A Draft Recommendation
The Assembly,
Noting that the Governments concerned have so far taken no action to give effect to its Recommendation 76 of 9th July 1955;
Regretting the lack of concern shown by the Governments in regard to t h e problems raised in this Recommendation;
Taking note with satisfaction of Opinion No. 2 of the First European Conference of Local Authorities on the local effects of t he E. C. S. C, and, particularly, of the paragraph of that Opinion requesting the Consultative Assembly " to take energetic action with a view to ensuring that the competent authorities give early effect to t h e provisions of this Recommendation " (Recommendation 76);
Urgently recalling the attention of the Governments concerned to the points raised in Recommendation 76,
Recommends, further, that the Committee of Ministers obtain an assurance from the Governments :
1. that they will take all necessary steps and, if need be, amend the Treaty and the Convention setting up the E. C. S. C. so as to allow local authorities, subject to their approval, to appeal to the High Authority for assistance in implementing the programmes they have drawn up, either individually or collectively as inter-municipal groups or through regional planning committees, in the following fields :
a Conversion of industry or creation of new industries to ensure the re-employment of redundant manpower from the coal and steel industries;
b Re-training of workers from the coal and steel industries obliged to seek new employment as a result of t h e institution of the Common Market;
c Vocational guidance and training of young workers with a view to their full employment in areas where coal and steel are the principal industries;
d Construction of workers' dwellings in the coal and steel industries and provision of the public and social services made necessary by such housing schemes : roads, schools, hospitals, mains supplies, etc.;
e Assistance to workers in the coal and steel industries on their transfer to other areas;
f Cultural relations and exchanges between regions whence workers migrate and those in which they settle.
The new clauses of the Treaty and Convention should stipulate that, when the High Authority takes action on . these lines, financial aid from the municipalities concerned may take the place of aid from Governments if and when such aid is required.
2. that they will invite the High Authority to set up a general guarantee fund, maintained according to requirements, in the currencies of all the member countries and foreign currencies obtained from loans raised by the High Authority, for the purpose of guaranteeing the loans which the local authorities concerned may be called upon to raise in order to provide the financial aid which is essential to the implementation of the programme set out in paragraph 1.
