Item 12.1 

Decentralised co-operation and migration in the Mediterranean Basin – Recommendation 50 (1998) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe
(GT-MED(2001)2, CB1 and CLRAE Rec_50 (1998)) 

 

Decision  

The Deputies adopted the following reply to Recommendation 50 (1998) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) on Decentralised co-operation and migration in the Mediterranean Basin: 

“The Committee of Ministers has studied Recommendation CLRAE 50 (1998) on decentralised co-operation and migration in the Mediterranean Basin and examined the text in depth. 

The Committee of Ministers welcomes the attention which the Congress is continuing to devote to the issue of migration flows in the Mediterranean with a view to promoting the appropriate measures to help solve the problems such movements of population can create. 

The Committee of Ministers is aware of the difficulties being faced in member states by national, local and, where they exist, regional authorities, in ensuring that the population movements in question proceed with respect for the relevant international conventions and national legislation, protecting individuals' dignity and fundamental rights. 

This is why it supports the initiative of the Apulia Region in Italy in hosting an Inter-Regional Observatory of Mediterranean Migration, and welcomes the support this venture is receiving from the Italian authorities.  The Committee of Ministers is convinced that the Observatory will not only improve our comprehension of the true extent of the migration phenomenon but also provide policy-makers in the Mediterranean countries with the means of developing the requisite dialogue and any co-operation that may prove necessary. 

The Committee of Ministers acknowledges that the Mediterranean Basin is a place of exchange and contact among countries and cultures that have exercised a mutual influence for many centuries.  It salutes the efforts of states on both sides of the Mediterranean to deepen this dialogue at all levels, taking account of the principle of subsidiarity.  The relevant conventions formulated within the Council of Europe may, in this context, provide a positive contribution to strengthening local self-government, transborder co-operation and improved intercultural relations. 

The Committee of Ministers draws attention to the fact that certain international organisations, notably the European Union, the International Organization for Migration, as well as the Council of Europe Development Bank can contribute to the solution of problems caused by these population movements, including the struggle against traffic in human beings, both in receiving and in transit countries. 

In this context, the Committee of Ministers welcomes the contribution of the European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity – a Council of Europe Partial Agreement -  which strives to promote Euro-mediterranean partnership in the fields of human rights, social cohesion, intercultural understanding and tolerance. 

The Committee of Ministers is continuing its dialogue with the European Union, whose Mediterranean policy is an important factor in the stability of the continent and its friendly and constructive relations between Europe and the States on the southern shore.”