Mr President, Commissioner, one of the EU’s key goals is to promote mobility within the labour market, and this can only be stimulated by high-quality education. It is therefore essential to develop tools not only to improve education, but also to ensure that education meets modern-day requirements. Quality assessment, self-assessment of schools in particular, is a key element in the development of quality education. This is why, all in all, I am delighted with the Commission’s recommendation that is now before us. However, I also have some comments with regard to the recommendation, and I included these in my report. In my opinion, it is especially important to encourage Member States to develop sound methods for assessment in education, bearing in mind that self-assessment is complementary to external evaluation. In addition, it is important for them to exchange good models and experiences and that all those involved in the school are actually involved in the self-assessment process, including parents and students. Moreover, it is important to stimulate cooperation between schools and various bodies, also at local and regional level. Good examples of this can be found in the trial projects and also, of course, at European level. What the Commission needs to do, therefore, is to draw up an inventory of sound existing methods, in order to set up a database which can be used interactively so that activities can be scheduled and regular reports submitted to Parliament by putting the item on the running agenda. I have drawn on many ideas from my fellow delegates, but also from many institutions in the sphere I mentioned above. It transpired in the process that the will to turn this project into a success is present on all sides, and the impetus created by the EU has certainly found fertile soil. It is therefore all the more unfortunate that repeated attempts on my part to reach agreement with the Council – because you know it was my intention to complete the report at first reading – were thwarted time and again and met with reactions that came too late and insufficient mandate. I would therefore call on the Council to come up with a proposal for a common position within the short term. We are nearly there, but I would first of all like to clarify the line adopted by our Parliament, so that we can coincide with the line taken by the Council. Finally, we reached general agreement in the committee on a large number of amendments. I thank you all for your very constructive attitude. I would now ask you for your support to deliver on these agreements. I would advise you not to pursue the amendments tabled by the . It is important to couple education with the labour market. This is borne out by the results reached in Lisbon. After all, we should not educate people for unemployment, and education needs to pre-empt this. This is why this should also be included in this report. The other amendments are already more or less reflected in the text or in other amendments. Finally, I would like to mention the financial dimension. I have not made any changes on purpose, not because I think the budget is generous but because I think that it will appear from the reports whether the budget is too tight. That will then be a good time to consider a possible increase in the funding. I thank you and look forward to your reactions.

Political group: ELDR