Enlargement of the Council of Europe and the budgetary prospects

Recommendation 1250 (1994)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

See Doc. 7180, report of the Committee on the Budget and the Intergovernmental Work Programme, Rapporteur: Sir Keith Speed. Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 10 November 1994.

Thesaurus

1. The Assembly draws attention to the Vienna Declaration, adopted on 9 October 1993 by the heads of state and government of the member states of the Council of Europe, in which the Council of Europe's pan-European role was clearly acknowledged.

2. The Assembly refers to its Recommendation 1247 (1994) on the enlargement of the Council of Europe, adopted on 4 October 1994, which confirms the Council of Europe's mission to bring together all the countries of the continent.

3. The Assembly, however, is concerned about the decision taken in April 1994, by the Ministers' Deputies, to freeze the Organisation's budget for 1995 and hopes that this will not be a recurring problem each year.

4. This decision is in conflict with the political will that has been clearly affirmed, and it must be clear that the Council of Europe will be unable to cope with the expansion of its tasks and of its membership without a substantial increase in its budgetary resources.

5. Moreover, it is equally obvious that, in order to guarantee the Organisation's financial stability and proper functioning, all member states will have to scrupulously fulfil the financial duties and obligations which are theirs.

6. The Assembly considers that it is becoming a matter of urgency to examine both the budgetary and administrative effects of enlargement, including the problems relating to the size and structure of the Secretariat.

7. The Assembly believes that it is essential that the Council of Europe, which is the most wide-ranging European organisation, is able fully to perform its role as guarantor of the democratic security and stability of the continent and that this mission justifies a more important financial commitment from the member states.

8. The Assembly asks the Secretary General:

8.1 to start considering the future size of the Secretariat and its redeployment in the light of clearly established priorities;

8.2 to propose a reasonable increase in the number of senior management posts of the Secretariat in order to facilitate a more rational allocation of responsibilities;

8.3 to ensure that a secretariat structure respecting the autonomy of the bodies concerned is set up;

8.4 to propose arrangements enabling nationals of new member states to integrate rapidly;

8.5 to increase the appropriations for staff training and introduce a time credit system for training;

8.6 to co-operate closely with the Assembly, and particularly with its Committee on the Budget and the Intergovernmental Work Programme, in all the budgetary and administrative questions connected with enlargement.

9. The Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

9.1 demonstrate political consistency and give the Organisation the financial resources and staff to enable it to cope with the consequences of enlargement and of its new pan-European mission;

9.2 seek new forms of funding for the Organisation and request that a specific Council of Europe allocation be included in national budgets;

9.3 increase the budget in an appropriate manner each time a new member joins and not use the new accessions in order to reduce the contribution of states which are already members;

9.4 take the necessary steps to allow the voting right of any state one year behind with the payment of its contribution to be automatically suspended;

9.5 study measures that would make it possible, where necessary, to give assistance to the most disadvantaged countries which are unable with their own resources alone to play an active part in the work of the Organisation;

9.6 allocate the budget resources necessary for an additional working language in the Assembly;

9.7 finalise, as soon as possible, their work on the drawing up of more equitable contribution scales.