WRITTEN QUESTION E-0869/98 by Hilde Hawlicek (PSE) to the Commission (26 March 1998)

Subject: European educational cooperation in southeastern Europe

Southeastern Europe, the 'Balkans', is a sensitive region in security terms. While educational cooperation may promote and improve peace, stability and democracy, it cannot solve the political problems.

As the EU is an immediate neighbour of this region, it has a particular responsibility towards the countries of southeastern Europe. Aware of this responsibility, I wish to put the following questions:

1. Does the Commission use educational cooperation as an important tool for confidence-building measures in southeastern Europe? Have there already been or is the Commission planning actions, conferences or anything similar on this subject?

2. Is there any coordination among the various directorates-general with respect to a joint approach in educational cooperation (e.g. DG XXII with Socrates and Leonardo; PHARE with the construction of schools and the like, and with ECHO, etc.)?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission (30 April 1998)

1. The Commission believes in the importance of education and vocational education in helping to bring about mutual cooperation, peace and stability in the region. To this end, the Commission, through its Phare programme, provides financial support to the Tempus higher education reform programme as well as to vocational education via a vocational education and training programme. The implementation of the second programme is under the responsibility of the European training foundation in Turin in coordination with the Commission. Various school rehabilitation projects have been undertaken in Bosnia and Albania.

Since 1995, the funds have been allocated for Tempus higher education to Albania 1995-1999 (5 MECU allocated and already disbursed; further 700 000 MECU planned in 1998), to Bosnia 1996-1998 (4 MECU of which 1.5 MECU pre-Tempus), and to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) 1996-1997 (4 MECU).

The general objective of Tempus is to restructure the higher education system of these countries which means reviewing the curricula and reforming the management of higher education institutions. Tempus is presently rethinking its approach in order to see how best to use higher education as a tool for facing up to the geo-political and socio-economic difficulties which exist in the region.

As for vocational education and training, funds have been allocated from the Phare programme for Albania (ECU 700 000 project due to end in May 1998), Bosnia (3.5 MECU project which is in its inception phase) and FYROM (2.8 MECU project also in its inception phase). This programme targets secondary vocational education and training and develops a strategy upgrading the system in such a way that students are better prepared for national and international job markets. It helps to introduce a regional approach to the system and strengthen links between the scholastic institutions and the local communities and businesses.

2. Close coordination exists inside the Commission in the conception and implementation of education programmes in the region.