WRITTEN QUESTION E-1686/01 by Ilka Schröder (GUE/NGL) to the Commission. Video monitoring in nursery schools.
Date: 2001-06-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, new educational methods, research project, video surveillance

C 364 E/178

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.12.2001

This indicates that improved distribution of transport flows on the territory of the Union is a basic
requirement and that steps should be taken therefore to relieve congestion in the central regions and at the
same time include the outlying regions in trade flows. New needs are emerging consequently such as the
creation of cross-border areas by major infrastructures crossing natural barriers or the rebalancing of
seaboard areas.

In the revised guidelines on trans-European networks which the Commission intends to present in autumn
2001, there are plans to put forward measures for removing bottlenecks and to include a small number of
new major projects for achieving this aim.

The programme for the setting up of a European Spatial Planning Observatory Network (ESPON) will
make it possible to examine in greater depth equal access for regions to infrastructure along with the
planning impact of the trans-European transport networks policy.

The initial results of this work are expected in 2003 and could be incorporated in a wider-ranging review
of the guidelines on trans-European transport networks which the Commission is planning to put forward
in 2004 as a way among other things of introducing the idea of (cid:145)sea motorways(cid:146) and creating better links
between remote regions across the continent.

(1) COM(2001) 24 final.

(2001/C 364 E/197)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1686/01

by Ilka Schr(cid:246)der (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Video monitoring in nursery schools

In 1998, in connection with Netdays (cid:146)98, the European Union funded a project in Spain that involved the
video monitoring of various nursery schools and allowed video footage of the children and nursery school
staff to be accessed by parents via the web (www.baby-net.org).

On what grounds was this project in Spain deemed eligible to receive funding?

Were its stated objectives achieved, and is the project to be regarded as a success?

If other European countries also use video technology in the education sector (including schools, school
buses etc), should this kind of video use be extended in the EU, and are such projects subject to scientific
monitoring?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(26 July 2001)

The Commission contributed to the funding of the Netd@ys project,
selection criteria which had been set for the consideration of Netd@ys projects in 1998.

(cid:145)BabyNET(cid:146), as it fulfilled all of the

The project was well presented and it contained much interesting and relevant information. The evaluators
were particularly impressed with the clarity of the project(cid:146)s objectives, the quality of the content, the
pedagogical effect, the European added value, the potential
impact and the proposals for its wider
dissemination.

From the information provided, it appears that the project has met its objectives and it is considered to be
a success.

The project was promoted on the Netd@ys Europe 1998 Netd@ys website which a large number of people,
including educational specialists, had access to. It was for them to decide if the project could be adapted to
meet their specific needs and if this method of using video as an educational tool could be effectively
extended in the Community. The Commission currently has no plans to extend the use of the video as set
out in the BabyNET project. The pedagogical impact of the project was monitored by specialists.