquy with the Ministers, the implementation of the convention, ways of arousing public interest in the problems of pollution and protection of fresh water against pollution ;

5. Considering that, if Europe's natural resources are to be effectively protected, the convention, itself indispensable, must be supplemented by an educational campaign to spread knowledge of the convention and the species which it protects ;

6. Aware of the importance of the resolutions of the Berne conference and the need to integrate them into the Council of Europe's programme of work ;

7. Welcoming the decision taken by the Ministers to accept the invitation of the Greek Government to hold the 4th European Ministerial Conference on the Environment in Greece and noting with satisfaction that the main theme proposed by the Greek authorities, "Planning and management of river-banks, lake shores and coastal areas from the point of view of ecological equilibrium", covers a subject that has for a long time occupied the attention of the Assembly ;

8. Asking the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to report to it no later than January 1981 on the progress accomplished in the implementation of the conference resolutions,

9. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

a give high priority to implementing the resolutions of the Berne conference, so that the objectives laid down may be speedily attained ;

b take the necessary steps to enable one or two Assembly representatives to take part in the work of the Interim Committee and, subsequently, in the work of the Standing Committee to be set up under Articles 13 and 14 of the convention ;

c ask the European Information Centre for Nature Conservation to step up its campaign on the protection of wildlife and to give it the necessary additional means ;

d urge the governments of the member states :

9.4.1 to speed the ratification and implementation of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats ;

9.4.2 to launch a campaign to educate the public about the convention's aims and provisions ;

9.4.3 to publish the text of the convention in the language of their own countries, as well as the common names of the species protected by the convention, and to forward these lists to the Council of Europe ;

e maintain the present frequency of European ministerial conferences on the environment