COMMON POSITION (EC) No 4/95 adopted by the Council on 20 April 1995 with a view to adopting the Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing 1996 as the 'European Year of Lifelong Learning` (95/C 130/02)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 126 and 127 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2),

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (3),

Acting in conformity with the procedure laid down in Article 189b of the Treaty (4),

Whereas the European Council of Brussels (10 and 11 December 1993) took note of the proposals of the Commission in the White Paper on Growth, competitiveness and employment; whereas education and training can make a contribution in respect of economic and social change and the fight against unemployment; whereas the establishment of a 'European Year of Education and Training` proposed in the White Paper could be a signal for making more clear the essential requirements and the long-term objectives in the fields of education and training in the Community;

Whereas 1996 will be the year in which the Leonardo da Vinci action programme adopted by Decision 94/819/EC (5) and the Socrates action programme, adopted by Decision 95/.../EC (6), which constitute the second generation of Community education and training programmes, come into their own;

Whereas the Structural Funds and in particular the European Social Fund, and the Community initiatives which derive therefrom, particularly the Adapt (7) and Employment (8) initiatives, will enhance quality education and training;

Whereas the continuing adaptation of education and training systems to these new requirements is a strategically important task for Europe, since the competitiveness of the European economy and the stability of society in Europe are built up through knowledge, know-how and common basic views; whereas the attractiveness and prestige of vocational training are heavily dependent on the attachment of equal value to the channels of general education and vocational training as well as the social recognition of qualified professions;

Whereas the role of lifelong learning is becoming fundamental in order to secure personal fulfilment, imparting to him/her such values as solidarity and tolerance and furthering his/her participation in democratic decision-making processes; whereas it is equally important to enhance long-term employment prospects; whereas the White Paper on Growth, competitiveness and employment stresses that education and training will undoubtedly make a contribution to the renewal of growth, the recovery of competitiveness and the restoring of a high level of employment;

Whereas, according to the aforementioned White Paper, a large number of jobs likely to be created by the year 2000 will correspond to new careers linked with the technological revolutions in the audiovisual sector and the information society, requiring continuing training and adjustment in initial training concepts;

Whereas it should be borne in mind that certain types of education and training resulting for example from centres for open learning, adult education establishments and distance learning centres are gaining in importance; whereas it must be ensured in this connection that such types of education and training, which are necessary, are accessible to everyone;

Whereas the development of lifelong learning should aim in particular to make the best use of available talent, to combat social exclusion, to widen the choice of occupation for girls and women, and to contribute to the elimination of regional disparities;

Whereas, furthermore, continuing training which offers employment prospects can contribute to the solution of certain social conflicts;

Whereas there should be exchanges of experience and information on what the Member States have achieved in their own countries, on the many regional and local initiatives undertaken, on the programmes and initiatives of the European Union and on the work of the Council of Europe and other international organizations involved in education and training;

Whereas distance and self-instruction systems, global networks (especially computer networks), interactive communication between teachers and learners during the learning process and information infrastructure may have an important role to play in lifelong learning; whereas international networks are particularly suitable for language training and whereas sound basic training is made easier if they are to be integrated into the lifelong learning process;

Whereas the organisation of a European Year of Lifelong Learning is a contribution to the action plan decided on by the European Council to fight against unemployment; whereas, in view of the link with this initiative, the aims of the European Year will best be attained at Community level; whereas the European Year will support, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the policy and practice of the Member States in this field;

Whereas an agreement on a 'modus vivendi` between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission concerning the implementing measures for acts adopted in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189b of the Treaty was adopted on 20 December 1994;

Whereas this Decision lays down, for the entire duration of the programme, a financial framework constituting the principal point of reference, within the meaning of point 1 of the Declaration by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 6 March 1995 (9), for the budgetary authority during the annual budgetary procedure,

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

1. 1996 shall be proclaimed: 'European Year of Lifelong Learning`.

2. During the European Year, information, awareness-raising and promotional actions will be undertaken concerning opportunities for lifelong learning. The aim is the promotion of personal development and sense of initiative of individuals, their integration into working life and society, their participation in the democratic decision-making process and their ability to adjust to economic, technological and social change. Preparation of the actions will take place in 1995.

Article 2

The following shall be the themes for the European Year:

1. The importance of a high quality general education, open to all without discrimination of any kind, including the ability to learn by oneself, as a preparation for lifelong learning.

2. The promotion of vocational training leading to qualifications for all young people, as a precondition for a smooth transition to working life and as a basis for further personal development, for re-adaptation in the job market and for achieving equality of opportunities between men and women.

3. The promotion of continuing education and training, in harmony with school education and initial vocational training and in relation to new requirements in the world of work and society, whilst ensuring the quality and transparency of such education and training.

4. Motivation of individuals for lifelong learning and developing such learning for the benefit of groups of people who have hitherto hardly or not at all benefitted from it but who particularly need it, such as girls and women.

5. Further cooperation on education and training between institutions in these areas and the economic world, in particular small and medium enterprises.

6. The raising of awareness of the social partners of the importance of the creation of new opportunities for lifelong learning in the context of European competitiveness and a highly intensive employment economic growth.

7. The raising of awareness of parents of the importance of education and training of children and young people in the perspective of lifelong learning and the role that they can play in this respect.

8. The development of the European dimension of initial and continuing education and training, the promotion of mutual understanding and mobility in Europe, as well as a European area for cooperation in education; the raising of awareness among European citizens of the activities of the European Union, particularly with regard to the academic and vocational recognition of diplomas and qualifications in accordance with the systems of the Member States and by the promotion of linguistic abilities.

Article 3

1. The actions referred to in Article 1 (2) shall include general or theme-based events, the preparation and dissemination of communication products, and studies and surveys. They are set out in the Annex. Priority in the selection of the actions mentioned in Section B of the Annex will go to those which offer a practical demonstration of the advantages of education and training, those highlighting education and training actions as part of a lifelong learning approach, those promoting amongst employers a willingness to contribute to the provision of initial training and continuing training, those which show the contribution made by international cooperation, and those which disseminate the results of Community interventions.

2. Optimal use could be made of other existing initiatives in the field of education and training which could contribute to fulfilling the objectives of the European Year.

Article 4

The Commission shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decision.

The Commission shall be assisted ad hoc committee of an advisory nature composed of two representatives from each Member State and chaired by the representative of the Commission.

The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee a draft of the measures to be taken in accordance with sections A, B and C of the Annex. The committee shall deliver its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may lay down according to the urgency of the matter, if necessary by taking a vote.

The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; in addition, each Member State shall have the right to ask to have its position recorded in the minutes.

The Commission shall take the utmost account of the opinion delivered by the committee. It shall inform the committee of the manner in which its opinion has been taken into account.

Article 5

1. Each Member State shall designate an appropriate body or bodies, to be responsible for the selection, coordination and implementation nationally of the actions provided for in this Decision.

2. Application for financial support for the actions provided for in accordance with Section B of the Annex shall be submitted to the Commission by the Member States concerned.

3. Decisions on actions in sections A and B of the Annex shall be taken by the Commission in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 4. The Commission shall ensure a balanced distribution among Member States and among the different sectors of education and training.

Article 6

1. The financial framework for the implementation of this programme for the period referred to in Article 1 is hereby set at ECU 8 million.

2. The annual appropriations shall be authorized by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective.

Article 7

The Commission, in partnership with the Member States, shall ensure consistency and complementarity between the actions provided for in this Decision and other Community actions, in particular the Leonardo da Vinci and Socrates programmes.

Article 8

The Commission shall submit, by 31 December 1997 at the latest, a report to the European Parliament, to the Council, to the Economic and Social Committee, and to the Committee of the Regions on the implementation, results and overall assessment of the actions provided for in this Decision.

Article 9

This Decision shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. It shall take effect on the day of its publication.

Done at...

For the European Parliament

The President

For the Council

The President

(1) OJ No C 287, 15. 10. 1994, p. 18.

(2) Opinion delivered on 23 November 1994 (OJ No C 397, 31. 12. 1994, p. 15).

(3) Opinion delivered on 16 November 1994 (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(4) Opinion of the European Parliament of 16 March 1995 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Common Position of the Council of ... (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Decision of the European Parliament of ... (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(5) OJ No L 340, 29. 12. 1994, p. 8.

(6) OJ No L ...

(7) OJ No C 180, 1. 7. 1994, p. 30.

(8) OJ No C 180, 1. 7. 1994, p. 36.

(9) OJ No C...

ANNEX

NATURE OF THE ACTIONS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 1 (2):

A. Actions concerning the themes of the European Year wholly financed out of the Community budget

1. (a) Organization of meetings on a European level;

(b) Organization of meetings in each of the Member States in order to stress the contribution made by European cooperation.

2. Community-wide information and promotional campaigns involving:

(a) the designing of a logo and a slogan for the European Year (1);

(b) preparation of communication products on projects relating to themes of the European Year and having Community interest, with a view to stimulating public interest and actions at national and regional level;

(c) cooperation with the media;

(d) organization of European competitions highlighting achievements and experiences on the themes of the European Year.

3. Other actions

Surveys and studies, having especially the aim of better defining the expectations of the different publics with regard to the themes of the European Year and the way in which the Union could fulfil them; evaluation studies concerning the impact of the European Year.

B. Actions concerning the themes of the European Year co-financed out of the Community budget

The actions proposed for the European Year by the national authorities could qualify for modulated financing out of the Community budget according to each case, up to a maximum of 50 % of the cost. These actions could relate inter alia to:

(a) national or regional events around the themes of the European Year;

(b) information actions and actions disseminating examples of good practice;

(c) the organization of prizes or competitions at national or regional level.

C. Actions receiving no financial aid from the Community budget

Voluntary actions to be conducted by public or private operators, including authorization to use the logo and priority themes of the European Year in publicity campaigns and other events.

(1) It is understood that preference will be given to persons associated with institutions of education and training for the presentation of submissions.

STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL'S REASONS

I. Introduction

1. On 29 September 1994, the Commission submitted a proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision establishing 1996 as the 'European Year of Lifelong Learning`.

2. Opinions where delivered by the Economic and Social Committee on 23 November 1994 (1), by the Committee of the Regions on 16 November 1994 (2) and by the European Parliament on 16 March 1995 (3).

3. In the light of these Opinions, the Commission submitted an amended proposal for a Decision on 31 March 1995 (4).

4. The Council adopted its common position on ... 1995 in accordance with Article 189b of the Treaty.

II. Objective of the proposal

The main purpose of the proposal is to provide information on, create awareness of and promote lifelong learning, and to proclaim 1996 the 'European Year of Lifelong Learning`.

1. GENERAL COMMENTS

The Commission proposal aims to make the European public aware of the importance of lifelong learning as a key factor in the personal development of individuals. It also aims to foster better cooperation at various levels between education and training structures and the business community and help to establish a European area of education and training through the academic and vocational recognition of qualifications and through the introduction of a European dimension in education and training, while trying to achieve more equality of opportunity, particularly between men and women, in access to education and training.

In its common position, the Council has kept the fundamental features of the Commission proposal but amended it in a way which it felt was indispensable.

2. SPECIFIC COMMENTS

(References are to the text of the common position)

2.1. Amendments made by the Council to the amended Commission proposal

The main amendments made by the Council to the amended Commission proposal concern:

(a) Financial appropriation (Article 6)

In accordance with the declaration by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 6 March 1995 on the incorporation of financial provisions into legislative acts, the Council drafted a new Article 6 specifying a financial appropriation of ECU 8 million, the amount provided for in the Commission's financial statement. A corresponding penultimate recital has also been added.

b) Themes for the Year

The Council elaborated on the content of Article 2 by providing for eight themes incorporating and enlarging on the four objectives in the Commission's original proposal.

2.2. European Parliament amendments

I. Parliament amendments adopted by the Commission

In its amended proposal, the Commission incorporated in part or in whole 28 of the 39 Parliament amendments.

(a) Parliament amendments adopted by the Council

The Council accepted 25 of the Parliament amendments in whole or in part or using a different wording or keeping to the spirit of the amendment, namely amendments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 40, 24, 27, 41, 30, 32, 34, 35, 36 and 38.

(b) Parliament amendments not adopted by the Council

The Council did not adopt amendments 10, 11, 21, 22, 28 and 33 since these were not in line with the principle of subisidiarity.

Amendment 13 - new recital providing for a financial statement updated on the basis of the 1996 preliminary draft budget.

The Council thought the content of this amendment no longer relevant since the 1996 preliminary budget will have been submitted to the budgetary authority before adoption of the Decision on the European Year. Moreover, the final recital of the common position refers to the annual budget procedure and the financial appropriation specified in the Decision and therefore renders the amendment in question superfluous.

Amendment 14 - relating to Article 1 (2) and clarifying the term 'lifelong`

The Council thinks that this amendment affects only the German version of the Decision and that in any case the term used in the text of the common position allays the concern which prompted the amendment.

Amendments 25 and 26 - relating to Article 4 and compliance with and interpretation of the provisions of the 'modus vivendi` of 20 December 1994 agreed on by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission for measures to implement the acts adopted in accordance with the procedure in Article 189b of the Treaty.

The Council thinks that the penultimate recital of the common position (which is, moreover, in line with the content of the Parliament's Amendment 12) does satisfy the basic aim of these two amendments.

Amendment 39 - relating to point B (b) of the Annex and deleting the provision of information on and dissemination of examples of good practice from the list of actions co-financed out of the Community budget.

The Council thought that the actions in question had a clear 'added value` and therefore rejected this Parliament amendment.

II. Parliament amendments adopted by the Commission and not adopted by the Council

Amendment 23 - relating to Article 3 and amending paragraph 2 and adding a new paragraph 3 in order to clarify the priorities for selection of the actions referred to in Article 1 of the Decision.

The Council stressed that at least part of the content of this amendment was included in Articles 2 and 3 of the common position, and thought that the amendment would be superfluous in its present form.

Amendment 31 - relating to a new paragraph for Article 7 of the common position providing for action by the Commission and the Member States to ensure involvement of the social partners and - where appropriate - regional or local authorities in the implementation of activities connected with the European Year.

The Council did not adopt this amendment as it thought that it called into question the principle of subsidiarity.

Amendment 37 - relating to point A (2) of the Annex and adding a point on the provision to those who participate in the activities organized within the European Year of a certificate of participation.

The Council thought that it would not be advisable to adopt this amendment.

(1) OJ No C 347, 31. 12. 1994, p. 15.

(2) OJ No C ...

(3) Not yet published in the Official Journal.

(4) Not yet published in the Official Journal.