Organisation of a European Symposium on Frontier Regions

Resolution 472 (1971)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 22 January 1971 (24th Sitting) (seeDoc. 2876, report of the Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities). Text adopted by the Assembly on 22 January 1971 (24th Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Considering the increasing need for co-operation in European frontier regions ;

2. Noting with interest that a study by the Committee on Co-operation in Municipal and Regional Matters of methods of co-operation between local authorities at international level, with the aim of promoting co-operation between local authorities in frontier areas in dealing with their common problems, has been included in the Intergovernmental Work Programme ;

3. Particularly welcoming the importance attached by the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning to the special planning problems of frontier regions in its final resolution, in requesting "governments to co-ordinate their planning policies and measures in these regions with the participation of those directly concerned, in particular by creating regional committees to hold periodic meetings in order to co-ordinate the preparation and timing of regional plans" ;

4. Convinced that it is advisable, before drawing up new proposals for submission to the governments, to prepare, together with the representatives of the frontier regions, a provisional survey,

5. Decides :

a to organise at the latest 1972 a European Symposium on frontier regions at the seat of the Council of Europe or in some other European town, in charge of studying :

the co-operation already existing in frontier regions,

the difficulties encountered when putting such co-operation into effect,

ways and means of furthering co-operation between local and regional communities along national frontiers in Europe ;

b to invite for this purpose elected representatives from European frontier regions and persons responsible for technical aspects of planning and co-operation in these regions ;

c to ask national parliaments to designate their members especially interested in these matters to participate in this Symposium ;

d to invite the European Conference of Local Authorities to accept joint patronage with the Assembly and to help with the preparation and organisation of the Symposium ;

e to invite the Secretary General to assist the Assembly and the European Conference of Local Authorities in implementing this resolution and, if need be, to request the Committee of Ministers to grant additional funds ;

f to request the Committee of Ministers to appoint one or more government experts to represent it at the Symposium, for instance members of the Committee on Cooperation in Municipal and Regional Matters and of the Committee of Senior Officials in charge of preparations for the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning ;

g to instruct its Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities to take all steps necessary to bring about this Symposium and to report to it on the results.