Council Conclusions of 5 May 2003 on reference levels of European average performance in education and training (Benchmarks)
Date: 2003-05-05
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: member country, teaching, vocational training

7.6.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 134/3

COUNCIL

COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS

of 5 May 2003

on reference levels of European average performance in education and training (Benchmarks)

(2003/C 134/02)

THE COUNCIL,

Having regard to:

6. The Communication from the Commission ‘European
follow-up to the

benchmarks in education and training:
Lisbon European Council’ (COM(2002) 629),

1. The Lisbon European Council's affirmation that Europe's
education and training systems need to adapt both to the
demands of the knowledge society and to the need for an
improved level and quality of employment.

REAFFIRMS

That
the report
Summit in 2004 should:

to be submitted to the Spring European

2. The mandate from the Lisbon European Council to the
‘to undertake a general reflection on
Education Council
concrete future objectives of education systems, focusing
on common concerns and priorities while
respecting
national diversity with a view to contributing to the
and presenting a
Luxembourg and Cardiff processes,
in the Spring of
broader report to the European Council
2001’ (Presidency Conclusions, No 27).

3. The Report on the concrete future objectives of

the
education and training systems (1), which included 3
concrete strategic objectives together with 13 associated
objectives, and the detailed work programme (2), which
was endorsed by the Barcelona European Council of 15 to
16 March 2002.

— emphasise the need for a concerted and continuous effort
in following up on the Lisbon goals of making Europe the
most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy
in the world,

— recognise the central role of indicators and reference levels
in giving directions and measuring progress towards the
thirteen objectives in the objective report,

— propose a first list of indicators and reference levels of
European average performance to be applied for moni-
toring the progress in the field of education and training
towards the Lisbon goals;

4. The European Council of 20 and 21 March 2003 which
called for ‘using benchmarks to identify best practice and to
ensure
in human
resources’.

and effective

investment

efficient

5. The open method of coordination, which is described in the
conclusions of the Lisbon European Council as a ‘means of
spreading best practice and achieving greater convergence
towards the main EU goals’. The open method of coor-
dination is implemented through the use of tools such as
indicators and benchmarks as well as the exchange of
experiences peer reviews and the dissemination of good
practice.

(1) Report

from the Education Council

to the European Council

adopted by the Education Council on 12 February 2001.

(2) ‘Detailed work programme on the follow-up of the objectives of
education and training systems in Europe’ jointly adopted by the
Council and Commission on 14 February 2002 (OJ C 142,
14.6.2002).

STRESSES

In the context of the Lisbon Strategy, the Council has agreed to
establish a series of reference levels of European average
performance, while taking into account the starting point of
the individual Member States which will be used as one of the
tools for monitoring the implementation of the ‘Detailed work
programme on the follow-up of the objectives of education and
training systems in Europe’. Reference levels of European (3)
average performance:

— should be based on data that are comparable,

— do not define national targets,

(3) Based on EU and acceding countries.

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Official Journal of the European Union

7.6.2003

— do not prescribe decisions

to be taken by national
governments, however national actions based on national
priorities will contribute to their achievement;

— Therefore, by 2010, at least 85 % of 22 year olds in the
European Union should have completed upper secondary
education (3);

Early school leavers

Basic skills

A minimum knowledge base is required in order to take part in
today's knowledge based society. Those without qualifications
are consequently less likely to participate effectively in lifelong
learning and are in danger of being left by the wayside in
today's increasingly competitive societies. Hence, diminishing
the percentage of early school
leavers is essential to ensure
full employment and greater social cohesion.

— Therefore, by 2010, an EU average rate of no more than

10 % early school leavers (1) should be achieved;

All individuals need a core package of knowledge, skills and
attitudes for employment,
learning as
well as personal fulfilment and development.

inclusion, subsequent

— Therefore, by 2010, the percentage of low-achieving 15
years old in reading literacy in the European Union
should have decreased by at least 20 % compared to the
year 2000 (4);

Mathematics, science and technology

Lifelong learning

in order

to become

The European Union needs an adequate output of scientific
specialists
the most dynamic and
competitive knowledge-based economy in the world. The
is underlined by the
need for more scientific specialists
‘that
conclusions of the Barcelona European Council
overall spending on R & D and innovation in the Union
should be increased with the aim of approaching 3 % of
GDP by 2010’.

(2002)

Gender balance is an especially important challenge in this
area. Relatively fewer women than men choose to pursue
degrees in mathematics, science and technology and even
fewer women choose careers in research.

— Therefore, the total number of graduates in mathematics,
science and technology (2) in the European Union should
increase by at least 15 % by 2010 while at the same time
the level of gender imbalance should decrease;

Completion of upper secondary education

education

upper
just

secondary
for

increasingly
Completing
successful entry into the labour
important not
market, but also to allow students access to the learning and
training opportunities offered by higher education. Successful
participation in the knowledge-based society requires the basic
building blocks offered by a secondary education.

is

society

knowledge
their

and
In a
complement
skills
throughout life to maximise their personal development and
to maintain and improve their position in the labour market.

individuals must update
competencies

knowledge,

and

— Therefore, by 2010, the European Union average level of
participation in Lifelong Learning, should be at least 12,5 %
of
the adult working age population (25 to 64 age
group) (5);

Investment in human resources

Investment in education is one with long-term returns and
indirect as well as direct benefits, and most governments
consider it to impact positively on several key political chal-
lenges such as social cohesion, international competition, and
sustainable growth.

The Lisbon European Summit called for a ‘substantial annual
increase in the per capita investment in human resources’. In
the Communication ‘Investing efficiently in education and
training: an imperative for Europe’, the European Commission
proposes a number of
issues of relevance for the efficient
investment in education and training that should be analysed
in detail. The Council is looking forward to the outcome of
ongoing work before deciding on further action.

(1) Share of the population aged 18 to 24 with only lower secondary
in education or training (structural

education or less and not
indicator) — Source Eurostat; Labour Force Survey.

(2) Total number of tertiary (ISCED levels 5 and 6) graduates from the
Mathematics, Science and Technology fields — source joint
UNESCO/OECD/Eurostat questionnaire.

(3) Percentage of those aged 22 who have successfully completed at
least upper secondary education (ISCED 3) — Source Eurostat
Labour Force Survey.

(4) Reading literacy proficiency ‘level 1’ and lower — Source PISA

(OECD 2000).

(5) Percentage of population aged 25 to 64 participating in education
and training in four weeks prior to the survey –Source Eurostat;
Labour Force Survey. A Eurostat taskforce is currently undertaking
work on a new Adult Education Survey that would yield a better
measure of participation.