Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Transnational mobility for education and training purposes: European Quality Charter for Mobility  (COM(2005) 450 final — 2005/0179 (COD))
Date: 2006-02-14
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: EU programme, European charter, cooperation policy, education policy, educational exchange, student mobility, vocational training

C 88/20

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

11.4.2006

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Recommendation
of the European Parliament and of the Council on Transnational mobility for education and
training purposes: European Quality Charter for Mobility

(COM(2005) 450 final — 2005/0179 (COD))

(2006/C 88/06)

On 10 October 2005 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under
Article 262 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

The Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, which was responsible for preparing the
Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 24 January 2006. The rapporteur was
Mr Czajkowski.

At its 424th plenary session on 14-15 February 2006 (meeting of 14 February), the European Economic
and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 144 votes to none, with three abstentions:

1. Recommendations

2. General comments

The EESC proposes that special attention should be paid

1.1
to the following areas:

— information on the programmes provided by Member

States at local and national levels;

— information about equal opportunities for candidates;

the European Parliament and of

The EESC welcomes the Commission's proposal for a
2.1
Recommendation of
the
Council on Transnational mobility for education and training
purposes: European Quality Charter for Mobility (1). The mobi-
lity of people living in the European Union and the proposal to
remove all obstacles to mobility between Member States will
help to enhance the competitiveness of the EU, in line with the
objectives of the Lisbon strategy.

— information for programme participants on insurance,
international insurance agreements and the scope of insur-
ance cover in the host country;

2.2
It is encouraging that the Member States, the European
Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the Euro-
pean Commission are working on dismantling barriers to
mobility in the fields of education and training (2).

— clear, transparent and precise procedures for participants;

— a survey for participants, providing clear feedback and
assessment by participants
in the
programme. This will help to ensure further improvements
in quality and a rapid response by the Commission and
national organisations in charge of the programme;

taking part

after

— special emphasis on linguistic preparation of participants,
so that they can make full use of the learning plan provided
to them;

— the role of mentors in assisting and looking after foreigners,
in order to help them acclimatise and get used to a new
situation;

— a clear definition of the range of tasks to be carried out by
those in charge of the programme, in order to avoid future
complaints or misunderstandings,
for example between
host and sender organisations;

— further coordination of mobility policy at European level
(rather
individual Member States)
enabling the objectives set by the Commission and the
Lisbon strategy to be achieved.

the level of

than at

2.3
There has been mobility for the purposes of training
within the EU for several decades, and this has enabled partici-
pants in various programmes to gain new experience while
breaking down cultural and linguistic barriers in Europe.

2.4
The EESC notes that since 2000 the number of indivi-
duals migrating for educational purposes has tripled, thanks to
educational and international exchange programmes offered to
the Member States by the Commission.

2.5
The EESC also sees these programmes as an opportunity
to build a European society of tolerance open to other reli-
gions, ethnic groups, sexual orientations, etc.

2.6
The EESC firmly approves of the new generation of
programmes and training proposed by the Commission in
2004. Strong interest in participating in these programmes
suggests that young people are indirectly contributing to the
goals of the Lisbon strategy.

(1) COM(2005) 450 final, 23.9.2005.
(2) European Parliament report on Education as the cornerstone of the
Lisbon process (2004/2272(INI)), rapporteur: Guy Bono, 19.07.2005.
Resolution of the Council and of the Representatives of the Govern-
ments of
the Member States meeting within the Council of
14 December 2000 concerning an action plan for mobility, Nice
European Council 7, 8 and 9 December 2000.

11.4.2006

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Official Journal of the European Union

C 88/21

3. Specific comments

3.1
The EESC feels that the Member States should endeavour
to ensure that individual programmes are coordinated at both
national and local levels.

Institutions, organisations, universities,

3.2
and
mobility programme coordinators should endeavour to ensure
the transparency of all procedures used to select participants. It
has been observed that those in charge of selecting programme
participants view international exchange programmes as a
reward for achieving certain goals.

schools

3.3 Wide-ranging information campaigns would also help
by enabling access to the largest possible number of partici-
pants. Efforts should be made to ensure that as many young
Europeans as possible are informed about the objectives of
programmes and the opportunities which they present.

The EESC feels that Member States should guarantee to
3.4
participants that the experience and qualifications which they
acquire during programmes will be recognised.

3.5
Support for mobility, both for the purposes of voca-
tional training and of volunteer programmes, is also very posi-
tive. There is no doubt that these programmes contribute to
professional development
the process of
employees adapting to work in an international environment.

and facilitate

Some of

the Member States which will soon have
3.6
completed implementation of
the
Bologna process have already put the recommendations on

the various phases of

education and training of the European Quality Charter for
Mobility into practice. The objectives of the Charter and the
actions which it envisages should be seen in a positive light in
that they aim to ensure more effective use of the Commission's
proposed programmes.

3.7
It should be noted that the Commission's proposal only
includes elements which could have a positive impact at Euro-
pean level.

aspect of

A positive

3.8
the Commission's proposals
discussed in this document is the fact that coordination does
not impose any additional financial burden, so that there are
no obstacles to implementation.

3.9
Given the voluntary basis for adoption of a European
Quality Charter for Mobility, there is a danger that Member
States might negotiate individual conditions, which could
impact on progress towards the goals of the Charter and hold
up implementation at national level.

3.10
The EESC also notes that it has received feedback from
civil society organisations suggesting that in some cases organi-
sations in charge of inviting and hosting participants are not
adequately prepared for implementation of the programme,
which has a negative impact on participants' final assessment
of the programme.

The EESC considers

the Commission should
3.11
suggest a date for the Charter to enter into force, as an impetus
for action by the Member States.

that

Brussels, 14 February 2006.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Anne-Marie SIGMUND