WRITTEN QUESTION E-1166/96 by Yannos Kranidiotis (PSE) and Nikolaos Papakyriazis (PSE) to the Commission (15 May 1996)

Subject: The situation at CEDEFOP

The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) in Thessalonica is facing operational problems. Because it has been relocated from Berlin to Thessalonica, certain circles are apparently seeking to downgrade its role.

The Commission, which is CEDEFOP's main customer, appears not to have given CEDEFOP the necessary support and consequently what it has to offer is not being exploited to the extent necessary.

1. What is the content of the Commission's collaboration with CEDEFOP?

2. How many research programmes and studies were placed with CEDEFOP in 1994 and 1995?

3. What future collaboration with CEDEFOP is planned, and what is its reaction to CEDEFOP's long-term planning?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission (18 June 1996)

The cooperation between the Commission and Cedefop is guided by the provisions of the founding regulation of Cedefop. Cedefop cooperates with the Commission on matters such as transparency, recognition and validation of qualifications, monitoring trends in occupations and qualifications, information on vocational training through the national monograph overviews of the current situation in the Member States, classification and statistics in vocational education and training, quality in vocational training, the preparation of a European report on vocational training, producing the European journal on vocational training,and organizing the Community study visits programme for vocational training specialists.

The Commission is involved not only in the development, but also in the implementation phase of Cedefop projects and participates actively in the permanent Cedefop networks such as the documentation network and the editing board of the European journal of vocational training.

On the basis of a draft submitted by the director, the management board adopts the annual work programme in agreement with the Commission. Consequently the Commission's members on the management board examine and discuss the importance of research projects and studies proposed. Starting from 1994, Cedefop has further developed in its annual work programme surveys and analyses and promoted networking of research institutes and organizations in the fields of development of qualifications, transparency, recognition and validation of qualifications and terminology as requested by the Commission and in the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci programme.

The Commission has already outlined in the last management board seminar (March 1996) the principal lines of action along which the Commission expects Cedefop to contribute to the implementation of the Community's vocational training policy. In addition the Commission intends to communicate its views on the mid-term priorities programme.

The Commission members in the management board support the decision to set up a mid-term priorities programme. It is expected to provide a focus of the activities of Cedefop and therefore transparency and visibility, will facilitate an efficient planning and use of resources, and will permit the establishment of an internal and external monitoring and evaluation process of Cedefop's activities, permitting a process of continuous adaptation to the requests of its clients.