Considering it to be of the highest importance that local
communities and their representatives should be associated with
the establishment of European unity and, in particular, with the
propagation of the cause of European unity,
a that the conception
of "communal interest", the legal basis for the intervention of
local authorities in political matters, should be interpreted broadly
by the Ministries concerned and, more specifically, that these Ministries
should not oppose any action taken by the municipalities whenever
it conforms with the declared principles of the policy of their
Governments, such as are laid down in the Preamble and in Article
1 of the Statute of the Council of Europe ;
b That the Ministries concerned should in no way obstruct
but should, on the contrary, encourage the local authorities to
give material and financial assistance to pro-European activities
and, whenever possible, support local action, in particular by subsidising
such activities as the establishment or maintenance of centres of
European studies or the organisation of "Europe Days " ;
c That they should authorise and facilitate the establishment
of permanent relations and, if need be, organic links among municipalities
of different Member countries ;
d that the Secretariat-General be empowered to extend all
possible assistance to the national and international associations
of local authorities and to the communities themselves in connection
with " pairings ", inter-municipal meetings and, in general, all
schemes for closer relations between the local authorities of member
countries ; and, in particular, that it be provided with the necessary
funds for :
i the preparation of
a document on the " pairing " of municipalities and its distribution
to European municipalities seeking to, or in a position to, pair
with another ;
ii the annual award of a European Prize to the municipality
which has done most to propagate the ideal of European unity ;
iii the holding of periodical meetings of a permanent Working
Party, composed of members of the Special Committee on Municipal
and Regional Affairs, and representatives of the national associations
of local authorities.
