WESTERN EUROPEAN UNION ASSEMBLY
8th November, 1955.
Sir,
At its fourth Sitting on 28th October, 1955, the Assembly of Western European Union decided to transmit Chapter I of the First Annual Report submitted to it by the Council to the President of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, with a request that the comments of the Consultative Assembly thereon be communicated to the W E U Assembly by 31st January, 1956.
In accordance with this decision, I have the honour to send you herewith copies of Chapter I of the Report in question. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient Servant,
Signed : Noel SALTER Temporary Head of the Office of the Clerk.
The Clerk of the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe.
(a) The Council notes that the members of the WEU Assembly have already been informed of the work of the Cultural and Social Sections through the reports transmitted by the Secretariat of the Brussels Treaty Organisation to the Council of Europe. The most recent of these reports (covering the period September, 1954 to May, 1955) is included among the documents of the Consultative Assembly (Working Papers, Volume V, Document 340 340).
(b) This report was transmitted to the Council of Europe under an agreement concluded between the Secretariat of the Council of Europe and that of the Brussels Treaty Organisation. The Agreement was officially confirmed in an exchange of letters dated 15th November, 1951, and-4th April, 1952, and followed the decision taken by the Committee of Ministers to place Recommendation 19 of the Consultative Assembly before the five Foreign Ministers of the Brussels Treaty countries.
This procedure and the instruments which sanction it refer to the Brussels Treaty Organisation; which had no parliamentary Assembly.
(c) The existence of a parliamentary Assembly within the framework of the modified Brussels Treaty establishing Western European Union has brought about a new situation which could affect the above-mentioned agreement between the Secretariats.
The Council feels, however, that it will be desirable to continue the previous practice and would accordingly continue to transmit the reports on the work of these sections to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, in addition to including them in the annual report from. the Council to the Assembly.
Whereas the Brussels Treaty Organisation was a small group within the Council of Europe, Western European Union represents a substantial proportion of the latter Organisation, ft is therefore important that the cultural and social delegations of the seven member, countries of Western European Union should avoid conducting their work in such a way as to diminish the value of their participation in the cultural and social activities of the Council of Europe. The delegations will, therefore, aim within the Council of Europe committees to promote the idea of European unity; while pursuing the same objective in Western European Union, they will put the accent on better understanding and closer co-operation between the seven countries.
The work of the Cultural and Social Sections of Western European Union is to some extent experimental, similar to that done in a laboratory.
The work of the Cultural and Social Sections of Western European Union is to some extent experimental, similar to that done in a laboratory.
In carrying out this work, the committees feel they may be able to prevent failures and false starts in the larger organisations. They also hope it may be possible to extend to the Council of Europe such of their activities as have been successful, and which are suitable for adoption in the wider framework of that body.
This Conference took place under the auspices of W. E. U. at Cambridge from 19th to 27th July, 1955. About 100 Rectors and Vice-Chancellors from fourteen different countries took part (including representatives of almost all the universities of W. E. U.) and over 30 senior Government officials.
In the course of its sessions the Conference formulated a number of resolutions and recommendations on the administration, teaching and research work of universities and on measures necessary to increase the exchange of professors and students between the universities of the different European countries. The implementation of these will be considered at a meeting, in November, 1955, of a smaller Organising Committee composed of Rectors and Government officials.
At the closing session, delegates thanked Western European Union for its happy initiative in convening this Conference, till now the only one of its kind, and congratulated the Organization on the way it had been organised.
The Conference recommended unanimously that it would be extremely valuable for university education if similar gatherings were held periodically. The Council of W. E. U., in approving this proposal, has decided thai, a Conference should be held every five years.
The Report of the Conference, including the Resolutions and Recommendations, will be published on 1st January, 1956.
The Cultural Committee has drawn up the programme of courses for the years 1955, 1956 and 1957.
Two courses have been arranged for 1955 : one in France for educational inspectors; the other to be organised by the Benelux countries for teachers.
The first of this series of courses was held immediately before the first session of the WEU Cultural Committee. The second will be organised by the French delegation immediately before the next session, to be held from 12th to 15th December, 1955. These courses enable delegates to obtain an understanding of the functioning of the Government departments of the other member countries, thus facilitating co-operation between them.
The series of five educational films on physical geography will be ready at the beginning of 1956. Progress has been made in the co-production of the film, " December, the Children's Month ". An international collection of songs for young people will be published by the end of the year, A first step to encourage School-linking schemes has been taken by the Youth Sub-Committee : experts met to examine the problems relating to this question, and drew up a collective factual report.
The Government Officials Sub-Committee held its 4th session in London from 9th to 11th August. This sub-committee was set up in 1951 to promote closer relations between Government officials and other members of the public services, and, in general, to encourage a more exact knowledge and mutual appreciation of the administrative principles and practice of the governments concerned. One of its main tasks is to organise and co-ordinate the courses for Government officials held in rotation in each of the member countries. The 1955 course took place in France from 6th to 22nd June, its theme being " The rôle of the administrative and technical official in the conception and execution of planning ". This general theme was studied in relation to three particular subjects : the expansion of large towns, co-ordination of transport, hospital organisation.
The theme proposed for the Government Officials course to be held in the United Kingdom in 1956 is " The Civil Servant and the Protection of the Citizen ". This theme will be studied in relation to the administration and control of the police, factory inspection, health and welfare, and social insurance and assistance and employment services.
The Cultural Committee is composed of Heads of Cultural Relations Departments in Foreign Offices, and Secretaries-General of Ministries of Education, of the seven countries. It acts through the medium of five subordinate bodies (composed of senior Government officials in each of the departments concerned) which, in certain cases, have set up working groups.
The main cultural activities are :
2 meeting s of the Cultural Committee (June and December)
2 meeting s of the Youth Sub-Committee (May and September)
1 meetin g of the Working Party on School-Linking (March)
2 meeting s of the Non-commercial Cinema Sub-Committee (April and October)
3 meeting s of the Contacts Committee on Joint Film Production (February, April and October)
2 meeting s of the Working Party on Educational Films (April and October)
1 conferenc e on University problems (July)
1 meetin g of the Organising Committee (November)
5 meeting s of the Steering Committee (January, June, July (3))
1 meetin g of Government Officials Sub-Committee (August) ;
2 Course s for Cultural Committee delegates (June and December)
2 Yout h Courses (August and November)
1 Teachers ' Course (October)
1 Educational Inspectors' Course (November)
1 Governmen t Officials Course (June);
" Collective - Report on School-linking Scheme " (April) .
" Internationa l Song-Book " (December)
Series of five educational films on physical geography (December)
" Glossar y of Cinema Terminology " (November)
" Glossar y of Cinema Terminology " (November)
" Factua l Background to the Agenda " for Universities' Conference (May)
" Cambridg e Conference Report " (December).
| YOUTH | FILMS | EDUCATION | UNIVERSITIES | GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS YOUTH FILMS EDUCATION UNIVERSITIES ADMINISTRATIVE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-Committee | Sub-Committee | Sub-Committee | Organising Committee | Sub-Committee |
| 2 Yout h Courses | ||||
| School Linking Working Party | Contacts Committee | Teachers Course | Steering Committee | Government Officials Course |
| School Party Travel Working Party | Working Party on Educational Films | Inspectors Course | University Conference (150 delegates 5-yearly) | |
| Working Party on the Exchange of Young Workers | Working Party on Children's Films | |||
| Collective Passports Experts |
The Committee on the Rehabilitation and Resettlement of the Disabled met for the first time on the Seven-Power level on September 27th—30th. At present, its work has two main objects : first, to establish common standards of policy and practice in rehabilitation and resettlement that should be followed in all the countries ; secondly, to exchange factual ; information on technical or scientific matters. The work of the Committee can be divided into, on the one hand, studies of particular types of disability, and, on the other, studies of the general problems which arise, irrespective of the nature of the disability.
As regards the first category, the Committee at its recent meeting drew up one recommendation on specialised transport for amputees and paraplegics and another on the rehabilitation of the mentally deficient. Two particular types of disability are to be considered at the next session : brain injuries and neurosis, fn addition, the rehabilitation of diss bled children,and young persons in relation to their subsequent resettlement is to be studie
As regards the second category, the Committee has drawn the attention of Governments to the importance of disposing of the most complete information possible in the sphere of rehabilitation, and to the necessity of working out appropriate methods of providing this information. As a first experiment, it has itself undertaken a study of criteria which should govern the compilation of statistics about paraplegics. The Committee also intends to study at its next meeting the practical methods used in finding employment for, and placing, disabled persons.
The Public Health Committee met for the first time within the wider framework on 4tb—-7th October. Its work can be reviewed under two main headings :
The agreement on the health control of sea and air traffic is to be extended to the two new member countries of Western European Union. Under this Agreement, the five Brus-sels Treaty countries form an " excepted area " as regards health control of aircraft and ships : an aircraft which begins its flight at one place within the " excepted area " and does not call during its voyage at any place outside that area, is not in normal circumstances subjected to health control on its arrival at any other place within the area. Similarly as regards seaport health control, the Maritime Declaration of Health is not required from any ship trading solely between the " excepted ports " and not calling at any other port during its voyage.
A new study now being undertaken by the Committee is that of air pollution. On the basis of a preliminary exchange of A'iews, when replies have been received from delegations, a collective report will be compiled. Another question of concern to the Committee is that of food-poisoning, and a detailed study is to be made of causes, incidence, etc. The study begun within the Brussels Treaty Organisation of the control of the irregular practice of the art of healing is being continued. Certain public health questions are reviewed at each meeting of the Committee; of these, the most important discussed at the last meeting was poliomyelitis.
Neither of the sub-committees on public health questions has yet met at the seven-country level. The Sub-Committee on Pharmaceutical Products, and its working party on the Standardisation of Essential Drugs for the Civil Population in Time of War, will be meeting this autumn, as will the Sub-Committee on the Health Control of Foodstuffs. The working parties on the health aspects of civil defence are to continue their studies of organisational jjroblems and hospital techniques.
The Social Committee has not yet met within the wider framework, nor have its sub-committees on social security and on industrial safety and health, or its Working Group on statistical questions. The accession of the two new member countries to the Conventions and agreements already concluded between the Five will be examined, as will their association with the current work of the Committee and its subordinate bodies which includes such questions as the manpower exchange scheme, safety in the building industry, the increasing cost of sickness and invalidity benefits, etc. (see point 6 below).
The machinery for social co-operation within Western European Union will at the outset be the same as that of the Brussels Treaty Organisation, that is, three main committees : the Social Committee, the Public Health Committee and the Joint Committee on the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, their standing sub-committees on social security, industrial safety and health, pharmaceutical products, and the health control of foodstuffs, and working parties on statistical methods and on such questions as the public health aspects of civil defence and the standardisation of . essential drugs, etc. These committees and sub-committees are composed of experts from Government departments or services.
The Liaison Section system instituted by the Brussels Treaty Organisation will continue to operate. The preparation of the working documents of the Committees and their subordinate bodies is undertaken by the Government departments concerned (for instance the Ministries of Labour, Public Health, Pensions, National Insurance or Social Security). The forwarding and translation of such papers are the responsibility of the Liaison Sections established in these Ministries to co-ordinate, on the national level and within their Ministry, the activities undertaken in application of the Treaty.
(a) Two meetings of each of the undermentioned Committees and subordinate bodies :
Social Security Sub-Committee Industrial Safety and Health Sub-Committee
Statisticians' Working Party;
Pharmaceutical Products Sub-Committee
Health Control of Foodstuffs Sub-Committee
Working Party on drugs essential to the civil population in time of war
Working Party on the Health Aspects of Civil Defence;
(b) Distribution of the under-mentioned Reports
" Genera l Principles for the rehabilitation of amputees "
" Recommendation s and conclusions of the Joint Committee on the Rehabilitation of the Disabled "
" Polic y of the Brussels Treaty countries concerning foreign manpower "
" Draf t international scheme for the labelling of dangerous substances used in agriculture and industry "
" Wor k of the Organisation on the health control of foodstuffs "
(c) Extension to the two new member countries of W. E. U. of the agreements and arrangements concluded within the Brussels Treaty Organisation.
including an indication of the type of subjects currently dealt with
Settlemen t of disputes in industrial relations
Apprenticeshi p
Administratio n of appointments services
Manpower Sub-CommitteeManpowe r exchange systemWelfare services for women and young workers
Social Security Sub-Committee-Operatio n of multilateral and bilateral Social Security ConventionsIncreasin g cost of sickness and invalidity benefitsOverlappin g benefits under social security schemes
Industrial Safety and Health Sub-CommitteeAccident s in the building industrySafet y regulations for lifting gear and machineryLabellin g of dangerous chemicals used in agriculture and industry
Statisticians' Working PartyTota l wages and social costsFamil y budget statisticsPrice indices
Irregula r practice of the art of healing
Poliomyeliti s
Healt h Control of sea and air Traffic
Pharmaceutical Products Sub-CommitteeSocia l security legislation inN relation to proprietary medicinesStandardisation of labelling of drugsClassification of drugs containing poisonous substances
Health Control of Foodstuffs Sub-CommitteeAddition of colouring matter in foodstuffsDanger s to the consumer of the use of pesticides in agriculturePreservatives added to foodstuffs
Working Party on drugs essential to the civil population in time of war
Working Parties on the Health Aspects of Civil DefenceBloo d transfusionsHospita l Organisation
Rehabilitation of epileptics, paraplegics, neurotics
Practical methods used in finding employment for disabled persons