WRITTEN QUESTION E-0630/03 by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Education in Greece.
Date: 2003-03-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU policy, Greece, continuing vocational training, education policy, educational system, teacher training

C 192 E/210

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

14.8.2003

(2003/C 192 E/252)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-0712/03

by Claude Moraes (PSE) to the Commission

(4 March 2003)

Subject: Implementation of anti-discrimination legislation

What information is the European Commission gathering on the transposition of Council Directive 2000/
43/EC (1) implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic
origin in each of the EU Member States?

What information is the European Commission gathering on the transposition of Council Directive 2000/
78/EC (2) establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation in each of
the EU Member States?

(1) OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22.
(2) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 16.

Joint answer
to Written Questions P-0625/03 and P-0712/03
given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(24 March 2003)

Member States have to transpose Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 establishing the principle
law by 19 July 2003. Council
of equal treatment irrespective of racial or ethnic origin into national
Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a framework for equal treatment in employment
and occupation has to be transposed by 2 December 2003 (with the possibility of an additional three years
to transpose the provisions on age and disability discrimination).

Thus far, France has notified to the Commission its transposition of parts of the two Directives. The French
legislation is currently being examined for conformity with the Directives. The Commission is also aware
that legislation has been adopted, or is about to be adopted in some other Member States, though has not
as yet received formal notification of such legislation.

The Commission is in regular contact with the authorities of the Member States to support the process of
transposition. This approach has allowed questions about the interpretation of the Directives to be
discussed in advance of
the difficulties
encountered will have been solved in this way.

transposition. The Commission hopes that

the majority of

The Commission has expressed its concern that the deadlines for transposition must be respected and that
a failure to do so will constitute an infringement of Community law. All Member States have indicated
their intention to transpose the Directives within the time allowed. In the event of a failure to transpose by
the deadline, or of incorrect transposition by a Member State, the Commission will make appropriate use
of the powers available to it under Article 226 of the EC Treaty.

(2003/C 192 E/253)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0630/03

by Antonios Trakatellis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 March 2003)

Subject: Education in Greece

According to a Commission document which will be submitted to the Council of Education Ministers,
Member States are required to meet five criteria on the comparative evaluation of education systems by
2010.

Given that Greek students lag behind both in reading and the comprehension of texts and in mathematics
and natural sciences and also in lifelong learning,

14.8.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 192 E/211

will the Commission say:

1. What measures has it taken, or does it intend to take, to help Greece meet these criteria?

2. What measures, if any, has the Greek State taken to address the above problems facing Greek students

and has it requested aid from the EU?

3. Does it know what measures the Greek Government intends to take to improve lifelong education?

4. What measures has Greece taken to improve the education and training of educators and teachers?

5. Has it taken any measures to develop skills relating to the knowledge-based society?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(31 March 2003)

In a Communication of 20 November 2002 on European benchmarks in education and training, the
Commission suggested five European Benchmarks (1) and invited the Council to adopt the European
Benchmarks proposed in the Communication by May 2003.

At the Council meeting on 6 February 2003, there was broad agreement from the majority of delegations
on the proposed initial selection of European benchmarks in the following five areas:

(cid:1) early school leavers;

(cid:1) graduates in mathematics, science and technology;

(cid:1) population having completed upper secondary education;

(cid:1) key competencies (reading, mathematical and scientific literacy;

(cid:1) lifelong learning.

the Education Committee (Council working group)

Currently,
is negotiating and amending these
benchmarks with a view to a formal adoption by the Council in May 2003. The Commission would
point out that it is not a matter of criteria which Member States are obliged to meet, but of mutually
agreed goals.

Concerning the specific questions raised by the Honourable Member:

1. The Detailed Work Programme on the follow-up of the objectives of education and training systems in
Europe (2) provides a common comprehensive response by the Council and the Commission to the
challenges of the knowledge society, globalisation and the enlargement of the Union. It sets out the
key issues that need to be addressed in order to achieve the three strategic objectives and their 13
associated objectives that have been agreed.

In the Detailed Work Programme, the Council and the Commission set themselves ambitious but
realistic goals. Moreover, they agreed that achieving these goals will draw on policy co-operation using
the new Open Method of co-ordination defined in the conclusions of the European Council in Lisbon
(23 and 24 March 2000) as a means of spreading best practice and achieving greater convergence
towards the main Union goals. And they stressed that the open method of co-ordination will draw on
tools such as indicators and benchmarks as well as on comparing best practice, periodic monitoring,
evaluation and peer review etc. organised as mutual learning processes.

A report on progress achieved within the framework of the Detailed Work Programme will be
submitted to the spring European Council of 2004.

2. to 5. These questions should be adressed to the Greek Ministry of education.

(1) COM(2002) 629 final.
(2) OJ C 142, 14.6.2002.