641st meeting – 15 and 18 September 1998
Item 9.3
CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES OF EUROPE
(CLRAE)
Texts adopted at the 5th Session
(Strasbourg, 26-28 May 1998)
(CM/Inf(98)23 and 24)
Decisions
The Deputies
Concerning Recommendation 40 (98) on the draft European Landscape Convention:
1. took note of the draft European Landscape Convention;
2. adopted Decision No. CM/703/180998 assigning ad hoc terms of reference to the Cultural Heritage Committee (CC-PAT) and to the Committee for the activities of the Council of Europe in the field of biological and landscape diversity (CO-DBP) , as it appears at Appendix 40 to the present volume of Decisions, asking them to consider:
a) the need and feasibility of preparing a landscape convention text under the auspices of the Council of Europe taking into account especially the CLRAE's draft European Landscape Convention set out in Recommendation 40 (1998), in consultation with the International Guiding and Co-ordinating Group (GI-CAMP) and,
b) if necessary, the procedure and methods for preparing this text, within the planned campaign "Europe, a common heritage";
3. agreed to resume consideration of this item in the light of the opinions provided by the bodies mentioned in decision 2 above at one of their forthcoming meetings;
Concerning Recommendation 41 (1998) on new prospects for regional/spatial planning policy in greater Europe:
4. took note of Recommendation 41 and, in particular, of the Final Declaration unanimously adopted on 5 April 1997 at the Pan-European Conference on Regional/Spatial Planning (Poznan, 3-5 April 1997);
5. asked their Rapporteur Group on the Intergovernmental Programme of Activities (GR-IPA) to study the possibility of integrating the CEMAT Committee of Senior Officials into the system of Steering Committees of the Council of Europe responsible for launching a regional/spatial planning assistance programme for countries of Central and Eastern Europe;
6. asked their Rapporteur Group on Democratic Stability in Europe (GR-EDS), in the framework of the 1999 co-operation programme, to study the possibility of launching a regional/spatial planning assistance programme for countries of Central and Eastern Europe if there is a request on their part, in co-operation with the CEMAT and the CLRAE, and in co-ordination with the implementation of the Interreg II C initiative, PHARE and TACIS programmes of the European Commission (see paragraph 7.4, 8.1, and 8.2 of the Recommendation);
7. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to their Governments for consideration, in particular of paragraph 10;
8. agreed to transmit paragraph 9.1 of the Recommendation to the European Commission and paragraph 9.2 to the European Parliament for consideration;
9. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the CEMAT Committee of Senior Officials for consideration of the proposals contained in paragraphs 7 + 8;
10. agreed to resume consideration of this item at one of their forthcoming meetings in the light of the discussion of the two Rapporteur Groups mentioned in decisions 7 and 8 above;
Concerning Recommendation 42 (1998) on nuclear safety and local/regional democracy:
11. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to their Governments, in particular its paragraphs 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26;
12. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the European Commission, drawing its attention in particular to paragraph 28;
Concerning Recommendation 43 (1998) on territorial autonomy and national minorities:
13. adopted Decision No. CM/704/180998 , as it appears at Appendix 41, assigning ad hoc terms of reference to the Steering Committee on Human Rights (CDDH) to give an opinion on CLRAE Recommendation 43 (1998) on territorial autonomy and national minorities.
Concerning Recommendation 44 (1998) on the crisis in Kosovo:
14. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the OSCE and the European Commission drawing their attention, in particular to paragraphs 13,18 and 20;
15. took note of the co-operation between the CLRAE and the Commission for Democracy through Law concerning the autonomous status of Gagauzia and the municipal divisions in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the possibility of such co-operation in respect of Kosovo;
Concerning Recommendation 45 (1998) on the situation of local and regional self-government in the republic of Bulgaria:
16. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria;
17. agreed to bear it in mind in the framework of monitoring of Bulgarian commitments in the field of local democracy;
18. agreed to bear in mind the CLRAE observations and recommendations during the budget debate on the programme of intergovernmental activities for 1999, particularly with regard to local and regional self-government under the ADACS Programme;
19. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers examined Recommendation 45 (1998) on the situation of local and regional self-government in the Republic of Bulgaria at its 641st meeting (15 September 1998). It decided to transmit it to the Government of Bulgaria and to bear it in mind in the framework of monitoring of Bulgarian commitments in the field of local democracy." ;
Concerning Recommendation 46 (1998) on the state of local and regional democracy in Croatia:
20. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the Government of Croatia;
21. agreed to bear it in mind in the framework of monitoring Croatian commitments in the field of local democracy and to transmit it to the Rapporteur Group for Democratic Stability (GREDS) in this context;
22. agreed to bear in mind the CLRAE observations and recommendations during the budget debate on the programme of intergovernmental activities for 1999, particularly with regard to local and regional self-government under the Lode Programme and other co-operation programmes;
23. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers examined Recommendation 46 (1998) on the state of local and regional democracy in Croatia at its 641st meeting (15 September 1998). It decided to transmit it to the Government of Croatia and to bear this Recommendation, as well as CLRAE's previous observations and recommendations on the same items, in mind in the framework of monitoring of Croatian commitments in the field of local democracy." ;
Concerning Recommendation 47 (1998) on local and regional democracy in Latvia:
24. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the Government of Latvia;
25. agreed to bear it in mind in the framework of monitoring of Latvian commitments in the field of local democracy;
26 adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers examined Recommendation 47 (1998) on local and regional democracy in Latvia at its 641st meeting (15 September 1998). It decided to transmit it to the Government of Latvia and to bear this Recommendation, as well as CLRAE's previous observations and recommendations on the same items, in mind in the framework of monitoring of Latvian commitments in the field of local democracy." ;
Concerning Recommendation 48 (1998) on Local and Regional Democracy in Ukraine:
27 agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the Government of Ukraine;
28. took note of the inclusion of additional items in a revised Council of Europe/European Commission Joint Programme for Ukraine;
29. agreed to bear it in mind in the framework of monitoring Ukrainian commitments in the field of local democracy;
30. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers examined Recommendation 48 (1998) on Local and Regional Democracy in Ukraine at its 641st meeting (15 September 1998). It decided to transmit it to the Government of Ukraine and to bear this Recommendation, as well as CLRAE's previous observations and recommendations on the same items, in mind in the framework of monitoring of Ukrainian commitments in the field of local democracy." ;
Concerning Recommendation 49 (1998) on the situation of local and regional democracy in the United Kingdom:
31. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the Government of the United Kingdom;
32. agreed to bear it in mind in the framework of monitoring United Kingdom commitments in the field of local democracy;
33. agreed to bear in mind for the budgetary debate for 1999 the offer by the CLRAE to assist the authorities of the United Kingdom, if they so wish, with intended reforms or reform Bills on development of local self-government in the United Kingdom;
34. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation :
"The Committee of Ministers examined Recommendation 49 (1998) on the situation of local and regional democracy in the United Kingdom at its 641st meeting (15 September 1998). It decided to transmit it to the Government of the United Kingdom and to bear it in mind in the framework of monitoring of the United Kingdom's commitments in the field of local democracy." ;
Concerning Recommendation 50 (1998) on decentralised co-operation and migration in the Mediterranean basin:
35. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the Governments of member States of the Council of Europe;
36. invited their Working Party on Co-operation in the Mediterranean Basin (GT-MED) to consider the proposals contained in Recommendation 50 (1998) and particularly in paragraph 10 a), b), and d);
37. agreed to transmit the Recommendation, and in particular paragraph 11, to the governing board of the Social Development Fund;
38. instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to the Recommendation;
Concerning Recommendation 51 (1998) on Social Cohesion in Towns:
39. invited their Rapporteur Group on Social and Health Questions (GR-SOC) to consider the proposal defined in paragraph 10 of the Recommendation and in its appendix;
40. agreed to transmit the Recommendation, and in particular paragraph 11, to the European Committee for Social Cohesion for consideration;
Concerning Recommendation 52 (1998) on the regions and employment: contribution to social cohesion in Europe:
41. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to their Governments, drawing their attention to paragraph 27I, to the European Commission, drawing its attention to paragraph 27 II and to the OECD, drawing its attention to paragraph 27 III;
42. agreed to transmit the attention of the Social Development Fund to paragraph 27 VI;
43. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the European Committee for Social Cohesion for consideration;
44. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the Steering Committee on Local Democracy (CDLR) asking it to take account of paragraph 27 IV 2 b when organising its future work;
45. agreed to transmit it to the European Population Committee (CDPO) asking it to take account of paragraph 27 IV 2 d when organising its future work;
Concerning Opinion 8 on the draft Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers prepared by the CDLR on the control and auditing of local authorities' action:
46. took note of this Opinion;
Concerning the CLRAE Resolutions 60 - 73:
47. took note of these Resolutions;
Concerning Resolution 61 (1998) on the Statutory Reinforcement and the Revision of the Charter of the Congress:
48. invited their Rapporteur Group on Environment and Local Authorities (GR-E) to hold a preliminary exchange of views on the text and, if necessary, to discuss it with representatives of the Congress;
49. agreed to resume consideration of the statutory reinforcement of the CLRAE in the light of the report by the Committee of Wise Persons and proposals by the Secretary General;
50. agreed to resume consideration of the CLRAE Charter (paragraph 10) at a hearing of the three Presidents of the Congress and its two Chambers and subsequently on the basis of proposals to be adopted by the CLRAE in June 1999;
Concerning Resolution 73 (1998) on Local Democracy Agencies:
51. took note of the new denomination of the local democracy agencies;
52. invited their Rapporteur Group on Democratic Stability in Europe (GR-EDS) to take the Resolution into account in their discussion on local democracy agencies.
53. invited their Chairman to inform the President of the Congress of these decisions.