6th progress report of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Studies

Recommendation 777 (1976)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 27 January 1976 (21st Sitting) (see Doc. 3705see Doc. 3705, report of the Committee on Agriculture). Text adopted by the Assembly on 27 January 1976 (21st Sitting).

Thesaurus

The Assembly,

1. Having taken note of the 6th report on the activities of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (Doc. 3593) and of the report in reply prepared by its Committee on Agriculture (Doc. 3705) ;

2. Recalling its Order No. 344 (1974), in which it instructed the Committee on Agriculture to follow closely the situation, with a view to finding specific ways for the support of the Centre ;

3. Welcoming the progress made by the Centre, both with regard to administration and in other fields such as co-operation among institutes, revision of research policy and extension of the Centre's intake capacity ;

4. Considering the need to encourage the activities of the Centre and its institutes, which are still not well enough known ;

5. Considering that, despite present budgetary difficulties, the assistance given by the member states to the Centre should include material aid as well ;

6. Emphasising once again the political importance of developing the Mediterranean region and the need to give special attention to the formulation of a comprehensive regional planning programme, having due regard to the essential role of the Mediterranean forest ;

7. Regretting the failure of the Committee of Ministers to accord the Centre the 92 000 French francs grant intended to finance a preliminary study for the establishment of action programmes for the Mediterranean region, as proposed in paragraph 8. e of Assembly Recommendation 691 (1973) ;

8. Applauding, nevertheless, the decision of the Committee of Ministers to refer Recommendation 691 (1973) to the International Colloquy on the specific problems of the renewal of plant cover in the Mediterranean region, held in Cagliari in October 1975 ;

9. Noting with satisfaction that the colloquy urged the Italian Government to take what action was needed to ensure that the basic study and research referred to in sub-paragraphs 8. i and 8.j of the recommendation are realised, at the Italian Government's instigation and under the aegis of the Council of Europe, preferably by the Centre ;

10. Considering that those Council of Europe member states which have not signed the agreement establishing the Centre could well give proof of European solidarity by contributing to some of its activities ;

11. Considering that, in the areas which are its concern, the Centre can be regarded as an effective instrument for assisting developing countries and regions,

12. Once more calls on its members :

a to urge their governments to adopt a favourable attitude to the Centre ;

b to find subscribers for the high-quality periodical Options méditerranéennes, so that the Centre can be better publicised ;

13. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite the governments of the member states :

a to give official recognition to the diploma awarded by the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies ;

b to draw the attention of the appropriate authorities in the different countries to the services that they may obtain from the Centre and its research institutes ;

c to request the national agencies responsible for technical co-operation, through the appropriate authorities in their different countries, to second teaching staff to the Centre on a temporary basis ;

14. Also recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

a make sure that the countries concerned provide funds for the study referred to in sub-paragraph 8. e of Recommendation 691 (1973) concerning the situation of the Mediterranean forest, as recommended by the Cagliari Colloquy ;

b keep an overall grant for the Centre, updated every year, in the Council of Europe budget, representing the sum needed for five study fellowships, and use the balance to subsidise the periodical Options méditerranéennes ;

c invite the Governing Body of the Centre :

to take steps to ensure that the instruction given in the institutes helps to propagate the co-operative spirit, thus underlining the Centre's European mission ;

to lay greater emphasis on pedology and hydrography in the syllabuses ;

to set up a standardised diploma for all the different institutes, with several levels if need be, at the earliest possible juncture.