The Assembly,
A.
B.
8. Is of the opinion that :
9. The plan initiated by the Secretary General, with the approval of the Committee of Ministers, to provide the Council of Europe with a working instrument capable of giving fresh impetus to European intergovernmental co-operation and thereby reinforcing the links between member countries in accordance with both the spirit and the letter of the Statute, is an undertaking of capital importance. It may be hoped that with its Programme of Work, the Council of Europe has entered upon a new phase of its existence.
10. The Programme's general title, "Man in a European Society", clearly expresses a desire to link together, in a forward-looking spirit, efforts to achieve the systematic improvement of living conditions and the gradual drawing-together of the peoples of Europe.
11. The interdependence of progress towards closer union between member countries, and the economic, social and cultural advancement desired by Europeans is self-evident : technical and economic progress are conditioned by size; European unity is a prerequisite for a fully developed industrial society; and the adaptation of social, economic, legal, administrative, political and cultural structures to this new society is a necessity felt by all, which will necessarily lead to similar structures in each.
12. The Programme of Work illustrates the fundamental purpose of the Council of Europe to further the process by helping the Governments of member countries which are determined to achieve satisfactory solutions to problems that, by their very nature, defy solution within the national framework.
13. Far from being purely technical, it provides a new point of departure in the political field, both within and outside the Organisation :
by setting long-range targets and defining the tasks of individual organs and departments in the short and medium term, it assumes the status of a permanent directive, ensuring consistency of action and the team spirit which are necessary to ensure success in remarkably diverse undertakings involving a growing number of persons of differing background and nationality;
by presenting the Organisation's activities as an emergent whole, it provides a clearer picture for the outside world - not only for member countries but for others as well, including those in Eastern Europe - thus increasing possibilities of contact and even of participation.
14. For third countries, the Programme of Work constitutes a catalogue pointing to possible areas of collaboration.
15. To an increasing degree, it should point the way to fields where joint action by member countries is desirable - if not indispensable - and will also allow of the harmonisation of some of the activities of EEC and EFTA, a long-standing concern of the Assembly.
16. In its present form, the Programme is only a beginning, a first step. As an instrument for international co-operation in a changing society, it must itself undergo change adjusting gradually to the needs it has helped to reveal.
17. Thus, from a modest catalogue of work in progress, the Programme of Work should evolve in the direction of a real "Council of Europe Plan", laying down the main guidelines for concerted and converging action by member countries directed towards clearly-defined goals.
18. The progressive refinement and implementation of the Programme of Work must result from the combined efforts of all the bodies involved in the Organisation's work.
19. Its rapid adjustment to new demands must be guaranteed; the assumption of new tasks justified by their intrinsic importance or their topicality must not be baulked by over-rigid procedures.
20. It is indispensable for Governments to undertake firmer commitments as regards the completion dates of certain activities. Furthermore, these commitments must not cease at the point where the Committee of Ministers adopts a European Convention or Agreement, or a Recommendation to Governments, but should extend also to the implementation at national level of arrangements agreed at European level.
Governments should also see to it that such implementation is prompt and effective at all levels of their respective national administrations.
21. In those cases where the arrangements which have been agreed require ratification, it is important that Governments, assisted by national delegations to the Consultative Assembly, take pains to obtain such ratification with the minimum of delay.
The fact that ratifications are so few and so belated constitutes in fact one of the main weak points of the Council of Europe's work and jeopardises the efficiency of the Programme of Work.
22. The Consultative Assembly, which is not only the parliamentary organ of the Council of Europe but also represents, in a sense, the general interest of its member countries, has a very special part to play in the implementation of the Programme of Work.
23. Since the Assembly is sovereign as far as its own agenda is concerned, it might conceivably confine itself to observing that it is not concerned by an "intergovernmental" Programme of Work. In fact, however, the greater opportunities for a dialogue between the Committee of Ministers and the Assembly on the subject of the Programme of Work are to be welcomed; the need for the Assembly to exercise its consultative function is indeed enhanced by the Programme.
24. It should be recalled that the Programme of Work is not "closed" and the Assembly can always have new questions added to it, following the procedure laid down in the Statute.
25. It is also important to stress that the Assembly, using its own means, may usefully contribute to the preliminary investigation of some major subjects suitable for subsequent inclusion in the Programme of Work. The Assembly noted with satisfaction that several of the projects in Section IV of the individual chapters already figure on the agendas of the appropriate Assembly committees.
26. Through its Rapporteurs and consulting experts, it can document subjects of the agendas of its committees and working parties with a degree of flexibility often lacking in committees of governmental experts.
In its major debates on specialised subjects which it proposes to hold regularly, the Assembly can survey opinion and hold meetings on subjects of current interest, with a view to detecting new areas and methods of European co-operation.
27. Lastly, in its specialised conferences - such as the Air Pollution Conference, the "Parliament and Science" Conference and the Population Conference - the Assembly has built up a unique and efficient instrument for European co-operation, which it intends to put to careful use during the coining years; the results should have direct repercussions on the Programme of Work, either by initiating new projects or indicating the overall direction to be assumed in a specific field.
28. In its periodical revisions of the Programme of Work the Committee of Ministers should hence pay regard to the possibilities offered to it by the Consultative Assembly as a statutory organ of co-operation between States and, where appropriate, ask it to carry out a preliminary study or political investigation of any given question.
29. The Programme of Work, therefore, promotes a new interdependence and collaboration between the Consultative Assembly and the Committee of Ministers through the good offices of the Secretary General, who is the natural link between them.
30. It is understandable that, at the present stage, the Programme of Work should appear in the form of an inventory of the work undertaken within the Council of Europe during recent years.
31. In future the main ideas underlying future intergovernmental action will have to be defined more clearly and boldly. Governments will have to rise to the challenge of a technological age. To do this they will need both the imagination and the will to make the choices required by common requirements. In defining its objectives, the Programme must present a clear and precise picture of the options chosen.
32. It is also to be observed that there is a certain disequilibrium between the different sectors of activity, as these are now set out in the Programme of Work. One single chapter, for instance, covers more than 40% of the entire Programme.
Care must be taken to ensure that, as the Programme evolves, the present lack of proportion between the different sectors of activity is corrected, both by stepping up the work in certain sectors, particularly through the inclusion of new tasks, and by eliminating items which, though they may be useful in themselves, make only a minor contribution to the achievement of the Council's statutory aim and the objectives defined in the Programme of Work.
The Programme should moreover be presented in such a way as to bring out more clearly which are the priority tasks in each sector.
Lastly, the present division into chapters should be reviewed with a view to giving a more balanced presentation; at the moment it is not really satisfactory.
33. One of the main interests of the Work Programme lies in the possibility it offers of mapping out the Council of Europe's field of action in relation to other international organisations.
34. It would be wise to maintain the idea of a work programme which would be dovetailed with that of other European and world intergovernmental organisations, and more especially with that of the European Communities.
The Programme of Work could well be made to illustrate rather better than it does at present the degree to which the activities of the Council of Europe and of other international organisations are in fact complementary to one another.
35. Relations between the Council of Europe and non-governmental organisations having consultative status should also be examined in detail, together with the part they ought to play vis-à-vis the Programme of Work.
36. While therefore the Programme of Work is designed for the guidance of all those who, in whatever capacity, are called on to carry it into effect,it can also fulfil a public relation function. Its success will depend in large measure upon the hold it takes on men's minds. Only if it presents an image of coherent activity, only if it shows a forward-looking determination to achieve progress and enhance general well-being, will it succeed in arousing the interest of our peoples and become for them a source of encouragement and inspiration.
37. It is essential to ensure that the Programme of Work is made known as widely as possible. The Assembly notes with satisfaction that the first version has been published as a printed brochure, but considers that its form must be improved. It is important that in the definition of aims, the layout of chapters and the presentation of projects, account should be taken of the effect produced on public opinion.
38. In addition to the general observations so far formulated upon the Programme of Work, the eight Assembly Committees concerned and the Joint Working Party on Town and Country Planning have made a certain number of observations and proposals concerning specific chapters of the Programme. These observations and proposals of a more specific nature are annexed to the present Resolution.
39. to request the Secretary General to take into account all the observations, both general and particular, of the Assembly and its committees when preparing the new Programme of Work, which he intends to present to the Assembly during its spring Session;
40. to invite the Committee of Ministers also to take account of the Assembly's observations both when implementing the first Programme of Work and when finalising the next Programme.
The Political Committee :
1. Considers that the adoption of the Programme of Work by the Committee of Ministers makes it essential that in future the Assembly should both exercise its consultative function in respect of that programme, and take new initiatives, especially in the political sphere;
2. Considers that, politically, the Programme of Work constitutes a new internal and external point of departure for the Organisation :
enabling countries which are not Members of the Council of Europe to obtain a better knowledge of its activities, thus increasing their opportunities of contact, or even of participation;
stressing to member countries those fields in which joint action and harmonisation of certain EEC and EFTA activities are desirable;
3. Expresses the hope that the procedure laid down for the adoption and annual revision of the Programme of Work will not entail any delay in implementing recommendations not mentioned in the programme;
4. Hopes that the specific nature of the Programme of Work will make it possible for the Statutory Report of the Committee of Ministers to become a more substantial document, stating in particular the main lines of the policy of the Council of Europe in its various fields of activity;
5. Expresses its desire to receive better information regarding the work of the committees of experts;
6. Considers that the Programme of Work of the Council of Europe should provide a complement to similar activities being carried out by other intergovernmental organisations, both world-wide and European.
The Economic Committee,
1. Noting with satisfaction that the Programme was later published for general distribution to the European public in a booklet called "Man in a European Society - Programme of Work for the Intergovernmental Activities of the Council of Europe, 1966",
2. Expresses the opinion that with regard to "Chapter I - The Economic Structure" it should be mentioned in the "Note" that the Council of Europe played an important part in establishing ECMT, ECSC, CEPT, ELDO and ESRO and that these organisations and others submit annual reports to the Council of Europe; the list of specialised organisations to which member States belong should include ENEA, ECAC, CEPT, ESRO and ELDO;
3. Expresses its disappointment that with regard to "I. Work in Progress, (a) Permanent Work" no action has been taken on the proposal that specific studies should be prepared on a number of subjects by small panels of experts in order to assist the Committee of Ministers in considering political aspects of economic cooperation and integration in Europe, and wishes to know the reasons for the exclusion of such important studies;
4. Considers that with respect to "II. New Work to be Undertaken" the item mentioned under "IV. Work Under Study in the Secretariat, Item 1, Safety in the Construction of Road Motor Vehicles" should be considered for inclusion under "New Work to be Undertaken" in order that the Assembly may be given an idea of the progress made;
5. Considers further that it would seem appropriate to appoint an expert committee to look into this question, since this is a matter on which the Assembly has put forward concrete and detailed proposals;
6. Considers that the question of a postage rate should be included under the above heading since this also is a matter on which the Assembly has put forward concrete and detailed proposals;
7. Considers further that the question of road safety teaching in schools should be put under this heading or under Heading IV, since it is envisaged that a second Conference on Road Safety Education will be held in the future;
8. Expresses its satisfaction that with regard to "IV. Work under Study in the Secretariat" the question of rules and principles for consumer protection is under consideration and expresses its wish to know how far this work has progressed;
9. Expresses its satisfaction with the existence of the Consultative Status system, believes that the Secretariat ought to examine thoroughly the relations between the Council of Europe and the non-governmental organisations of consultative status and the role which they should play at the Council of Europe level, in an attempt to find out if they can contribute more actively to the intergovernmental European activities of the Council of Europe;
10. Proposes that there should be added in the Working Programme a section at the end of each chapter entitled "Work completed";
11. Proposes that nominated members of the Assembly should also be invited to be represented at other intergovernmental expert bodies than the CCC and the CCJ.
The Social Committee,
1. Having before it the Programme of Work for the intergovernmental activities of the Council of Europe (Doc. 2069);
2. Welcoming the considerable strides made in rationalising and channelling the activities of the various bodies set up by the Committee of Ministers;
3. Expressing its satisfaction at the spirit in which this document was conceived, as exemplified in its general title ' 'Man in a European Society", which indicates clearly the interdependence between the economic, social and cultural betterment to which Europeans may aspire and the progress of unity among the Council of Europe member States;
4. Desirous of presenting, in regard to social and public health matters, the following comments, which it hopes will be taken into account both in the implementation of the present programme and in the preparation of that for next year,
5. Feels that, the social field being particularly wide and complex, it would have been desirable to carry rationalisation further by dividing the chapters into such broad headings as "Life", "Work", "Leisure" etc.;
6. Considers that the structures existing in certain technical fields - in the cultural field, with the CCC and the Conference of Ministers of Education, and in the legal field, with the CCJ, the ECCP and the Conference of Ministers of Justice - have no equivalent in the social field, and that this lack of balance is prejudicial to the activities of the Council of Europe;
7. Regrets that the "convocation of a European Conference of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs" appears only under the heading "Work under study in the Secretariat", although the Assembly has for some years been making proposals to this effect, and hopes that the study may be completed rapidly and lead to a favourable decision;
8. Wishes to recall certain earlier proposals which it regrets not to see given a more prominent place in the Programme of Work, namely :
the signature, ratification and implementation by as many member States as possible of Council of Europe conventions and agreements on social and public health matters, especially the Social Charter, the Convention on Establishment and the Code of Social Security;
the convocation of a second European Tripartite Conference under the joint auspices of the International Labour Organisation and the Council of Europe, having on its agenda :measures to facilitate the entry into force of the European Social Charter and the European Code of Social Security, and the harmonising of social conditions in member States of the Council of Europe;the manpower situation in Europe and the possible introduction of the 40-hour week;the ratification by member States of the Council of Europe of international labour conventions concerning young workers and women;
the establishment of a European research and information centre for occupational films;
9. Observes that the Programme of Work makes no mention of the relations of the Council of Europe with other international organisations concerned with social and public health questions - not only the International Labour Organisation and the World Health Organisation, but also the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Communities - and, while recognising the competence of the Council of Europe and the real part it plays in those fields, hopes that in future the Programme of Work will give directives regarding arrangements and procedure for co-operating with the above-mentioned organisations;
10. Notes with satisfaction that the Programme of Work also includes certain items on the Assembly's current agenda, relating particularly to social workers, the aged, food protection and the "au pair" system;
11. Considers in this context that it is desirable to establish closer liaison between die Assembly's Social Committee and the various Ministerial committees concerned with social and public health questions, for example by the presence of representatives of the Committee, so as to foster exchanges of information and ensure a better co-ordination of their activities.
The Legal Committee,
1. Having before it the Programme of Work for the intergovernmental activities of the Council of Europe,1966,
2. Welcomes the considerable effort made by the Council of Europe to plan its intergovernmental activities and to rationalise and channel the activities of the various bodies responsible to the Committee of Ministers;
3. Expresses the hope that the Programme of Work will indeed become "a Council of Europe plan for Europe" mapping out the broad lines of its future action;
4. Considers that, as it stands, the Programme of Work takes the form of a list of Council of Europe activities rather than an outline of such a plan establishing the guiding principles on which the future action of the Council of Europe will be based;
5. Recommends that the Programme of Work should as far as possible seek to define the present and future needs of man in his European environment, remembering that it is upon a clear definition of these needs that action for the future can be successfully based;
6. Believes that the Programme of Work of the Council of Europe should be complementary to that of other European organisations, the European Communities in particular;
7. Urges Governments to accept firmer timelimits for the completion of certain activities;
8. Considers that the Programme of Work of the Council of Europe should influence European public opinion and, to this end, should be given maximum publicity and therefore suggests that consideration be given to making the Programme of Work more comprehensible and attractive to the public at large;
9. Expresses the hope that the new machinery will not impair the functioning of the Assembly or the powers conferred on it by the Council of Europe Statute and that the Committee of Ministers will continue as in the past to examine the Assembly's Recommendations;
10. Considers that, where legal matters are concerned, one of the principal aims of the Programme of Work should be to adjust legal and administrative procedures and machinery to the requirements of our age, a task that in many fields will require joint action and close cooperation between European countries;
11. Considers it essential that legal activities should be directed chiefly to new fields;
12. Proposes the following questions for inclusion in the Programme of Work :
13. Proposes that the following items be transferred from Section IV to Section II of Chapter II of the Programme of Work :
14. Proposes that the European Committee on Crime Problems be organised on the same basis as the European Committee on Legal Cooperation.
The Cultural and Scientific Committee,
1. Having been consulted with regard to the Programme of Work for the intergovernmental activities of the Council of Europe (Doc. 2069), with particular reference to Chapter VI, entitled "His education, culture and scientific attainments";
2. Recalling Resolution 302 in which the Assembly decided "to direct its efforts in the future, in cultural and scientific matters, towards a systematic exploration of living conditions as they are likely to be in the European community of the future, so as to indicate trends of development";
3. Convinced that Europe's contribution to the discovery of Man and of the world in which he lives has derived in large measure from her insistence on the supremacy of spiritual values;
4. Conscious of the fact that European culture
has been characterised by a humanism which succeeded in combining in a harmonious synthesis the flower of Greek thought, the Roman sense of order, Germanic dynamism and the spirit of Christianity,
has served as the cradle of the scientific spirit whose aim has been to elevate Man into a position of mastery over Nature,
has given birth to industrial civilisation and has carried it throughout the world;
5. Convinced that the sense of values revealed by the way in which Europe conducts her affairs continues to be looked upon as an example by the whole world,
6. Considers that in the years to come the Council of Europe must resolve to set the problems of European co-operation in the wider context of the evolution of our civilisation;
7. Welcomes the major effort which has been made for the first time in order to establish a complete and rational inventory of all the intergovernmental activities of the Council of Europe;
8. Welcomes also the forward-looking spirit which has inspired the Programme of Work, under the general title "Man in a European Society", a spirit which reflects the drive towards improving living conditions, both material and spiritual, to which all the activities of the Council of Europe should tend in all sectors;
9. Noting with great satisfaction that activities in the sphere of cultural co-operation alone account for over 40% of all the intergovernmental activities of the Council of Europe;
10. Feels nevertheless bound to submit, as regards Chapter VI, the following comments and suggestions :
11. The Committee considers :
that the present Chapter VI has not been planned in the light of the Programme of Work, but simply lists the activities of the CCC and by its very length disturbs the balance of the Programme as a whole;
that the activities of the CCC should be integrated into the Programme of Work as a whole in such a way as to bring out their value and intrinsic logic in relation to the Council of Europe's new policy;
12. Suggests - without wishing to pre-empt the work of the Group of "Three Wise Men" instructed to study the whole CCC programme - certain criteria which should guide those who are responsible for presenting the programme of cultural co-operation :
the programme should be presented in a more consistent, synthesised and accessible form;
there should be a balance between the various branches of activity - education, culture, out-of-school education, youth and so on;
priorities should be established as between the activities and projects on which effort should be concentrated;
13. Proposes :
that the activities now listed in Chapter VI should be re-arranged in the following chapters :Problems of school and university education,Problems of out-of-school education (lifelong education and cultural advancement),Youth problems (considered from the political and civic points of view),Cultural affairs (the protection and die enhancement of our cultural heritage);
that the following two new chapters should be added :Problems arising out of regional planning and out of the preparation of man's physical environment (including those problems already appearing in Chapter VI), in conformity with the wish expressed by the Joint Working Party on Regional Planning;Problems raised by scientific and technological co-operation, in the event of the Committee of Ministers deciding to carry into effect the measures of scientific co-operation of which the aim is defined in the Programme of Work but which do not themselves figure in that Programme;
14. Is of the opinion :
that the work programme in cultural cooperation should not be organised only in terms of present structures of intergovernmental cooperation, which are of uneven value and are the result in many cases of unforeseeable evolution,
that the permanent character of many activities in the programme of cultural co-operation, such as the large number of courses for young people and instructors, makes it difficult to compare them with other work of the Council of Europe which should normally culminate in agreements and conventions,
that the CCC should be more closely associated with the work and directives of the Conference of European Ministers of Education, and in particular should make a comparative study of education systems in the European countries with a view to studying possibilities of equivalence or harmonisation;
15. Before submitting specific proposals at the next Session on the need to organise youth exchanges within the framework of a European Office, expresses the wish that such exchanges should be brought about on as wide a multilateral basis as possible, in the interests of youth and of the European cause itself.
The Committee on Local Authorities :
1. Expresses the hope that the execution of new tasks of importance or topical value will not be hindered by the procedure for including such work in the Programme or the system of planning work over a number of years;
2. Trusts that the swift adaptation of the Programme of Work to meet the new needs arising out of developments in Europe will be assured and that the Programme will leave the Secretariat and the Committees concerned a certain freedom of action which will enable them to proceed with the preliminary examination of new subjects that may arise during the period covered by the Programme;
3. Is of the opinion that a chapter or subchapter in the Programme of Work should be devoted to the affairs of local authorities, in view of the fact that the Council of Europe is the only international institution which concerns itself with this subject and which ensures the participation of local authorities in the achievement of its aims;
4. Considers that it is advisable to include in this chapter questions relating to town and country planning, seeing that such planning concerns territorial and, more particularly, regional structures, and constitutes, as do local administration and local autonomy, a body of principles and rules governing the organisation and coordination of all public sectors;
5. Considers that, subject to any proposals coming within its purview which may be submitted by the Joint Party on Regional Planning and Development, the following questions could usefully be included in the Programme of Work :
The Committee on Agriculture :
Agrees unanimously that :
8. Notes with satisfaction the progress recorded in a certain number of cases : Convention on the production and marketing of vine products and spirits (Chapter I); Convention on international transport of animals (Chapter II); harmonisation of European food health laws (Chapter IV); conservation of natural resources (Chapter V), water pollution (Chapter V), soil erosion and reafforestation in the Mediterranean area (Chapter V);
9. Requests that the subject "measures to improve social conditions of non-salaried workers, particularly independent farmers and their families" (Chapter III), placed in the section "Work under study in the Secretariat", be transferred to the category of "New work to be undertaken" and that it should lead, if not to a Protocol to the European Social Charter, to a true European Charter for Agriculture, in accordance with Recommendation 456 (1966) of the Assembly;
10. Would prefer that the studies on chemical additives and residues in foodstuffs (Chapter IV) be carried out with a view to the actual and not the "possible" preparation of agreements or recommendations to Governments;
11. Considers that an international agreement on the use of pesticides (Chapter V) should not be limited to the ecological consequences but should deal with the problem as a whole from the public health point of view at the production, marketing and utilisation stages;
Agrees unanimously that :
12. In accordance with its Statute, and although economic co-operation and integration are pursued in specialised intergovernmental organisations, the Council of Europe - and particularly its Assembly - should follow closely and as far as possible give direction to European economic integration;
13. The Programme of Work of the Council of Europe should therefore include among its permanent activities (Chapter I - The Economic Structure) the regular study and co-ordination of economic policies in Europe;
14. In the sphere of agriculture (which embraces forestry and fisheries) a permanent place should be kept in the Programme of Work for these regular surveys and endeavours towards co-ordination and harmonisation at intergovernmental level;
15. Such surveys and efforts towards coordination should concentrate particularly on the trend of agricultural policies in Europe, considered either from the point of view of structural reforms of agricultural prices or of marketing organisation;
16. In accordance with the original proposals of the Assembly, the following questions of a nature to lead to international agreements or recommendations to Governments should be studied: revision and harmonisation of inheritance law in rural communities, the comparative study and harmonisation of agricultural taxation; the problems of mountain farming; the utilisation of agricultural surpluses in the Freedom from Hunger campaign; and the international regulation of certain fisheries;
17. The Council of Europe should keep a close and constant watch on the activities of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies and make its influence felt, particularly as regards the political training of the students.
The Committee on Population and Refugees :
1. Welcomes the Secretary General's initiative endorsed by the Committee of Ministers, in seeking to provide the Council of Europe with a new means of strengthening the bonds between its Members in accordance with the spirit and the letter of its Statute;
2. Stresses that while the existence of an intergovernmental Programme of Work must in no way reduce the Assembly's right of initiative - the Assembly being entitled, in accordance with parliamentary tradition, to draw up its own agenda - it can, on the other hand, according to the manner in which it is conceived and applied, encourage fruitful co-operation between the Council of Europe organs through the good offices of the Secretary General, who is the natural link between them;
3. Notes that the first intergovernmental Programme of Work is, in the main, a list of the Council's intergovernmental activities and hopes that in future programmes an attempt will be made to formulate a general policy and to indicate the converging lines of action by means of which the goal defined in paragraph 1 above is to be attained;
4. Believes that the Programme of Work, in addition to its basic internal importance for the Council of Europe, can help to strengthen its position in relation to the outside world by opening up new possibilities of co-operation with non-member countries and other international organisations;
5. Notes that certain of the Committee's proposals which appeared in the "Assembly's first contribution" were not included in the Programme of Work, but recognises that not all of them have yet been the subject of Recommendations to the Committee of Ministers;
6. Considers that it would be advisable to define more precisely what is to become of Recommendations adopted by the Assembly at the instigation of members when they concern subjects that do not appear in the Programme of Work;
7. Notes with satisfaction the inclusion in the Programme of Work of the question of the right of asylum (Chapter II, B, 14), and hopes that the declaration on the right of asylum now being prepared may be a first step towards the drafting of a legal instrument making recognition of the right of asylum compulsory in accordance with Recommendation 434 (1965). While aware of the intricacies of this question, the Committee nevertheless wishes to stress the weakness of a declaration, which is no more than a token of good intentions, as opposed to a convention giving legal form and force to the recognition and exercise of the right of asylum;
8. Notes with particular satisfaction that the Programme of Work embodies all its proposals in Recommendation 445 regarding measures in favour of migrant workers and their families (Chapter III, I, B, 3) and even goes slightly further;
9. Stresses the value of a European Migrant Workers' Statute (Chapter III, II, 1) which would indeed be a firm foundation for co-operation between member countries where migrant workers are concerned;
10. Requests that item 8 of Chapter III, I, B, should provide not only for the organisation of the European Population Conference, but also for the possibility of taking action to follow it up after the Assembly has expressed its opinion;
11. Notes with deep regret that despite its repeated recommendations the question of convening a European Conference of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs has been relegated to Chapter III, Section IV : "Work under Study in the Secretariat";
12. Regrets, with reference to its earlier proposals formulated in "The Assembly's first contribution towards establishing the Programme of Work of the Council of Europe", that the question of suitable measures to facilitate the naturalisation of refugees has not been included in the Programme of Work while recognising that this question has not yet been the subject of a Recommendation to the Committee of Ministers (the Committee, realising that to simplify, unify and speed up naturalisation procedure would facilitate the rapid assimilation of refugees in their host countries, will submit proposals on this subject);
13. Considers that the measures to improve the situation, and in particular the legal status of refugees, including those engaged in the liberal professions (e.g. doctors, dentists etc.) on which the Assembly has adopted Recommendations, might well have been mentioned more explicitly in Chapter III : "The Social Structure";
14. Considers that it would be in accordance with the Statute of the Council if the Programme of Work were to list among its permanent activities the periodical study of problems arising out of population movements in Europe and their economic, social and cultural consequences;
15. Is of the opinion that the Council of Europe should continue to support the activities of international organisations concerned mainly with the refugee problem and, if need be, encourage their efforts with a view to hastening the assimilation of refugees in host countries;
16. Considers that the improvement of the situation of migrant workers should be one of the permanent items in the Programme of Work in view of the specific part that the Council of Europe can play in that field.
The Working Party :
1. Wishes to express the following opinion concerning problems of town and country planning, and hopes it will be taken into account both in carrying out the present programme and in drawing up future ones :
2. Convinced that town and country planning is a major concern of local authorities at all levels and in all countries;
3. Convinced that the problems of such planning transcend frontiers and call for European co-operation;
4. Convinced that such planning covers many different subjects and thus requires the establishment at all levels (including the European) of bodies responsible for co-ordinating the work of the various departments concerned;
5. Convinced that the Council of Europe has an important part to play in securing European co-operation in this field;
6. Noting that problems of town and country planning are not given a distinct place in the present Programme of Work, which contains merely an inadequate chapter entitled "His Physical Environment and Resources" (Chapter V) and a number of activities connected with such planning, scattered throughout the other chapters;
7. Recalling that the Assembly is continuing to examine possibilities of European cooperation in the town and country planning field in the light of the proposals presented by the Conference of Local Authorities;
8. Pending its 19th Session, when it intends to make fuller recommendations both on the establishment of European co-operation in matters of town and country planning and on the machinery to be set up in the Council of Europe,
9. Is of the opinion :
all the activities now included in Chapter V concerning nature conservation, landscape preservation, flora and fauna protection, water conservation, water pollution control, air pollution control and soil conservation;
social aspects of regional development (Chapter III, Section I, Point B, 9 (ii));
health problems of housing (Chapter IV, Section IV, Point I (ii));
equipment for outdoor leisure pursuits (Chapter VI, Section IV, Point 14, Section I, Point B, 34, Section V, Point 5);
provision of cultural facilities (Chapter VI, Section I, Points 38 and 39);
preservation and development of buildings and areas of historical or artistic interest (Chapter VI, Section I, Point B, 43);
cultural tourism (Chapter VI, Section I, Point B, 43);
localisation of vocational training centres (Chapter III, Section I, Point B, 4);
in the intergovernmental sectorNotethe European Committee for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources;the Social Committee (Sub-Committee on Social Aspects of Regional Development Policy);the Council for Cultural Co-operation (Committee for Out-of-School Education and Youth and the Cultural Rapporteur);the Intergovernmental Committee on Air Pollution;the Special Representative for National Refugees and Over-Population;
European Conference of Local Authorities (Working Party on Regional Planning and Development);
Consultative Assembly (Joint Working Party on Regional Planning);
10. Considers that all the activities of the European Committee for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources should be directed still more towards "preparing" the physical environment so as to meet the requirements of a "civilisation of leisure". To this end practical problems such as the restoration or improvement of the countryside might be studied :
in industrial areas (disposal and treatment of litter and refuse etc.);
in rural areas (forest protection and reafforestation, conversion of old quarries and sandpits into artificial lakes etc.);
11. Welcoming the fact that a European Conference on Nature Conservation and a European Nature Year are to be organised in 1970, expresses the hope that the Assembly may be associated with the organising of these important events;
12. Notes with satisfaction that in accordance with the Assembly's proposals, a Water Charter (Chapter V, Section II, Point B, 1) is now being drawn up, and requests :
13. Emphasises that in its Order No. 246 the Assembly decided to continue its preparatory studies for the drafting of a European Convention on fresh water pollution control and to make proposals on this subject at its 19th Session;
14. Recalls also that the Assembly is seized of a motion for a recommendation on the problems raised by the disposal of litter, refuse and other kinds of non-soluble waste material (Chapter V, Section IV, Point 1) and intends to make suggestions on the subject during its 19th Session.