WRITTEN QUESTION E-1461/03 by Bárbara Dührkop Dührkop (PSE) to the Commission. European Social Fund and intercultural education.
Date: 2003-04-29
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU initiative, European Social Fund, activity report, child of migrant, cultural pluralism, education policy, job access, mother tongue, social integration

21.11.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 280 E/151

(2003/C 280 E/168)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1461/03

by Bárbara Dührkop Dührkop (PSE) to the Commission

Subject: European Social Fund and intercultural education

(29 April 2003)

In its resolution of 21 January 1993 on cultural plurality and the problems of school education for
children of immigrants in the European Community (1), the European Parliament called on the Commission
to submit to it, within twelve months, a detailed report on the contribution of the European Social Fund to
the teaching of the mother tongue of the country of origin to children of immigrants.

In its answer to my Written Question 815/95 (2) on mother-tongue teaching for the children of migrants
in 1995, the Commission stated that it had undertaken to carry out a thorough evaluation of all
operations being co-financed by the ESF over the period 1994-1999.

Did the Commission indeed carry out that evaluation? If so, what was the outcome thereof?

In any case will the Commission give details of the number of projects co-financed by the ESF for
intercultural education (whether for teaching in the mother tongue or in the native language of the host
country) and of the appropriations earmarked for them, with a breakdown by country, over the period
1994-2003?

(1) OJ C 42, 15.2.1993, p. 187.
(2) OJ C 190, 24.7.1995, p. 28.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(13 June 2003)

According to Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999 of the Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 1999 on the
European Social Fund (1), the European Social Fund (ESF) intervenes in five policy fields: active labour
market policies, equal opportunities, life-long learning, adaptability and gender equality. On the basis of
their labour market situation and workforce skills needs, Member States decide which priorities they wish
to be funded under these policy fields.

Language skills are important for facilitating the integration of immigrants in the labour market and can be
co-financed by the ESF. Activities related to the education and care of children can be supported by the
ESF to facilitate the integration or re-integration of parents, especially women,
in the labour market.
However, the intercultural education of children of immigrants (in the sense of teaching children of
immigrants in their mother tongue or in the language of the host country) is not an ESF priority as such.

The Commission is currently in the process of undertaking an overall ex-post evaluation of the mainstream
ESF interventions in the programming period 1994-1999. This evaluation will be completed in Autumn
2003 and shall be submitted direct to the Honourable Member.

Evaluations have also been carried out on the former Community Initiatives, Adapt and Employment,
which included the integration in the labour market of socially excluded people, including migrants (in
particular the Integra strand). The Commission is sending these evaluations direct to the Honourable
Member and to Parliament’s Secretariat.

As the Member States are responsible for the implementation and management of the funds in accordance
with the provisions of the Structural Funds regulations, the Commission has no details of the number of
ESF projects for particular activities, such as intercultural education, and of the appropriations earmarked
for them.

(1) OJ L 213, 13.8.1999.