Communication from the Commission - "Education & Training 2010" : The success of the Lisbon Strategy hinges on urgent reforms (Draft joint interim report on the implementation of the detailed work programme on the follow-up of the objectives of education and training systems in Europe) {SEC(2003) 1250}
Date: 2003-11-11
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU employment policy, continuing education, education policy, educational system, information society, vocational training

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 11.11.2003
COM(2003) 685 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION

//"EDUCATION & TRAINING 2010"

§§THE SUCCESS OF THE LISBON STRATEGY HINGES ON URGENT REFORMS
..,,//////
,//////
///////
(Draft joint interim report
on the implementation of the detailed work programme
on the follow-up of the objectives of education and training systems in Europe)

{SEC(2003) 1250}

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Summary .................................................................................................................................... 3

Introduction: a determining role in the Lisbon strategy............................................................. 5

Section I: much still to be done and time is running out ........................................................... 6

1.1

Insufficient headway .................................................................................................... 7

1.1.1

The platform for cooperation does exist ...................................................................... 7

1.1.2

Too few coherent lifelong learning strategies.............................................................. 7

1.1.3

There can be no Europe of knowledge without a Europe of higher education ............ 8

1.1.4

Vocational education and training: insufficient quality and not attractive enough ..... 8

1.1.5

The level of mobility in education and training is still inadequate .............................. 8

1.2

1.3

The Union still lags behind its main competitors ........................................................ 9

Many warning lights are still on red .......................................................................... 10

Section II: The four levers of success ..................................................................................... 11

2.1

Focus reform and investment on the key areas .......................................................... 12

2.1.1

Define national policies as a function of the Lisbon objectives................................. 12

2.1.2 Mobilise the necessary resources effectively............................................................. 13

2.1.3 Make the profession of teacher/trainer more attractive.............................................. 13

2.2

Make lifelong learning a concrete reality................................................................... 14

2.2.1

Put in place comprehensive, coherent and concerted strategies ................................ 14

2.2.2

Target efforts at the disadvantaged groups ................................................................ 14

2.2.3

Apply common European references and principles ................................................. 14

2.3

Establish a Europe of education and training............................................................. 15

2.3.1

The need for a European qualifications framework................................................... 15

2.3.2

Consolidate the European dimension of education.................................................... 15

2.4

Give "Education & Training 2010" its rightful place ................................................ 16

2.4.1

Raise the profile of the European work programme .................................................. 16

2.4.2

Implement the process more effectively .................................................................... 16

Conclusion: strengthen cooperation and monitoring of progress............................................ 17

STATISTICAL ANNEX.......................................................................................................... 18

Notes

.................................................................................................................................... 26

2

SUMMARY

At  the  Lisbon  European  Council  held  in  March  2000,  the  Heads  of  State  and
Government  acknowledged  that  "the  European  Union  is  confronted  with  a  quantum
shift  resulting  from  globalisation  and  the  challenges  of  a  new  knowledge-driven
economy"  and  set  the  Union  a  major  strategic  goal  for  2010  "to  become  the  most
competitive  and  dynamic  knowledge-based  economy  in  the  world,  capable  of
sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion". It
stressed  that  this  would  require  not  only  a  "radical  transformation  of  the  European
economy", but also a "challenging programme for the modernisation of social  welfare
and education systems". Never before had the European Council acknowledged to this
extent  the  role  played  by  education  and  training  systems  in  the  economic  and  social
strategy and the future of the Union.

In March 2001, the European Council adopted three strategic goals (and 13 associated
concrete objectives) to be  attained  by  2010:  education  and  training  systems  should  be
organised around quality, access, and openness to the world. A year later, it approved a
detailed  work  programme  ("Education  &  Training  2010")  for  the  attainment  of  these
goals and supported the ambition of the Ministers for Education to make education and
training systems in Europe "a worldwide quality reference by 2010".

How much progress has been made towards the attainment of these aims, ambitious but
at the same time realistic, which are now those of the enlarged Union? Is the Union in a
position  to  attain  them  by  2010  and  catch  up  with  its  main  competitors  in  the
international  arena?  The  (Education)  Council  and  the  Commission  must  answer  these
questions in the joint report they will forward to the European Council scheduled for the
spring  of  2004.  The  Commission  intends  to  make  a  contribution  via  the  present
Communication  which  takes  stock  of  progress  made  and  suggests  urgent  steps  which
are indispensable.

The  "Education  &  Training  2010"  work  programme  has  been  implemented  in  stages
since 2001 and the follow-up to the Copenhagen Declaration is at an early stage. While
some  developments  have  been  recorded,  it  would  be  premature  for  the  time  being  to
attempt to  measure progress. The Commission  has nevertheless  to  hand  the  reports  of
the  different  working  groups  set  up,  national  reports  on  the  development  of  lifelong
learning  and  mobility,  and  also  indicators  and  recent  analyses  backed  up  by  figures.
Worryingly, these sources all point to a situation in which efforts are being made in all
the  European  countries  to  adapt  the  education  and  training  systems  to  the
knowledge-driven society and economy, but the reforms undertaken are not up to
the  challenges  and  their  current  pace  will  not  enable  the  Union  to  attain  the
objectives set.

The five European benchmarks  adopted by the  (Education) Council in May  2003  will
for the most part be difficult to achieve by 2010.  In particular, the level of take-up by
Europeans  of  lifelong  learning  is  low  and  the  levels  of  failure  at  school  and  of  social
exclusion, which have a high individual, social and economic cost, remain too high. In
addition to this there are no signs of any substantial increase in overall investment (be it
public or private) in human resources.

3

The European Union is still well behind in this area compared with its main competitors
in  the  international  arena  and  in  particular  suffers  from  a  level  of  private  sector
investment  which  is too low in higher education and  continuing  training.  At  the  same
time,  there  is  no  evidence  of  any  great  headway  being  made  in  more  effective  use  of
available resources.

In addition, due to lack of quality and attractiveness, vocational training is not up to the
new  requirements  of  the  knowledge-based  economy  and  the  European  labour  market.
The Union also faces an increasing risk of a teacher shortage. Equally, it is experiencing
the  greatest  difficulty  in  regaining  its  place  as  first  choice  for  students  from  non-
Community countries, the number one spot having been taken over by the USA.

These  continuing  weaknesses  are  all  the  more  worrying  as  the  effects  of  investments
and reforms on the systems are felt only in the medium and even long term, and as the
date of 2010 is getting closer and closer. A wake-up call is therefore essential at all
levels  if  there  is  still  to  be  a  chance  of  making  the  Lisbon  strategy  a  success.  In
order to get there, the Commission feels it is essential to act simultaneously, and right
away, on four priority levers:

– 

– 

– 

– 

Concentrate  reforms  and  investment  on  the  key  points  in  each  country,  in
view  of  the  situation  of  each  and  of  the  common  objectives;  at  the
Community  level,  this  requires  structured  and  continuous  cooperation  to
develop  and  make  the  best  use  of  human  resources  and  achieve  maximum
investment efficiency;

define  truly  coherent  and  comprehensive  lifelong  learning  strategies,  ensuring
effective  interaction  between  all  the  links  of  the  learning  chain  and  setting
national reforms within the European context;

at last create a Europe of education and training, particularly by rapid introduction
of  a  European  reference  framework  for  qualifications  in  higher  education  and
vocational training; such a framework is essential for creating a genuine European
labour  market,  to  facilitate  mobility  and  make  European  systems  more
transparent;

give  "Education  &  Training  2010"  its  rightful  place  so  that  it  becomes  a  more
effective tool for formulating and following up national and Community policies,
including  beyond  the  current  decade;  the  urgent  nature  of  the  challenges  to  be
faced means we have to use  the  open  method  of  coordination  to  the full - while
fully complying with the principle of subsidiarity. In particular, the Commission
feels that as from 2004 a mechanism should be put in place  to monitor progress
achieved  on  the  basis  of  annual  reports  forwarded  to  the  Commission  by  the
Member States.

If these steps are all taken quickly, there is still a chance that the objectives set by
the  Member  States  can  be  attained.  Otherwise,  the  likelihood  is  that  the  gap
between the Union and its main competitors will become even wider and, what is
more  serious,  that  the  success  of  the  Lisbon  strategy  overall  would  be  seriously
jeopardised.

4

INTRODUCTION: A DETERMINING ROLE IN THE LISBON STRATEGY

One of the main contributions of the Lisbon strategy is to have speeded up the Union's
transition to a knowledge-driven economy and society. This strategy is based on a large
gamut  of  coherent  and  complementary  actions  (e.g.  reform  of  the  markets  for  goods,
services and capital, adapting employment and labour market policies, reshaping social
security systems),  which seek  to improve the  economic and social  performance of the
Union and guarantee sustainable development.

Education  and  training  policies  are  central  to  the  creation  and  transmission  of
knowledge and are a determining factor in each society's potential for innovation. They
are  therefore  central  to  this  new  dynamic  situation,  complementing  and  acting  in
synergy  with  other  areas  of  Community  action,  including  employment,  research  and
innovation, enterprise policy, the information society, economic policy and the internal
market.  Education  and  training  benefit  from  developments  in  these  domains  and  in
return  contribute  to  strengthening  their  impact.  What  this  means  is  recognition  of  the
role  of  education  and  training  systems  which  goes  hand  in  hand  with  greater
responsibility  and  an  increasingly  pressing  need  to  modernise  and  transform,
particularly in view of the Union's enlargement.

Human  resources  are  the  Union's  main  asset  and  it  is  now  acknowledged  that
investment in this area is a determining factor of growth and productivity, in the same
way  as  investment  in  capital  and  equipment.  It  has  been  calculated  that  raising  the
average  level  of  education  of  the  population  by  one  year  represents  a  5%  increase  in
growth in the short term and a further 2.5% in the long term1. In addition, the positive
impact  of  education  on  employment2,  health,  social  inclusion  and  active  citizenship
have already been extensively shown.

If  the  Union  as  a  whole  is  currently  under-performing  in  the  knowledge-driven
economy in relation to some of its main competitors, this is due partly to an overall
level  of  investment  which  is  comparatively  too  low  in  human  resources.  This
observation  is  all  the  more  worrying  as  the  new  requirements  stemming  from  the
knowledge-driven society  and  economy  are  set to further intensify in  the  years  ahead.
Confronted with a likely extension of the average length of working life and ever more
rapidly occurring economic and technological changes, people will have to update their
competences  and  qualifications  increasingly  often.  At  the  same  time,  the  knowledge
society generates new needs in terms of social cohesion, active citizenship and personal
fulfilment, and the answer to this lies solely in education and training.

Against  this  background,  the  Stockholm  European  Council  of  March  2001  adopted
three strategic goals for the education and training systems (and 13 associated concrete
objectives),  focusing  on  quality,  access  and  openness  to  the  wider  world3.  The  year
after, the Barcelona European Council approved the programme of work to implement
these  goals  ("Education  &  Training  2010")4.  This  constitutes  the  strategic  reference
framework  for  the  development  of  education  and  training  policies  at  the  Community
level in order to make education and training systems in Europe "a world reference for
quality by 2010".

5

This Communication takes stock of the situation, pinpoints  the  challenges  to  be  faced
and proposes urgent measures to be taken if the objectives set are to be attained. It will
form the basis for the joint report from the Commission and the (Education) Council on
the implementation of the work programme on the objectives which will be forwarded
to the European Council scheduled for March 20045. It is backed up by a Commission
staff paper which gives an account of the work achieved to date and looks at the Union's
position in relation to the indicators and reference levels selected6.
.
Given  the  need  to  integrate  education  and  training  policies  which  help  towards  the
attainment  of  the  Lisbon  objectives,  this  Communication  also  deals  with  the
implementation  of  the  Recommendation  and  the  Action  Plan  on  mobility7,  of  the
Council Resolution (Education) on lifelong learning8 and of the Copenhagen Ministerial
Declaration on "enhanced cooperation in vocational education and training"9. It is also
informed  by  the  follow-up  of  a  number  of  Commission  Communications,  particularly
those  relating  to  the  urgent  need  to  invest  more  and  more  effectively  in  human
resources10,  the role of the universities  in  the  Europe  of  knowledge11, the  necessity  to
raise  the  profile  of  the  researcher  in  Europe12,  and  the  comparison  of  performance  in
education across the Union with the rest of the world.

SECTION I: MUCH STILL TO BE DONE AND TIME IS RUNNING OUT

As  highlighted  recently  by  the  Brussels  European  Council  in  October  200313,  the
development of human capital is a prerequisite for the promotion of growth in the EU,
notably through increased investment in  education and  a  better  integration  with  social
policies  and  employment.  Similarly,  the  employment  guidelines  adopted  by  the
European Council in June 200314 place emphasis on the development of human capital
and lifelong learning.

Education  and training  systems  reflect  to  a  very  large  extent  the  structures peculiar  to
each  country  and  the  trends  apparent  in  that  society.  Transforming  these  systems  is  a
medium or even long term process. The debates and the reforms already undertaken in
the (current and future) Member States of the European Union show that those in charge
of education and training are getting organised to tackle the problems facing them: they
have  set  about,  albeit  from  starting  points  and  at  a  pace  which  differ  substantially,
adjusting their systems to the challenges of the knowledge-driven society and economy.

It  is  only  two  years  since  the  work  programme  was  adopted  and  that  is  too  short  a
period to measure exactly how much progress has been made. On the other hand, it is
possible  and  very  important  at  this  stage  to  assess  how  much  remains  to  be  done  in
order  to  reach  the  ambitious  but  realistic  objectives  established  jointly.  The  available
reports and indicators all point to the same conclusion, which is that if reform proceeds
at  the  current  rate,  the  Union  will  be  unable  to  attain  its  objectives  in  education
and  training.  There  are  still  too  many  shortcomings  which  restrict  the  potential  for
development in the Union, a situation which is all the more worrying as the impact of
the reforms on the system takes time to filter through and the target date of 2010 is not
all  that  far  away.  Further,  the  future  Member  States  must  make  up  their  delays  in
developing a knowledge-based economy and society.

This situation is all the more worrying in so far as the effects of reforms on the systems
are not immediate, and as the 2010 deadline is fast approaching.

6

1.1

Insufficient headway

1.1.1

The platform for cooperation does exist

The work programme on the objectives of the education and training systems sets up, in
a  way  which  is  more  structured  than  hitherto,  an  area  of  cooperation  between  31
European countries15 and involves the actors concerned (representatives of civil society
and  European  social  partners)  and  international  organisations  (such  as  the  OECD,
UNESCO and the Council of Europe). It covers all systems and levels of education and
training  and  takes  account  of  new  policy  initiatives,  particularly  as  regards  the
development  of  e-learning16,  promoting  foreign  language  learning  and  language
diversity17, and making European higher education systems more attractive18.

In line with the time frame established, working groups have been set up in successive
waves since the second half of 2001 in order to implement the common objectives. This
first phase was necessary in order to identify the priority themes, make an inventory of
existing experience, define a preliminary list of indicators for monitoring progress and
to secure the consensus needed between all the interested parties. On this basis, most of
the working groups have collected and selected examples of best practice with regard to
policy and strategy implemented in the different countries. These will be examined at a
later  stage.  All  the  working  groups  stress  in  their  reports  the  need  to  step  up  national
action  in  the  key  areas  of  "Education  &  Training  2010"  and  for  stronger  Community
action to support national efforts19.

The follow-up to the Copenhagen Declaration has yielded concrete preliminary results.
A  proposal  for  a  single  European  framework  for  transparency  of  qualifications  and
competences (the new "Europass"), which rationalises existing tools, will be presented
by  the  Commission  before  the  end  of  the  year.  A  common  reference  framework  for
improving quality in vocational training, including criteria and key indicators for quality
assurance, has also been established. Lastly, the way has been paved for the creation of
a European credit transfer system with a view to giving a boost to mobility in vocational
education and training.

1.1.2

Too few coherent lifelong learning strategies

Following the Feira European Council of June 2000, the Commission and the Member
States  set  about  defining  and  implementing  comprehensive  coherent  strategies  for
lifelong learning. An analysis of the national contributions received in follow-up to the
(Education)  Council  Resolution  on  this  subject20  corroborates  the  progress  and  the
shortcomings already observed in the context of the analysis of the national action plans
for  employment21.  In  many  countries,  certain  links  in  the  lifelong  learning  chain  are
insufficiently developed22.

The shortcomings to be made good stem frequently from a vision overly concerned with
the requirements of employability or an over-exclusive emphasis on rescuing those who
slipped through the initial education nets. This is perfectly justifiable, but does not on its
own constitute a lifelong learning strategy which is genuinely integrated, coherent and
accessible to everyone.

7

1.1.3

There can be no Europe of knowledge without a Europe of higher education

Higher  education  has  not  to  date  found  in  "Education  &  Training  2010"  the  place  it
warrants.  There  are  a  number  of  key  points  on  which  substantial  progress  has  been
made or is in preparation under the Bologna process. At their recent meeting in Berlin23,
the  Ministers  gave  a  fresh  commitment  to  the  creation  of  a  European  reference
framework for university level qualifications and asked that the necessary reforms to the
architecture  of  diplomas,  quality  assurance  systems  and  mutual  recognition  of
qualifications  be  stepped  up.  They  also  underlined  the  importance  of  strengthening
synergies between the European higher education area and the European research area.
Finally,  they  introduced  a  procedure  to  monitor  progress  in  all  the  participating
countries.

Significant though it may be, this progress must not cause us to forget that the place of
higher  education  in  the  overall  Lisbon  strategy  goes  far  beyond  the  programme  of
structural  reform  initiated  by  the  Bologna  Declaration.  The  role  of  the  universities
covers  areas  as  diverse  and  as  vital  as  the  training  of  teachers  and  that  of  future
researchers; their mobility within the Union; the place of culture, science and European
values in the world; an outward-looking approach to the business sector, the regions and
society  in  general;  the  incorporation  of  the  social  and  citizen-focused  dimensions  in
courses.  With  its  Communication  on  "The  role  of  the  universities  in  the  Europe  of
knowledge"24,  the  Commission  launched  a  consultation  of  all  the  players  in  the
university community on the key issues of funding, the diversity of institutions in terms
of functions and priorities, the setting up of centres of excellence, the attractiveness of
careers,  and  work  in  networks.  The  comments  and  proposals  collected  stress  the
European  dimension  of  these  issues  and  show  that  action  in  all  these  areas  must  be
carried  out  in  close  conjunction  with  the  Lisbon  objectives.  The  Commission  will
communicate  its  conclusions  and  proposals  for  higher  education  in  Europe  in  Spring
2004.

1.1.4

Vocational  education  and  training:  insufficient  quality  and  not  attractive
enough

Vocational training and education systems have a vital role to play in providing people
with the competences and qualifications which respond to labour market requirements.
Yet  the  quality  of  vocational  education  remains  very  variable  throughout  Europe  and
few countries have really undertaken to make the vocational pathway and in-company
training as attractive an alternative as general education. At the same time, many sectors
are faced with a shortage of qualified employees, in particular high level engineers and
specialist technicians. Much more needs to be done to remedy this situation in the years
ahead,  particularly  by  stepping  up  cooperation  at  European  level  as  part  of  the
Copenhagen Declaration.

1.1.5

The level of mobility in education and training is still inadequate

The  national reports  sent  in  as  part  of  the  implementation  of  the  Recommendation  on
mobility25 illustrate the efforts undertaken by countries to promote mobility, including
the  removal  of  (administrative  or  legal)  obstacles.  They  show  that  despite  progress
reported in many areas in most Member States, there are no real strategies to facilitate
and promote mobility. The lack of funding and motivation (stemming particularly from
the difficulties involved in academic and professional recognition) continue to obstruct

8

the mobility of students and even more so that of young people in training. Mobility in
the  enlarged  Union  involves  every  year  only  120 000  Erasmus  students  (0.8%  of  the
total) and 45 000 young people in training (under the Leonardo da Vinci programme).
These  figures  reflect  a  steady  improvement,  but  remain  well  below  what  the
Commission  considers  necessary:  by  2010,  the  number  of  participants  in  Erasmus
should significantlty be raised, as should mobility in vocational education and training.

1.2

The Union still lags behind its main competitors

The European Union as a whole lags behind the United States and Japan as regards the
level  of  investment  in  the  knowledge-driven  economy  and  society,  although  certain
Member  States  have  levels  which  are  comparable  or  better  than  those  two  countries.
Things did improve in the second half of the 1990s, but not enough to suggest that the
gap  can  be  closed  by  2010.  Part  of  the  Union's  being  behind  stems  from  certain
weaknesses  in  the  education  and  training  systems  in  comparison  with  its  main
competitors.

– 

A lack of investment in human resources

The  Lisbon  European  Council  called  upon  the  Member  States  to  bring  about  "a
substantial annual increase in the per capita investment in human resources". In 2000,
public sector investment in education measured as a proportion of GDP was 4.9% in the
European  Union,  a  figure  comparable  to  that  of  the  United  States  (4.8%)  and  higher
than  that  of  Japan  (3.6%).  During  the  period  1995–2000,  the  public  sector  effort
dwindled  in  most  of  the  Member  States.  What  is  more,  the  Union  is  suffering  from
under-investment  from  the  private  sector,  particularly  in  higher  education  and
continuing training.  In  comparison  to  the  Union, the  private  sector  effort is five times
higher in the United States (2.2% of GDP compared with 0.4%) and three times higher
in Japan (1.2%). In addition, the expenditure per student in the United States is higher
than  that  of  the  quasi-total  of  countries  in  the  Union  at  all  levels  of  the  education
system. The biggest difference is in higher education: the United States spends between
two and five times more per student than the countries of the Union.

– 

Not enough people qualifying through higher education

If  it  is  to  be  competitive  in  the  knowledge-driven  economy,  the  Union  also  needs  a
sufficiently  high  number  of  higher  education  graduates  with  qualifications  suitably
adapted to European labour market requirements. The fact that secondary education is
lagging behind has a knock-on effect at the higher education level.

On  average  in  the  Union,  23%  of  males  and  20%  of  females  in  the  25–64  age  range
hold a higher education qualification, a figure well below that for Japan (36% of males
and 32% of females) and the United States (37% for the overall population).

– 

The Union attracts less talent than its competitors

The  Ministers  of  Education  set  the  objective  of  turning  the  Union  into  the  "the  most-
favoured  destination of students, scholars and researchers from  other  world  regions".
This  central  objective  will  also  be  put  to  the  test:  if  the  Union  succeeds  in  attracting
students, it could also better promote its  specificities  and  values, thus  assuring itself  a
greater profile and ultimately greater competitiveness. Even if the Union, together with

9

the  United  States,  is  the  only  region  of  the  world  to  be  a  net  beneficiary  in  terms  of
mobility, most Asiatic and South American  students  prefer  to  go to the United States.
Furthermore,  there  are  now  twice  as  many  European  students  in  the  United  States  as
American students coming to Europe for their studies. The former are generally seeking
a full qualification at the host university, usually at advanced levels or in scientific and
technological areas. The latter come to Europe generally for a short period as part of the
course of their university of origin, usually at an early stage of their syllabus and more
often than not for human or social sciences.

The  Union  "produces"  more  university  qualified  persons  and  doctors  in  sciences  and
technology  than  the  USA  or  Japan  (25.7%  of  the  total  number  of  higher  education
graduates for the Union compared with 21.9% and 17.2% respectively for Japan and the
USA). At the same time, the percentage of researchers in the active population is much
lower in the Union (5.4 researchers per 1 000 in 1999) than in the USA (8.7) or Japan
(9.7), and particularly in private companies. The European labour market is much more
limited  for  researchers,  who  often  leave  the  Union  to  pursue  their  careers  elsewhere
(mainly  in  the  USA  where  they  have  better  working  conditions)  or  decide  to  change
profession26.

1.3

Many warning lights are still on red

Indicators  and  European  benchmarks  are  essential  instruments  of  the  open  method  of
coordination,  without  which  the  "Education  &  Training  2010"  programme  would  lose
much of its relevance27. The Ministers of Education took a decisive step in May 2003
by agreeing on five quantified objectives to be attained by 201028. An analysis of the
Union's  current  position  nonetheless  highlights  major  deficits  which  have  to  be
made good if the common objectives are to be attained29:

– 

Rates of early school leavers remain too high

The Union has made tackling the problem of early school leavers one of its priorities. In
2002, almost 20% of young people aged 18–24 in the EU prematurely dropped out of
school  and  were  on  the  fringes  of  the  knowledge  society.  The  Ministers  of  Education
have  agreed  on  a  target  to  bring  this  rate  down  to  10%  by  2010.  A  big  effort  will  be
needed  in  most  Member  States,  even  if  the  arrival  of  the  acceding  countries  will
substantially improve the European average.

– 

A shortage of qualified teachers and trainers threatens

On average, 27% of primary school teachers and 34% of secondary school teachers in
the Union are over 50. By 2015 over a million primary and secondary school teachers
will  have  to  be  recruited  and  therefore  trained.  This  massive  regeneration  of  teaching
staff  levels  in  most  countries  is  simultaneously  a  considerable  challenge  and  an
opportunity. But people are not queuing up to join the profession and the Union could
well be faced with a major shortage of qualified teachers and trainers, as was recently
stressed by the OECD30. This alarming situation prompts questions as regards the ability
of the profession to attract and hold on to the best talent and the high quality continuing
training needed to prepare teachers for their new roles.

10

– 

Too few women in scientific and technological fields

The March 2001 Stockholm European Council pointed up the need to encourage young
people, particularly young women, to become interested in scientific and technological
fields  and  careers.  A  substantial  part  of  the  Union's  research  and  innovation  capacity
depends on this. The (Education) Council has set two objectives: to bring about a 15%
increase  by  2010  in  the  number  of  students  in  these  fields  and  redress  the  imbalance
between  women  and  men.  While  the  first  objective  is  more  likely  to  be  attained,  the
second will require considerable effort: in the EU countries there are currently 2-4 times
more men than women in the scientific and technological disciplines.

– 

Nearly 20% of young people fail to acquire key competences

Everyone needs to acquire a minimum set of competences in order to learn, work and
achieve fulfilment in a knowledge-driven society and economy. They include traditional
key  competences  (reading,  writing  and  numbers)  and  the  newer  ones  (comprising
foreign 
interpersonal  and  civic  competences,  and
competences in the new information and communication technologies). However, in the
fundamental domain of reading, 17.2% of young Europeans aged under 15 do not have
the minimum competence required and the Union is still  far from the objective set by
the Member States of reducing this percentage by 20% by 2010.

languages,  enterpreneurship, 

As  for  foreign  language  learning,  there  is  still  no  language  proficiency  indicator31.
However,  a  slight  increase  has  been  observed  in  the  number  of  foreign  languages
learned  per  pupil  in  secondary  education,  the  figure  having  risen  from  1.2  foreign
languages per pupil at the start of the 1990s to an average of 1.5 in 2000. But this result
is still well short of the objective set by the Barcelona European Council held in March
2002 of guaranteeing that all pupils/students learn at least two foreign languages.

– 

Too few adults participating in further learning

In a knowledge-based  society  people  must  update and improve  their  competences and
qualifications  continuously.  Despite  the  progress  made,  the  objective  of  achieving  a
12.5% rate of adult participation in continuing training calls for special attention in most
Member States, particularly in the acceding countries.

The rate of participation in the Union in 2002 has been estimated at 8.5%, i.e. a mere
0.1%  higher  than  in  2001.  What  is  more,  that  figure,  which  had  been  steadily  rising
since the mid-1990s, has been stable over the last years.

SECTION II: THE FOUR LEVERS OF SUCCESS

The  foregoing  observations  sound  the  alarm  as  regards  the  situation  of  the  education
and  training  systems  in  Europe  and  their  structural  shortcomings.  They  highlight  the
urgent need for reforms and to carry forward the Lisbon strategy much more resolutely.
If  bolder  reforms  and  more  sustained  investment  are  not  forthcoming,  the  deficits
observed  today,  rather  than  decreasing,  are  likely  to  become  further  exacerbated  and
could  prevent  the  Union  from  attaining  the  objectives  it  has  set,  thus  putting  those
responsible  for  education  and  training,  as  well  as  the  European  Council  itself,  in  a
difficult position.

11

In  order  to  support  the  efforts  of  the  Member  States,  the  Commission  proposes  that
future action be built around the following four linchpins which, provided they are acted
upon in concert and in good time, still offer a chance of success:

– 

– 

– 

– 

concentrate reforms and investment on the key areas;

make lifelong learning a concrete reality;

establish at last a Europe of education and training;

give "Education & Training 2010" its rightful place.

These  proposals  are  based  in  particular  on  the  conclusions  of  the  working  groups
established  in  the  framework  of  "Education  &  Training  2010"  and  the  analysis  of  the
national reports on lifelong learning and mobility.

2.1

Focus reform and investment on the key areas

At the informal ministerial  meeting  in Milan,  Ministers  for Education  from  the Union
and acceding countries (meeting jointly with the Ministers for Employment and Social
Affairs)  underlined  the  importance  of  “structured  cooperation  that  will  support  the
development of human capital as well as  regular monitoring of  the progress achieved,
seen  as  part  of  the  work  programme  on  the  follow  up  to  the  common  objectives  of
education and training systems in Europe to reach the Lisbon goals”32.

The  resources  needed  in  education  and  training  and  their  effectiveness  should  be  a
matter of discussion between ministers at the Community level. The Commission also
feels that a high level group should as from 2004 be instructed to review national
policies  in  this  area  and  define  the  most  urgent  areas  for  cooperation.  The  action
taken  under  the  project  "Economics  of  education"  launched  by  the  Commission  will
help to sustain this reflection, particularly as regards the identification of the areas and
groups where investment will be most fruitful. There is also a useful body of studies and
analyses from international organisations (such as the OCDE) that should also be fully
exploited to enable the Union to draw inspiration from international best practice.

2.1.1

Define national policies as a function of the Lisbon objectives

The move to a knowledge-driven society and economy and the new requirements with
regard to lifelong learning call for radical changes in education and training systems. It
is  not  possible  to  do  everything  at  the  same  time  in  such  a  vast  area  of  reform.  The
priorities  guiding  the  reforms  and  the  action  will  be  defined  by  each  country  as  a
function of the conditions and constraints specific to it. It is essential for this reflection
and  the  national  choices  to  take  full  account  of  the  common  objectives  set  at  the
European level under the Lisbon strategy.

In order to strengthen the coherence between national and Community action and allow
more structured cooperation between the Member States, the Commission proposes that
each country should make known its national policy priorities on  investment and
reform  in  education  and  training, for  the  short  and  medium  term,  as  well  as  the
contribution to the attainment of the European objectives for 2010 it anticipates on
this basis. This exercise should make it possible to identify from the point of view of
the  Lisbon  strategy,  the  key  areas  which  most  directly  condition  the  success  of  each

12

country and that of its citizens in the knowledge-driven economy and society and those
which require a more sustained campaign of reform and investment.

2.1.2 Mobilise the necessary resources effectively

In the current economic and budgetary climate, the case for a "substantial increase" in
investment  in  human  resources  sought  by  the  Lisbon  European  Council  remains
stronger  than  ever,  particularly  as  it  conditions  future  growth.  In  compliance  with  the
Broad Economic Policy Guidelines for the period 2003 to 200533 and the Guidelines for
Employment  Policies,  the  Member  States  must  take  active  measures  to  promote
investment  in  knowledge,  including  by  improving  the  quality  and  efficiency  of
education  and  training  systems.  The  priority  given  in  the  new  guidelines  for  the
employment policies of the Member States to promoting development of human capital
and  of  lifelong  learning  goes  in  the  same  direction34.  The  necessary  increase  in
resources should come from a combination of sources.

– 

– 

– 

A  higher  level  of  public  sector  investment  in  certain  key  areas:  the
Commission  has  already  stressed35  that  targeted  increases  in  public  investment
can be achieved within the current budgetary constraints; at the national level this
can  be  done  by  reducing  pockets  of  inefficiency  and  by  rechanelling  towards
education  and  training  existing  resources  allocated  to  other  sectors  where  the
economic and social return is more limited;

A bigger contribution from the private sector, particularly in higher education,
adult  education  and  continuing  training;  in  these  areas  where  public  authorities
must  preserve  their  role,  the  private  sector  contribution 
is  nevertheless
indispensable (given the demands of the knowledge society and the constraints of
public  budgets)  and  more  justified  than  in  compulsory  education;  incentive
measures  to  boost  investment  by  the  business  sector  (especially  in  SMEs)  and
individuals have for this reason become necessary;

At  the  Community  level,  the  Structural  Funds  and  the  European  Investment
Bank36 also play their part in supporting the development of human capital. The
Member States should make greater use of them for investments in education and
training, taking due account of the objectives set by the Lisbon strategy.

The  increase  in  resources  must  of  course  be  applied  into  real  terms,  that  is  to  say  an
increase in the number of beneficiaries, in their level of qualifications and in the quality
of learning. These factors related to greater efficiency of the actions taken are as crucial
as the levels of investment spending themselves.

2.1.3 Make the profession of teacher/trainer more attractive

The success of the reforms undertaken hinges directly on the motivation and the quality
of  the  training  of  education  and  training  staff.  In  order  to  rise  to  the  challenge  of
replenishing  the  staffing  levels  in  teaching  in  the  years  ahead  and  of  a  worsening
situation as regards shortage of recruits, steps must be taken to attract the best talent to
the  teacher/trainer  profession,  to  keep  them  there  (including  by  encouraging  and
rewarding good performance37) – a question which is even more acute in the acceding
countries.  They  must  also  be  prepared  for  their  new  roles  in  the  knowledge-based
society and in transforming the  education and training systems. Each country  should

13

by  2005  put  in  place  an  action  plan  on  continuing  training  for  educational  staff
which is up to these challenges: this training should be substantially consolidated,
as has already stressed by the experts of the relevant working group, but it should
also  be  free,  organised  during  working  time  (as  in  many  other  professions)  and
have a positive impact on career progression.

2.2

Make lifelong learning a concrete reality

2.2.1

Put in place comprehensive, coherent and concerted strategies

lifelong 

learning  call  for  radical  reform  and 

The  new  requirements  of 
the
implementation  of  national  strategies  which  are  truly  global,  coherent  and  concerted,
and  in  step  with  the  European  context.  The  Commission  stresses  the  very  precise
guidance in this connection defined in its Communication of November 2001 and in the
(Education)  Council  Resolution  of  June  2002.  In  2005  by  the  latest,  all  countries
should  have  defined  a  strategy  of  this  kind  involving  all  the  actors  concerned,  as
well as a coherent action plan for its implementation covering all the dimensions of
the systems (be they formal or non-formal).

2.2.2

Target efforts at the disadvantaged groups

Young  adults,  highly  qualified  workers,  the  active  groups  are  those  best  placed  with
regard  to  lifelong  learning.  They  are  aware  of  the  advantages  of  updating  their
competences and are therefore more motivated.

Conversely,  people  with  low  levels  of  education  and  qualification,  older  workers,
marginalised  population  groups  or  those  living  in  disadvantaged  areas  or  outlying
regions, and people with learning difficulties are often comparatively unacquainted with
the  opportunities  that  exist  through  education  and  training.  They  consider  institutions
and programmes of low relevance in relation to their needs. One of  the fundamental
challenges  will  be  to  increase  the  awareness  of  the  disadvantaged  groups  of  the
advantages  of  education  and  training  and  to  make  the  systems  more  attractive,
more accessible and tailored more closely to their needs. The Community follow-up
to  the  implementation  of  national  lifelong  learning  strategies  will  pay  particular
attention to this aspect.

2.2.3

Apply common European references and principles

National  strategies  must  be  rooted  in  the  European  context.  This  is  a  precondition  if
they  are  to  be  fully  effective  nationally  and  coherent  at  European  level.  Common
European references and principles are very useful for developing mutual trust between
the key players and thus encouraging reform.

These common references are being developed or adopted with regard to a number of
major aspects of lifelong learning. They relate to: the single framework for transparency
(the new "Europass"); common principles for the validation of non-formal and informal
learning38; the definition of the key competences everyone must acquire and on which
the  successful  outcome  of  any  further  learning  depends39;  the  definition  of  the
competences  and  qualifications  needed  by  teachers  and  trainers  in  order  to  fulfil  their
new roles40; and the basic principles to be observed for good quality mobility41. These

14

common  references  should  be  in  place  by  2005  and  their  systematic  use  in  all
countries is a matter of priority.

2.3

Establish a Europe of education and training

2.3.1

The need for a European qualifications framework

The  European  labour  market  cannot  function  effectively  and  smoothly  without  a
European  framework  to  stand  as  a  common  reference  for  the  recognition  of
qualifications. It is a matter which has also significant implications for every member of
society  and  society  itself:  equal  opportunities  on  the  European  labour  market  and  the
development of European citizenship also depend on the extent to which the people of
Europe will really be able to have their diplomas and certificates recognised everywhere
in the European Union.

A framework of this kind in Europe must naturally be based on the national frameworks
which  themselves  must  be  coherent  and  cover  the  various  levels  of  initial  and
continuing  training.  The  necessary  mutual  trust  can  only  stem  from  quality  assurance
instruments  which  are  appropriately  compatible  and  credible  so  that  they  can  be
mutually validated.  In this  connection,  the  "common  framework"  for  the  development
of quality vocational training (as part of the follow-up to the Copenhagen Declaration)
and the creation of a platform for quality assurance or accreditation in higher education
(in  conjunction  with  the  Bologna  process)  should  be  top  priorities  for  Europe.  The
Commission is determined to make all necessary efforts to achieve this by 2005 and
expects the Member States to do likewise.

2.3.2

Consolidate the European dimension of education

Fifty years after its launch, the European project still has not succeeded in attracting the
appropriate level of interest and the full support of the people of the Union. Progress has
been made, particularly thanks to the impact of Community actions and programmes in
the  areas  of  education,  training  and  youth,  but  despite  that  surveys  regularly  bring
confirmation that there is an urgent need to strengthen the people-focused basis of the
European Union42. This aspect was a focal point of the work of the Convention on the
future  of  Europe43,  one  of  the  central  ambitions  of  which  was  to  get  the  people  of
Europe more firmly behind the idea of European integration. School has a fundamental
role to play allowing everyone to be informed and understand the meaning of European
integration.

By 2010, all education systems should ensure that their pupils have by the end of
their  secondary  education  the  knowledge  and  competences  they  need  to  prepare
them  for  their  role  as  a  future  citizen  in  Europe.  This  entails  amongst  other  things
stepping up language teaching at all levels and strengthening the European dimension in
the training of teachers and in the primary and secondary curriculum.

While  there  are  many  interesting  initiatives  being  undertaken  at  national  level,  they
often suffer from a lack of coordination and effectiveness. The definition by 2005 of a
Community  reference  regarding  a  profile  of  European  knowledge  and
competences  to  be  acquired  by  pupils  should  make  it  possible  to  support  and
facilitate national action in this area, both on the legislative front and in terms of the
production of appropriate materials and instruments.

15

2.4

Give "Education & Training 2010" its rightful place

2.4.1

Raise the profile of the European work programme

"Education and Training 2010" will succeed at the national and Community levels only
if  it  is  given  its  rightful  place  in  the  overall  Lisbon  strategy.  The  objectives  set  for
education  and  training  remain  fully  valid  for  the  years  ahead.  They  must  naturally  be
flexible enough to adapt to the variable events of reality and to changing needs.

The experience of the first two years of its implementation shows the need to raise the
profile  and  status  of  the  European  work  programme  at  all  levels.  If  they  are  to  be  a
driving  force  for  the  Lisbon  strategy,  the  essential  role  of  education  and  training
must be reasserted in the European Council conclusions. Similarly, it is vital that
"Education  and  Training  2010"  becomes  a  central  element  in  the  formulation  of
national policies.

In the future, countries should better harness energies and make good the current deficit
as regards the involvement of all the stakeholders and civil society in general, in order
to  increase  at  the  national  level  the  visibility  and  impact  of  the  European  work
programme. Ongoing campaigns to provide information and to make optimum use of it
will be needed at national and Community levels alike.

2.4.2

Implement the process more effectively

– 

– 

– 

In the future, it is essential to exploit the open method of coordination to the full
in order to maximise its effectiveness. "Education & Training 2010" is a complex
programme  for  which  considerable  human  and  financial  resources  have  been
assembled,  making  it  possible  to  pave  the  way  for  cooperation.  For  the  period
ahead,  after  consultation  with  the  working  groups  (including  those  following  up
the Copenhagen Declaration), the Commission intends to take the steps needed to
better define the mandate of the working groups, rationalise methods and enhance
synergy. In particular, this means technical debates in greater depth, the meeting
of  several  groups  around  common 
the
recommendations  of  the  working  groups  with  a  wider  audience.  Direct
involvement of the appropriate levels of responsibility will make the activity that
much more productive.

the  discussion  of 

issues,  and 

The impact and the visibility of the overall activity also depend on the consistency
between  the  different  initiatives  taken  in  education  and  training.  By  2006,  the
incorporation  of  actions  relating  to  education  and  vocational  training,  lifelong
learning  and  mobility  should  be  a  reality.  For  the  31  countries  involved  in
"Education and Training 2010", there should also be closer coordination with the
Bologna process. Generally speaking, the case for unintegrated parallel action
will  be  increasingly  weaker  in  the  future,  be  it  in  higher  education  or  in
vocational training, unless it is manifestly more ambitious and more effective.

The work carried out to date has pinpointed the key areas for which there is a lack
of  relevant  and  comparable  data  for  monitoring  progress  in  relation  to  the
objectives  set.  The  quality  of  the  existing  indicators  needs  to  be  improved  and
priorities should be established for the development of a restricted number of new
indicators,  taking  due  account  of  the  work  carried  out  by  other  bodies  active  in

16

this  area.  On  this  basis,  the  Standing  Group  on  Indicators  and  all  the  working
groups  in  place  will  be  invited  to  propose  by  mid-2004  a  limited  list  of  new
indicators to be developed and the practicalities they entail44.

CONCLUSION: STRENGTHEN COOPERATION AND MONITORING OF PROGRESS

The  reality  of  the  current  situation  and  the  urgency  of  the  action  needed  in  education
and  training  cannot  be  ignored  by  the  Heads  of  State  and  Government  at  the  next
European  Council  scheduled  for  Spring  2004.  While  it  is  important  for  the  European
Council to reassert the central role of education and training policies in the success of
the  Lisbon  strategy,  it  is  essential  that  it  also  makes  an  appeal  for  an  acceleration  of
national reform and enhanced cooperation in these areas at the European level. All the
necessary  resources  must  be  utilised,  including  those  stemming  from  the  Structural
Funds,  the  EIB  and  the  future  generation  of  Community  education  and  training
programmes so that substantial progress can be made in the years ahead.

Given that  time  is  running  out  for  taking  effective  action  before  2010  and  in  order  to
maintain the momentum which has been built up, the Commission feels it is essential to
achieve a more structured and more systematic follow-up to progress made. It proposes
that the Member States submit to it each year as from 2004 a consolidated report
on all the action they take on education and training which can contribute to the
Lisbon strategy in view of the objectives set, results achieved, and the four above-
mentioned  strategic  levers.  Under  the  integrated  approach,  this  report  would  replace
the specific reports currently asked for on mobility and lifelong learning strategies and
could also (as from the Berlin ministerial meeting) include the Bologna process. This is
of  course  without  prejudice  to  the  Member  States’  annual  reporting  on  how  they
implement  the  lifelong  learning  aspect  of  the  Employment  Guidelines  and  country-
specific  Recommendations  through  the  National  Action  Plans  for  Employment.  These
national  reports  on  the  contribution  of  education  and  training  to  the  Lisbon  strategy
should  be  articulated  in  a  coordinated  way,  together  with  those  on  the  European
employment and social inclusion policies.

This  would  represent  a  considerable  step  forward  in  increasing  the  impact  and
efficiency of the open coordination method in education and training. The Commission
could  analyse  these  reports  and  produce  an  annual  document  containing  useful
observations for all actors and decision-makers. The document would provide a yearly
contribution to the Synthesis Report from the Commission to European Spring Council.
It could also serve as a basis for the preparation of a joint report of the Commission and
(Education) Council to be presented every two years, starting from 2006, as part of the
preparation of the Spring European Council.

In the intervening years (the odd years) the national reports could, in agreement with the
Commission  and  the  (Education)  Council,  develop  certain  aspects  or  themes  of
education  and  training,  particularly  relevant  to  the  education,  economic  and  social
objectives of Lisbon.

17

.,,,,,///

,,,,,,

,,,,,,

,,,,,,,

,,,,,,

,,,,,,

,,,,,

,,,,,,

,,,,,,,

,,,,////

////

/

STATISTICAL ANNEX

18

EARLY SCHOOL LEAVERS

Share of the population aged 18-24
with only lower secondary education and not in education or training, 2002

,

…….,

European Union

Acceding countries

European Union +
Acceding countries

Data source: Eurostat, Labour force survey
Additional  notes:  EU  aggregates  without  UK,  a  definition  of  upper  secondary  school  completion
has still not been agreed.
Malta: Data not available.
,

Females

Males

,

BE

DK

DE

EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

LU

NL

AT

PT

FI

SE

UK

Total

12.4

15.4

12.5

16.1

29.0

13.4

14.7

24.3

17.0

15.0

9.5

45.5

9.9

10.0

(:)

Females

9.9

17.0

12.5

12.3

22.3

11.9

10.8

20.7

19.6

14.3

10.3

38.1

7.3

8.9

(:)

Males

14.9

13.8

12.5

20.1

35.4

14.9

18.4

27.9

14.4

15.7

8.8

52.9

12.6

11.0

(:)

EU

ACC

EU + ACC

CY

CZ

EE

HU

LT

LV

PL

SI

SK

Total

18.8

8.4

16.4

14.0

5.4

12.6

12.3

14.3

19.5

7.6

4.8

5.6

Females

16.2

6.9

14.1

10.2

5.5

9.6

12.1

13.4

12.2

5.6

3.3

4.6

Males

21.4

10

18.8

18.8

5.2

15.6

12.5

15.1

26.7

9.5

6.2

6.7

Data source: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey

The current EU average rate of early school leavers is 18.8%. In acceding countries, only around 8.4 % of the
population aged 18-24 leave school  with only lower secondary education. These  countries  thus  perform  better
than  EU-countries  when  it  comes  to  the  percentage  of  early  school  leavers.  In  a  number  of  countries  the
percentage  of  early  school  leavers  has  been  decreasing  steadily  since  the  early  1990’s.  This  is  the  case  for
instance  in  Greece,  France  and  Luxembourg.  In  Denmark  and  Portugal,  however,  a  downward  trend  in  the
beginning of the 90’s has been reversed from the mid 90’s, so the rate of early school leavers is close to the level
of the beginning of the 90’s. Achieving the European benchmark on early school leavers will require substantial
action  and  sustained  commitment.  Experiences  in  the  better  performing  countries  -  for  instance  the  accession
countries - might serve as inspiration for new and innovative actions in this field.

19

GRADUATES IN MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Total number of tertiary (ISCED 5A, 5B and 6) graduates
from mathematic, science and technology fields (2001)

…

.

European Union

Acceding countries

European Union +
Acceding countries

Data source: Eurostat, UOE
Additional notes: DK, FR, IT, L, FI, UK and CY: data refer to 2000
Greece: Data not available.

Students enrolled in mathematics, science and technology
as a proportion of all students in tertiary education (ISCED 5A, 5B and 6), 2001

…

,,

…

…

Females

Males

BE

DK

DE

EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

LU

NL

AT

PT

FI

SE

UK

EU

(:)

Total

21.2

20.8

29.1

Females (:)

9.7

10.9

15.1

Males

(:)

34.1

33.6

42.4

(:)

(:)

(:)

29.5

17.3

43.1

(:)

(:)

(:)

35.5

24.0

16.8

16.5

22.1

14.5

51.6

36.2

(:)

(:)

5.2

28.0

(:)

(:)

(:)

27.5

36.8

30.0

16.2

17.2

17.9

42.6

59.6

47.5

(:)

(:)

(:)

IS

Total

18.7

Females 10.7

Males

32.2

LI

(:)

(:)

(:)

NO

BG

CY

CZ

EE

HU

LT

LV

MT

PL

RO

SI

SK

JP

US

19.8

26.2

17.7

31.3

21.3

20.4

26.6

16.3

11.0

19.9

26.9

22.5

28.3

21.9

10.1

18.8

8.7

15.8

11.5

8.5

14.5

8.0

5.4

10.3

16.9

10.5

15.7

6.4

33.8

35.9

30.1

46.6

36.1

34.7

44.5

29.7

17.8

32.6

38.1

37.9

41.7

34.3

(:)

(:)

(:)

Data source: Eurostat, UOE

The available data45 tells us that EU-15 would need to increase the number of graduates in mathematics, science
and technology by more than 80.000 per year by 2010. Following the next enlargement of the Union, in 2004,
the European benchmark is naturally higher and EU-25 will need to increase the total number of graduates in the
fields by nearly 100.000 per year.

20

When studying enrolment rates in mathematics, science and technology at tertiary level, it is clear, as underlined
in the Council Conclusion on European Benchmarks, that the gender imbalance is a highly relevant issue. In fact,
Ireland is the only country  where  more than 20 % of the females are enrolled in  these  fields.  By  contrast,  the
Netherlands  and  Belgium  have  less  than  10%.  The  situation  is  similar  in  a  number  of  acceding  countries
(Cyprus,  Hungary,  Latvia  and  Malta).  Improving  the  gender  balance  of  students  in  the  area  of  mathematics,
science and technology will contribute to the aim of increasing the overall number of graduates in these fields.

When analysing the proportion of males enrolled, it appears clearly that these fields of study are most popular
among  males  in  Ireland  and  Finland  (more  than  50%  of  male  students  are  enrolled).  These  differences  in
enrolment  rates  result  in  variations  from  one  country  to  another  in  terms  of  the  proportion  of  mathematics,
science and technology graduates as a percentage of all graduates. In Japan and the US, the share of graduates in
mathematics, science and technology is actually below the share in EU-15.

Europe “produces” in fact more science graduates (PhDs) than the United States but has fewer researchers on the
labour  market.  The  Commission  has  proposed  a  range  of  measures  to  help  prevent  Europe’s  best  scientists
abandoning their careers in Europe in  favour of  more lucrative opportunities in the US and elsewhere46. More
generally,  the  environment  for  the  employment  of  science  and  technology  graduates  as  researchers,  in  highly
skilled, innovative sectors, needs to be improved in the EU. This will require significant progress in areas such
as the functioning of labour markets, innovative capacity and the climate for entrepreneurship.

21

COMPLETION OF UPPER SECONDARY EDUCATION

Percentage of those aged 22 who have successfully completed
at least upper secondary education (ISCED 3), 2002

European Union

Acceding countries

European Union +
Acceding countries

Data source: Eurostat, Labour force survey
Additional note: EU aggregates without UK, a definition of
upper secondary school completion has still not been agreed.
Malta: data not available

BE

DK

DE

EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

LU

NL

AT

PT

FI

SE

UK

82.6

66.8

77.4

82.1

66.6

82.9

85.6

72.9

74.2

73.9

86.5

44.9

87.3

89.3

(:)

,

,

,

,

EU

ACC

EU + ACC

CY

CZ

EE

HU

LT

LV

PL

SI

SK

75.4

90.1

78.7

86.9

93.4

89.2

87.2

83.5

71.2

91.0

88.1

94.6

Data source: Eurostat, Labour force survey

The figure shows that the target of reaching a level of completion of upper secondary level education of 85%, in
2010, for those aged 22, is a significant challenge for Member countries. The current average level in the Union
is  75.4%.  It  should  be  kept  in  mind  that  while  several  countries  have  only  increased  these  figures  slightly  in
recent years, others have made significant progress, like, for instance, Portugal. On average, in the Union and the
acceding countries, almost 79% of 22-year-olds have successfully completed at least upper secondary education.

Several EU countries are at present achieving completion rates beyond 80% such as Belgium,  France, Greece,
Ireland, Austria, Finland and Sweden. Conversely, Portugal has the lowest percentage (45 %), a level that should
however  be  seen  in  the  context  of  its  rapid  growth  during  recent  years.  In  all  the  acceding  countries,  the
completion rate for upper secondary education lies around the EU average  figure or even above. The  cases  of
Slovakia (94.6%), the Czech Republic (93,4%) and Poland (91.0%) are especially noteworthy. The average level
of completion of upper secondary level education in the acceding countries is 90.1  which is already above the
target set for the Union for 2010.

22

KEY COMPETENCIES

Percentage of pupils with reading literacy proficiency level 1 and lower
(on the PISA reading literacy scale), 2000

European Union

Acceding countries

European Union +
Acceding countries

Data source: OECD, PISA 2000 database
Explanatory note:
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. In 2000, the percentage of
15  year  old  in  level  1  or  below  in  the  European  Union  (15)  is  equal  to  17.2.  Therefore,  the
benchmark has been fixed at 13.7.

.

.

EU

17.2

B

DK

D

EL

E

F

IRL

I

L

19.0

17.9

22.6

24.4

16.3

15.2

11.0

18.9

35.1

IS

LI

NO

BG

CZ

EE

CY

LV

14.5

22.1

17.5

40.3

17.5

(:)

(:)

30.1

LT

(:)

Data source: OECD, Pisa 2000 database

A

P

FIN

S

UK

HU MT

RO

22.7

(:)

23.2

41.3

14.6

26.3

7.0

SK

12.6

12.8

JP

US

(:)

10.1

17.9

SI

(:)

NL

9.5

PL

Finland, Netherlands, Ireland, Austria, Sweden and UK all have less than 15% of their 15 year olds that are low-
performers in the sense of the PISA reading literacy survey. But other countries of the Union experience higher
proportions  of  pupils  in  this  category.  In  Germany,  Greece  and  Portugal,  more  than  20%  are  low  performers
according to the survey. In this field, the performance of some candidate countries, where the proportion of low
performers reaches more than 40% must also be underlined.

The table shows that, in average, some 17.2% of the 15 year-olds are low performers in the member countries.
According  to  the  European  benchmark  adopted  by  the  Council,  this  proportion  should  decrease  by  20%  and
reach  13.7  %  in  2010. To reach  such  a  level  by  2010  will  be  a  major  challenge  for  many  countries.  It  would
demand  that  both  the  more  and  the  less  successful  countries  in  the  field,  find  ways  and  means  for  further
progress, attacking the problem of low-performance in reading literacy among 15 years olds. In this field, it is
very  clear  that  some  countries  have  very  good  experience  and  practices  (ex:  Finland  and  the  Netherlands)  to
share to the benefit of others.

23

PARTICIPATION IN LIFELONG LEARNING

.
Percentage of population aged 25-64 participating in education and training
in 4 weeks prior to the survey ( 2002)
,

European Union

Acceding countries

European Union +
Acceding countries

Data source: Eurostat, Labour force survey
Additional note: Malta: Data not available

ISCED 1-6

BE

DK

DE

EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

LU

NL

AT

PT

FI

SE

UK

Total

6.5

18.4

5.9

1.2

5.0

2.7

7.7

4.6

7.8

16.4

7.5

2.9

18.9

18.4

22.9

Females

6.3

20.7

5.6

1.1

5.4

3.0

8.8

4.7

6.6

15.9

7.4

3.3

21.4

21.2

26.8

Males

6.8

16.1

6.2

1.2

4.5

2.4

6.5

4.5

9.1

16.9

7.6

2.4

16.5

15.6

19.3

EU

ACC

EU + ACC

CY

CZ

EE

HU

LT

LV

PL

SI

SK

Total

8.5

5.0

7.9

3.7

6.0

5.2

3.3

3.3

8.2

4.3

8.8

9.0

Females

9.2

5.4

8.5

3.8

5.8

6.7

3.7

4.2

10.9

4.7

9.2

9.4

Males

7.9

4.5

7.3

3.6

6.2

3.6

2.9

2.3

5.2

3.9

8.4

8.7

Data source: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey

The average EU-15 percentage is 8,5%, meaning that, for any period of a month, 8-9 out of 100 people will have
participated in education and training activities. The average trend across EU-15 has been steady for the last four
years. It will be however lowered with the enlargement, as the estimated average for the acceding countries for
2002 is 5.0. There is a very  high  variation between countries. The four best performing countries are  the  UK,
Sweden, Finland and Denmark, followed closely by the Netherlands. The average level of the best performing
countries is above 20% while much lower levels are registered in a number of Member States and of acceding
countries. In general, women participate more than men in education and training.

24

INVESTMENT IN HUMAN RESOURCES

Public expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP, 2000

,

,

,

EU-15 EU + ACC

BE

DK

DE

EL

ES

FR

IE

IT

LU

NL

AT

PT

FI

SE

UK

4.94

4.94

5,21

8,38

4,53

3,79

4,43

5,83

4,36

4,58

(:)

4,87

5,75

5,74

5,99

7,39

4,41

IS

6,04

LI

(:)

NO

6,84

Data source: Eurostat, UOE

ACC

BG

CY

CZ

EE

HU

LT

LV

MT

PL

RO

4,86

4,41

5,60

4,38

6,66

4,54

5,78

5,86

4,91

5,06

2,89

SI

(:)

SK

4,15

In all countries, investment in education is a major spending item in public budgets. The data shows clearly that
public  expenditure  on  education  and  training  as  a  %  of  GDP  differs  greatly  between  individual  countries.  In
Denmark and Sweden, it represents more than 7% of GDP. In a number of countries (Belgium, France, Austria,
Portugal,  and  Finland),  expenditure  on  education  accounts  for  between  5-6%  of  GDP.  In  Germany,  Greece,
Spain,  Italy,  Ireland,  the  Netherlands  and  in  the  UK,  this  percentage  is  lower  than  5  %.  Education  is  also  an
important  spending  item  in  the  acceding  countries.  In  Estonia  and  Lithuania,  public  expenditure  on  education
budget representes more than 6% of GDP, while in Cyprus, Latvia and Poland, it is between 5 and 6% of GDP.
It is in the candidate country, Romania, that the lowest level of public expenditure on education relative to GDP
is recorded.

During the five years since 1995, public expenditure as a proportion of GDP has tended to fall slightly, rising in
only four countries. The only substantial increase has been in the case of Greece while Ireland, Finland and the
UK have seen significant reductions47. This must of course be seen in the context of demographic development,
since the bulk of public expenditure on education is aimed at young people, and the share of the population aged
under 25 in the EU declined by more than 1.5 percentage points between 1995 and 2000. At the same time, the
data  show  that  the  proportion  of  young  people  in  education  and  the  qualifications  they  achieve  continued  to
grow.

Nevertheless, the data on public expenditure indicate that the public sector cannot be relied upon to shoulder the
entire  financial  burden  of  meeting  the  Lisbon  objective  of  ”a  substantial  annual  increase  in  the  per  capita
investment in human resources”. Declining public expenditure on education in relation to GDP indicates that the
private sector may have to assume greater responsibility for the investments in education and training required to
meet the challenges of the knowledge society.

25

NOTES

1 De la Fuente and Ciccone “Human Capital in a global and knowledge-based economy”, final report for
DG Employment and Social Affairs, European Commission, 2002.

2 Unemployment rates decrease with higher levels of education. This results in a reducation of the related
economic and social costs. Equally, the higher the levels of education, the higher employment rates of the
working population are.

3 “Education” Council report to the European Council on the “concrete future objectives of education and
training systems” http://register.consilium.eu.int/pdf/en/01/st05/05980f1.pdf

4  Detailed  work  programme  on  the  follow-up  of  the  objectives  of  education  and  training  systems  in
Europe http://ue.eu.int/newsroom/related.asp?BID=75&GRP=4280&LANG=1

5 Point 43 of the conclusions of the Barcelona European Council held on 15 and 16 March 2002.

6  Implementation  of  the  work  programme  on  the  future  objectives  of  education  and  training  systems,
Commission staff services paper, SEC(2003) 1250.

7  Recommendation  of  10  July  2001  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  "on  the  mobility
within the Community of students, people in training, volunteers, teachers and trainers" (OJ L 215 of 9
August 2001) and the Action plan for mobility (OJ C 371 of 23 December 2000).

8 Council Resolution of 27.06.2003 on lifelong learning, OJ C 163 of 9 July 2002.

9  Declaration  of  the  Ministers  with  responsibility  for  vocational  education  and  training  and  of
the  Commission  meeting  in  Copenhagen  on  29-30  November  2002  and  concerning  enhanced
European 
training
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/copenhagen/index_en.html).  It  is  based  on  a  Resolution  of  the
(Education) Council of 19 December 2002 on the same subject (OJ C 13 of 18 January 2003).

cooperation 

vocational 

education 

area 

and 

the 

of 

in 

10  Commission  Communication  "Investing  efficiently  in  education  and  training:  an  imperative  for
Europe". COM(2002) 779 of 10 January 2003.

11 Commission Communication on "The role of the universities in Europe of Knowledge" COM(2003) 58
final of 5 February 2003.

12 Commission Communication on “Researchers in the European Research Area: one porfession, multiple
careers. COM(2003) 436 of 18 July 2003.

13 Point 19 of the Conclusion of the Brussels European Council, 16-17 October 2003.

14 Council Decision of 22 July 2003 on the guidelines for employment policy in the Member States (OJ L
197, 5 August 2003).

15 The 15 Member States, and, in the wake of the Bratislava ministerial declaration of June 2002, the 10
acceding countries, the three candidate countries and three EFTA/EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein
and Norway).

16  "The  e-learning  action  plan:  designing  tomorrow's  education",  COM(2001)  172  of  28  March  2001.
Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council adopting a multi-annual programme (2004-2006)
for  the  effective  integration  of  information  and  communication  technologies  (ICT)  in  education  and
training systems in Europe (e-learning programme), COM(2002) 751 of 19 December 2002.

17 Promoting language learning and linguisic diversity. An action plan 2004-2006. COM(2003) 449 of 24
July 2003.

26

18  Proposal  for  a  European  Parliament  and  Council  Decision  establishing  a  programme  for  the
enhancement  of  quality  in  higher  education  and  the  promotion  of  intercultural  understanding  through
cooperation with third countries (Erasmus World) (2004-2008). COM(2002) 401 of 17 July 2003.

19 These are the reports of the working groups set up by the Commission as part of the implementation of
the programme of work on the objectives and follow-up of the Copenhagen Declaration. All these reports
are available at the following address http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/index_en.html.

20 These are national reports on the implementation of the Resolution on lifelong learning. A summary is
available at the following address http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/index_en.html.

21 Joint Employment Report 2002. COM(2002) 621 of 13 November 2002.

22  This  is  the  case  in  particular  of:  coordination  between  all  the  parties  concerned;  the  development  of
flexible  learning  pathways  and  bridges  between  the  different  systems  and  learning  frameworks;  a
permanent culture of learning from the earliest possible age; public-private partnerships; and learning at
the place of work.

23  Establishing  a  European  area  of  higher  education.  Communiqué  from  the  Conference  of  European
ministers with responsibility for higher education, held in Berlin on 19 September 2003.

24 Commission Communication: "The role of the universities in Europe of knowledge", COM(2003) 58
final of 5 February 2003.

25 The Commission, on the basis of the national reports, will submit a report on the implementation of the
Recommendation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  mobility  in  December  2003  (in
accordance with section III c).

26 Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament "Researchers in the European
research area: one profession, multiple careers". COM(2003) 436 of 18 July 2003.

27  The  March  2003  Brussels  European  Council  stressed  that  it  is  essential  to  have  « benchmarks  to
identify best practice and to ensure efficient and effective investment in human resources ».

28 Council Conclusions of 5 May 2003 on reference levels of European average performance in education
and training (benchmarks). OJ C 134 of 7 June 2003.

29  See  the  Statistical  Annex  and,  for  more  comprehensive  data,  the  Commission  staff  services  paper
(SEC(2003) 1250).

30 "Education at a glance: OECD indicators" (2003 edition).

31 The Commission is continuing its work to define by the end of 2004 a language proficiency indicator in
accordance with the conclusions of the March 2002 Barcelona European Council.

32 Informal meeting of the MInisters of Education on "Human capital" held on 27 & 28 October 2003.

33  Council  Recommendation  of  26  June  2003  on  the  broad  guidelines  of  the  economic  policies  of  the
Member States and the Community (for the 2003-2005 period). OJ L 195 of 1 August 2003.

34  Council  Decision  of  22  July  2003  on  guidelines  for  the  employment  policies  of  the  Member  States.
OJ L 197 of 5 August 2003.

35 Commission Communication: "Invest effectively in education and training: an imperative for Europe"
COM(2002) 779 of 10 January 2003.

36 The EIB's "Innovation 2010" initiative.

37 "Education at a glance: OECD indicators" (2003 edition), page 375.

27

                                                                                                                                              
38 European framework for the validation of non-formal and informal learning – Copenhagen Declaration
of 30 November 2002.

39 Development of a common framework of key skills, cf. Conclusions of the Lisbon European Council
and the report of the corresponding working group (Working Group B of “Education & Training 2010”).

40 European framework for the skills and qualifications of teachers, Communication on lifelong learning
and report of the corresponding working group (Working Group A of “Education & Training 2010”).

41  Charter  on  the  quality  of  mobility.  Cf.  conclusions  of  the  corresponding  working  group  “Working
Group F of “Education & Training 2010” (Commission staff services paper, section 4.1.7).

42 “Public Opinion in the European Union”. Eurobarometer 59 (June 2003). European Commission, DG
Press and Communication.

43 Draft Treaty establishing a European constitution, 18 July 2003.

44  In  this  context,  the  following  areas  should  come  in  for  particular  attention:  key  skills,  particularly
learning  to  learn;  efficient  investment  in  education  and  training;  continuing  training  of  teachers  and
trainers;  social  cohesion;  information  and  communication  technologies;  mobility;  initial  and  continuing
vocational training.

45  Data  on  graduates,  including  by  gender,  presently  suffer  from  a  lack  of  comparability,  linked  to  the
double counting of graduates in some countries. They will have to be improved.

46 Commission Communication to the Council and the European Parliament "Researchers in the European
research area: one profession, multiple careers". COM(2003) 436 of 18 July 2003.

47 This observation has to be qualified in the case of Ireland and Finland, because of fast growth in GDP.
In Ireland, for example, total spending on education doubled between 1993 and 2000 while GDP grew by
140% (both in nominal terms). The result is that the ratio fell notwithstanding the fast growth in absolute
spending.

28