WRITTEN QUESTION E-2985/01

by Markus Ferber (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(29 October 2001)

Subject: Funding of correspondence courses from PHARE appropriations

In the late 1990s the Commission, acting via the European Training Foundation (ETF) in Turin, used PHARE appropriations to pay, in two instalments of EUR 20 m, the cost of setting up vocational training correspondence courses in the applicant countries. According to assessment reports, the majority of the appropriations were used to purchase PCs, some of which are still being stored, in their original packaging, in the cellars of the universities which received them.

Can the Commission state how many and which correspondence courses are now running?

How many students have registered for these courses and can be shown to be taking part in them?

How many participants have thus far completed the courses by passing public or university examinations?

How much has a completed training course thus far cost the European taxpayer?

What action, in terms of its operations and staff, does the Commission plan to take in response to this squandering of appropriations?

What role does the ETF still play in the current pre-accession strategy?

When can the Foundation be closed down?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(14 December 2001)

The Commission assumes that the Honourable Member refers to two Multi-country Programmes for Distance Education in the candidate countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Albania, as well as a programme extension for Bosnia & Herzegovina and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The

budget of all programmes, which were implemented by the European Training Foundation (ETF), amounted to a total of 11 million during the years 1995-1997. The main purpose of the programmes was to promote awareness and application of modern open and distance learning methods.

The majority of appropriations were not used to purchase PCs. In the context of the creation of study centres, for 1995-1996 approximately 18 % (14,5 % for 1997) of the total budget has been spent on basic equipment (computers, networks, multi-media production facilities). This represents a lower proportion than is usual in PHARE projects on the development of vocational training. Problems raised in the programme assessment, carried out in July 1999, relating to the late delivery or installation of equipment provided were solved before the end of the programme in September 1999. Only in one case equipment was installed after the end of the programme.

The results of the programmes included enhanced institutional co-ordination for distance education in 11 countries and the establishment of 45 regional distance education study centres. In addition, 31 multi-country distance courses were developed. The average cost for these courses amounts to 80 000 100 000, from the course design to the final delivery. Over 1 000 participants took part. Moreover, the study centres themselves developed more than 200 distance learning courses. Overall, the 1999 programme assessment concluded that the programme was successfully implemented and contributed to the development of the countries' educational systems by improving modern, media supported teaching and learning. A further evaluation carried out in April 2001 confirmed these findings.

ETF undertook a survey on the sustainability of the programme's results (http://www.etf.eu.int/etfweb.nsf/pages/pharedown/$file/sustainability.doc) in September 2000, one year after the programme activities had been finalised. It shows that most of the study centres were continuing the delivery of courses. The number of courses is estimated at about 130. The programme requested the development of pilot courses for which no specific examination was required. However, some of the courses have been adopted as part of the national education and training systems and most of them have developed plans for future accreditation. Further updated information would require a more detailed survey. The Commission will ask the ETF to conduct this survey in September 2002.

Given the above information the Commission does not consider that appropriations have been squandered. Within the regular audit activities in PHARE, a closing audit of the programme will be conducted in 2002.

In the context of the pre-accession strategy, the Foundation's role and activities comprise their involvement in current policy developments of the Union and the contribution to their preparation for full participation at the time of accession. In this framework, the national observatories produce information and analysis concerning training and labour market developments and the ETF co-operates with the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP). The ETF focuses on those countries that face particular problems with the modernisation of their training systems, namely Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.

Decisions concerning Community Agencies are taken by the Council. It is understood that the Foundation's role in candidate countries will cease upon the date of accession. However, the ETF will continue to support (through policy guidance and project management) the reform of vocational education and management training in over 30 partner countries in the Mediterranean region, the Western Balkans, the New Independent States and Mongolia.