P5_TA(2004)0120
Schoolsandaccesstoculture
EuropeanParliamentresolutionontheroleofschoolsandschooleducationinmaximisingpublic
accesstoculture(2002/2268(INI))
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash havingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanCommunityand,inparticular,toArticles149,
150and151thereof,
/dash havingregardtotheCouncilResolutionof28October1999onintegratinghistoryintotheCom-
munity’sculturalaction(1),
/dash havingregardtothePresidencyConclusionsoftheLisbonEuropeanCouncilof23/24March2000,/dash havingregardtoDecisionNo508/2000/ECoftheEuropeanParliamentandoftheCouncilof14Feb-
ruary2000onestablishingtheCulture2000Programme(
2),
/dash having regard to Decision No 253/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of
24January2000(3)establishingthesecondphaseofthe‘Socrates’programme,
/dash havingregardtoitsresolutionof16January2001onqualityevaluationofschooleducation(4),
/dash havingregardtoitsresolutionof6February2002oneducationandtrainingsystems(5),
/dash havingregardtoitsresolutionof5September2002onthethirdCommissionreportonCitizenship
oftheUnion(6),
/dash havingregardtothereportfromtheCommissiontotheSpringEuropeanCouncilof21January2004
on‘DeliveringLisbon:reformsfortheenlargedUnion’(COM(2004)29),
/dash havingregardtoRule163ofitsRulesofProcedure,/dash havingregardtothereportoftheCommitteeonCulture,Youth,Education,theMediaandSport
(A5-0080/2004),
A. whereastheLisbonEuropeanCouncilinMarch2000setastrategicnewgoalfortheEuropeanUnion
tobecomethemostcompetitiveanddynamicknowledge-basedeconomyintheworldby2010,
B. whereastheCouncilmeetingoneducationof12February2001definedthefollowingthreestrategic
objectivestoobtainthegoalssetinLisbon:
/dash increasethequalityandeffectivenessofeducationandtrainingsystemsintheEuropeanUnion/dash facilitatetheaccessofalltotheeducationandtrainingsystems/dash openupeducationandtrainingsystemstothewiderworld,
C. whereastheEducationCounciladoptedinMay2003fiveEuropeanbenchmarksfortheattainmentof
theseobjectives,
D. whereas the Commission has pointed out in its Communication ‘Education and Training 2010’
(COM(2003)685)thatthereisashortfallofinvestmentinhumanresourcesintheMemberStatesregardingeducation,
(1) OJC324,12.11.1999,p.1.
(2) OJL63,10.3.2000,p.1.
(3) OJL28,3.2.2000,p.1.
(4) OJC262,18.9.2001,p.44.
(5) OJC284E,21.11.2002,p.196.
(6) OJC272E,13.11.2003,p.446.23.4.2004EN C98E/179 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday26February2004
E. whereastheCommissionhasstatedinitsaforementionedreportthatthereisaclearneedforthe
MemberStatestoinvestmoreeffectively/dashi.e.toidentifyandinvestinthoseareasofeducationandtrainingwhichproducethegreatestresults,
F. whereastherespectforandpromotionofculturalandlinguisticdiversityandthesharingofacom-
monculturalheritageworkasapositiveforceintheintegrationprocessandthedevelopmentofthe
EU,
G. whereastheprocessofEuropeanintegrationandglobalisationposesnewchallengestothevarious
EuropeanculturesandtotheeducationalsystemsofthedifferentMemberStates,notleastinpromot-ingawarenessofotherMemberStates’cultureandhistory,withoutlosingsightoftheimportanceofnationalculture,
H. whereasaccordingtoa2000Eurobarometerstudy(
1),themajorityofEUcitizensdonotbelieveinthe
existenceofasharedEuropeanculturalidentity,
I. whereasinterestincultureisacquiredinchildhoodandasignificantcontributionismadetothisin
thehomeenvironmentandateducationalinstitutions,includingnotonlyschoolsbutalsopre-school
andotherinstitutions,
J. whereas,particularlyindenselypopulatedurbanareas,manyschoolpupils(ortheirparents)donot
originatefromthecountryinwhichtheyareattendingschool,whichmeansthatschoolshaveamajorculturalroletoplayintermsofintegration;whereas,atthesametime,thisprovidesanexcel-lentopportunityforculturalexchangeandthedevelopmentofinterculturalunderstanding,
K. whereasitispossibletostimulateculturalinterestatschoolinparticularbyorganisingandparticipat-
inginspecialeventssuchaspainting,photographyandfilmcompetitions,visitsbyartiststoschools,excursions to places of culture and cultural events in the locality, class trips abroad and pupilexchangeschemes,
L. whereaslanguageteaching,inparticular,playsacentralroleinacquiringanunderstandingofother
culturessincecontactwithotherlanguagesinitiallyinvolvescontactwithothercultural,literaryandartisticworks,
1. Regretsthefactthatonly17%of15-year-oldpupilsintheEuropeanUnionpossessthebasicedu-
cationalskills,namelyreading,writingandarithmetic,thatconformswiththeaveragesetbytheOECD;
2. CallsonMemberStates,inparticularthosewhoseGDPpercentageinvestedineducationislower
thantheEUaverage,toincreaseinvestmentinhumanresourcesinthefieldofeducation;
3. PointsoutthatschooleducationinEuropeshouldplaceagreateremphasisonachievingabasic
fundamentalknowledgeoftheprocessofEuropeanintegration;pointsout,moreover,thattheEuropeandimensionshouldbepresentinallschooldisciplinesandnotonlyinthosedirectlylinkedwiththissubjectsuchashistory,philosophy,geography,economics,literatureandart;
4. Recallsthatlanguagesaretheexpressionofculturalwealthanddiversityandconfirmsitssupportfor
theEuropeanCommunity’sobjectiveofenablingallpupilstolearntwolanguagesotherthantheirown;
(1) EurobarometerStudyNocat.NC-31-00-910-EN-C‘HowEuropeansSeeThemselves’.C98E/180 EN23.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday26February2004
5. CallsontheMemberStatestoprovidecontinuoustrainingforteachersinEuropeanintegrationto
ensurethatstudentsfromthevariousEUMemberStatesareprovidedwithastandardbasicknowledgeofthesubject;
6. IsoftheopinionthatprojectspromotingtheteachingofEuropeanintegrationinschoolsshouldbe
fundednotonlybyculturalandeducationalEUprogrammesbutalsobyotherrelevantprogrammes;
7. Believes thatwithin the contextofhistoryteaching, there isa needtoaddressthe tendency to
concentratepredominantlyonthe20thcentury,attheexpenseofprecedingstagesofcivilisationwhichunderpinEuropeanculture,literature,philosophy,artandmusic;
8. PointsoutthatthereisaneedtoraiseawarenesswithintheEUMemberStatesofthehistoryand
cultureofthecountriesofCentralandEasternEuropeandviceversa;
9. CallsontheCommissionandtheMemberStatestoensurethatinEuropeanresearchprogrammes
encouragementisgiventoprojectsconcerningthefundamentalsofEuropeancivilisationsuchasfunda-mental legal principles, the history of institutions and education, the rules of coexistence, social andanthropologicalpracticesandartisticmanifestations;
10. BelievesthatthereisaneedforEuropeaneducationsystemstofosterawarenessoftheculturesand
waysoflivingofallEuropeanpeoplesandtoraiseawarenessofcommonEuropeanvalues;
11. UnderlinesthecontributionmadewithinindividualMemberStatesfortherespectandpromotion
ofculturalandlinguisticdiversity;
12. Stressesthe need toeducate young people through cultural activities andstructures which are
supportedfinanciallybytherelevantauthoritiesatalllevels;
13. NotesthattheEuropeanYouthProgrammealreadyencouragesawarenessofcommonEuropean
valuesandworkstowardsdevelopingasenseofEuropeancitizenshipandrecommendsthatthispro-grammebeexpandedforthebenefitofschoolteachersandschoolchildren;
14. NotesthataccesstoEurope’sculturalheritageisafundamentalpreconditiontotheintegration
processandaforcefortheconsolidationofasenseofEuropeancitizenship;
15. RecommendsthattheknowledgeofEurope’sculturalheritageshouldbeanaturalcomponentof
thesyllabusinschoolsthroughouttheEU;
16. Asks the Commissionto draw up a text on the history of European culture (art, philosophy,
science,etc.)which,afteradoptionbytheCouncilandwithduerespectfortheprincipleofsubsidiarity,mightbecomeastandardsubjectontheschoolsyllabusintheMemberStates;
17. Pointstothenumerousopportunitiesofferedbyschoolsandeducationtopromoteinterculturaland
interreligiousexchangesbetweenpupils,extendingalsobeyondEuropeanculturalborders,therebycon-
tributingtothedevelopmentofculturalunderstanding,forexamplebyencouragingchildrentotalkabout
theircountryoforiginorthecountryoforiginoftheirparents,togetherwiththeircustomsandtraditions,andtodescribetheirexperiencesasforeignersinanunfamiliarculturalcontext;
18. Stressestheneedtostepupactivepublicpoliciesfortheconservationofthecommoncultural
heritage;urgesassociationsrecognisedinEuropetobecomemoreactivelyinvolvedinconservationandeducationalinitiativesinrespectofthehistoricandartisticheritage;23.4.2004EN C98E/181 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday26February2004
19. NotesthattheCommission’saction‘Netd@ysEurope’associatesEuropeancinemawithschools;
believesthatitwouldbeadvantageousinthisconnection,towidenthescopeofsuchprojectssoastoencouragecooperation,forexample,throughschoolfilms,introductionstothemediaprofessionsandinvitationsaddressedtofilmdirectorstovisitschoolsas‘guestspeakers’,etc.FurtherproposesthattheMEDIAPlusprogrammeshouldcontributeinraisingpupils’awarenessandinterestinEuropeancinema;PointsoutthataPan-EuropeanChildren’sNetworkwouldbeanefficientwaytodisseminateandraiseawarenessofEuropeanfilmsofhighquality;
20. CallsontheMemberStatestopromotecollaborationbetweenteachersandartistswithaviewto
encouragingpupilstolearnabouttheperformingartsatschoolinaEuropeancontext;
21. Urgestheimprovementofqualityandaccesstothepedagogicalservicesofmuseums,theatres,
librariesandotherculturalstructures;callsonschoolstoopenthemselvesuptotheseculturalcentresandinstitutions,contactsandexchangeswhichcanonlybemutuallybeneficial;
22. Emphasisesthatchildren’sparticipationinartisticandculturalactivitiesisanimportantfactorin
developingtheircreativeskillsandthatthedevelopmentofcreativepotentialbenefitstheirfuturepersonalandprofessionallives;stresses,inthisconnection,theimportanceofcooperationbetweenschoolsandhomesingreatlyhelpingtoachievethisobjective;
23. WelcomesthefactthatthereisagrowingrecognitionatalllevelsintheEUthattheeducational
andprofessionalsuccessofindividualsdependsondevelopmentofschoolcurricula whichvaluebothacademicandcreativeabilitiesalike;
24. Urgesschools,homes,culturalinstitutionsandcreativeartistsandintellectualstocooperatemore
closelyinthefieldofculturaleducation;urgesschoolstotakegreateradvantageoftheopportunitiesofferedbythediverseculturalbackgroundsoftheirpupilsforthepurposesofculturaleducation;
25. Stressestheimportanceofpupilexchangeschemes,classtripstoothercountriesandlanguage
teachinginbecomingacquaintedwithandexperiencingEuropeanandnon-Europeanculturesandthere-forecallsontheMemberStateandEuropeanUnionauthoritiestopromotesuchinitiativestoagreaterdegree;
26. Considersthatmusic,fineartsandtheatreareafundamentalcomponentoftheculturesandhistory
oftheindividualMemberStatesandofEurope’sculturalheritageandthereforerecommendsthesedis-ciplinesaregivenahigherpriorityinschooleducation;
27. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission,and the
governmentsoftheMemberStates.
P5_TA(2004)0121
EU-Russiarelations
EuropeanParliamentrecommendationtotheCouncilonEU-Russiarelations(2003/2230(INI))
TheEuropeanParliament ,
/dash havingregardtothePartnershipandCo-operationAgreement(PCA)betweentheEuropeanUnion
andRussia,whichenteredintoforceon1December1997,
/dash havingregardtotheCommonStrategyoftheEuropeanUniononRussia,theperiodofapplicationof
whichhasbeenextendedto24June2004,C98E/182 EN23.4.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
Thursday26February2004