WRITTEN QUESTION E-3715/00

by Giovanni Pittella (PSE) to the Commission

(30 November 2000)

Subject: ESF Objectives

Given that:

- since 1999, with the adoption of Regulations Nos 1260 and 1784, the role of the ESF is based on the new Employment title of the Amsterdam Treaty, which in turn is part of the employment strategy set out by the Essen European Council and in the annual employment action programmes in the Member States;

- the basic aims of the ESF are to support the labour market through measures designed to combat and prevent unemployment, promote social integration and education and training systems which foster employment and to support women in the labour market;

- the ultimate aims of the ESF include promoting local job creation schemes and implementing Community initiatives to combat discrimination and disparities in access to the labour market;

- the European institutions are therefore fully aware that the training of human resources is of capital importance in a society that is increasingly characterised by far-reaching cultural, economic and production change that is developing at an extraordinary rate.

- training, quality and research are the key areas of a credible policy to strengthen Europe's position in the international context.

- the accreditation of training facilities is essential to ensure quality standards for training providers, based on objective parameters and specific and rapid procedures.

Can President Romano Prodi say, on behalf of the Commission, what instruments if any it intends to propose to introduce a system of accreditation, based on standardised conditions and parameters, for training facilities in the Member States?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(9 January 2001)

The Commission recognises the crucial role of education and training for the economic and social development of the Community. Since the Lisbon European Council stressed the need to adapt European education and training systems to the needs of the knowledge society, a Commission working document in the form of a memorandum has been prepared. It provides a conceptual framework for developing a comprehensive lifelong learning strategy and will be the basis for a consultation process of all stakeholders during the first part of 2001. Furthermore, the key role of lifelong learning has been underlined in the Employment Guidelines for 2001. The quality of education and training systems and the issue of recognition of qualifications, acquired knowledge and skills are addressed by the employment guidelines as well as by the Community action programmes Socrates (education) and Leonardo (training).

The implementation of European Social Fund (ESF) activities over the next six years is governed by Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds(1) and by Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999 of the Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 1999 on the European Social Fund(2). These regulations do not refer explicitly to common standards in vocational training across Member States and there are no plans to tie ESF-support to the establishment of any Community-wide system of accreditation of training. However, Member States do have the flexibility to use the ESF to help improve the quality and relevance of their vocational education and training systems and thereby respond to the employment guidelines which will be the subject of reporting in the annual national action plans on employment. Moreover, the Commission will assess the impact of these policies in each ESF programme during the mid-term review in 2003.

(1) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.

(2) OJ L 213, 13.8.1999.