Recommendation 477
(1967)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly Debate on 25th January 1967 (21st Sitting) (see Doc. 2164, report of the Cultural and Scientific Committee ; and Doc. 2165Doc. 2165, Opinion of the Economic Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 25th January 1967 (21st Sitting).
The Assembly,
2. Noting the reply of the Committee of Ministers to
Recommendation 461 (1966) stating in particular that :
2.1 "The Committee of Ministers are glad to find that, in general, the views of the Assembly are closely in line with the broad policy pursued by the Governments in the field of space";
ESRO
3. Having at a second debate on space policy matters examined the 1st General Report of the European Space Research Organisation (ESRO), which that Organisation has addressed to the Council of Europe in accordance with Resolution No. X of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of 1962 instituting ESRO and in accordance with a pursuant decision of the ESRO Council ;
4. Noting the set-back for the European space effort in general as a consequence of ESRO's difficulties in implementing its programme ;
5. Welcoming the proposal of the ESRO Council to hold a Ministerial Conference in the summer of 1967 to discuss the future of ESRO after the first eight-year period as well as the present difficulties in the operational programme ;
6. Adopting Resolution 335(1967) which is intended to lay before the Council and member Governments of ESRO certain specific proposals ;
General Space Policy Statement
7. Reiterating :
a its awareness of the fact that the gap between the space capacity of the USA and the USSR on the one hand, and that of Europe on the other hand, is wide and indeed widening ;
b its consciousness of the danger that the competitive power of the European economy and industry in world markets would decline, if Europe did not take a well-balanced, active and constructive part in space research and technology, in particular in the field of satellite telecommunications, navigational and meteorological satellites and television transmission, distribution and broadcast by satellites ;
c its belief that international cooperation on the widest possible scale is called for, but that nevertheless it is essential that Europe should play a significant part in its own right in the exploration of space for scientific purposes and in the exploitation of space technology for practical non-military purposes ;
Recent Developments
8. Noting with satisfaction the determination of interested Governments to examine, on the initiative of certain countries and in line with Recommendation 461 of the Assembly, the possibilities of creating the necessary institutional machinery for a European Space Policy ;
Space Policy as an integral part of a European Science Policy
9. Convinced that a European Space Policy ought to form an integral part of a European science policy designed to close the scientific and technological gap between Europe on the one side and the USA and the USSR on the other, and that this can only be realised on the basis of close co-operation between the member countries of the Council of Europe,
10. Recommends the Committee of Ministers to invite the member Governments :
1 to give urgent consideration to the overall situation concerning peaceful space activities in Europe in view of its great importance and present difficulties ;
2 to further the present development towards a fuller co-operation between the existing space organisations (mainly ESRO, ELDO and CETS) with the aim of establishing as soon as possible, in accordance with
Recommendation 461 (1966), a strong European organisation which would have, subject to Ministerial and parliamentary control, the authority to co-ordinate the non-military space efforts of Europe.
