Reply to Recommendation 1268 (1995) on the 6th European Conference of Border Regions

15 June 1995

Doc. 7328

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS

Reply to Recommendation 1268 (1995)

on the 6th European Conference of Border Regions

(Ljubljana, 13-15 October 1994)

(adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 7 June 1995

at the 540th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)

The Committee of Ministers has examined with interest Assembly Recommendation 1268 (1995) on the 6th European Conference of Border Regions and wishes to inform the Assembly that it has decided to bring it to the attention of the Governments of member States. It notes that this Recommendation deals with the same subject as Recommendation 9 (1995) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe and is pleased to see that these two Council of Europe bodies share the same analysis and arrive at similar recommendations on a subject of such great importance for European co-operation.

The Committee of Ministers is as convinced as the Assembly that local and regional authorities can play a conspicuous part in bringing European populations closer together, thus helping to build mutual confidence and strengthen democratic security in Europe. It notes in this connection that the Pact on Stability in Europe, concluded in Paris on 21 March 1995 by the representatives of 52 States, refers to the conventions of the Council of Europe, and in particular the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

The Committee wishes to inform the Assembly that the draft Additional Protocol to the European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation (para. 10.ii of the Recommendation) is currently under consideration in the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Authorities (CDLR) and will shortly be submitted to it. As regards the draft Convention on Inter-Territorial Co-operation drawn up by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (para. 10.iii), it is currently under consideration in the Select Committee of Experts on Transfrontier Co-operation.

With regard to the teaching of languages, and in particular those spoken on both sides of a border (para. 10.iv), the Committee of Ministers draws attention to the Council for Cultural Co-operation's project on "Language learning and European citizenship", which has made it possible to develop and disseminate an innovative method for teaching languages and training teachers ("threshold level"). The Committee of Ministers also draws attention to the establishment of the Partial Agreement on the European Centre for Modern Languages (Graz), which currently comprises 13 Council of Europe member States and which has begun its activities geared to the training of foreign language teachers with the aim of remedying the difficulties facing in particular the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, which are confronted with new needs in this area. The Centre's work is also aimed at the countries of Western Europe, in which there is often only a limited knowledge of Central and East European languages.

In connection with the activities of CEMAT (para. 10.v), the Committee of Ministers points out that the Senior Officials have drawn up a programme of preparatory seminars on regional planning in the various regions of Europe, the first of which was held in Dresden (Germany) in 1993, the others - due to be held in Prague, in Greece and in Helsinki - being currently in preparation, with a view to the next session of the Conference in 1997. The Committee of Ministers is quite certain that, in the course of their work, the Senior Officials will pay the requisite attention to the problems mentioned in paragraph 10.v.c of the Recommendation.

The Committee of Ministers has decided to forward Assembly Recommendation 1268 (1995) to the European Commission, the European Conference of Ministers of Transport, the Council for Cultural Co-operation (CDCC) and the Committee of Senior Officials to prepare the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning (CEMAT).