Doc. 8258
30 October 1998

Sustainable development of European islands and archipelagos

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mr Mota Amaral and others

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

1.       The territory of several Council of Europe member states includes islands and archipelagos, whose geographical features (climate, relief, distance from the mainland, peripheral location) often play a decisive role in their development.

2.       Furthermore, they find themselves in very different situations: while some European islands are subject to the pressures of mass tourism, with all the associated advantages and drawbacks, others are restricted to a subsistence economy or even a single type of crop and are heavily reliant on state subsidies and aid.

3.       The political and administrative solutions that states have applied are also very diverse and usually depend on the varying degrees of autonomy enjoyed by these regions in relation to the central authorities. Some are in countries which practise widespread decentralisation, while others are given special status. Here also, however, there are exceptions.

4.       The Parliamentary Assembly, in view of the importance it attaches to these matters, should consider which political, administrative – not least in the regional planning field – and economic solutions are most appropriate for tackling the problems of European islands and archipelagos, in order to recommend to the Committee of Ministers general strategies for a co-ordinated approach to this question by member states.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed : ¹

Mota Amaral, Portugal, EPP/CD

Akçali, Turkey, EDG

Aytaman, Turkey, EDG

Briane, France, EPP/CD

Diana, Italy, EPP/CD

Hoeffel, France, EPP/CD

Kandare, Croatia, EPP/CD

Kieres, Poland, EPP/CD

Luczak, Poland, EPP/CD

O'Hara, United Kingdom, SOC

Prusi, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", EDG

Rise, Norway, EPP/CD

Ruffy, Switzerland, SOC

Steolea, Romania, EDG

Theis, Luxembourg, EPP/CD

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: 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