Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the statistics relating to vocational training in enterprises
Date: 2004-02-17
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU statistics, continuing vocational training, data collection, type of business

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 17.2.2004 
COM(2004) 95 final 

2004/0041 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the statistics relating to vocational training in enterprises 

(presented by the Commission) 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
1. 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

The  Commission  Communication  of  November  2001  entitled  “Making  a  European 
Area  of  Lifelong  Learning  a  Reality”  underlines  in  paragraph  1.1  that  the  “Lisbon 
European Council confirmed lifelong learning as a basic component of the European 
social  model”.  In  this  sense,  lifelong  learning  encompasses  all  learning  activities 
undertaken  throughout  life,  with  the  aim  of  improving  knowledge,  skills  and 
competence  within  a  personal,  civic,  social  and/or  employment-related  perspective. 
Learning is no longer given weight only in the area of education; it is also seen as a 
critical factor in areas of employment and social security, of economic performance 
and  competitiveness  extended  to  the  whole  lifecycle.  Lifelong  learning  is  an 
important  issue  also  for  scientists  and  engineers  and  other  personnel  involved  in 
enterprises. Supporting the lifelong learning of R&D personnel in enterprises fosters 
the  permanently  high  quality  of  knowledge  production  as  well  as  the  capability  to 
absorb  new  knowledge  from  other  sectors.  This  perception  reflects  the  long-term 
strategy  of  the  Lisbon  Summit  to  strengthen  employment  and  social  cohesion  in  a 
knowledge-based  society  and  economy.  Nowadays,  lifelong  learning  policy  is  a 
cornerstone 
the  European  Employment  strategy,  underpinning  several 
Employment  Guidelines,  and  in  all  National  Action  Plans  of  the  Member  States 
implementing these guidelines. 

in 

In  one  of  the  building  blocks  for  developing  and  implementing  coherent  national 
strategies  for  lifelong  learning,  “Sharing  of  roles  and  responsibilities”,  the 
Communication  highlights  the  responsibility  of  employers  for  developing  the 
competencies  of  their  workforce.  “Enterprises  should  be  facilitated  to  become 
learning  organisations,  where  everyone  learns  and  develops  through  the  work 
context…”.  Continuing  training  is  increasingly  at  the  core  of  policies  to  reduce 
unemployment  and  foster  productivity  and  competitiveness  in  Europe.  Skill 
development through continuing vocational training in enterprises is a crucial part of 
lifelong  learning  improving  adaptability  of  the  workforce  and  ensuring  lifelong 
employability.  Investment  by  enterprises  in  continuing  vocational  training  reflects 
their  willingness  to  devote  resources  to  responding  to  the  evolution  of  the  labour 
market. But it also reflects the potential they have for doing so. 

The Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 on  lifelong learning “…welcomes the fact 
that  the  Communication  of  November  2001  established  lifelong  learning  as  one  of 
the guiding principles for education and training, and recognises the relevance of the 
building blocks for lifelong learning strategies…”. 

The Council Resolution of 24 June 2003 on social and human capital underlines the 
importance of learning and training at work in building social and human capital in 
the knowledge society. Special reference is  made to “…the importance  of ensuring 
that all workers within their specific enterprises and organisations are fully involved 
and  properly  trained…which  can  help  facilitate  change,  and  are  thus  aware  of  the 
benefits in terms of improved competitiveness and quality of working life;…”. The 
resolution  highlights  also  “…the  problem  of  well-educated/trained  people  having 
more  possibilities  and,  in  reality,  more  access  to  learning  opportunities  than  less 
well-educated/trained people, who should most benefit from training, such as women 
and older workers:…”. 

2 

 
 
  
 
2. 

3. 

The  new  European  Employment  Strategy,  agreed  on  the  22  July  2003,  has  been 
revised to better account for the needs of an enlarged European Union, to react better 
to  the  challenges  facing  a  modern  labour  market,  and  to  contribute  better  to  the 
Lisbon  strategy.  Two  key  specific  guidelines  within  the  EES  tackle  the  need  to 
improve  skill  levels  through  lifelong  learning,  and  to  address  labour  shortages  and 
bottlenecks. The guidelines call upon Member states to address labour shortages and 
skill  bottlenecks.  Member  States  are  also  encouraged  to  implement  comprehensive 
lifelong  learning  strategies  in  order  to  equip  all  individuals  with  the  skills  required 
for a modern workforce, and to reduce skills mismatch and bottlenecks in the labour 
market. The guidelines state policies will aim to achieve an increase in investment in 
human  resources,  in  particular  through  a  significant  increase  in  investment  by 
enterprises in the training of adults. 

This recent focus, combined with the inclusion of education and training among the 
Community  competencies  for  the  first  time  in  the  Maastricht  and  Amsterdam 
Treaties,  has  created  an  increasing  demand  for  statistics  in  the  area  of  lifelong 
learning.  In  order  to  monitor  lifelong  learning  as  a  process  and  assessing  progress 
towards  the  implementation  of  related  policies,  appropriate  and  comparable 
statistical measures need to be developed and produced. For Eurostat, the creation of 
an  integrated  European  Statistical  Information  System  (ESIS)  on  education  and 
learning  is  the  goal  in  trying  to  measure  lifelong  learning.  Within  this  framework, 
information on continuing vocational training provided by enterprises will shed light 
upon a key aspect of lifelong learning. Information is indispensable to establish and 
to  assess  policies  and  strategies  with  a  view  to  adapting  human  resources  to  a 
changing economy.  

The  Continuing  Vocational  Training  Survey  is  the  only  source  that  provides 
internationally  comparable  statistical  data  and  indicators  on  continuing  vocational 
training  in  enterprises  both  for  the  Member  States  and  also  for  the  acceding  and 
candidate countries and the participating EFTA countries. The survey results can be 
used  for  benchmarking  at  several  levels  (EU,  country,  enterprise)  on  training 
provision, on access to and participation in training, on the intensity and the costs of 
training.  The  results  also  provide  a  description  of  the  context  in  which  enterprises 
operate, which helps employers and employees to compare their own experiences to 
wider standards. 

Community  statistics  on  enterprise  training  are  important  to  evaluate  the  needs  for 
support  at  European  and  national  levels  in  an  area  that  benefits  employees  and 
employers alike. The Continuing Vocational Training Survey is a unique data source 
at the international level for analysing enterprise training: the discrepancies between 
skills supply and demand, between training needs and the forms, fields and volume 
of  training  offered,  between  enterprises’  own  resources  and  the  use  of  external 
providers. The survey opens the way to assess opportunities for enterprise training, 
especially for disadvantaged groups, older workers and women that are most affected 
by unemployment. Last but not least the survey provides essential information on the 
training  cost  that  originate  both  for  enterprises  and  the  State  and  on  methods  of 
funding. 

4. 

The first enterprise survey of continuing vocational training (CVTS1) was conducted 
in  1994.  The  survey  was  part  of  the  action  programme  for  the  development  of 
continuing  vocational  training  in  the  European  Community  (FORCE)  based  on 
Council  Decision  90/267/EEC  of  29  May  1990.  The  growing  policy  interest  in 

3 

 
 
  
 
information  on  continuing  vocational  training  in  enterprises  together  with  the 
demand to cover the fifteen EU Member States have led the European Commission 
to  initiate  a  second  survey.  At  its  meeting  in  November  1997  the  SPC  gave  its 
approval  to  the  new  survey.  The  second  survey  (CVTS2)  was  conducted  in 
2000/2001 in all the Member States, Norway and nine candidate countries. 

The  implementation  of  both  CVTS1  and  CVTS2  was  based  on  “gentlemen’s 
agreements”  between  Eurostat  and  the  EU  Member  States.  In  CVTS,  as  in  many 
other areas of statistical activities, such agreements have been an important step for 
creating  the  conditions  for  co-operation  in  the  establishment  of  the  survey  and  the 
development  of  a  common  survey  approach.  However,  “gentlemen’s  agreements” 
cannot  be  seen  as  an  alternative  to  legislation  adopted  under  the  co-decision 
procedure, in particular in the domain of enterprise surveys. 

Therefore, after the implementation of CVTS2, Eurostat and the EU Member States 
decided to provide a legal basis for the data collection within the European Statistical 
System  in  the  form  of  a  Regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  Council.  The 
Directors of Social Statistics gave their approval to this approach in their meeting on 
22/23 April 2002.  The  proposal  for  a  Regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and 
Council  takes  into  account  both  the  discussion  in  the  CVTS2  Working  Group 
(November  2002),  comments  sent  by  countries  in  writing  and  the  discussion  in  the 
Education  and  Training  Statistics  Working  Group  (23/24  January  2003).  The 
Directors of Social Statistics gave their approval to the draft at their meeting on 7/8 
April 2003 and by written consultation launched on 15 May 2003. 

5. 

The Continuing Vocational Training Survey is one of the main building blocks of an 
integrated  European  Statistical  Information  System  on  lifelong  learning.  According 
to  the  proposal  it  is  intended  to  carry  out  the  data  collection  regularly  every  five 
years.  The  statistics  will  provide  quantitative  and  qualitative  information  on 
continuing  vocational  training  in  enterprises  completed  by  basic  information  on 
initial training. The aspects covered by the survey will range from training policy, the 
volume, intensity and content of continuing training through to the cost and funding 
of training in enterprises. 

It is proposed that a survey approach should be developed which aims to reduce the 
burden  on  respondents  -  on  enterprises.  The  regulation  will  help  to  put  the  co-
operation with enterprises in the Member States on a stable basis and to improve the 
quality and the completeness of the data. 

6. 

The Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the development 
and  production  of  Community  statistics  on  vocational  training  in  enterprises  is 
supposed  to  establish  a  common  framework  for  the  data  collection  within  the 
European Statistical System. 

4 

 
 
  
 
2004/0041 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 

on the statistics relating to vocational training in enterprises 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 
285(1) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission1, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee2, 

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty3, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

At the Lisbon European Council in March 2000 the European Union set the strategic 
goal of becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based society in the 
world,  capable  of  sustained  economic  growth  with  more  and  better  jobs  and  greater 
social cohesion. 

The employability, adaptability and mobility of citizens is vital for Europe to maintain 
its  commitment  to  becoming  the  most  competitive  and  dynamic  knowledge-based 
society in the world. 

Lifelong learning is a key element in developing and promoting a skilled, trained and 
adaptable workforce. 

The  Council  Conclusions  of  5  May  2003  on  reference  levels  of  European  average 
performance  in  education  and  training  (Benchmarks)4  adopted  the  following 
benchmark: “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) 

The Lisbon European Council confirmed lifelong learning as a basic component of the 
European social model. 

1 
2 
3 
4 

OJ C [], [], p. []. 
OJ C [], [], p. []. 
OJ C 325, 24.12.2002, p. 133. Consolidated version.  
OJ C 134, 7.6.2003, p.4. 

5 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

The  new  European  Employment  Strategy  confirmed  by  Council  Decision  of  22  July 
2003  on  guidelines  for  the  employment  policies  of  the  Member  States5  aims  to 
contribute better to the Lisbon strategy and to implement coherent and comprehensive 
strategies for lifelong learning. 

Particular  attention  has  to  be  given  to  the  training  at  the  workplace  as  a  crucial 
dimension of lifelong learning. 

Comparable  statistical  information  at  Community  level,  with  specific  respect  to 
enterprise training, is essential for the development of lifelong learning strategies and 
for the monitoring of progress in their implementation. 

The  production  of  specific  Community  statistics  is  governed  by  the  rules  set  out  in 
Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 of 17 February 1997 on Community Statistics6. 

(10)  The transmission of data subject to statistical confidentiality is governed by the rules 
set  out  in  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 322/97  and  in  Council  Regulation  (Euratom, 
EEC)  No 1588/90  of  11 June 1990  on  the  transmission  of  data  subject  to  statistical 
confidentiality to the Statistical office of the European Communities7. 

(11)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 831/2002 of 17 May 2002 implementing Regulation 
(EC) No 322/97  concerning  access  to  confidential  data  for  scientific  purposes8 
established the conditions pursuant to which access to confidential data transmitted to 
the Community authority may be granted. 

(12)  Since  the  objectives  of  the  creation  of  common  statistical  standards  that  permit  the 
production of harmonised data cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States 
and can therefore be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt 
measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the 
Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, 
this Regulation does not go beyond what is required to achieve those objectives. 

(13)  The measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted 
in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the 
procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission9.  

(14)  The Statistical Programme Committee has been consulted in accordance with Article 3 
of Council Decision 89/382/EEC, Euratom of 19 June 1989 establishing a Committee 
on the Statistical Programmes of the European Communities10, 

5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 

OJ L 197, 5.8.2003, p. 13-21. 
OJ L 52, 22.2.1997, p. 61. 
OJ L 151, 15.6.1990, p. 1, Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No. 322/97. 
OJ L 133, 18.5.2002, p. 7. 
OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. 
OJ L 181, 28.6.1989, p. 47. 

6 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Article 1 

Subject matter 

This Regulation establishes a common framework for the production of Community statistics 
on vocational training in enterprises. 

Article 2 

Definitions 

For the purpose of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

'enterprise':  the  enterprise  as  defined  in  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  696/93  of 
15 March 1993  on  the  statistical  units  for  the  observation  and  analysis  of  the 
production system in the Community11; 

'NACE  Rev.  1':  the  general  industrial  classification  of  economic  activities  in  the 
European  Community  established  by  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  3037/90  of  9 
October 1990 on the statistical classification of economic activities of the European 
Community12; 

'second Continuing Vocational Training Survey (CVTS2)’: second European survey 
of  continuing  vocational  training  in  enterprises  carried  out  in  2000/2001  in  all 
Member States for the reference year 1999.  

Article 3 

Data to be collected 

1. 

The data shall be collected by the Member States with a view to produce Community 
statistics  for  the  analysis  of  continuing  vocational  training  in  enterprises  in  the 
following domains: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

the  training  policy  and  training  strategies  of  enterprises  in  developing  the 
competencies of their workforce; 

the  management,  organisation  and  forms  of  continuing  vocational  training  in 
enterprises; 

the role of social partners in ensuring adequate continuing vocational training 
in the workplace; 

11 
12 

OJ L 76, 30.3.1993, p. 1. 
OJ L 293, 24.10.1990, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) N° 29/2002 
(O.J. L 6, 10.1.2002, p.3). 

7 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

(g) 

(h) 

(i) 

the access to continuing vocational training, its volume and content, especially 
in context of economic activity and enterprise size; 

specific continuing vocational training measures of enterprises to improve the 
ICT skills of their workforce; 

chances of employees in SMEs to access continuing vocational training and to 
acquire new skills, and the particular needs of SMEs for providing training; 

equal  opportunities  to  access  continuing  vocational  training  in  enterprises  for 
all employees, with specific respect to gender in particular; 

specific  continuing  vocational 
disadvantaged on the labour market; 

training  measures  of  groups 

that  are 

the expenditure on continuing vocational training: funding levels and funding 
resources, incentives for continuing vocational training; 

(j) 

the evaluation of continuing vocational training in enterprises. 

2. 

Specific  data  shall  be  collected  by  the  Member  States  with  respect  to  initial 
vocational training in enterprises on: 

(a) 

participants in initial training; 

(b) 

total expenditure on initial training. 

Article 4 

Scope 

The  statistics  on  vocational  training  shall  cover  at  least  all  economic  activities  defined  in 
sections C to K and O of the NACE Rev. 1.  

Article 5 

Statistical units 

For the collection of the data the enterprise active in one of the economic activities referred to 
in Article 4 and employing 10 and more employees will be used as a statistical unit.  

Article 6 

Data sources 

1. 

2. 

Member States shall acquire the required data using either a survey in enterprises or 
a combination of a survey in enterprises and other sources, applying the principles of 
reduced burden on respondents and of administrative simplification.  

Through a survey the enterprises are asked to give correct and complete data within 
the prescribed deadlines. 

8 

 
 
  
 
3. 

4. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

The Member States may make it compulsory for enterprises to reply to the survey. In 
case of a compulsory survey enterprises shall be obliged to give correct and complete 
data within the prescribed deadlines. 

Other appropriate sources, including administrative data, could be used to complete 
the data to be collected where these sources are appropriate in terms of relevance and 
timeliness. 

Article 7 

Survey characteristics 

The survey shall be a sample survey. Sample sizes shall be in the range of those used 
in CVTS2 listed in the Annex. 

Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the data transmitted 
reflect  the  structure  of  the  population  of  the  statistical  units.  The  survey  shall  be 
conducted in such a way as to permit a breakdown of the results at Community level 
in at least the following categories:  

(a) 

economic activities pursuant to NACE Rev.1;  

(b) 

size of the enterprises. 

Sampling and precision requirements, specifications of the NACE and size categories 
into which the results can be broken down shall be determined by the Commission in 
accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 14. 

Article 8 

Survey approach 

In order to reduce the burden on respondents the survey approach shall permit to the 
data collection to be customised with respect to : 

(a) 

training and non-training enterprises; 

(b)  different forms of training. 

The  specific  data  to  be  collected  according  to  training  and  non-training  enterprises 
and  the  different  forms  of  training  shall  be  determined  by  the  Commission  in 
accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 14.  

Article 9 

Quality control and reports 

Member States shall take all measures to ensure the quality of the data transmitted. 

No  later  than  21 months  after  the  end  of  the  reference  period  Member  States  shall 
supply the Commission (Eurostat) with a quality report containing all the information 

9 

 
 
  
 
3. 

4. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

13 
14 

and  data  that  it  requests  to  verify  the  quality  of  the  data  transmitted.  They  shall 
specify possible breaches of the methodological requirements. 

The Commission (Eurostat) shall assess the quality of the data transmitted. 

The quality requirements for the data to be collected and transmitted for Community 
statistics on vocational training in enterprises, the structure of the quality reports to 
be  presented  by  the  Member  States  and  any  measures  necessary  for  assessing  or 
improving  the  quality  of  the  data  shall  be  determined  by  the  Commission  in 
accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 14. 

Article 10 

Reference period and periodicity 

The reference period to be covered by the data collection is one calendar year. 

The Commission shall determine the first reference year for which the data are to be 
collected in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 14. 

Member States shall collect the data every five years. 

Article 11 

Transmission of data 

Member  States  and  the  Commission,  within  their  respective  fields  of  competence, 
shall promote the conditions for increased use of electronic data collection, electronic 
data transmission and automatic data processing.  

Member  States  shall  transmit  to  the  Commission  (Eurostat)  the  individual  data  of 
enterprises in accordance with the existing Community provisions on transmission of 
data  subject  to  confidentiality  set  out  in  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 322/97  of 
17 February 1997  on  Community  Statistics13  and  in  Council  Regulation  (Euratom, 
EEC)  No 1588/90  of  11 June 1990  on  the  transmission  of  data  subject  to  statistical 
confidentiality  to  the  Statistical  office  of  the  European  Communities14.  Member 
States shall ensure that the transmitted data do not permit the direct identification of 
the statistical units. 

Member  States  shall  transmit  the  data  in  electronic  form,  in  conformance  with  the 
appropriate  technical  format  and  the  interchange  standard  to  be  determined  by  the 
Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 14. 

Member States shall transmit the complete and correct data within a period of time 
from the end of the reference year, which shall be no longer than 18 months. 

OJ L 52, 22.2.1997, p. 61.  
OJ L 151, 15.6.1990, p. 1, Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No. 322/97. 

10 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
 
Article 12 

Report on implementation 

1. 

Within 5 years of the entry into force of this Regulation and after consultation of the 
Statistical  Programme  Committee,  the  Commission  shall  transmit  a  report  to  the 
European  Parliament  and  the  Council  on  the  implementation  of  this  Regulation.  In 
particular, this report shall : 

(a) 

(b) 

assess  the  benefits  accruing  to  the  Community,  the  Member  States  and  the 
users of the statistics produced in relation to the burden on the respondents;  

identify areas for potential improvement and amendments considered necessary 
in the light of the results obtained. 

2. 

Following the report on implementation, the Commission may propose the measures 
to improve the operation of this Regulation. 

Article 13 

Implementing measures 

The measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation, including measures to take 
account of economic and technical developments concerning the collection, transmission and 
processing of the data, shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 
14.  

1. 

2. 

1. 

2. 

Article 14 

Committee 

The Commission shall be assisted by the Statistical Programme Committee. 

Where  reference  is  made  to  this  paragraph,  Articles  5  and  7  of  Decision 
1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof. 

The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three 
months. 

Article 15 

Financing 

For  the  first  reference  year  for  which  the  Community  statistics  provided  for  in  this 
Regulation are produced, the Commission shall make a financial contribution to the 
Member States to help cover the costs incurred by them in collecting, processing and 
transmitting the data. 

The amount of the financial contribution shall be fixed as part of the relevant annual 
budgetary  procedure.  The  budget  authority  shall  determine  the  appropriation 
available. 

11 

 
 
  
 
3. 

In carrying out the Regulation, the Commission may have recourse to experts and to 
technical assistance organisations, the financing of which may be provided for within 
the  overall  financial  framework  for  the  decision.  The  Commission  may  organise 
seminars,  colloquia  or  other  meetings  of  experts  as  are  likely  to  facilitate  the 
implementation  of  the  decision,  and  undertake  appropriate  information,  publication 
and dissemination actions.  

Article 16 

Entry into force 

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in 
the Official Journal of the European Union. 

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

12 

 
 
  
 
 
 
ANNEX  

Rounded gross sample sizes in CVTS215 

Country 

Gross sample size 
(rounded) 

Belgium 

Denmark 

Germany 

Greece 

Spain 

France 

Ireland 

Italy 

Luxembourg 

Netherlands 

Austria 

Portugal 

Finland 

Sweden 

United Kingdom 

4 000 

2 800 

10 200 

4 400 

11 500 

8 100 

2 100 

13 900 

1 300 

8 000 

6 900 

9 200 

3 100 

5 800 

4 000 

15 

The  calculation  of  sample  sizes  in  the  second  European  Continuing  Vocational  Training  Survey 
(CVTS2) was based on an aimed relative standard error of 20% maximum (95%-confidence interval) 
for  the  estimated  parameters  which  are  proportions  of  “training  enterprises”,  taking  into  account 
estimated proportions of training enterprises and expected response rates. 

13 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT 

Policy area(s): Statistics 

Activit(y/ies): Social Statistics 

TITLE OF ACTION: COMMUNITY STATISTICS ON VOCATIONAL TRAINING IN ENTERPRISES 

1. 

BUDGET LINE(S) + HEADING(S) 

29 02 01 (DG ESTAT) +04 02 15 (DG EMPL) +15 03 01 02 (DG EAC) 

1,635 million € on 29 02 01 (DG ESTAT) 

2,800 million € on 04 02 15 (DG EMPL) 

1,700 million € on 15 03 01 02 (DG EAC) 

2. 

OVERALL FIGURES  

2.1. 

Total  allocation 
commitment 

for  action 

(Financial 

interventions):  6.135.102  € 

for 

2.2. 

Period of application: 2005 – 2008 

(period during which Community resources will be necessary) 

2.3. 

Overall multiannual estimate on expenditure: 

a) 

Schedule  of  commitment  appropriations/payment  appropriations 
intervention) (see point 6.1.1) 

(financial 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

Total 

€ million (to 3rd decimal place) 

Commitments 

5,035 

1,100  

6,135 

Payments 

1,841 

2,147 1,841 

0,306 

6,135 

b) 

Overall  financial  impact  of  human  resources  and  other  administrative  expenditure  
(see points 7.2 and 7.3) 

Commitments/ 
payments 

0,324 

0,324 

0,324 

0,324 

1,296 

14 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
TOTAL a+b 

Commitments 

5,359 

1,424 

0,324 

0,324 

7,431 

Payments 

2,165 

2,471 

2,165 

0,630 

7,431 

2.4. 

Compatibility with the financial programming and the financial perspective: 

Proposal is compatible with the existing financial programming. 

2.5. 

Financial impact on revenue: 

No financial implications (involves technical aspects regarding implementation of a measure). 

3. 

BUDGET CHARACTERISTICS 

Type of expenditure 

New 

EFTA 
participation

Participation 
applicant 
countries 

Heading 
Financial 
Perspective 

Non-comp 

Diff 

NO 

YES 

NO 

3 

4. 

LEGAL BASIS  

Articles 285, 136 and 137 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. 

Council Regulation (EC) No 322/97 on Community statistics. 

Decision  No2367/2002/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  16  December 
2002 on the Community statistical programme 2003 to 2007. 

Council  Decision  (1999/382/EC)  of  26  April  1999  establishing  the  second  phase  of  the 
Community vocational training action programme ‘Leonardo da Vinci’. 

Decision No 1145/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 June 2002 
on Community incentive measures in the field of employment. 

5. 

DESCRIPTION AND GROUNDS 

5.1. 

Need for Community intervention  

5.1.1.  Objectives pursued 

The objective of the proposed action is to produce comparable data on enterprise training at 
national  and  EU  levels.  Comparable  statistical  information  is  essential  not  only  for  the 
development  of  lifelong  learning  strategies  but  also  for  the  monitoring  of  progress  in  their 
implementation. 

15 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5.1.2.  Measures taken in connection with ex ante evaluation  

The first enterprise survey of continuing vocational training (CVTS1) was conducted in 1994. 
The survey was part of the action programme for the development  of  continuing  vocational 
training in the European Community (FORCE) based on Council Decision 90/267/EEC of 29 
May  1990.  The  growing  policy  interest  in  information  on  continuing  vocational  training  in 
enterprises  together  with  the  demand  to  cover  the  fifteen  EU  Member  States  have  led  the 
European Commission to initiate a second survey. At its meeting in November 1997 the SPC 
gave  its  approval  to  the  new  survey.  The  second  survey  (CVTS2)  was  conducted  in 
2000/2001 in all the Member States, Norway and nine candidate countries. 

The  implementation  of  both  CVTS1  and  CVTS2  was  based  on  “gentlemen’s  agreements” 
between Eurostat and the EU Member States. After the implementation of CVTS2, Eurostat 
and the EU Member States decided to provide a legal basis for the data collection within the 
European Statistical System in the form of a European Parliament/Council Regulation. 

The  CVTS  is  the  only  source  of  internationally  comparable  statistical  information  on  the 
effort devoted to continuing vocational training in enterprises and one of the key elements of 
an integrated European Statistical Information System on lifelong learning. 

5.2. 

Actions envisaged and arrangements for budget intervention 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

The  target  population:  European  Commission,  European  Parliament,  national 
governments  and  administration  at  different  levels,  employers’  organisations  and 
Trade Unions, business, universities and research institutes. 

The  concrete  measures  to  be  taken  to  implement  the  action:  grants  to  the  national 
statistical authorities responsible for training statistics for the first reference year for 
which the Community statistics are produced with a view to supporting all phases of 
the  data  collection  (preparation,  fieldwork,  data  processing/data  transmission, 
elaboration  of  the  technical  report).  The  Commission  commitments  for  2005  and 
2006 to Member States cover all work to be done from 2005 to 2008. 

On  average,  about  one  third  of  the  total  cost  of  the  action  will  be  borne  by  the 
national statistical authorities responsible for training statistics. 

The  immediate  outputs  of  the  action:  data  files  for  all  the  EU  Member  States, 
Norway, acceding and candidate countries 

The  expected  outcomes  solving  needs  or  problems:  comparable  statistical 
information on enterprise training at EU and national levels 

5.3.  Methods of implementation 

Method  used  to  implement  the  planned  action:  direct  management  by  the  Commission 
supported by the national authorities responsible for training statistics. 

16 

 
 
  
 
6. 

FINANCIAL IMPACT  

6.1. 

Total financial impact on Part B - (over the entire programming period) 

6.1.1.  Financial intervention 

Commitments in € million (to the 3rd decimal place) 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

Total 

Breakdown 

Action 1: Preparation of the 
data collection, fieldwork, 
processing/ transmission of 
data and elaboration of the 
technical report 

5,035 

1,100 

6,135 

TOTAL  5,035 

1,100 

6,135 

6.2. 

Calculation  of  costs  by  measure  envisaged  in  Part  B  (over  the  entire 
programming period) 

Commitments in € million (to the 3rd decimal place) 

Breakdown  

Type  
of outputs 
(projects, files ) 

Number of 
outputs 

Average unit 
cost 

Total cost 

1 

2 

3 

4=(2X3) 

Action  1:  Preparation  of  the  data 
collection,  fieldwork,  processing/ 
transmission 
and 
of 
elaboration of the technical report  

data 

Data files 

0,219  million  € 
per data file 

6,135 million € 

files 
28  data 
(one  data 
file 
per  country)  to 
transmitted 
be 
in 2007 

TOTAL COST 

6,135 million € 

17 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
7. 

IMPACT ON STAFF AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE  

7.1. 

Impact on human resources 

Types of post 

Staff to be assigned to management of the 
action using existing and/or additional 
resources 

Number of 
permanent posts 

Number of 
temporary posts 

Description of tasks deriving from 
the action 

Total 

or 

Permanent 
officials 
Temporary staff 

A 
B 
C 
Other human resources 
Total 

1 
1 

2 

1 

1 

 3 

The  needs  for  human  and  administrative  resources  shall  be  covered  within  the  allocation 
granted to the managing DG in the framework of the annual allocation procedure. 

7.2. 

Overall financial impact of human resources 

Type of human resources 

Officials 
Temporary staff 
Other human resources 

Amount € 

216.000 
108.000 

Method of calculation 
2*108.000 € per year 
1*108.000 € per year 

The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months. 

Total 

324.000 

7.3. 

Other administrative expenditure deriving from the action 

Amount € 

Method of calculation 

Budget line 
(number and heading) 

Overall allocation (Title A7) 
29 01 02 11 – Missions 
29 01 02 11 – Meetings 
29 01 02 11 – Compulsory committees (1) 
29 01 02 11 – Non-compulsory committees (1) 
29 01 02 11 – Conferences 
29 01 02 11 – Studies and consultations 
Other expenditure (state which) 

Information systems (29 01 02 11 05) 

Other expenditure (state which) 

Total 

The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months. 

I. 
II. 
III. 

Annual total (7.2 + 7.3) 
Duration of action 
Total cost of action (I x II) 

324.000 € 
4 years 
1.296.000 € 

18 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8. 

FOLLOW-UP AND EVALUATION 

8.1. 

Follow-up arrangements 

Implementation of the EP/Council Regulation on the “Statistics relating to vocational training 
in  enterprises”  will  be  a  matter  of  comitology  procedure.  The  corresponding  Commission 
Regulation  will  be  developed  with  reference  to  sampling,  the  definition  of  variables  to  be 
included  in  the  questionnaire,  the  common  methodological  approach  including  the  data 
collection mode, the standards for the electronic data transmission to Eurostat and the content 
of  the  quality  reports  to  be  delivered  to  Eurostat  by  all  countries.  The  follow-up  after 
launching  the  data  collection  will  be  based  on  interim  reports  to  be  sent  to  Eurostat, 
specifically after the fieldwork. 

8.2. 

Arrangements and schedule for the planned evaluation 

The  evaluation  of  the  action  will  be  based  on  the  final  quality  reports  to  be  sent  by  all 
countries to Eurostat. The reports will contain all information that is necessary to assess the 
quality  of  the  data  and  to  evaluate  the  whole  action,  and  in  particular  to  verify  whether 
countries have followed the methodological requirements. The Commission will report on the 
implementation  of  the  action  within  5  years  of  the  implementation  of  the  Regulation  to  the 
European  Parliament  and  the  Council.  The  Commission  report  will  identify  areas  for 
improvement  and  amendments  in  the  light  of  the  outcome  of  the  action,  in  particular  in 
relation to the burden on enterprises. 

9. 

ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES 

A  revised  system  of  internal  management  and  control  was  put  in  place  following  the 
Commission’s Reform initiative on financial management. This system included a reinforced 
internal audit capacity. 

Annual  monitoring  of  progress  with  implementation  of  the  Commission’s  Internal  Control 
Standards  is  designed  to  give  assurance  on  the  existence  and  functioning  of  procedures  for 
prevention and detection of fraud and irregularities. 

New  rules  and  procedures  have  been  adopted  for  the  principal  budgetary  process:  call  for 
tenders,  grants,  commitments,  contracts  and  payments.  Manuals  of  procedures  are  made 
available  to  all  those  intervening  in  financial  acts  with  a  view  to  clarifying  responsibilities, 
simplifying  workflows  and  indicating  key  control  points.  Training  on  their  use  is  provided. 
The manuals are subject to regular review and updating. 

19