^42 
fiWmèï 
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 31.03.1995 
COM(95) 124 final 
94/0199 (COD) 
Amended proposal for a 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DECISION 
establishing a 
EUROPEAN YEAR OF LIFELONG 
LEARNING 
(1996) 
(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2) 
of the EC-Treaty) 
Explanatory memorandum 
The Commission's proposal COM(94) 264 final - 94/0199(COD) was examined in first reading by the 
European Parliament on 16 March 1995. Among the 39 voted amendments, the Commission accepted 
25, some in spirit if not verbatim (n° 1 to 8, 12, 15 to 20, 23, 27, 41, 30, 31, 32, 35 to 38). It 
accepted amendments n° 9, 24 and 40 in part. It cannot accept 12 amendments (n° 10, 11, 13, 14, 21, 
22, 25, 26, 28, 33, 34, 39). The reason for rejecting the latter concerns principally the application of 
the principle of subsidiarity, either because they concern relationships between Member States and 
their internal authorities, or because they could imply a harmonization at Community level which 
would represent a breach of Article 126 of the Treaty. 
The amendments accepted mainly concern the specification of the objectives and themes of the Year, 
and the means to implement them. 
Initial proposal for a 
EUROPEAN PAKUAMENT AND COUNCIL 
DECISION 
establishing a 
EUROPEAN YEAR OF LIFELONG 
LEARNING 
(1996) 
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE 
COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Cbmmunity and particularly Articles 
126 and 127 thereof 
Having regard to the proposal from the 
Cbmmission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic 
and Social Committee, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee 
of the Regions, 
Whereas changes in lifestyles and in individual 
and collective patterns of behaviour generate new 
education and training requirements; 
Whereas changes in the production cycle as a 
result of the introduction of new technologies 
and new configurations of work organisation 
imply radical changes in the knowledge and 
skills required of workers and entail an effort to 
favour the emergence of new jobs in order to 
bridge the widening gap between economic 
growth and the creation of jobs in Europe; Amended proposal 
A PL 
Whereas the continuing adaptation of education 
and training systems to these new requirements is 
of major strategic importance to Europe whose 
economic competitiveness and social model are 
based on knowledge and knowhow, 
Whereas the role of lifelong learning for the 
individual and the worker is becoming 
fundamental both in order to secure personal 
fulfilment and to enhance long-term employment 
prospects; whereas the White Paper on Growth, 
Competitiveness and Employment stresses that 
education and training will undoubtedly play a 
crucial role in the renewal of growth, the 
recovery of competitiveness and the restoring of 
a sodafiy-acceptable level of employment; Whereas the œntinuing adaptation of education 
and training systems to these new requirements 
is of major strategic importance to Europe 
whose economic competitiveness and social 
model are based on knowledge and knowhow, 
and whereas the attractiveness of vocational 
training and its social prestige are largely 
dependent on recognition of the equal value of 
general educational and vocational training and 
society's recognition of skilled occupations; 
new recital 
Whereas education and training are intended to 
develop each individual's personality, to teach 
him such values of private, social and public 
life as soUdaritv. tolerance and understanding 
of cultural diversity, to promote the ability of 
the various cultural groups to communicate, 
and to promote the involvement of all the 
citizens of Europe in democratic decision­
making processes: 
new recital 
Whereas, according to the White Paper on 
Growth. Competitiveness and Employment 
more than two million jobs to be created by the 
year 2000 will consist of new careers linked 
with the technological revolutions in the 
audiovisual sector and the information society, 
requiring continuing education and flexibility in 
initial training concepts: 
Whereas the role of lifelong learning for the 
individual and the worker is becoming 
fundamental in order to enhance long-term 
employment prospects; whereas-the White 
paper on Growth, Competitiveness and 
Employment stresses that education and 
training will undoubtedly play a crucial role in 
the renewal of growth, the recovery of 
competitiveness and the restoring of a socially-
acceptable level of employment; 
whereas the scale of unemployment affecting 
young people and adults brings risks of social 
upheaval and of scepticism as regards training, 
thus jeopardising the confidence they should 
have in the concept of lifelong learning; 
Whereas there should be exchanges of experience 
and information on what the Member States have 
achieved in their own countries and on the many 
regional and local initiatives undertaken, and on 
the work of the Council of Europe and other 
international organisations involved in education 
and training; new recital 
Whereas it must be borne in mind that non-
school education and training (e.g. adult 
education and open universities) are gaining in 
importance, whereas it must be ensured that 
everyone has access to such education and 
training, and whereas the promotion needed for 
non-school education must not be at the 
expense of broadly based initial training: 
new recital 
whereas continuing training which improves 
the trainee's prospects also forms a good 
oprx>rtunity for resolving social conflicts and 
with appropriate concepts and actions, must 
help to prevent xenophobia alcohol and drug 
abuse, and the associated willingness to resort 
to violence: 
new recital 
Whereas the Cbmmission's White Paper on 
European Social Policy advocates a positive 
flexible approach to work and training, the 
raising of the skill levels of the present-day and 
future workforce and the examination of fiscal 
and other incentives with a view to investment 
by businesses and private individuals in 
continuing education for the development of 
lifelong learning opportunities for adults: 
Whereas 1996 will be the year in which the 
Leonardo da Vinci1 and Socrates1 programmes, 
which constitute the second generation of 
Cornmunity education and training programmes, 
come into their own; 
Whereas the Structural Funds and particularly the 
European Social Fund and the Cbmmunity 
initiatives which derive therefrom, particularly 
Adept and Employment, do much to enhance 
quality education and training; 
Whereas there is a need to highlight the 
fundamental importance of education and training 
for the construction of a Europe which is 
economically competitive and socially anchored 
in sohdarity and in the encouragement of 
individual fulfilment, through a series of 
activities and events concerted at European 
Union level under the banner of a European Year 
of Lifelong Learning, and thus achieve a greater 
impact than that achieved by existing Cbmmunity 
programmes and which would not be feasible for 
actions undertaken singly by Member States; new recital 
Whereas existing distance and self-instruction 
systems, global networks fespecially computer 
networks), interactive œmmunication among 
learners and between learners and teachers and 
information infrastructure have an important 
role to play in lifelong learning: whereas 
existing international networks are particularly 
suitable for language training: whereas sound 
basic training is essential if they are to be 
integrated into the lifelong learning process: 
Whereas there is a need to highlight the 
fundamental importance of education and 
fraining for the construction of a Europe which 
is economically competitive and socially 
anchored in sohdarity, through a series of 
activities and events concerted at European 
Union level under the banner of a European 
Year of Lifelong Learning, and thus achieve a 
greater impact than that achieved by existing 
Cbmmunity programmes and which would not 
be feasible for actions undertaken singly by 
Member States; 
Council Decision ... / /EC (JO No L....). 
European Parliament and Council Decision .../ /EC (OJ No L...). 
HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article 1 
1. Actions to provide information on, create 
awareness of and promote lifelong learning 
shall be undertaken between 1 January 1995 
and 31 December 1996. 
2. 1996 shall be proclaimed the "European Year 
of Lifelong learning". 
Article 2 
The objectives of the actions referred to in 
Article 1 are to: 
1. make the European public aware of the 
importance of lifelong learning as a key 
factor in the personal development of 
individuals and for a European model of 
competitiveness and growth which is 
employment-intensive; 
2. foster better cooperation at all levels between 
education and training structures and the 
business cornmunity, particularly the SMEs; new recital 
Whereas an agreement on a modus vivendi 
between the European ParUament the Council 
and the Commission concerning the 
implementing measures for acts adopted in 
accordance with the procedure laid down in 
Article 189b of the EC Treaty was reached on 
20 January 1995: 
make the European public aware of the 
importance of lifelong learning as a key 
factor in the personal development of 
individuals and in their participation in the 
democratic decision-making processes: 
3. help to establish a European area of 
education and training through the academic 
and vocational recognition of quahfications 
within the European Union and through the 
introduction of a European dimension in 
education and training; 
stress the contribution made by education and 
training to the equality of opportunities - and 
thus the importance of this equality, 
particularly between men and women - in 
access to education and training. 3. contribute to European competitiveness and 
to an employment-intensive economic 
growth bv promoting awareness amongst 
the social partners of the importance of 
creating opportunities for lifelong learning 
to meet the challenges of economic and 
social change: particular encouragement 
shall be given to SMEs: 
4. raise awareness among European citizens 
of the initiatives taken by the European 
Union in the field of academic and 
vocational recognition of quahfications and 
promotion of a European dimension in 
education and training, particularly through 
the LEONARDO and SOCRATES 
programmes. In this context the European 
Year must focus, among other things, on 
promoting language skills: 
5. emphasise the importance of providing 
access to lifelonglearning and appropriate 
recognised accreditation systems for all 
regardless of différence in sex, age, ability, 
ethnic, economic and social background 
with a view to ending the waste of talent 
combating social exclusioa giving girls 
and women a wider choice of occupations 
and eliminating regional disparities. 
Deleted 
6. Encourage parents and education authorities 
to shoulder their responsibility for the 
education and fraining of children and 
young people in a context of lifelong 
learning. 
Article 3 
The actions referred to in Article 1 shall 
include general or theme-based events, the 
preparation and dissemination of 
œrnmunication products, and studies and 
surveys. 
The criteria, procedures and arrangements for 
the selection and financing of actions are set 
out in the Annex. The actions should provide the means to 
fulfil the objectives described in Article 2. 
They shall highlight the importance of 
cooperation between education and training 
structures, business and the social partners: 
the potential of a European education and 
training area in the context of mobility of 
people receiving training and of workers: 
the need to ensure better access to relevant 
education and training actions for all 
regardless of gender, ethnic, economic and 
social background. 
Priority in the selection of the actions 
mentioned in section II of the annex will 
go to those which offer a practical 
demonstration of the advantages of 
education and training and a motivating 
incentive for individuals, enterprises and 
regional development alike: those 
highlighting education and fraining actions 
as part of a lifelong learning approach: 
those encouraging the social partners to 
promote through collective arrangements 
the provision of fraining and further 
training: those which show the contribution 
made by transnational cooperation and 
those which disseminate the results of 
Cbmmunity interventions, those promoting 
through European, national, regional and 
local networks the exchange of ideas and 
the dissemination of good practice in 
relation to the provision of lifelong 
learning, particularly to the socially 
excluded and groups at risk. 
Article 4 
The Commission shall be responsible for the 
implementation of this Decision. 
The Commission shall be assisted by a 
committee of an advisory nature composed of 
one representative from each Member State and 
chaired by the Cbmmission representative. 
The representative of the Cbmmission shall 
submit to the Committee a draft of the measures 
to be taken. 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 Cbmmission shall take the utmost account of 
the opinion delivered by the Cbmmittee. It shall 
inform the Cbmmittee of the manner in which its 
opinion has been taken into account. 
Article 5 
Decisions on financial support to be awarded by 
the Cbrrimunity for actions proposed by the 
Member States shall be taken by me Commission 
in accordance with the procedure set out in 
Articled 
Article 6 
1. Each Member State shall designate a body 
responsible for the selection, coordination 
and the implementation nationally of the 
actions provided for in this Decision. The Cbmmission shall be assisted by a 
committee of an advisory nature composed of 
two representatives from each Member State 
and chaired by the Cbmmission representative. 
The decisions on actions to be implemented 
under this Decision shall be taken by the 
Commission in accordance with the procedure 
set out in Article 4. 
2. Applications for financial support for the 
actions provided for in section II B of the 
Annex shall be submitted to the Cbmmission 
by the Member States concerned. 
Article 7 
The Cbmmission shall inform the European 
Parliament the Economic and Social 
Cbmmittee and the Cbmmittee of the Regions 
on a regular basis of the activities planned 
under the European Year agreed on by the 
advisory committee. The Commission shall also 
ensure close cooperation with the Leonardo da 
Vinci and Socrates programmes. 
Article 8 
The Commission shall optimise the impact of 
the European Year for Lifelong learning by 
ensuring that in 1996 related EU programmes 
and/or other financial instruments, in particular 
the education and vocational fraining 
programmes, the European Social Fund and the 
EU information policy give financial support 
and contribute to the objectives pursued by the 
Year. 
Article 9 
The Cbmmission and the Member States, each 
in accordance with its areas of responsibility, 
shall ensure that the social partners and, where 
they have a responsibility for education and 
fraining. regional or local authorities are 
involved in the planning and implementation of 
activities connected with the Year. 
Article 7 
The Cbmmission shall submit, by 31 December 
1997 at the latest, a report to the European 
Parhament, to the Council, to the Economic and 
Social Cbmmittee and to the Cbmmittee of the 
Regions, on the implementation, results and 
overall assessment of the actions envisaged by 
this Decision and shall propose follow-up 
arrangements. 
Done at Brussels, 
For the Parhament 
The President For the Council 
The President Article 10 
The Cbmmission shall submit by 31 December 
1997 at the latest a report to the European 
Parhament, to the Council, to the Economic 
and Social Committee and to the Cbmmittee of 
the Regions, on the implementation, results and 
overall assessment of the actions envisaged by 
this Decision and shall propose follow-up 
arrangements. 
10 
ANNEX 
L General 
7. Objectives and grounds for the actions 
The action follows up the White Paper on 
Growth, Competitiveness and Employment 
submitted by the Cbmmission to the Brussels 
European Council in December 1993, in which it 
is recommended that the Cbmmission should "set 
firmly and clearly the essential requirements and 
the long-term objectives for measures and 
policies" in the areas of education and fraining, 
and that, "one way of sending an important 
signal and creating added awareness in this area 
would be to announce and organise a "European 
Year of Lifelong Learning". 
2. Themes 
Activities and events undertaken as part of the 
European Year of Lifelong Learning will focus 
on the objectives described in Article 2, viz. the 
development, generalisation and systématisation 
of continuing education and fraining, the 
importance of cooperation between education and 
fraining structures and the business community, 
the potential of a European education and 
fraining area in the context of mobility of people 
receiving fraining and of workers, the need to 
ensure better access to education and fraining 
actions - particularly from the point of view of 
equal opportunities for men and women. 
3. Criteria 
Priority in the selection of the actions mentioned 
in Section II will go to those which offer a 
practical demonstration of the advantages of 
education and fraining for individuals, firms and 
regional development alike; those highlighting 
education and fraining actions as part of a 
lifelong approach; those based on Cbmmunity 
action on education and fraining; and those 
which show the contribution made by 
transnational cooperation. 
11 
EL Contente 
A Actions wholly financed out of the 
Cbmmunity budget 
1. a) Organisation of European conferences on 
the abovementioned mêmes to launch and 
to close the European Year; 
b) Organisation of meetings in the Member 
States in order to stress the contribution 
made by the European Union to the 
abovementioned themes; 
2. Cbmmunity-wide information and 
promotional campaigns involving: 
a) the designing of a logo and a slogan for 
the European Year of lifelong learning; 
b) preparation of œmmunication products 
e.g. video clips describing innovatory 
experiences in education and fraining; 
multimedia points at fairs and 
exhibitions; brochures and leaflets; 
packages (texts, pictures, graphs, 
diagrams, etc.) to facilitate organisation 
of local and regional conferences and 
seminars around the Year's four themes; 
interactive systems (CD-ROM, CD-I or 
telematics) to complement printed 
material; in addition to raising awareness 
these products will help to improve 
access by a wider public to information 
on the vocational recognition of 
quahfications, on the conditions of access 
to higher education in the Union, and on 
the projects supported by the different 
Cbmmunity programmes and initiatives; Contents 
1. Awareness creation actions throughout the 
European Union. 
b) Organisation of meetings in the Member 
States in order to stress the contribution 
made by the European Union to the 
attainment of the aims of the European 
Year: 
deleted 
the designing of a logo and a slogan for the 
European Year of lifelong learning; 
preparation of œmmunication products e.g. 
video clips describing innovatory 
experiences in education and fraining; 
multimedia points at fairs and exhibitions; 
brochures and leaflets; packages (texts, 
pictures, graphs, diagrams, etc.) to facilitate 
organisation of local and regional 
conferences and seminars around the Year's 
four themes; interactive systems (CD-ROM, 
CD-I or telematics) to complement printed 
material; in addition to raising awareness 
these products will help to improve access 
by a wider pubhc to information on the 
vocational recognition of quahfications, on 
the conditions of access to higher education 
in the Union, and on the projects supported 
by the different Cbmmunity programmes 
and initiatives; 
12 
c) the use of the major public (television, 
radio, press) and specialised media 
(educational TV channels, specialised 
press) for events and promotional 
campaigns; 
d) organisation of European competitions 
(e.g. for pupils, schools, companies or 
local authorities) highhghting tangible 
experiences and achievements on one of 
the Year's four themes, inter aha, in 
conjunction with business circles, the 
social partners and the world of 
education, particularly as regards access 
for workers to continuing education and 
fraining; 
3. Organisation of surveys, preparatory and ex-
post assessment studies as a function of the 
target publics for each of the themes, one of 
the main points being to circumscribe more 
accurately the expectations of these different 
publics, including as regards the contribution 
of the Union. 
B. Actions co-financed out of the Cbmmunity 
budget 
The actions proposed for the European Year 
by the national authorities could qualify for 
modulated financing out of the (immunity 
budget according to each case, up to a 
rnaximum of 50% of the cost. These actions 
could relate inter alia to: 
a) national or regional events around the 
common themes established for the 
European Year; 4. cooperation with the media: 
6. 
B. organisation of European competitions 
highhghting tangible experiences and 
achievements in relation to one of the 
Year's objectives; 
The provision of a certificate of 
participation to those who take part in the 
activities organised vvithin the European 
Year for Lifelong learning; 
Surveys, in particular with a view to better 
defining the target groups concerned by the 
Year's themes and to evaluating the impact 
of the Year. 
Actions co-financed up to 50% out of the 
Cbmmunity budget 
deleted 
1. National or regional events around the 
common themes established for the 
European Year; 
13 
b) providing information on and 
disseminating examples of good practice; 
c) organisation of prizes and competitions at 
national or regional level. 
Actions receiving no financial aid from the 
G>mmunity budget 
Voluntary actions to be conducted by public 
or private! operators, including authorisation 
to use the logo and priority themes of the 
European Year m campaigns and events. Providing information on and disseminating 
examples of good practice; 
Organisation of prizes and competitions at 
national or regional level. 
14 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(95) 124 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 04 16 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-95-132-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-87576-3 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg 
-1S