Economic Commission for Europe

Economic Commission for Europe 

(ECE), a regional body established in 1947 by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Thirty-two European states, including the USSR, the Byelorussian SSR, and the Ukrainian SSR, are members of the ECE, as are the USA and Canada. The tasks of the ECE include the promotion of trade, especially between states with different social systems; long-range economic projections and planning; scientific and technical cooperation; and the study of environmental problems. The commission makes recommendations to its members on matters falling within its competence.

The highest organ of the ECE is the plenary session, which, as a rule, is held once a year. Between sessions, day-to–day work is carried out by subsidiary bodies, such as committees, subcommittees, conferences of experts, and expert groups. The subsidiary bodies deal with specific sectors of the economy. They include the committees on electric power; ferrous metallurgy; steel; coal; gas; the chemical industry; timber; housing, building, and planning; the development of trade; inland transport; and water problems. Other subsidiary bodies are the Senior Economic Advisers to ECE Governments, the Senior Advisers to ECE Governments on Science and Technology, the Senior Advisers to ECE Governments on Environmental Problems, and the Conference of European Statisticians.

The executive organ of the ECE is the Secretariat, which is located in Geneva. The Secretariat publishes the annual Economic Survey of Europe, the quarterly Economic Bulletin for Europe, and various surveys and statistical bulletins on individual sectors of the economy.