540th meeting 7 June 1995

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APPENDIX 6

(item 9.1)

REPLY FROM THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

TO THE CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES

OF EUROPE CONCERNING RECOMMENDATION 9 (1995) ON

THE 6TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF FRONTIER REGIONS

"The Committee of Ministers has examined with interest Recommendation 9 (1995) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe on the 6th European Conference of Frontier Regions and wishes to inform the Congress that it has decided to bring it to the attention of the Governments of member States and also to forward it to the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions of the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. It wishes to inform the Congress that the Parliamentary Assembly recently forwarded to it Recommendation 1268 (1995) on the same subject and it is pleased to note the similarity of the positions adopted by these two bodies on such an important issue for the future of European co-operation.

The Committee of Ministers recognises that the development of friendly and co-operative relations between local authorities with a common border contributes greatly to the growth of solidarity and mutual trust between countries of Europe (III.1). It wishes to inform the Congress that the draft Additional Protocol to the European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities is under consideration in the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Authorities (CDLR). As regards the proposed Convention on Inter-territorial Co-operation drawn up by the Congress, it is currently under consideration by the Select Committee of Experts on Transfrontier Co-operation to which it has been forwarded by the Committee of Ministers.

The Committee of Ministers confirms its support for the programmes of co-operation and assistance aimed primarily at the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (III.2) and was interested to receive the Secretary General's supplementary proposals for intensifying that co-operation. It intends to analyse them carefully, also in terms of any staff reinforcements which their implementation might necessitate, when examining the draft Council of Europe budget for 1996.

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Appendix 6

The Committee of Ministers draws attention to Project I.10 (b) of the Intergovernmental Programme of Activities for 1995, concerning transfrontier co-operation in Central and Eastern Europe, and observes that the study on the state of transfrontier co-operation recommended by the Congress (III.3) fits naturally into the context of this activity.

The Committee of Ministers also wishes to inform the Congress that the growing number of topics of work related to transfrontier co-operation has prompted it to set up a Committee of Advisers consisting of leading specialists, including one proposed by the Congress itself, which it has asked to assist the Secretary General in considering an overall strategy to guide the Council of Europe's work in this field. The Committee of Ministers has referred Recommendation 9 (1995) to this Committee of Advisers, asking it to bear it in mind when drawing up its proposals, which are expected before the end of 1995.

The Committee of Ministers shares the wish of the Congress that better use should be made - at national and European level - of the forward-looking work done by the Committee of Senior Officials responsible for preparing the European Conferences of Ministers responsible for Regional/Spatial Planning (III.5). It points out in this connection that, after the Dresden Colloquy (1993) on regional/spatial planning in Central Europe, other seminars are planned in Prague, in Greece and in Helsinki so that the special problems of the various regions of Europe can be addressed before the next session of the Conference in 1997. The European Union is observing these activities with great interest. Consideration will be given to the practical follow-up to these seminars and to the work of the European Union.

As regards support for initiatives aimed at setting up other Euro-regions in Central and Eastern Europe (III.8) and the convening of an ad hoc ministerial conference to analyse transfrontier co-operation in Central and Eastern Europe (III.9), the Committee of Ministers considers that, to be effective, such initiatives should form part of an overall strategy of the kind it has asked the Secretary General and the Committee of Advisers to draw up.

The Committee of Ministers has decided to transmit Recommendation 9 (1995) (especially those paragraphs addressed to them) to the Steering Committee of Local and Regional Authorities (CDLR), to the Committee of Senior Officials of CEMAT, to the Council for Cultural Co-operation (CDCC) and to the Steering Committee for the Conservation and Management of the Environment and Natural Habitats (CDPE)."