The Assembly,
Having regard to the preliminary draft of Vote II of the Budget for 1962 (Expenditure of the Consultative Assembly), transmitted to the Assembly by the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe;
Having regard to the Budget of the Council of Europe for the Financial Year 1961, as adopted by the Committee of Ministers, together with the General Accounts for the Financial Year 1959, the latest period for which final accounts are available;
Having regard to Resolution (53) 38 of the Committee of Ministers;
Having regard to the decision of the Committee of Ministers concerning the discussion of the Budget of the Council of Europe by the Consultative Assembly, which was transmitted by letter of the Secretary-General to the President of the Consultative Assembly on 19th March 1955,
Adopts the following Opinion :
1. The Assembly approves the Secretary-General's proposals for the following Subheads :
New francs
Sub-head (a) - Remuneration of temporary staff...............................................................................................435,000
Sub-head (b) - Travel expenses and allowances for travel time........................................................................115,000
Sub-head (c) - Sickness and accident insurance.....................................................................................................5,000
Sub-head (d) - Technical staff seconded by national administrations.................................................................55,000
Sub-head (e) - Maintenance of radio-electrical equipment..................................................................................10,000
Sub-head (f) - Stationery and miscellaneous supplies........................................................................................128,000
Sub-head (h) - Hire of cars.......................................................................................................................................4,000
Sub-head (i) - Representation, travel and subsistence expenses of the President................................................39,000
Sub-head (j) - Expenditure for the President's private office...............................................................................27,600
Sub-head (k) - Representational and other official expenses incurred by Members of the Assembly...............55,000
Sub-head (l) - Official journeys of staff of the Secretariat................................................................................100,000
Sub-head (m) - Experts'travelling expenses, subsistence allowance and fees.....................................................30,000
Sub-head (n) - Miscellaneous expenditure and contingencies.............................................................................10,000
Sub-head (o) - European Prize................................................................................................................................5,000
Sub-head (p) - Conference of Local Authorities................................................................................................180,000
2. The Assembly has noted that the appropriations necessary to give effect to its Resolution 188 concerning the official languages of the Council of Europe do not appear in the preliminary draft of Vote II because the Committee of Ministers has not yet reached a decision on the matter. It considers the necessary appropriation, which would amount to approximately 125,000 NF in the first year and 70,000 NF in subsequent years, negligible when compared with the improvements that will result in the working of the Assembly Sessions and the meetings of its committees.
The Assembly would further point out that Resolution 188 was adopted by virtue of Article 12 of the Statute of the Council of Europe. That Article, which is one of the General Provisions governing the organisation of the Council of Europe as a whole, invests the Consultative Assembly with an autonomous right to decide “in what circumstances and under what conditions other languages may be used” in its deliberationsNote.
3. The Assembly is of the opinion that the Council of Europe should take out, for members of the Assembly who undertake special duties on behalf of the Council, insurance against travel risks during journeys that they make in the course of their duties. An appropriation for the amount of the premiums should be included under Sub-head (k) of the Budget - Representational and other official expenses incurred by members of the Assembly.
In its Opinion No. 33 relating to the year 1961 the Assembly stated its belief that, in the light of experience gained at the Third Conference of Local Authorities, the increased work devolving on the Office of the Clerk by reason of the Conference's activities necessitated the addition of a new post of Administrative Officer to the staff provided for under Vote I, Head I.
The Assembly thanks the Committee of Ministers for having approved the appropriation for the appointment of a temporary Administrative Officer, Grade A.2, in 1961. The Assembly nevertheless considers that since the Committee of Ministers has decided that the Conference shall meet every two years and since it now possesses permanent bodies, the 1962 Budget should provide for the appointment of a permanent Administrative Officer.
The Assembly,
Having noted the reply of the Committee of Ministers to its observations concerning the establishment of a pension scheme for members of the staff of the Council (Doc. 1257, paragraphs 331-335),
Observes with satisfaction that its concern in this matter is shared by the Committee of Ministers;
Notes the measures already taken by that Committee to protect the interests of the staff in this matter, and that a study of the question is being carried out jointly with other organisations;
Acknowledges that the institution of a pension scheme in an international organisation entails very complex and difficult problems;
Hopes that the present studies will be concluded as soon as possible and that the Governments will adopt the most advantageous measures possible to protect the interests of members of the staff who have given many years of service to the Organisation;
Requests the Committee of Ministers, should it not be found possible to arrive at a final general solution before the end of 1961, to come to a decision independently of the other international organisations, so that the question may be settled as from 1st January 1962.
The Assembly suggests the institution of language classes on the model of the United Nations and its Specialised Agencies, to enable members of the Secretariat to improve their linguistic knowledge and entitle them, after passing the appropriate examinations, to a special allowance.
In accordance with Assembly Recommendation 284, the necessary appropriation should be made for setting up, within the framework of the Council of Europe, a permanent system of co-operation in the matter of nature conservancy. This sum should be used chiefly for the convening of a Committee of Experts, and for the Council of Europe's share in the creation of a European Institute of National Parks.