WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1936/97 by Christof TANNERT to the Commission. Community-wide recognition of teacher training in Berlin
Date: 1997-06-04
Institutions: European Parliament, TANNERT
Subjects: Germany, education, higher education, professional qualifications, recognition of diplomas, vocational training

C 21/122

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

22. 1. 98

The Commission regrets that the sectors concerned have not so far made use of the grace period allowed by the
Council to develop a strategy which would enable them to adjust to the abolition of the tax concession associated
with duty-free sales, although it is now five years since the decision was taken. Instead, the duty-free sales sector
boosted its turnover by about 50% between 1991 and 1995, thus exerting pressure by unacceptable means. This
increase  in  turnover  also  reflects  the  scale  of  the  tax  concession  enjoyed  by  the  sector,  which  represents,  on
average, 35% of turnover.

Furthermore, the Commission notes that the arguments being advanced today are exactly the same as those put
forward in 1991. Accordingly, it has no plans to conduct a study of the social and economic repercussions in the
sector concerned. In this regard it endorses the approach advocated by the Ecofin Council on 11 November 1996.

(98/C 21/235)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1936/97

by Christof Tannert (PSE) to the Commission

(4 June 1997)

Subject: Community-wide recognition of teacher training in Berlin

Because of budget cuts, Berlin(cid:146)s Department for Schools, Youth and Sport has decided to reduce from two years
to  one  year  the  length  of  courses  at  teacher-training  colleges.  The  Land  Education  Authority  sent  a  letter  to
Berlin(cid:146)s training centres stating that vocational-school students who had proceeded beyond the eleventh class
(formerly  (cid:145)10  +  2(cid:146):  ten  years(cid:146)  general  education  plus  two  years  in  vocational  school)  may  now  apply  for
admission to the training school.

Can the Commission indicate whether, despite the reduction to one year at vocational school ((cid:145)10 + 1(cid:146)), teacher
training obtained in Berlin is still recognized throughout the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission

(11 July 1997)

The recognition of diplomas qualifying the holder to practise the occupation of childcare worker is covered by
the Community directives establishing the general system of recognition of diplomas. Depending on the level of
the  qualifications  concerned,  one  of  the  following  two  directives  applies:  Directive  89/48/EEC  on  a  general
system for the recognition of higher-education diplomas awarded on completion of professional education and
training  of  at  least  three  years’  duration (1),  or  Directive  92/51/EEC  on  a  second  general  system  for  the
recognition of professional education and training to supplement Directive 89/48/EEC (2).

Each  Member  State  remains  free  to  determine  the  level  of  qualifications  required  to  practise  as  a  childcare
worker on its territory. The above directives have not, in fact, harmonised training courses; rather, they have
established a system whereby a diploma required for a particular profession or occupation in a Member State
must  be  recognised  so  that  the  holder  can  practise  the  same  activity  in  another  Member  State,  despite  the
differences between education systems. Thus, Germany is perfectly entitled to decide the level of qualifications
required  to  practise  as  a  childcare  worker.  The  qualification  in  question  is  covered  by  the  recognition
mechanisms  established  by  Directive  92/51/EEC,  which  states  that,  in  the  event  of  substantial  differences  in
length and content between the migrant worker’s training and that required by the host Member State, the latter’s
authorities can require a compensatory measure to be taken (an adaptation period or an aptitude test). Given the
length of the period of training leading to the new German qualification of childcare worker (Erzieher) and that of
the  courses  leading  to  the  corresponding  qualification  in  the  host  Member  State,  the  imposition  of  such  a
compensatory measure may be justified in some cases.

(1)  OJ L 19, 24.1.1989.
(2)  OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.