EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 22.10.2004 
COM(2004) 705 final 
2003/0307 (COD) 
  
COMMUNICATION FROM  THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 
 
pursuant to the second subparagraph of  Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty 
 
concerning the 
common position of the Council with a view to the adoption of a Decision of the 
European Parliament and of the Council es tablishing a single framework for the 
transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass) 
 
EN 2   EN 2003/0307 (COD) 
COMMUNICATION FROM  THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 
 
pursuant to the second subparagraph of  Article 251(2) of the EC Treaty 
 
concerning the 
common position of the Council with a view to the adoption of a Decision of the 
European Parliament and of the Council es tablishing a single framework for the 
transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass) 
1. BACKGROUND  
Date on which the proposal was sent to Parliament and the Council 
(document COM(2003)796 final – 2003/0307COD): 17.12.2003 
Date of the opinion of the European Economic and Social 
Committee: 28.04. 2004 
Date of the opinion issued by the Committee of the Regions: 21.04.2004 
Date of Parliament’s opinion on first reading: 22.04.2004 
Date of adoption of the comm on position (unanimously): 21.10.2004 
2. PURPOSE  OF THE  COMMISSION'S  PROPOSAL 
Following a recommendation expressed in the Copenhagen declaration of 30 November 2002, 
the proposal brings together in a single framewor k, in the form of a structured portfolio called 
Europass, existing documents at European leve l for the transparency of qualifications and 
competences: the European CV, certificate and diploma supplements, the Common European 
Framework of Reference for languages and Eur opass. Integration into a single framework – 
available from the start in electronic form  and on paper – should make these tools more 
accessible, easier to promote and manage, and thus more effective. The Europass will be an open framework: in the future, it will be able  to accept other documents aimed at improving 
transparency of competences, for example at sect oral level. The proposal is also intended to 
rationalise implementation structures, asking each Member State to nominate a national 
Europass centre responsible for coordinating any activity at national leve l deriving from the 
Decision, in cooperation with  the relevant networks. 
 
EN 3   EN 3. COMMENTS  ON  THE  COMMON  POSITION 
3.1. Consideration of the amendments prop osed by Parliament at first reading 
The 14 amendments by the European Parliament in corporated in full or in substance in the 
common position do not alter the content of the Commi ssion’s initial proposal. 
3.2. Consideration of the change s introduced by the Council 
The Council introduced other changes, in partic ular amending the procedure and defining the 
criteria for introducing new documents in the Eu ropass structure. The names of the documents 
included in the framework and of the implemen tation bodies are also slightly amended. These 
changes do not alter the content of  the Commission’s initial proposal. 
4. CONCLUSIONS 
The Commission therefore considers the text of the common position to be acceptable.