8 May 1992

Doc. 6622

MOTION FOR A RECOMMENDATION

on access to the countryside

for sports and other recreational activities

presented by Mr MIKAN and others

1.       The Assembly is concerned with the importance of promoting a healthy style of living, but support for sport is declining in some countries, and in particular in Central and Eastern Europe.

2.       Access to the countryside for outdoor sports and other recreational activities faces pressures and limitations from many sources, such as hunters, foresters, environmentalists, land owners, the military, politicians, and public authorities.

3.       In certain countries public access to the countryside is guaranteed by law or (as in Scandinavia) is a traditional right; in others there is no public access or private property rights are strongly maintained.

4.       It should however be possible to manage the countryside so as to permit multiple uses (for sports as well as farming and forestry) while sustaining natural resources.

5.       The Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers:

i.       encourage member states to adopt new legislation to resolve the problems of conflict between sports activities and protection of the countryside;

ii.       improve the international exchange of information on this subject with a view to the mutual benefit of sporting and other uses of the countryside.

Signed:       MIKAN, TUMMERS, SARKIJARVI, SEDLAK, KOBYLKA, LAAKSO, BRATINKA, SUCHOCKA, RAGNARSDOTTIR, REHN, HALONEN, MÜLLER, FISCHER, PILARSKI, SZELENYI, NUNEZ.