MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

to wind up the debate on the statement of the Commission pursuant to Rule 37(2) of the Rules of Procedure by Mr Stephen Hughes on behalf of the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment on the UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE HABITAT II "THE CITY SUMMIT" - ISTANBUL, 2-14 JUNE 1996

7 may 1996

The European Parliament,

A. Whereas up to 18 million people within the European Union can now be considered as being either homeless or very badly housed in substandard or overcrowded conditions;

B. Whereas the Habitat II Conference to be held in Istanbul in June 1996 will be the last and largest of a series of XXth century United Nations conferences, addressing one of the most fundamental issues with regard to the quality of life of future generations;

C. Whereas among the reasons for the increasing difficulties of access to adequate and affordable housing are the lack of adequate resources, longterm unemployment and gaps in the social protection safety nets and lack of adequate social housing units;

D. Whereas all member states have so far recognized the right to adequate housing for all as a principle, when they ratified the United Nations 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and in their national judicial instruments or in their administrative practice;

E. Whereas non implementation of the right to housing is a breach of the principles and democratic values on which European society is based, as stated in the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms according to article F 2 of the Treaty on European Union;

F. Whereas funding housing assistance programmes and programmes to improve the residential environment of coal and steel workers and their families in order to contribute to the quality of production and competitiveness of companies in this industry have been developed by the Commission with justifications coherent with the Treaty, ever since 1955;

G. Whereas there is an increasing necessity to promote transnational exchanges of information and experience about ways of preventing housing exclusion;

H. Whereas only a long term and concrete policy in favour of housing the most vulnerable groups will be able to bring about sustainable and in depth solutions to the dramatic housing problems our countries are now facing and in so doing will stimulate new jobs which is now the Community's top priority;

Invites the Commission to draw up terms of reference for sound and equitable access to adequate housing for all in the framework of a welldefined principle of subsidiarity, in order to determine the objectives to be achieved throughout the member states , while taking into account localrealities;

Reminds the Commission that there cannot be real economic integration without social integration;

3. Urges the European Union to incorporate to right to housing into all treaties and charters regulating the European Union activities and objectives;

4. Asks the Council and the Commission to initiate a programme aimed at reinforcing cooperation between local players concerned with setting up pilot projects (comprising the four elements of housing, employment, training and services) for the global integration of marginalized groups, on the model of the programme set up by Cecodhas, FEANT SA and the European Trade Union Confederation;

5. Calls on the Commission to examine how ECSC funding competence can be continued;

6. Asks the Commission to stimulate the creation of new jobs in the field of construction and the housing environment so as to improve the habitat as a whole for all Union citizens;

7. Reminds the Commission of the essential role of the voluntary sector whilst recognising that solidarity organised by state authorities is the very basic principle of democracy;

8. Asks the Commission to support key European organisations like FEANTSA and Cecodhas insofar as they operate in the field of better access to housing for vulnerable groups;

9. Considers, in each one of these actions that the Union can bring more efficient action than member states in isolation can, and contribute to more parallel, complimentary, and well informed actions at the appropriate levels, in the spirit of the Union treaties;

10. Invites the housing ministers to place the recommendations of this resolution on the agenda of their next informal meeting and on the agenda of its next social affairs session;

11. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the parliaments and governments of the member states, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions, the social partners, the General Assembly and the Centre for Human Settlements of the United Nations.