Mr President, almost two years ago, we adopted the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The right to knowledge and, consequently, the right to know how to read, write and count are part of this Charter. Consequently, the opportunity to learn how to read and write should be available to all as a fundamental right, and parents, teachers and politicians should recognise their obligation to ensure that this opportunity is grasped by all, in particular because, when people cannot express themselves with words, they often do so with their fists, as they feel excluded from school, business or even their own family. This right to knowledge is not currently realised, however, as 10 to 20% of the population of the European Union, or as many as 30 % if we count the candidate countries, are considered to be illiterate: 45% in Portugal, 35% in Italy, 22% in Ireland and Great Britain, 15% in Germany and France and, to add the candidate countries: 42% in Slovenia and Poland, 33% in Hungary, 29% in Bulgaria and 20% in Lithuania. Illiteracy increases the divide between privileged members of society who are in a situation of relative security and those who are disadvantaged and marginalised, who do not have access to the labour market and consequently suffer financial insecurity, psychological isolation and social exclusion. From an economic perspective, we all know that illiteracy also affects our businesses and their modernisation: it leads to increases in costs relating to the accident rate, employers’ contributions and time taken to complete work because of the need for additional supervision. However, although the European Commission and our institutions have produced a number of documents, there are still a number of obstacles: gaps due to a lack of reliable data, the lack of clarity of certain programmes proposed and policies which are still insufficiently integrated. This matter, which I consider to be serious, Commissioner, should also be addressed through integrated policies associating social, and cultural and educational objectives, and should be discussed at policy level to increase awareness of this phenomenon. It is with this in mind that I call on the Commission to submit to Parliament and the Council a Green Paper on Illiteracy, together with a timetable for achieving tangible objectives along the lines of the social agenda, precisely defining the measures to be taken at European level. In the same vein, I call on the Commission, in connection with the employment guidelines, to propose specific indicators and benchmarks relating to illiteracy, in close cooperation with the social players. I also ask the Commission to submit to Parliament, each year, a written report, incorporating statistical data, on progress towards the objectives of combating illiteracy and social exclusion. We should all be aware that this matter is a key issue for development and for harmony in our societies. We are not always aware of this, which is why I would also like us to be able to set up, not another observatory but, within the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, based at Thessaloniki, a sort of European illiteracy monitoring centre, as suggested by my group, specifically by submitting Amendment No 5. Lastly, I would like to say, with regard to the amendments tabled recently, in particular by the Group of the , that I am in favour of Amendment No 4 and that I would have been in favour of Amendment No 2 had it been considered as an additional item. As for Amendment No 3, even though I am not against it in principle - the amendment requesting a Green Paper on illiteracy and mathematical illiteracy - I call for a vote against it because I think that, in the wording “Green Paper on Illiteracy”, the problem of mathematical illiteracy is obviously included. Lastly, I cannot accept Amendment No 1. Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, those were the points I wanted to mention.

Political group: PPE-DE