8th progress report of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (1976-78)

Recommendation 884 (1979)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

See Doc. 4364, report of the Committee on Agriculture. Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 22 November 1979

Thesaurus

The Assembly,

1. Having taken note of the 8th report (1976-78) on the activities of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (Doc. 4266), and of the report in reply prepared by its Committee on Agriculture (Doc. 4364) ;

2. Welcoming the fact that the Centre has, in the last three years, been able gradually to increase its impact by enlarging its student capacity and diversifying its teaching, and by pursuing its efforts to associate more Mediterranean countries with its work ;

3. 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 ;

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

5. Congratulating the Centre on the institution of an ICAMAS two-year course diploma of advanced studies at Master of Science level, in addition to the present one-year course diploma, which will help to meet more adequately the need of the countries of the region for cadres who are specialised in agricultural development ;

6. Stressing the importance it attaches to the association of other Mediterranean countries with the Centre, which is perfectly in line with the policy of the Council of Europe to emphasise the Mediterranean dimension,

7. Invites the Governing Body of the Centre :

7.1 to take full account of the new training programmes of the institutes, and to make every effort to ensure that sufficient technical and financial means are provided for their smooth implementation ;

7.2 to make greater efforts to recruit students, by making more widely known the requirements for admission, facilities offered and, in general, by disseminating more information about the Centre to all countries concerned ;

7.3 to arrange for the dissemination of information to governments and all institutions concerned of the region on : a. the objectives and content of training and research programmes of the institutes, b. the diplomas, and c. the requirements for admission, selection of fellowships, etc. ;

7.4 to invite the governments of the countries of the region, particularly those signatories of the agreement establishing the Centre, to take the necessary steps to recruit candidates to attend the courses of the agronomic institutes and give first priority to such candidates meeting the requirements by granting them fellowships awarded by the French, Italian or Spanish Governments ;

7.5 to aim at a better balance between the numbers of students from member countries and non-member countries, the former being sometimes in a striking minority ;

7.6 to encourage the Tunisian authorities, after ratification of the association agreement with the Centre, to set up an institute specialised in the study of agriculture in arid zones ;

8. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers invite the governments of the member states of the Council of Europe, and in particular those taking part in ICAMAS :

8.1 to give their full support to the development of the Centre and of its institutes ;

8.2 to allow the Centre a moderate budgetary growth-rate in real terms ;

8.3 to be more generous in the financing of fellowships and training programmes for the Centre, either through national channels or through the appropriate international organisations ;

8.4 to give full recognition to the ICAMAS diplomas ;

8.5 to promote the revival of the journal Options mediterra.neenn.es, which the Assembly persists in considering of great value for all those interested in Mediterranean problems ;

8.6 to support in Madrid, in November 1980, in the framework of the follow-up of CSCE, the proposals made in Malta that aICAMAS should play a major role in working out a Mediterranean co-operative policy in the rural sector.