*«^«*iipjà COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
C0M(91) 388 final 
Brussels, 12 November 1991 
i:s > 
™ 
*%. MEMORANDUM 
on 
OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING 
In 
THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY 
»!r 
Id* (presented by the Commission) 
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Background 
1. The importance of Open Distance Learning for the European Community 
was recognised by the European Parliament when it adopted a 
resolution on the Open universities in the European Community on July 
10, 1987^). Arising from a number of requests which the Parliament 
addressed to the Commission in the context of this resolution a 
preliminary document, defining priority areas for Community action in 
Open Distance Learning was prepared^2) and on May 24, 1991, the 
Commission approved a report on Open and Distance Higher Education in 
the European Commun Ity<3). 
Z,. At the initiative of the Irish presidency on May 30, 1990, the 
Council discussed the possibilities for Community actions in the 
field of Open Distance Learning and requested the Commission to 
prepare proposals for such actions in close consultation with the 
Member States. 
3. The establishment of a national experts group, whose members were 
nominated by the Governments and who represented the sectors both of 
education and vocational training in the Member States, has provided 
the opportunity to consider national priorities in Open Distance 
Learning and to indicate areas where Community action in accordance 
with the principle of subsidiarity would be warranted. 
4. This memorandum details the importance of Open Distance Learning in a 
broad range of education and training activities for the Member 
States and for the European Community. It refers to actions in this 
area already and shows how Community programmes complement and are 
complemented by actions in the Open Distance Learning field being 
taken within the context of existing Community programmes. It 
indicates a need for policies and actions at institutional and Member 
State level which would extend the scope, power and application of 
Open Distance Learning and refers to areas where a sharing of 
experience and expertise and possible Joint actions at European level 
could be taken with benefit within the framework of the creation of 
transEuropean Infrastructural networks for vocational and 
professional training. 
Investment in Education and Training - A Community Priority 
5. There is a growing conviction that the European Community must invest 
heavily in its human capital if it is to be in a position to confront 
and master the challenges of the coming decades. This conviction has 
been born of the imminence of the completion of the Internal Market, 
requiring for its success a whole new range of skills in management, 
communication and organisation. The measures taken by the Community 
in relation to the learning of languages and the promotion of 
mobility during training are designed to foster these skills. 
(1) Doc. A2 - 69/87 
(2) Distance Education and Training. 
Commission Staff Working Paper 
SEC (90)479, 7 March 1990. 
(3) Open and Distance Higher Education in the European Community. Report 
from the Commission, SEC (91) 897 Final, 24 May 1991. 
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6. The advances in science and technology and their application to 
enterprise, administration and to daily living serve to reinforce 
this conviction. These advances are rendering the skills and 
knowledge of the existing workforce obsolescent at an increasingly 
rapid rate, leading to a need for frequent retraining. They are also 
bringing about a shift towards an increasing knowledge content in 
work as industry becomes increasingly knowledge-based and knowledge-
driven. As an consequence of this shift there is a perceived need 
for an upgrading of the qualifications of the labour force. 
Education and training are seen as prime determinants of economic 
success and fears are frequently expressed that investment in 
research and development and in technological improvement may not 
yield the expected returns without an accompanying effort in the 
development of human resources.<4^ 
7. Such an effort would also be warranted in order to remain competitive 
in the global market. The evidence available would indicate that the 
Community's major trading competitors in the developed world are 
concentrating very heavily, and to a greater extent than in Europe, 
on improving the skills and knowledge of their existing and potential 
labour force. 
8. The demographic position in the European Community, wherein the 
numbers of young people available to renew the labour force over the 
next two decades are declining, also gives cause for concern. In 
these circumstances the economy cannot rely on new recruitment for 
the necessary injection of new knowledge and new skills and must look 
also to an Increasing extent towards upgrading the qualifications of 
the existing workforce. 
9. An increase in the rate of participation in the active labour force 
from among groups, hitherto underrepresented, must also be sought. A 
particular example of such a group would be women wishing to return 
to the labour force after some years exercising family 
responsibilities. It will be necessary to provide training so that 
such groups will have access to skills and knowledge of a kind which 
will be in demand on the labour market. 
10. The last decade has been marked by significant skill shortages in the 
Community even while unemployment continued to rise. This apparent 
paradox is the outcome of a fast rate of Job destruction/Job creation 
in an economy undergoing rapid transformation and modernisation. In 
the midst of this change it was evident that the better educated and 
qualified, who could more readily adapt to changing work 
requirements, enjoyed greater Job stability and higher living 
standards. It is in the light of such a situation that the Community 
is proposing a right of access to continuing training for workers in 
companies^5^. 
(4) Skills Shortages in Europe, irdac Opinion (Industrial Research and 
Development Advisory Committee of the Commission of the European 
Communities), November 1990. 
(5) Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers, 
Article 15. 
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11. The dependence of new enterprise on qualified and skilled manpower 
for its success is a major consideration in the context of structural 
policies. For this reason the structural funds have strongly 
supported training and retraining measures in the regions of the 
Community and in areas where traditional industries are undergoing 
significant economic restructuring. Actions of this kind are likely 
to assume an increasing importance in rural areas as a result of 
evolving agricultural policies. 
12. All of the foregoing factors argue compel Iingly for : 
increasing the level of qualification of new entrants to the 
workforce; 
updating and upgrading the qualifications of the existing 
workforce through continuing education and training; 
providing training of a kind which will lead to increased 
rates of participation in the labour force among hitherto 
under represented groups-, 
securing a greater synergy between education and training and 
economic life so as to ensure the relevance, balance and 
capability of application of skills and knowledge. 
13. The achievement of the foregoing objectives calls for more varied, 
more open and more flexible structures of education and training. 
These structures would need to be designed in accordance with the 
needs of clients and to be adaptable to their employment, social and 
educational circumstances. Open Distance Learning is seen as a key 
component in the creation of such structures. 
The Potential of Open Distance Learning 
14. By "Open Learning" is meant any form of learning which includes 
elements of flexibility which make it more accessible to students 
than courses traditionally provided in centres of education and 
training. This flexibility arises variously from the content of the 
course and the way in which it is structured, the place of provision, 
the mode, medium or timing of its delivery, the pace at which the 
student proceeds, the forms of special support available and the 
types of assessment offered (including credit for experiential 
learning). Very often the "openness" is achieved, in part at least, 
by the use of new information and communications media. 
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15. "Distance Learning" is defined as any form of study not under the 
continuous or immediate supervision of tutors, but which nevertheless 
benefits from the planning, guidance and tuition of a tutorial 
organisation. Distance learning has a large component of independent 
or autonomous learning and is therefore heavily dependent on the 
didactic design of materials which must substitute for the 
interactivity available between student and teacher in ordinary face 
to face instruction. The autonomous component is invariably 
supported by tutoring and counselling systems which ideally are 
provided at regional/local study centres and to an increasing extent 
by modern communications media. Because open distance learning is 
meant to be adaptable to the pace of the student the material is 
generally structured in units or modules geared to specific learning 
outcomes. 
The presence of a strong autonomous component in Open Distance 
Learning is very much in keeping with the ideas current in higher 
education of making students more responsible for attaining their own 
learning objectives. 
16. The achievements in the field of information and communication 
technologies (ICT) have contributed to the rapid development of open 
distance learning. 
The advent of telecom services such as data networks and access to 
on-line databases, had a revolutionary impact on the way in which 
information can be stored and retrieved. A growing information 
services market, world-wide, is featuring now many products and 
services. 
The development of videotext services across Europe (Minitel in 
France, Prestel in the UK, various services in Spain, Italy and 
Portugal etc), has given the possibility of low cost data access to 
the large public, while at the same time, totally new services have 
emerged, based solely at the new technology of telematics. At the 
same time, new products, based on ICT present the user with numerous 
possibilities, especially for the use of training purposes. 
Interactive multimedia technologies make interaction possible with 
the trainee without the direct and constant intervention of a human 
tutor 
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17. The extraordinary potential of Open Distance Learning arises from the 
freedom it enjoys from constraints of time, place and pace. This 
endows it with an extensive flexibility which makes it readily 
adaptable to the needs of the consumer. It has particular appeal to 
the working population as it can be geared to make minimum intrusion 
into the requirements of the Job. Training leave can be taken with 
particular regard to the needs of production and the use of Open 
Distance Learning enables the value of such leave to be maximised. 
Open Distance Learning can be used on its own or as a component of 
other learning systems. It can be used by individuals widely 
dispersed or by concentrated groups. It can reach across the 
boundaries of regions, countries and continents. It has an extremely 
wide range of application either on its own or in conjunction with 
conventional education and training systems.<6> 
(6) Full Interactive multimedia technologies use normally a we 11-tempered 
personal computer workstation, which may be boosted to a full 
interactive multimedia machine with the addition of an audio 
processor card, interactive video, and image manipulation mechanisms 
via Graphical User Interfaces. Optical disc technology (laservision 
and compact-disc) offers low costs mass data storage, while at the 
same time it features characteristics like high quality sound and 
image. Thus, Videodiscs are currently used in many interactive 
multimedia training applications around Europe, while CD-ROM 
(Compact-Disc Read-On I y Memory) is also a competitive cost-effective 
alternative. Digital Video Interactive (DVI) is needed when a 
standard business PC is to form the basis of a multimedia training 
system. CD-I (Compact Disc - Interactive) is a unique new system, 
designed for the consumer and the training markets of the '90's. 
Capable of handling image, texts, sound and graphics, CD-I offers 
also an excellent media for language handling, since it features a 
unique 16-sound channel possibility. CDTV (Compact Disc Televison) 
is another multimedia system, aimed at low cost applications. Last 
but not least, Satellite Television is capable of delivering not only 
linear but also interactive training materials, which may be encoded 
and recorded on magnetic storage media, then decoded and ready-for-
use. One has also to stress that the development of new software 
tools is expected to greatly enhance the possibilities of the present 
and future multimedia hardware. 
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18. The following areas of education/training provision are identified as 
ones where Open Distance Learning can play a highly significant 
role : 
extending opportunities of access to and participation in 
education and training at all levels; 
strengthening the education/training infrastructure of less 
favoured regions and of remote areas by extending the range 
of training available in institutions and directly to 
individuals and groups; 
creating trans-European networks for training and hence 
creating a greater cohesion of the European education and 
training systems using "clearing houses" and "transfer 
points" for exchange in the field of open distance learning; 
providing continuing education and training for the 
workforce; 
improving the quality of training programmes through the 
incorporation of external high quality inputs and by 
utilising multimedia competence; 
consolidating partnerships in training both within and 
between Member States and as between institutions and 
industry; 
supporting the reconversion and innovation of education and 
training in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe; 
delivering advanced training and disseminating the results of 
research; 
making available a European dimension in the 
education/training of those who do not have the opportunity 
to spend a period of study abroad and, in particular, 
providing such a dimension in the inservice training of 
teachers; 
teaching about the European Community, its laws, institutions 
and poIi c i es on a worId-w i de bas I s ; 
providing Europe-wide education and training programmes on a 
competitive basis. 
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The Position of Open Distance Learning in the Member States 
19. During the past two decades major efforts have been made to promote 
Open Distance Learning as a means of education and training, 
particularly for the adult population. These efforts have resulted, 
in some countries, in the creation of Open Distance Learning 
facilities as departments attached to existing university level 
institutions. In others, such as Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, 
the Netherlands and Portugal, separate and independent open/distance 
teaching universities were established. The size and sophistication 
of these systems differ widely as does the extent to which they are 
integrated with institutional educational structures. They are 
described in detail in the Commission's recent communication on this 
issue. The principal public developments in the Open Distance 
Learning areas have been at the level of higher education and 
advanced training, offering main courses principally of university 
degree level and updating courses of an advanced technological nature 
to postgraduate students already employed in enterprise. 
20. In some Member States specialised institutions and national 
associations for applying Open Distance Learning in the field of 
vocational training are playing an important role in meeting skills 
needs. 
Examples of these are FUNDESCO in Spain, FUNDETEC in Portugal and 
CNAM and CNED in France. An important development is the creation of 
training partnerships between enterprises and institutions for 
vocational training, using Open Distance Learning methods. In the 
overall, however, there is little evidence of serious public 
development in the application of Open Distance Learning to levels of 
basic education or to vocational training at the non-advanced 
levels^7) There is considerable private enterprise interest in the 
development of multimedia packages in the area of non-advanced 
vocational training and these packages can be used in an Open 
Distance Learning mode. Their principal usage is in large 
enterprise and in multi-branch firms in the services sector. 
Available information would indicate that the participation of small 
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Open Distance Learning, as in 
continuing education, remains to be developed. 
(7) With the exception of Portugal where the National TV provides for 
basic education on the 5th and 6th levels. 
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21. Over the last decade a number of European-based organisations have 
become the focal points for development in the Open Distance Learning 
field. The European Association of Distance Teaching Universities 
(EADTU) is representative of these establishments in twelve European 
countries. EUROPACE is a group of high technology companies and 
universities developing satellite-based continuing training. 
EUROSTEP is an association of users of satellites in education and 
training programmes. " Channel e " is a television service, 
delivering satellite broadly educational and informative programmes, 
while carrying-out a number of research tasks on technical 
specifications. SATURN brings together open and distance teaching 
univesities and enterprises, notably certain SMEs. There is also an 
Association of European Correspondence Schools (AECS) that represents 
in particular the private providers of distance education. These 
organisations have been stimulated by the Commission in the context 
of existing Community programmes aimed at promoting greater 
cooperation in education and training. The activities of these 
organisations would reinforce the impression that many Open Distance 
Learning developments are directed at higher level studies. 
22. There are aspects of Open Distance Learning that are penetrating 
conventional education and training structures to an increasing 
extent. In particular, the development of cheaper hardware and more 
powerful software tools have meant that multimedia and networking 
approaches, which characterise Open Distance Learning, are being 
increasingly adopted as teaching tools in many different types and 
levels of education and training establishment or will be soon 
within its reach. The didactic principles underlying Open Distance 
Learning of carefully structuring course content into units or 
modules relating to specific learning outcomes are also engaging the 
attention, particularly of higher education institutions. They see 
in this approach a means of making students more responsible for 
their own learning and of creating course structures which would 
answer to the needs of increasing permeability, facilitating the 
mobility of students between courses, institutions and countries and 
catering for growing numbers of continuing education students. There 
are some instances of distance teaching being applied to making 
external inputs of high quality into conventional teaching 
programmes. Notwithstanding these developments the level of 
integration between Open Distance Learning and traditional 
educational structures is not very strong and the mixing of these 
different modes as part of an overall approach to supplying education 
and training needs is not much in evidence. The emergence of the 
common ground and common interest already outlined could, 
nevertheless, be instrumental in bringing about a desirable level of 
integration. 
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23. The restriction in the level and range of Open Distance Learning 
opportunities also constitutes a serious problem. It is most 
important that such opportunities be extended to cover the needs and 
priorities of Member States, enterprises and individuals. Given the 
heterogeneity of the populations to be catered for in education and 
training and the variety of modes by which this will be necessary, a 
more extensive provision in the areas of science, technology, 
business studies and languages would appear to be required. This 
provision would need to embrace levels lower than that of a 
university degree. The important technician area, which is in the 
frontline of technological change at an operations level, must be 
catered for, at least at upper secondary level and particularly 
within the framework of continuing education and training. So too 
must the craft area, where multiskitIing has become the typical 
response to changing production requirements. Non-advanced further 
education and training on an Open Distance Learning basis also needs 
widespread development to cater for workers who are seeking to update 
their skills or to improve their qualifications within the context of 
educational leave. Member States who are endeavouring to strengthen 
their provision of basic education by increasing participation at the 
upper secondary level and by extending the range of studies, 
particularly by incorporating vocational and technological 
components, may find in Open Distance Learning a way of solving some 
of their problems. 
24. There is a very wide variety of actors involved with Open Distance 
Learning and it would seem likely that this range will be extended in 
the future. They will come from different levels and types of 
educational institutions, from training institutions within the 
employment sector, from publishing companies, from the social 
partners and from enterprises who are producers, transmitters and 
consumers of Open Distance Learning products. To meet the various 
needs for coordination more than one body for this purpose should be 
envisaged. Major efforts of coordination will be required to give 
structure and standing to Open Distance Learning within the regions 
and the Members States, to maintain standard and quality and to 
ensure complementarity between the roles of public and private 
enterprise in this area. Substantial initiatives will be required in 
assessing the needs and demands for Open Distance Learning, in 
developing the necessary delivery systems and their accompanying 
technology, in providing the counselling , tutorial and interactive 
support that students require in their studies and in ensuring a 
level of recognition in terms of credits and qualifications which 
would be on a par with those achieved through conventional studies 
and which would take account of experiential learning. The formation 
of partnerships between institutions and enterprises, the creation of 
networks involving producers and consumers, the formation of 
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consortia for the delivery of total training packages, the creation 
of advisory structures for SMEs and for sectors which would also have 
responsibility for the assessment of training needs and the 
commissioning of the necessary training, all of these are strategies 
which would support the permeation of Open Distance Learning in an 
effective and economic manner. 
25. Much remains to be done also in clarifying Member State policies 
towards the financing of Open Distance Learning. Primary questions 
regarding the rationale for and the level of public subsidy need to 
be resolved as does also the balance of any such subsidy between the 
producer and the consumer. Equality of opportunity would appear to 
imply that those who wish to avail themselves of educational and 
training opportunities through Open Distance Learning should not be 
disadvantaged as a result of this choice. Social policy 
considerations may well dictate the terms under which Open Distance 
Learning is made available to groups such as the unemployed, people 
suffering from disability, people residing in remote areas, or 
workers whose livelihood is under threat. It is important that Open 
Distance Learning should find a place in any training policies 
envisaged to support industries undergoing transformation due to new 
technology or to help the regions catch up in terms of knowledge and 
skills as a development strategy. The manpower situation in the 
coming decades may well produce an environment where a mixture of 
work and training, with components of Open Distance Learning, may be 
much more the norm for many young people. 
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The Interest of the European Community in Open Distance Learning 
26. The interest of the European Community in Open Distance Learning 
arises from a recognition of the contribution which it can make to 
the achievement of the objectives of education and training policies 
in the Member States and in the Community as a whole and the extent 
to which this contribution can be enhanced by cooperative action. 
There are a number of characteristics of Open Distance Learning which 
make it amenable to cooperative action. First of all there is the 
cost structure where the development and production of courseware and 
the establishment of delivery systems and of supportive facilities 
for students require relatively high initial investment. Notably in 
the Community regions with a less-developed educational 
infractructure, substantial investments might be needed for this 
purpose, like the establishment of demonstration and student support 
centres, and of telecommunication networks. However, once fixed costs 
are met, the marginal costs per student are rapidly decreasing. 
Economies of scale are therefore an important consideration in Open 
Distance Learning and the more widespread the use of the materials 
the more economic the operation becomes. Cost is also related to the 
rate of obsolescence of material and it is important in the design of 
courseware that obsolescence can be corrected for without unnecessary 
discard. 
27. Open Distance Learning is in some respects indépendant of national 
boundaries and this can contribute to the enlargement of the 
potential market and thus assist the economies of scale. It is also 
an important consideration in relation to the inclusion of a European 
dimension in the education and training provided. The quality of 
Open Distance Learning provision can gain appreciably from a sharing 
of expertise and a pooling or licensing of resources as between 
institutions, enterprises, networks and Member States. In the larger 
European Internal Market there will be competition between Open 
Distance Learning providers and this can also lead, in certain 
circumstances, to an improvement in the quality of product. 
28. The Community's interest in Open Distance Learning is accentuated by 
the completion of the Internal Market where the four freedoms of 
movement of goods, services, people and capital are guaranteed under 
the provisions of the Treaty. The freedom to offer services across 
the boundaries of Member States has strong implications for the 
internationalisation of Open Distance Learning and for the 
development of a transnational market in Open Distance Learning 
products and services. The measures announced in the Commission's 
Green Paper on Satellite commun i cat ion^ could have the effect of 
improving access to European telecommunication systems for public and 
private Open Distance Learning providers as well as for consumers. 
(8) Towards Europe-wide systems and services. Green Paper on a common 
approach in the field of Satellite Communication in the European 
Community COM (90) 490, 20 November 1990. 
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The encouragement of exchange of experience, the provision of 
information about Open Distance Learning products and services, the 
translation and adaptation of materials, movement towards 
standardisation or compatibility of systems, harmonisation of copy and 
exploitation rights, the Joint creation of products - ail of these 
factors would support the development of a Europe-wide market in Open 
Distance Learning. It is important that local structures and support 
facilities for students should not be tied to local or national 
producers in such a way as to inhibit the operation of such a market. 
While a free market would promote competition between Open Distance 
Learning providers in Europe it raises also the question of quality 
assurance and the protection of consumers in this field who purchase 
services across the boundaries of Member States. 
29. Mutual recognition of qualifications achieved through Open Distance 
Learning will also be an important issue in order to facilitate 
mobility for further study and employment and in particular on 
account of the international nature of the market. The general 
directive on mutual recognition of qualifications leading to a 
registered profession^9) is based on completion of a course of at 
least three years' duration. At first sight this use of course 
duration as a central factor in according mutual recognition seems 
to pose a problem for Open Distance Learning, where the mastery of 
a set of learning objectives is the criterion for completion and 
where credit for experiential learning can form part of the 
assessment. However, in actual fact the general directive is 
compatible, without the need for amendment, with Open Distance 
Learning in that it makes provision for recognition between Member 
States not only of professional education and training of at least 
three years' duration at higher-education level, but also of all 
other types of education and training which are recognised by the 
Member State in which they are offered as being of an equivalent 
level and confer the same rights in respect of the pursuit of the 
regulated profession concerned.(1°) 
30. in order to promote a balanced development of education and 
training systems in all regions of the Community and hence to 
create a greater cohesion of European education and training 
systems, the Commission has defined Open Distance Learning as one 
of the priority projects for a Community action programme on trans-
European networks.(11> 
(9) Council Directive 89/48/EEC of 21 December 1988 on a general system 
for the recognition of higher-education diplomas awarded on 
completion of professional education and training of at least three 
years' duration. OJ No L 19 of 24 January 1989, p.16. 
(10) cf. last paragraph of Article 1(a) of the Directive. 
(11) Towards Trans-European Networks, For a Community Action 
Programme, COM (90) 585 final, 10 December 1988. 
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Complementarity of Open Distance Learning with existing Community 
Programmes 
31. As part of its efforts to promote initial and continuing education 
the Commission has viewed Open Distance Learning as an activity which 
complements a number of existing and ongoing Community programmes, 
its relationship to these programmes is as follows : 
32. ERASMUS*12* 
This is a programme of interuniversity cooperation and mobility. 
When first conceived the programme envisaged a study abroad period 
for 10% of all students as a means of providing a European dimension 
in their education. Open Distance Learning is seen as one means of 
providing a European dimension for the remaining 90% and, in 
particular for teachers on an inservice basis. It can also provide a 
means of reaching adult and part-time students. The ECTS pilot 
programme which is part of ERASMUS is concerned with the mutual 
recognition of qualifications and could be of value in addressing the 
problems of recognition and equivalence arising within the Open 
Distance Learning area. 
33. L1NGUA<13> 
This programme is designed to support the efforts of the education 
and training systems in the Member States in increasing the 
linguistic competence of young people and employees all over Europe. 
Given the extensive use of Open Distance Learning in the language 
field it is clear that it has the potential to make a major 
contribution to the objectives of this programme, on condition that 
quality standards are kept up. Specific contributions could be 
envisaged in preparing students prior to spending a period of study 
abroad in extending the teaching and learning of the lesser taught 
and lesser used Community languages. 
34. C0METT<14> 
Within the COMETT programme Open Distance Learning has been employed 
as an important means of delivering continuing training in advanced 
technologies. The programme has a clear strategy for developing 
models for training partnerships between Open Universities and 
industry and is supporting such partnerships on a pilot basis in the 
provision of Europe-wide delivery structures and in the production of 
training materials. 
(12) 0J No. L166 25.06.87 p.20 
0J No. L395 30.12.90 p.23 
(13) OJ No. L239 16.08.89 p.24 
(14) OJ No. L013 17.01.89 p.28 
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35. TEMPUS(IS) 
In the TEMPUS programme for the development of higher education in 
Central and Eastern Europe, the Open and Distance Teaching 
universities are developing cooperative ventures, such as the 
establishment of European study centres in the major cities of 
Central and Eastern European countries*16) 
36. EUR0J_ECNEI(17) 
This programme provides for actions concerning changes in initial and 
continuing training policies arising from identification of new 
skills needs in the workforce as a result of technological change. 
Training methodologies based on Open Distance Learning will figure 
increasingly in this programme. 
37. FORCE*18) 
The FORCE programme aims to support and complement the policies and 
activities developed by Member States to promote access to and 
participation in continuing vocational training. It will also be 
concerned with the contribution that Open Distance Learning can make 
to innovative training approaches for adult learners in firms. 
38. DELTA*19) 
Through the DELTA programme the Community has been pursuing research 
into the potential of technological development for learning 
purposes. This research concerns, in particular, the cooperative 
development of advanced learning technologies. it is also concerned 
with testing and validating the operation of these technologies in 
terms of securing higher standards, compatibility and cost reductions 
which would make them available to the educational market at 
reasonable pr ice. 
39. THE THIRD FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT*2°) 
This programme provides for six main activities within which are a 
number of specific programmes. Continuing action in the field of 
distance learning will be supported within the action entitled 
"Telematics Systems in Areas of Gênerai lnte?rest : Flexible and 
Distance Learning ". 
Its aim is paving the way for the implementation of telematic 
networks through pre-competitive and pro-normative research and 
development. 
(15) OJ No. L131 23.05.90 p.21 
(16) The very recent (May) 1991 creation of the Budapest Platform 
for East-West collaboration on distance education may 
increase the opportunities for cooperation in this field. 
(17) OJ NO. L393 30.12.89 p. 29 
(18) OJ NO. L156 21.06.90 p. 1 
(19) OJ NO. L206 30.07.89 p.20 
(20) OJ No.L 117/28 08.05.90 
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40. STRUCTURAL FUNDS 
Within the framework of the Structural Funds, Open Distance Learning 
will contribute in particular to the Community Initiatives such as 
EUR0F0RM*21),H0RIZ0N*23)fand NOW*22). 
41. EUROPEAN OPEN UNIVERSITY 
Recent years have seen the emergence of various proposals for the 
establishment of a European Open University. Given the substantial 
investment already made in existing open and distance teaching 
institutions and also the motivation which they have shown to 
cooperate with each other, the Commission supports the idea that the 
aims and objectives of a European Open University would be best 
achieved through networking amongst the existing institutions rather 
than by creating a new institution as such . Consequently, it has 
supported them being the focal points for delivering open and 
distance teaching, in particular, through a planned programme of 
Joint development of new European level courses as well as 
collaborative actions for course and credit transfer amongst those 
inst itut ions. 
For exemple, supported by several Community Programmes, the European 
Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) is developing 
open learning modules concerning European integration which are 
suitable for incorporation into academic courses both of the Open and 
Distance Teaching Universities and of conventional institutions. 
Specific Fields for Actions 
Taking into consideration the specific role and responsibilities of 
the Member States with regard to open and distance education and 
training and the Community's concern to promote a balanced 
development in this field in all parts of Europe, the Commission has 
defined positive developments that should be encouraged and promoted 
42. Actions by Member States to reinforce the necessary training 
Infrastructures in the less favoured, remote and rural zones of the 
Community. The increased utilisation of open and distance education 
and training in these Community regions could improve considerably 
access to education and training. 
Creation of local/regional study support centres has proven to be an 
efficient tool aiming to : 
link distance teaching institutions with regional training 
consortia in particular for meeting training needs for local 
industry; 
introduce and demonstrate open and distance learning 
materials and systems to raise the awareness of the potential 
of open distance learning in local industrial circles-, 
(21) OJ No. C327 29.12.90 p.3 
(23) OJ No. C327 29.12.90 p.9 
(22) OJ No. C327 29.12.90 p.5 
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provide learner support (s.a. counselling and tutoring) at 
local level for students, particularly the personnel of 
companies lacking such support structures inside the company 
concerned; 
distribute and deliver open learning materials (from national 
and international producers) on a local level. 
43. Actions at Community level to promote the development of a supply of 
open learning materials for Europe-wide delivery, geared notably to 
the training needs of SMEs in particular in key sectors of industrial 
importance. 
Benefitting from and based on the experience and expertise of the 
COMETT programme and the Europe-wide COMETT UETP network, but also 
exploiting the achievement of Member States in this field (such as 
the UK "Open Tec" programme), the Community should encourage : 
pilot schemes in open and distance learning initiated by 
professional or industrial groupings for the benefit of 
company personnel; such schemes may be based either on new 
training courses and materials or on the adaptation of proven 
existing course material to meet the requirements of the new 
target audience; 
sectoral Iy-focussed training actions in fields of strategic 
importance for the Community economy, preferably as 
international Joint ventures between distance teaching 
institutions and companies concerned; 
schemes for the support and evaluation of model distance 
training developed by large companies for the benefit of 
suppIi er compan i es. 
44. Actions to encourage and to support transnational cooperation between 
current and potential providers of open and distance learning in 
order to promote wider exploitation of training products. 
In this regard, the Community should encourage : 
adaptation of such products to meet local requirements, 
notably linguistic and cultural; 
establishment of transnational tele-communication structures 
for information exchange and course delivery, exploiting also 
the modern tele-communication and information technology, 
such as satellite communication and telematic networks; 
training measures directed at trainers in order to develop 
and to improve their utilisation of open and distance 
training methods so as to develop a case of good practice; 
- 18 -
clearing-house activities designed for information exchange 
on open and distance teaching opportunities and products and 
the creation of databanks in this field, for promotion of 
quality and standards of training products and delivery 
systems and for accreditation of open and distance courses 
and their evaluation. 
45. Specific actions within the ERASMUS programme concerning the 
promotion of distance teaching in the ERASMUS inter-university 
cooperation programmes (ICPs) aiming in particular at : 
creating extra opportunities for students in Europe to add a 
European dimension to their curriculum by studying distance 
courses from abroad; 
promoting collaboration between distance teaching 
universities and conventional universities in Europe for the 
development of common curricula; 
providing opportunities for adults and/or part-time students 
(who are not able to move abroad for a longer period) to 
participate in the ERASMUS programme; 
improving the quality of higher education by enabling 
external high level teaching expertise to be incorporated 
into programmes and by developing multimedia competence in 
higher education institutions. 
46. The Commission would also profit from aditionai experience to be 
gained from these Community actions in order to take stock of the 
appropriate research and development applications, involving the 
latest achievements in the field of technology-based learning, making 
full use of information and communication technologies and 
establishing synergies with the different Community R&D programmes. 
This cross-fertilising procedure would enable the Commission and the 
Member States to assist existing distance education and training 
centres in Europe in achieving greater interconnection in order to be 
able to get the most out of their experience. 
The Commission would also work towards promoting cooperative 
activities between the training education and R&D Community 
programmes in the field of common standards, inter-operabiIity of 
software and compatibility between the hardware systems and the 
training methodologies. 
- 19 -
47. The Europe-wide delivery of open distance learning courses in an open 
market urges for measures regarding the quality promotion and the 
consumers protection. 
48. The open market equally requires community measures to harmonize 
copyright and neighbouring rights. Copyright provides a basis for 
intellectual creation. To protect copyright is to ensure that 
creativity is sustained and developed, in the interest of authors, 
the cultural sector, consumers, the educational system and ultimately 
of society as a whole. Neighbouring rights underpin these objectives 
in various ways, particularly by guaranteeing a proper return to 
those who invest in the provision of these cultural goods and 
services. 
The completion of the internal market requires that authors and other 
right holders will find an identical level of protection at least 
comparable if they wish to exploit their rights in other Member 
States. Thus the conferring of a right and the practical management 
of that right are more and more closely bound up together. 
The changes which technological advance has brought make it urgently 
necessary to strengthen the protection of copyright and neighbouring 
r ights. 
A series of legislative actions, studies and other actions are 
currently being prepared.*24) The main decisions and directives are 
to be adopted by 31 December 1992. 
Conclusion 
49. In drawing up this Memorandum, the Commission has taken note of the 
views of the Education Ministers as expressed at the Council meetings 
on May 31, 1990 in Brussels and on November 8, 1990 in Siena. It has 
closely considered the opinion and advices of the National Experts 
group on open and distance learning that had been established on 
request of the Council. It has also benefitted from the studies made 
by experts on behalf of the Commission and from the studies and 
reports from the Council of Europe and of the OECD. 
The Commission is convinced that open and distance learning could 
play a vital role to improve access to education and training for all 
European citizens. On the basis of the discussions, the Council and 
the Ministers in charge of education and training policies could 
request the Commission to undertake specific policies and actions in 
this field at Community level. 
(24) Green Paper or Copyright and the Challenge of Technology (COM 
(88) 172 FINAL of June 1988) and the follow-up to the Green 
Paper : Working Programme of the Commission in the field of 
Copyright and neighbouring rights (COM(90) FINAL of 17 
January 1991 ). 

. 2o -
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(91) 388 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 16 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-91-435-EN-C 
ISBN 92-11-16266-1 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg