WRITTEN QUESTION E-0738/01 by Roy Perry (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Mobility of students, teachers and trainers.
Date: 2001-03-09
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU employment policy, EU programme, European Council, education policy, job mobility, student mobility

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4.12.2001

Answer given by Mr Busquin on behalf of the Commission

(2 May 2001)

In accordance with conclusions of the Lisbon European Council, the Research Council of 15 June 2000
adopted a Resolution requesting that the Commission and the Member States cooperate fully to remove
obstacles to the mobility of researchers by 2002. A panel of high-level national experts was thus set up
during the Summer of 2000. Four different types of obstacles were defined, for which concrete measures
will be drawn up: legal and administrative obstacles; social and cultural obstacles; career-related obstacles;
and obstacles of a cross-sectorial nature. The high-level group held four meetings between October 2000
and March 2001. It sent its report to the Commission on 4 April 2001.

Following the work carried out by the high-level group, the Commission will draw up a communication
on the mobility of researchers within the European Research Area by June 2001. In this, the Commission
will set out a series of proposals promoting a favourable environment for the mobility of researchers
throughout their career.

These actions will be carried out in conjunction with other existing or developing initiatives in the field of
mobility, such as the proposal for a recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on
mobility within the Community for students, people undergoing training, young volunteers, teachers and
trainers; (1) the Mobility Action Plan (2), a High-Level Skills and Mobility Task Force; and the Group of
Directors-General responsible for the public sector.

(1) COM(1999) 708 final.
(2) OJ C 371, 23.12.2000.

(2001/C 340 E/094)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0738/01

by Roy Perry (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 March 2001)

Subject: Mobility of students, teachers and trainers

The 2000 Lisbon European Council called upon (cid:145)the Member States, in line with their constitutional rules,
the Council and the Commission to take the necessary steps within their areas of competence to define, by
the end of 2000, the means for fostering the mobility of students, teachers and training and research staff
both through making the best use of existing Community programmes (Socrates, Leonardo, Youth), by
removing obstacles and through greater transparency in the recognition of qualifications and periods of
study and training.(cid:146) Was this target achieved?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(5 June 2001)

The Council and the Commission are working hard to implement the conclusions of the Lisbon European
Council, notably by accelerating the procedure for adopting the proposal for a recommendation on
mobility (1), which provides that the Commission shall present a report on the implementation of the
recommended measures every two years. This report will be drafted with the help of the Ad Hoc Expert
Group with a view to allowing the exchange of information and experience on the different aspects of the
recommendation and to encouraging the implementation of the recommendations in the Member States.

Following Parliament(cid:146)s second reading, the Education Council is expected to adopt the recommendation
definitively on 28 May 2001.

The recommendation proposed by the Commission invites each Member State to take the measures they
judge to be appropriate to eliminate barriers to mobility among the target groups. It focuses on measures
to promote a European qualifications area, to enable those concerned to report on qualifications obtained

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the (cid:145)Europass-Training(cid:146) document,

and experience acquired in the host country, notably via the use of the European Credit Transfer System
(ECTS),
the European diploma supplement, and more transparent
formats for vocational training certificates. The recommendation also envisages the widest possible use of
good practices and important tools developed by the Community programmes (Socrates, Leonardo and
Youth).

Besides, at the initiative of the French Presidency, on 14 December 2000 the Council of Ministers, with the
Commission(cid:146)s support, adopted a Resolution concerning an action plan for mobility, with a view to
fleshing out the measures advocated in the recommendation. This action plan contains 42 concrete action
lines.

The Nice European Council of December 2000, in ratifying this action plan, calls for an evaluation every
two years to measure progress made in implementing the action plan. This evaluation will be prepared
together with the report provided for under the recommendation, with the support of the Expert Group.

While recognising that the Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth Community programmes represent
appreciable progress and play an essential role, the action plan, in its fourth chapter, proposes measures to
make the most of periods of mobility and gain recognition of the experience acquired (development of the
system of recognition and equivalence of diplomas and training, recognition of experience gained and
gaining more from periods of mobility).

Some of
the measures in the recommendation and the action plan, notably those concerning the
recognition of qualifications, are already being addressed in specific Commission actions ((cid:145)Europass-
Training(cid:146) Decision, Directive on the recognition of diplomas, work of the Transparency Forum).

Finally, mobility is one of the key features of the Commission(cid:146)s Communication (cid:145)New European Labour
Markets, Open to All, with Access for All(cid:146) (2), which, while recognising that the Community-level policy
coordination instruments already play an important role, stresses that the 2001 Employment Guidelines
and the 2000 Broad Economic Policy Guidelines both call on Member States to enhance labour mobility
and to facilitate access to labour market training, education and life-long learning.

The Stockholm European Council of March 2001 recognises that the modernisation of labour markets and
labour mobility need to be encouraged to allow greater adaptability to change by breaking down existing
barriers. The Council invites the Commission to create a high-level task force on skills and mobility to
examine the characteristics and barriers within the European labour market. Besides, the Council stresses
the importance of adopting the mobility recommendation by June 2001 and the parallel implementation
of the action plan on mobility. The feasibility of a European mobility site will be examined before the end
of 2001.

With regard to the mobility of researchers, the Lisbon European Council also called on the Commission
and the Member States to take the necessary measures to remove obstacles to mobility by 2002. Following
a resolution of the Research Council of 15 June 2000 (3), a High-Level Expert Group on Improving
Mobility of Researchers was set up and began its work in summer 2000. Four types of obstacles were
identified (legal and administrative obstacles; social and cultural obstacles;
inter-sectoral obstacles; and
obstacles relating to the career of a researcher). The group(cid:146)s report was presented in April 2001, as
planned (4). It contains a detailed account of the obstacles facing researchers in Europe, concrete proposals
for removing these obstacles and a list of examples of good practice.

On the basis of the High-Level Expert Group(cid:146)s conclusions, the Commission will present a communication
to the June 2001 Research Council entitled (cid:145)A mobility strategy for the European research area(cid:146), which
identifies a range of measures specifically designed to promote the mobility of researchers in Europe.

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Hence both the Council and the Commission have made significant progress in creating the necessary
instruments to achieve the objective laid down by the Lisbon European Council of March 2000.

(1) Proposal for a recommendation of the Parliament and of the Council on mobility within the Community for

students, persons undergoing training, young volunteers, teachers and trainers (cid:129) COM(1999) 708 final.

(2) COM(2001) 116 final.
(3) OJ C 205, 19.7.2000.
(4) High-Level Expert Group on Improving Mobility of Researchers, Final Report, 4 April 2001.

(2001/C 340 E/095)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0740/01

by Gilles Savary (PSE) to the Commission

(9 March 2001)

Subject: VAT on radiology equipment

Does the Commission take the view that the technical flat-rate fee received from social security bodies for
scanner and MRI tests is exempt from VAT pursuant to Article 13(A)(1)(b) and (c) of Council Directive 77/
388/EEC (1) of 15 May 1977 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to turnover
taxes (known as the Sixth VAT Directive)?

Is there a difference in treatment depending on whether the body which owns the equipment is a legal
entity involved in commercial activities (company limited by shares, limited liability company, economic
interest grouping) or not (nonstock corporation)?

(1) OJ L 145, 13.6.1977, p. 1.

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(31 May 2001)

Article 13A(1)(b) of the Sixth Council Directive 77/388/EEC of 17 May 1977 on the harmonization of the
laws of the Member States relating to turnover taxes (cid:129) Common system of value added tax: uniform basis
of assessment, exempts from VAT hospital and medical care and closely related activities undertaken by
bodies governed by public law or, under social conditions comparable to those applicable to bodies
governed by public law, by hospitals, centres for medical treatment or diagnosis and other duly recognised
establishments of a similar nature. Article 13A(2) allows Member States to set certain conditions where the
exemption is granted to bodies other than those governed by public law. In addition, Article 13A(1)(c)
exempts from VAT the provision of medical care in the exercise of
the medical and paramedical
professions as defined by the Member State concerned.

Although these exemptions are broadly the same in all Member States, it is left to national governments to
define the exact coverage. This is because the nature of health systems vary from state to state. As a result
the VAT exemption overall may vary slightly across the Community.

The provision of a scan or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test to a patient will come within these
exemptions provided that there is a service provided by one of the eligible bodies, for a consideration in
accordance with Article 6 of the Directive. In some Member States where a patient receives diagnosis, they
may be required to pay a proportion of the examination fee with the bulk of the charge being paid by
a health insurance fund. This third party consideration will not affect the exemption.

Where the diagnosis is provided by a body other than one governed by public law, the VAT status of the
supply will be dependent on whether it is provided under social conditions comparable to those applicable
to bodies governed by public law and whether the Member State in question has set conditions in
accordance with Article 13A(2). These conditions include, for example: non-profit making aims; voluntary
management; approved pricing structures; and the unlikelihood of any competitive distortion.