The Assembly h a s , w i t h g r e a t i n t e r e s t, t a k e n note of t h e S i x t h R e p o r t , s u b m i t t e d to i t b y t h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l Labour Organisation, a n d it wishes to t h a n k I. L. 0 . for this s u r v e y of a c t i v i t i e s of p a r t i c u l a r i n t e r e s t to E u r o p e carried out b y t h a t Organisation.
The Assembly would t a k e t h i s opport u n i t y t o m a k e t h e following r e m a r k s :
1. Manpower problems and migration
The a t t e n t i o n of t h e C o m m i t t e e on Social Questions of t h e Assembly has been d r a w n t o t h e fact t h a t t h e Buildings, Civil E n g i n e e r i n g and P u b l i c Works Committee of I. L. O., at its last session (May 1956), i n v i t e d t h e G o v e r n i n g Body t o i n c l u d e in t h e agenda of t h e n e x t session of t h a t Committee t h e q u e s t i o n of i n t e r n a t i o n a l labour mobility i n t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n i n d u s t r y.
L'Assemblée estime que cette étude p r é s e n t e r a une grande u t i l i t é et q u ' i l convient d ' a c c o r d e r une a t t e n t i o n particulière à la s i t u a t i o n en Europe.
2. Social security of migrant workers
The Assembly a d o p t e d as long ago as A u g u s t 1950 a R e c o m m e n d a t i o n (29) calling for t h e conclusion of a general c o n v e n t i o n to p r o t e c t t h e social s e c u r i t y rights of migrant workers. It t a k e s a g r e a t i n t e r e s t in t h e efforts of I. L. 0 . and of t h e High A u t h o r i t y of t he E u r o p e a n Coal and Steel C o m m u n i t y in this field and hopes t h a t t h e convention, which is a l m o s t completed, will be open for accession b y t h e o t h e r Members of t h e Council of E u r o p e.
3. Social aspects of European economic co-operation
The highly i n t e r e s t i n g r e p o r t on this m a t t e r p r e p a r e d by t h e group of e x p e r t s set u p b y t h e Governing Body in p u r s u a n c e of a r e c o m m e n d a t i o n by t h e first E u r o p e a n Regional Conference of I. L. 0 . , has been brought t o t h e a t t e n t i o n of t h e Committee on Social Questions and the Committee on Economic Questions of t h e Assembly.
The Assembly notes w i t h satisfaction t h e m e n t i o n m a d e in t h i s r e p o r t of v a r i o u s proj e c t s of t h e Council of E u r o p e in t h e field of E u r o p e a n economic co-operation, such as t he Low Tariff Club, t h e S t r a s b o u r g P l a n and the E u r o p e a n I n v e s t m e n t Bank.
W i t h r e g a r d t o t h e special p o s i t i o n of S o u t h e r n E u r o p e , t h e Assembly wishes t o d r aw t h e a t t e n t i o n of I. L. 0 . to its Recommenda t i o n s 91 (26th October 1955) and 95 (20th April 1956), t h e t r e n d of which is i n h a r m o ny w i t h t h e conclusions of t h e group of experts. T h u s , R e c o m m e n d a t i o n 95 calls for t h e c r e a t i on of a E u r o p e a n Development F u n d to provide c a p i t a l in t h e form of g r a n t s and/or loans for d e v e l o p m e n t projects in Greece, Italy and T u r k e y .
The Assembly has n o t e d t h e conclusion of t h e group of e x p e r t s t h a t a h a r m o n i s a t i o n of social conditions and policies, i n c l u d i n g social charges, is not a p r e - c o n d i t i o n for a closer economic co-operation or for the functioning of a possible common m a r k e t.
The group of e x p e r t s has, f u r t h e r , in a c c o r d a n c e with i t s m a n d a t e , raised t h e quest i o n w h e t h e r , if a freer i n t e r n a t i o n a l m a r k et were e s t a b l i s h e d , i t might be n e c e s s a r y for t he c o u n t r i e s of E u r o p e to shape and c a r r y out t h e i r social policies w i t h a greater degree of i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o n s u l t a t i o n and co-ordination t h a n at present.
The e x p e r t s a p p e a r t o h a v e d e a l t w i th t h i s q u e s t i o n m a i n l y from an economic p o i n t of view. From t h i s a n g l e t h e i r conclusions m a y be f u l ly v a l i d : if a p p r o p r i a t e measures are t a k en t o e n c o u r a g e t h e d e v e l o p m e n t of i n d u s t r y in t he lower-income countries, t h e s t a n d a r d of living of workers in such countries would t e n d to i m p r o v e more r a p i d l y t h a n in c o u n t r i e s where t h e income is higher. The c o m p e t i t i o n on a common m a r k e t would not p r e v e n t a rise of t he s t a n d a r d of l i v i n g i n a n y c o u n t r y . There is no r e a s o n w h y c o u n t r i e s w h e r e economic a n d social c o n d i t i o n s are different should follow identical policies r e g a r d i n g , e.g. t h e l e n g t h of t h e w o r k i ng week or t h e financing of social security. It would p e r h a p s be w o r t h s t u d y i n g t h e p o s s i b i l i ty of h a r m o n i s i n g t o a c e r t a i n e x t e n t social policy a t t h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l level if t h e lack of such h a r m o n i s a t i o n were likely t o lead t o serious d i s t o r t i o n s in t h e s t r u c t u r e of t r a d e . From t h i s p o i n t of v i ew i t would be useful t o examine t h e difficulties e n c o u n t e r e d by c e r t a i n States in ratifying selected i n t e r n a t i o n a l labour c o n v e n t i o n s , and p a r t i c u l a r l y t h e Convention on equal p a y for equal work.
The Assembly does not contest the v a l i d i t y of t h e s e conclusions from an economic p o i n t of view. In a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e political r o l e which t h e Assembly, and the Council of E u r o p e as a whole, is called upon t o play, the Assembly wishes, however, to stress t h a t the c o n s i d e r a t i o n s of t h e group of e x p e r t s could usefully be s u p p l e m e n t e d by other considera t i o n s of a l o n g - t e rm social political nature. I t is t r u e t h a t t h e group of e x p e r t s has, in its r e p o r t , briefly t o u c h e d upon c o n s i d e r a t i o n s of a social order which would j u s t i f y a close i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o l l a b o r a t i o n in t h e social field, even a p a r t from economic r e a s o n s . From t h e point of view of t h e Assembly such social considera t i o n s should h a v e a b r o a d e r place.
It h a s , on several occasions, i n accordance with t h e principles of Article i of t he S t a t u t e of t h e Council of E u r o p e , called for a c e r t a i n h a r m o n i s a t i o n of social l e g i s l a t i o n and p r a c t i c e in the Member States. The aim should, of course, not be uniformity, which would be n e i t h e r possible nor desirable. But even allowing for n a t i o n a l differences w h i c h m ay be due b o t h t o different stages of economic d e v e l o p m e n t and to n a t i o n a l t r a d i t i o n s and preferences, the Assembly believes t h a t the Member States could and should agree on c e r t a i n main principles of social policy and c e r t a i n m i n i m u m s t a n d a r d s of social benefits a n d a d v a n t a g e s . The C o m m i t t e e of Ministers h a s also a c c e p t e d t h e principle of a harmoni s a t i o n of n a t i o n a l social a c t i v i t i e s.
While i t is t r u e , as s t a t e d b y t h e group of experts, t h a t a freer E u r o p e a n market would not hamper t h e further improvement i n w o r k e r s ' living s t a n d a r d s as p r o d u c t i v i t y is i n c r e a s e d , it is not c e r t a i n t h a t t h e increased w e a l t h flowing from closer economic coo p e r a t i o n would a u t o m a t i c a l l y benefit the workers t o a n e q u i t a b l e e x t e n t . The Assembly believes t h a t measures in t h e economic field s h o u l d be s u p p l e m e n t e d by an active social p o l i c y .
T h a t is w h y t h e Assembly has t a k en such a g r e a t i n t e r e s t in t h e framing of a Europ e a n Social Charter and a E u r o p e a n Code of Social Security.
The need, recognised by t h e group of e x p e r t s , for c e r t a i n social m e a s u r e s t o countera c t special difficulties which m a y arise o u t of t he l i b e r a l i s a t i o n of i n t e r n a t i o n a l t r a d e , would be met b y t h e a p p l i c a t i o n of t h e E u r o p e a n Social Chai'ter as conceived b y t h e Assembly.
The p r o p o s a l of t h e group of e x p e r t s to e x a m i n e t h e reasons w h y c e r t a i n i n t e r n a t i o n al l a b o u r c o n v e n t i o n s h a v e n o t b e e n r a t i f i e d b y a l a r g e r n u m b e r of E u r o p e a n G o v e r n m e n t s , and t h e proposal to establish higher European s t a n d a r d s in c e r t a i n fields can o n l y b e welcomed b y t h e Assembly, since t h e s e ideas are in comp l e t e h a r m o n y w i t h i t s own views as expressed on several occasions.