- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 29 January 1976 (24th Sitting) (see Doc. 3741, report of the Committee on European Non-Member Countries). Text adopted by the Assembly on 29 January 1976 (24th Sitting).
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Recalling its Resolutions 575 (1974) and 599 (1975), on the situation in Spain ;
2. Noting the political options in Spain in the message from the throne and the government's programme announced before the Cortes by the Prime Minister on 28 January 1976 ;
3. Noting the government's intention to reform the country's institutions so as "to broaden their base so that the legal and political system becomes more like that in the community of Western countries", and to make the integration of Spain into Europe a fundamental element of its foreign policy ;
4. Regretting that no concrete measures of liberalisation in the essential fields of association, assembly and expression have yet been taken, and that the Prime Minister referred to certain political organisations as "excluding themselves" from future legal recognition ;
5. Recalling that respect for human rights, the restoration of liberty for all political tendencies, and election by universal suffrage and secret ballot of democratic institutions are indispensable conditions for the accession of Spain to the Council of Europe ;
6. Recalling also the statement made before the Assembly on 27 January 1976 by Mr Genscher, Chairman-in-Office of the Committee of Ministers, according to whom the conditions for the admission of Spain into the European Communities are the same,
7. Shares the opinion expressed by all democratic forces that the necessary reconciliation of the Spanish people and social peace imply the restoration of human rights and fundamental freedoms, starting with a genuine amnesty for all political prisoners and exiles, and the immediate abolition of the anti-terrorist decree of 26 August 1975 ;
8. Decides to follow future developments with the greatest attention, intensifying its contacts with the Spanish people and, while fully respecting the decisions which the Spanish people may freely take, to promote the fulfilment of the conditions which will enable Spain to take her place within the community of democratic European nations represented in the Council of Europe ;
9. Calls upon all democratic political parties and trade unions in member countries to provide their Spanish counterparts with all possible assistance to enable them more fully to play their role in the developments of democratic structures in Spain.
