WRITTEN QUESTION E-1276/00 by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission. The Commission's plans for promoting lifelong learning agreements.
Date: 2000-04-19
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU employment policy, adult education, social dialogue (EU)

13.2.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 46 E/161

(2001/C 46 E/185)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1265/00

by Hugues Martin (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(11 April 2000)

Subject: Clarification regarding the admissibility of special export aid under Community law

The storms which struck the western part of Europe in December 1999 have wreaked unprecedented
havoc for forest industry. In spite of the debates in Parliament, the Union institutions have apparently
failed to gauge the economic, social, and cultural impact of the devastation (cid:129) not to mention the increased
fire risks as summer draws nearer.

To deal with the emergency, the French Government has decided, among other things, to grant the sum of
FF 50 per tonne for the transport of timber intended for export to Union Member States and non-member
countries.

Community rules on competition, and in particular the Community preference obligation, rightly prohibit
aid of the above type unless its purpose is to bring relief to an exceptional situation. Article 87(2)(b) of the
EC Treaty accordingly stipulates that (cid:145)[The following shall be compatible with the common market: (cid:133)] aid
to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences(cid:146).

Will the Commission treat the present emergency as a special case of the same kind as, for example, the
severe drought in Portugal in 1993 and 1994, and approve the aid that France has undertaken to provide?

Answer given by Mr Fischler on behalf of the Commission

(3 May 2000)

The aid proposal notified by the French authorities is under examination by the Commission with
reference to paragraph 2(b) of Article 87 (formerly 92) of the EC Treaty. The Commission is doing all it
can to reach a decision rapidly.

(2001/C 46 E/186)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1276/00

by Jan Andersson (PSE) to the Commission

(19 April 2000)

Subject: The Commission(cid:146)s plans for promoting lifelong learning agreements

On a number of occasions, the European Parliament has called on the Commission to promote lifelong
learning agreements between partners on the European labour market. The conclusions of the Lisbon
European Council called for higher priority to be given to (cid:145)lifelong learning as a basic component of the
European social model, including by encouraging agreements between the social partners on innovation
and lifelong learning(cid:146).
(conclusion 29). The Commission(cid:146)s efforts to promote agreements between the
partners could take the form of providing an indication of the legislative initiatives which the Commission
intends to adopt in order to promote lifelong learning.

What initiatives has the Commission adopted, and does it intend to adopt, with a view to promoting
agreements between European labour-market partners concerning lifelong learning?

C 46 E/162

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

13.2.2001

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(23 June 2000)

Council Decision 2000/228/EC of 13 March 2000 on guidelines for Member States(cid:146) employment policies
for the year 2000 (1) provides the policy framework for promoting lifelong learning in the context of the
employment strategy objectives, in particular guidelines 5 and 6 on improving employability and guideline
15 on modernising work organisation. Implementation of the guidelines is monitored in the context of the
Luxembourg process and assessment is carried out in the joint employment report by the Commission and
the Council.

Within this framework, the social partners are urged to conclude agreements to promote lifelong learning,
while Member States have responsibility for defining the legal and institutional conditions for facilitating
such activities in a partnership approach.
In the employment guidelines 2001 the lifelong learning
dimension will be strengthened and agreements between the social partners will be further encouraged.

In that respect, it is worth noting that at European level the intersectoral social partners have stepped up
their activities in the field of lifelong learning and the modernisation of work. The European trade union
confederation (ETUC), the Conseil europØen des entreprises publiques (CEEP) and the Union of industrial
and employer(cid:146)s confederations of Europe/European union of crafts and small and medium-sized enterprises
(UNICE/UAPME) are setting up a working group to identify ways to promote access to lifelong learning
and skills development, and are preparing a joint report on good practice in the areas of adaptability and
work organisation. The framework agreements on part time work (1997) and fixed term contracts (1999)
also include clauses on the promotion of access to training.

At sectoral level, many sectors joined forces to send a joint contribution to the Lisbon European Council
highlighting the need for training and skills development, and initiatives to promote lifelong learning are
being developed in several sectors, such as workshops on training and qualification needs; multi-skilling;
Europe-wide certification of skills, access to Information and communication technologies training.

Moreover, the Commission is preparing a communication on (cid:145)Lifelong learning for active citizenship in a
Europe of knowledge(cid:146) in which concrete actions on key themes on lifelong learning will be identified,
including the promotion of a partnership approach to investing in human resources and a flexible
organisation of work.

The Commission is also preparing a new social policy agenda and initiatives to promote lifelong learning
and the modernisation of work will be part of the agenda.

(1) OJ L 72, 21.3.2000.

(2001/C 46 E/187)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1281/00

by Bart Staes (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(12 April 2000)

Subject: Export of waste to third countries/Basle Convention

Despite international conventions, there is an increase in exports of (toxic) waste to developing countries.
The Basle Convention and regulation 259/93/EEC (1) regulate these cross-border flows of waste. According
to UNEP, in 1989 the OECD countries exported one fifth of their waste. UN rapporteur Fatma-Zohra
Ksentini says the countries which export most are Australia, the US and EU Member States the Nether-
lands, Germany and Britain. She is particularly concerned at the growing tendency to ship toxic waste to
developing countries where it is simply dumped.