Doc. 9704

13 February 2003

Education for Europe

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mr Prisăcaru and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1.       The Assembly reaffirms the pan European nature of the Council of Europe as an organisation expressing the will of its member states to accomplish the enlargement and the deepening of Europe as a common space;

2.       The Assembly welcomes the considerable amount of effort made by thousands of associations, foundations, NGOs or organisations - among which the Council of Europe has a special place - in order to promote and/or enrich the conscience of a European identity;

3.       The Assembly takes note from current polls carried out in Europe - irrespective of the country - that the level of mutual understanding and appreciation is unsatisfactory;

4.       The Assembly underlines the necessity of educating the young generation in the spirit of Greater Europe without minimising in any way European diversity as an expression of our cultural wealth;

5.       The Assembly stresses the importance of teaching the values and the main principles of the European organisations and recalls the Council of Europe's activities regarding the education for democratic citizenship;

6.       As a consequence, the Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers open debate on the necessity of introducing into the curricula of all educational institutions in our countries a course on "education for Europe", as a distinct discipline.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed : 1

Prisăcaru, Romania, SOC

Aguiar, Portugal, EPP

Berceanu, Romania, SOC

Biga-Friganović, Croatia, SOC

Brinzan, Romania, SOC

Christodoulides, Cyprus, UEL

Evin, France, SOC

Griffiths, United Kingdom, SOC

Marshall D., United Kingdom, SOC

Martínez Casañ, Spain, EPP

Olteanu, Romania, SOC

Provera, Italy, LDR

Severin, Romania, SOC

Stoica, Romania, LDR

Torbar, Croati, EPP

1        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group