Council Opinion of 14 February 2002 concerning education and training issues in the proposal for a Council Decision on guidelines for Member States' employment policies for 2002
Date: 2002-02-14
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU Member State, education, employment policy, in-service training, vocational training

21.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 47/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL OPINION

of 14 February 2002

concerning education and training issues in the proposal for a Council Decision on guidelines for
Member States’ employment policies for 2002

(2002/C 47/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Whereas:

(1) The Lisbon European Council of 23 and 24 March 2000
acknowledged the important role played by the education
and training sector in living and working in the knowledge
society and that the Council (Education) should contribute
to the Luxembourg and Cardiff processes by reflecting on
the concrete future objectives of education systems.

(2) The Stockholm European Council of 23 and 24 March
2001 confirmed that role and requested the Council and
the Commission to present a joint report to the spring
containing a detailed work
2002 European Council
programme on the
the objectives of
education and training systems.

follow-up of

(3) The Council (Education) adopted a favourable opinion on 9
November 2000 on the proposal for a Council Decision on
guidelines for Member States’ employment policies for the
year 2001, where lifelong learning is a horizontal objective.

(4) The Council Resolution of 13 July 2001 on the role of
education and training in employment related policies (1)
invited the Commission and the Member States, inter alia,
to ensure that the Council (Education) is actively involved
in the examination of
for
employment guidelines and the identification of policy
relevant and comparable indicators with a view to a
timely contribution to the preparation of the guidelines
and relevant areas dealing with education and training as
well as within a lifelong learning perspective.

the Commission’s proposal

is

RECALLS that the role of education and training policies in
support of employment
recognised within the current
the employment guidelines in four pillars (cid:151)
structure of
employability, entrepreneurship, adaptability and equal oppor-
tunities. The introduction in 2000 into the employment
guidelines for 2001 of the (cid:145)horizontal objective on lifelong
learning(cid:146) was an important step towards a greater coherence
and understanding of this role. However, a better represen-
tation of education and training policies should be pursued;

(1) OJ C 204, 20.7.2001, p. 1.

that

STRESSES the fact
lifelong learning, which has already
become a key issue (in education and training) at Member
State and Community level, has become a clear priority in
national employment policies;

NOTES that lifelong learning is still dispersed among several
guidelines and pillars and that a new horizontal objective on
quality in work has been added to the employment guidelines
(building on the Commission Communication (cid:145)Employment
and social policies:
investing in quality(cid:146))
framework for
covering skills and lifelong learning. While welcoming this
objective it would be helpful if the more distinctive features
in relation to lifelong learning could be indicated;

WELCOMES the fact that there has been increased involvement
of those responsible for education and training in the different
phases of
the European employment
strategy;

implementation of

EMPHASISES that through its own processes and instruments,
the Council will increasingly contribute to the Lisbon goals and
the Luxembourg process as well as to the successful transition
to a knowledge-based economy and society.

In this context, there is a need to strengthen cooperation and
synergy between the different and complementary processes
and initiatives,
in particular the follow-up of the report on
the concrete future objectives of education and training
systems, the follow-up of the Commission’s Memorandum on
lifelong learning and the action plan on eLearning;

strategy which will

NOTES that
the Member States and the Commission are
currently carrying out an impact evaluation of the European
in the
employment
employment Guidelines 2003. In this context, it is important
that the Council and the authorities responsible for education
and training be closely associated in this evaluation process, at
national and European level,
in view of a more effective
involvement in the evaluation before political conclusions are
drawn.

reflected

be