Mr President, at the risk of going back over some of the ground already covered by Mr Alavanos, I would like to contribute to the debate, in particular by using my speech to describe certain aspects of the scenario in which we are currently placed and which I feel e-Learning will influence by placing the spotlight on two fundamental elements. Moreover, I see these elements as the principal merits of the two Commission documents: the communication and the action plan. A correct interpretation of the principle of subsidiarity: the e-Learning action plan has succeeded in finding a niche in the sensitive debate on the use made by the States of their national education systems, demonstrating that the term ‘European educational area’ is a realistic, positive concept in which we must have confidence without fear of undermining the cultural identities of our countries. Moreover, the subject of new technologies is certainly one which we can develop further to enhance these common elements. The second positive element lies, in my opinion, in the fact that the e-Learning action plan favours a positive and – I would add – social approach to certain typical effects of globalisation. In this sense, I must say, the action plan goes some way towards allaying some of Mr Alavanos' concerns, for there is no doubt that it provides for opportunities for access to the knowledge-based society as a way of avoiding imbalance, and, I would add, it gives new meaning to the concept of cooperation between public and private institutions. In fact, to some extent it enhances and focuses on the distinguishing feature of e-Learning, which is that a nation's education systems and teaching methodologies will always be more important than any other system, even systems of government, and they must therefore receive the benefit of the greatest possible input from all the players in the establishment of a welfare community. In any case, before turning to any specific aspects, I am anxious to thank the Commission, particularly Commissioner Reding and her collaborators, for their willingness to help, and the members of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport, the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities for their extremely valuable contributions in recent months. I have to say that, of the more specific issues covered by my report, that which receives the greatest focus is teacher training. I would like, as far as is possible, to illustrate the importance of this subject with an example. When Dante makes his journey through hell and purgatory, he is accompanied by a guide: Virgil. Virgil is a person with the highest moral attributes who, however, at the time, also has at his disposal all the best that the technology of classical culture can provide. For example, he uses the technology and technique of metaphor, and he does so in order to bring Dante to greater knowledge, to a greater and better understanding of the meaning of the world in which he lives. Well then, if we do not now place European teachers in a position to make proper, realistic use of new technologies, we will be turning them into pseudo-Virgils, that is Virgils who will not be capable of guiding Dante – the Dante who is each of their pupils – along the path which will lead him to purification and knowledge, because they do not have access to the new metaphors, the new structures, the new digital technologies that can provide an educational system which is, at last, free from the constraints of a culture which is not infrequently disjointed and disordered. It is in this sense that the issue of teacher training is absolutely top priority, and the endeavours perceptible on some of the pages of the action plan are certainly to be increased and recompensed. They are to be increased and recompensed because it is the responsibility of all of us to realise that the effect of the e-Learning action will not just be reform of parts of our education system but genuine reform of the way we think. We will have to find a way to explain why this progression is necessary within the Union's education systems and how very necessary it is. In order to do this, I feel that the endeavours we make, including in terms of the budget and of clarifying the aims of the budget, will certainly have to be considerable. I would like to end by thanking our fellow Members once again and entrusting to them the heart of our message, in particular, which is that, as I have stressed, the new technologies are a tool, they are a means – not the end – but a means that is absolutely essential right now.

Political group: PPE-DE