WRITTEN QUESTION E-3233/03 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Standardisation of European Union studies in education systems.
Date: 2003-11-03
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European integration, education policy, educational system, teaching curriculum, university

20.3.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 70 E/241

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(28 November 2003)

The Commission is aware of
the situation described by the Honourable Member and is currently
determining whether the broadcasting of these programmes is compatible with the provisions of Council
Directive 89/552/EEC of 3 October 1989 on the coordination of certain provisions laid down by law,
regulation or administrative action in Member States concerning the pursuit of television broadcasting
activities.

(2004/C 70 E/260)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3232/03

by Joan Colom i Naval (PSE) to the Commission

(27 October 2003)

Subject: Updated budget figures

Can the Commission supply the figures for the following:

(cid:1) the financial perspective ceilings for the years 1988 to 2003 inclusive;

(cid:1) the own resources ceilings expressed in euros, for the same period;

(cid:1) and the budget outturn for commitment and payment appropriations for the financial years 1988 to

2002 inclusive?

These figures should:

(cid:1) be updated to reflect 2004 prices;

(cid:1) include, for each figure, for each year, all the changes made to the initial figure, such as technical
adjustments, amendments, revisions and mobilisation of the Flexibility Instrument, with the exception
of adjustments connected with implementation of heading 2.

Can it also list all the changes made to each financial perspective since 1988, taking the now defunct
annual publication ‘The Community Budget: The Facts in Figures’ as a model for this?

Answer given by Ms Schreyer on behalf of the Commission

(21 November 2003)

Answering the Honourable Member’s question will involve a complex operation of putting together long
statistical series. The Commission is now working on this.

The information will be sent as soon as it is available.

(2004/C 70 E/261)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3233/03

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(3 November 2003)

Subject: Standardisation of European Union studies in education systems

Europe has taken yet one more step towards full convergence, and this time university education has taken
centre stage. Thirty-three countries are seeking to create a European area of higher education in which
qualifications, studies and the quality of university education will be of equal value, regardless of the
university from which the qualification has been obtained or the country in which it is to be put to use.

C 70 E/242

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.3.2004

In view of this it is perhaps time that a standardised approach was taken to European Union studies for
university students, so as to enable each and every student in Europe to gain a similar insight into the
political entity that is the united Europe, the home they share with their fellow European citizens.

Does the Commission believe that the time has now come to formulate a standardised university syllabus
for European Union studies, so that young people entering university in any EU Member State gain a
similar understanding of the European Union?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(1 December 2003)

The Commission would refer first of all to Article 149 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the content of
teaching is the responsibility of the Member States.

it would be difficult

to reconcile the principles of academic freedom and university
Moreover,
independence, key principles of higher education, with the standardisation of the syllabus in various
areas of teaching or research.

However, the Commission would like to assure the Honourable Member of its keen interest in the teaching
of European integration at university. Thus, one of its ongoing projects in the field of education is the ‘Jean
Monnet’ project, which aims to promote, using start-up grants, the development of specific courses in
Community law, European economic integration, European political science and the history of European
integration, all disciplines in which developments in European integration constitute an ever greater
proportion of the syllabus.

(2004/C 70 E/262)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3235/03

by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Incentives to invest in EU-related bonds

(3 November 2003)

The Fifteen have advocated kick-starting growth in the European Union by increasing both public and
private investment in infrastructure, R & D and innovation.

It is a well-known fact that, besides being one of the main driving forces for progress in the EU, the
European Investment Bank (EIB) is responsible for much of the EU’s infrastructure development, which is
why encouraging people to take part in its public bond issues is of particular importance.

Does the Commission believe that, once the relevant studies have been conducted, it should look into the
most appropriate means of encouraging Community citizens to take a greater interest in EIB bonds as their
contribution to the so-called Lisbon strategy, which seeks to make the EU the world’s most dynamic
economy?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(2 December 2003)

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is among the world’s largest debt issuers, raising EUR 41 billion so far
this year, within the target set for 2003 (EUR 40 to 42 billion). In only five years, annual borrowings by
the Bank have almost doubled.