The Committee on Economic Questions having shown its interest- in the plan for the production of a Council of Europe stamp issue the Secretary-General examined the problems which would be involved in the negotiation of an Agreement with the French Government for this purpose. It became apparent, in the first place, that the problem of producing a special stamp does not assume the same complexion for the Council of Europe as for the United Nations and that no facile parallel should therefore be drawn in seeking means to solve the problem.
The United Nations employ several thousand persons and send out daily a volume of mail far greater than does the Council of Europe. It seems quite out of proportion with the actual needs of the Secretariat, at least at the present stage of development of the Council, to set up a permanent Post Office (under the aegis of the French P. T. T.) in the Palais de l'Europe. While therefore ruling out the original formula, as adopted by the United Nations, an endeavour was made to find some sort of solution whereby the objective sought would be in proportion to the present modest needs and limited means of the Council. As the essential purpose of the special issue lay in its propaganda effect, the adoption was considered of a special issue stamp with engravings symbolic of Europe. Responsibility for printing arrangements and accountancy would be undertaken by the French Post Office and the whole series then given over to the Secretariat.
The production of a special issue of Council of Europe stamps would be a first symbolic step towards the final objective of having a European stamp of a uniform type adopted in all the countries of the Council.
" The Assembly,
Having noted the work performed by the Committee on Economic Questions in pursuance of the Recommendation concerning the creation of a uniform European Postage Stamp,
Recognising, in the light of the experience thus gained, that any attempt to give practical effect to the above Recommendation might well evoke only tepid enthusiasm among the majority of the Member States at the present time,
Expresses the hope that the examination of the question may be pursued by the appropriate departments of the Member States, with a view to devising solutions which might make it easier for the original Recommendation of the Assembly to be accepted by those States,
Invites the Secretariat-General to make appropriate arrangements with the competent administrative department of the French Government for issuing a special series of stamps for the Council of Europe, as a first symbolic step towards the adoption of a uniform European Postage Stamp. "