Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Action Plan on Adult learning - It is always a good time to learn
Date: 2007-09-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: action programme, adult education, continuing education, continuing vocational training, education policy

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COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 27.9.2007 
COM(2007) 558 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Action Plan on Adult learning 

It is always a good time to learn 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Action Plan on Adult learning 

It is always a good time to learn 

1. 

INTRODUCTION  

The  Heads  of  States  and  Governments  affirmed  in  1997  in  the  preamble  to  the  Amsterdam 
Treaty  their  determination  "to  promote  the  development  of  the  highest  possible  level  of 
knowledge for their peoples through a wide access to education and through its continuous 
updating"1. 

In 2000 the European Council in Lisbon set the strategic goal for Europe to become the most 
competitive  and  dynamic  knowledge-based  society  in  the  world  by  2010.  A  key  element  of 
the  agenda  proposed  in  Lisbon  was  the  promotion  of  employability  and  social  inclusion 
through investment in citizens’ knowledge and competence at all stages of their lives. 

The  Commission’s  2001  Communication  Making  a  European  Area  of  Lifelong  Learning  a 
Reality2 again stressed the  importance of  lifelong learning for all European  citizens. One of 
the  main  messages  was  that  traditional  systems  must  be  transformed  to  become  much  more 
open  and  flexible,  so  that  learners  can  have  individual  learning  pathways,  suitable  to  their 
needs  and  interests,  and  thus  genuinely  take  advantage  of  opportunities  throughout  their 
lives. 

The  2006  Joint  Interim  Report  on  progress  under  the  "Education  and  Training  2010"  work 
programme, stresses that all citizens need to acquire and update their skills throughout life and 
that  the  specific  needs  of  those  at  risk  of  social  exclusion  need  special  attention.  Adult 
learning  (both  in  terms  of  quantity  and  quality)  is  also  important  for  the  competence 
development of the medium and high-skilled people.3 

The  Commission’s  2006  Communication  on  Adult  learning4:  It  is  never  too  late  to  learn5 
highlights the importance of adult learning as a key component of lifelong learning. It has a 
key role to play in developing citizenship and competence. 

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the 

Treaty 

European 

establishing 

Community, 

The 
lex/en/treaties/dat/C_2002325EN.003301.html 
European  Commission  Communication:  Making  a  European  Area  of  Lifelong  Learning  a  reality, 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/lll/life/communication/com_en.pdf 
Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council,  the  European  Parliament,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Towards Common Principles of 
Flexicurity: 
security, 
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/news/2007/jun/flexicurity_en.pdf 
European Commission Communication: It is never too late to learn; defines adult learning as all forms 
of learning undertaken by adults after having left initial education and training 

http://europa.eu/eur-

flexibility 

through 

better 

More 

jobs 

and 

and 

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This Action Plan focuses on those who are disadvantaged because of their low literacy levels, 
inadequate work skills and/or skills for successful integration into society. Depending on the 
Member  State,  these  could  include  migrants,  older  people,  women  or  persons  with  a 
disability. 

It starts from the premise that the need for a high quality and accessible adult learning system 
is  no  longer  a  point  of  discussion,  given  the  challenges  Europe  has  to  meet  in  the  coming 
years: 

•  To reduce labour shortages due to demographic changes by raising skill levels in 
the  workforce  generally  and  by  upgrading  low-skilled  workers  (80  million  in 
2006). Adult learning can contribute both rapidly and effectively to doing so; 

•  To  address  the  problem  of  the  persistent  high  number  of  early  school  leavers6 
(nearly 7 million in 2006), by offering a second chance to those who enter adult 
age without having a qualification; 

•  To  reduce  the  persistent  problem  of  poverty  and  social  exclusion  among 
marginalised  groups.  Adult  learning  can  both  improve  people's  skills  and  help 
them towards active citizenship and personal autonomy; 

•  To  increase  the  integration  of  migrants  in  society  and  labour  market.  Adult 
learning offers tailor made courses, including language learning, to contribute to 
this  integration  process.  Furthermore,  participation  in  adult  learning  in  the  host 
country  can  help  migrants  to  secure  validation  and  recognition  for  the 
qualifications they bring with them;  

•  To  increase  participation  in  lifelong  learning  and  particularly  to  address  the  fact 
that  participation  decreases  after  the  age  of  34.  At  a  time  when  the  average 
working age is rising across Europe, there needs to be a parallel increase in adult 
learning by older workers. 

The  need  to  increase  investment  in  adult  learning  is  reinforced  by  the  latest  results  for  the 
benchmark indicator which show that adult (age 25-64) participation in lifelong learning is no 
longer increasing and, in 2006, has even decreased slightly to 9.6%7.  

The Action Plan aims to help strengthen the adult learning sector in order to be able to use its 
full capacity. This is a complex sector, with a wide variety of providers, reaching all kinds of 
target groups. The cross-sectoral nature of adult learning is recognised. 

The general objective of the Action Plan is to implement the five key messages established in 
the  Communication  It  is  never  too  late  to  learn:  to  remove  barriers  to  participation;  to 
increase  the  quality  and  efficiency  of  the  sector;  to  speed  up  the  process  of  validation  and 
recognition; to ensure sufficient investment; and to monitor the sector. 

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6 

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European  Commission  Communication:  It  is  never  too  late  to  learn,  COM(2006)  614,  23.10.2006, 
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2006/com2006_0614en01.pdf 
6  million  in  2005:  Commission  Staff  Working  Paper  "Progress  towards  the  Lisbon  objectives  in 
education and training – Report based on indicators and benchmarks – Report 2006", SEC (2006) 639 
Draft 2007 Progress Report 

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1.1. 

The consultation process 

This Communication is the result of a wide-ranging consultation following the publication of 
the  2006  Communication.  During  the  first  half  of  2007  the  Commission  consulted  Member 
States  through  four  regional  meetings  (in  Finland,  Germany,  Slovenia  and  Portugal)  of 
representatives of the ministries for education and employment, the social partners and NGOs 
for adult learning. 

As part of each regional meeting and based on the key messages of the 2006 Communication, 
the host country presented examples of good practice to participants demonstrating: 

•  the results of an integrated stakeholders approach; 

•  how to achieve basic skills for low-skilled workers; 

•  how  policies  and  actions  for  increasing  participation  in  adult  learning  are  being 

developed; 

•  the way implementation of the system of recognition and validation of non-formal 

learning outcomes is being laid down. 

This sharing of good practice which took place in these meetings can be considered as a first 
positive outcome of the process. 

The  Commission  also  used  informal  “national  sounding  boards”  in  Member  States  to  get 
additional  feedback  on  the  Action  Plan  from  policy  makers,  social  partners  and  NGOs  in 
formal and non-formal adult learning8. 

The  Commission  was  further  supported  in  drafting  the  Action  Plan  by  a  group  of  experts 
made  up  of  representatives  from  the  Member  States,  the  social  partners  and  international 
bodies such as UNESCO. 

2. 

AN EFFICIENT ADULT LEARNING SECTOR FORMS THE BASIS FOR THE ACTION PLAN 

The  contribution  of  the  adult  learning  sector  to  achieving  the  Lisbon  goals  and  to  life-wide 
and lifelong learning could be improved by the creation of more efficient systems, in which 
all  relevant  stakeholders  are  involved.  The  results  to  be  achieved  by  this  Action  Plan  also 
depend on the efficiency of those systems.  

It is recognised that each Member State starts from a different level of development in terms 
of  participation,  quality,  financing  and  the  development  of  the  sector.  There  are  many 
examples  of  good  initiatives  which  have  been  developed  in  the  Member  States  with  EU 
support which could be emulated by others.9 

The  consultation  process  and  evidence  from  studies  and  research  into  this  field  show  that  a 
strong  and  efficient  adult  learning  sector  comprises  a  set  of  key  elements  that  are  strongly 
interconnected. These elements are: 

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9 

In the consultation process 27 Member States, the 3 EEA countries and Turkey have been included. 
ESF060603-ESF Support to Education and Training Background Document 

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•  the policies adopted to meet the needs and demands of society and the economy; 

•  the structures for governance including the quality, efficiency and accountability 

of the adult learning system; 

•  the delivery systems including learning activities, learning support and recognition 
of learning outcomes which address the motivation and learning needs of learners 
in the context of the needs and demands of society and the economy. 

Partnership  at  European,  national,  regional  and  local  levels  is  required  to  improve  the 
efficiency of the adult learning sector, to widen and facilitate access and to facilitate proper 
funding.10 

2.1. 

Policy 

The  consultation  restated  the  fundamental  need  for  public  authorities,  together  with  other 
stakeholders to intervene to guarantee learning opportunities to enable those at risk to achieve 
key competences11. This intervention is needed to ensure that adults who left school without 
adequate formal qualifications and who wish to restart or continue their basic education at any 
time  throughout  their  lives,  should  be  supported  with  adequate  and  innovative  learning 
pathways  and  with  opportunities  for  the  acquisition  of  competences  through  work-based 
training offers. The need for such intervention is even greater in the context of the rapid pace 
of change in the workplace and in skills needed for success there. 

Stakeholders found that compared to other areas of learning, the contribution and benefits of 
the  adult  learning  sector  are  not  well  researched,  debated  or  published.  Furthermore,  the 
development of adult learning opportunities is not keeping pace with the needs of individuals 
and society.  

To increase participation and to encourage investment, it is crucial that the quality, relevance, 
efficiency12 and effectiveness of adult learning be clearly visible. 

Governments  and  other  stakeholders  should  act,  in  their  respective  spheres,  to  facilitate 
access, to provide guidance and assessments, and to speed up the validation and recognition 
of learning outcomes achieved in non-formal and informal learning.  

2.2. 

Governance 

Contributors to the consultation were clear that good governance by adult learning providers 
contributes  to  effective  adult  learning  provision.  In  turn,  this  results  in  quality  learning 
outcomes for learners and good returns on investment for all stakeholders.  

Good governance in adult learning providers is characterised by: 

•  focus on the adult learner;  

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Promoting adult learning, OECD,2005,ISBN: 9264010939 
Recommendation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  18  December  2006  on  key 
competences for lifelong learning, (2006/962/EC), OJ L 394/10, 30.12.2006 
Communication  from  the  Commission  "Efficiency  and  equity  in  European  education  and  training 
systems",COM(2006)481final,8.09.2006, 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/doc/comm481_en.pdf 

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•  an innovative approach to learning; 

•  effective needs analysis; 

•  efficient administration systems and appropriate allocation of resources; 

•  professional staffing; 

•  quality assurance mechanisms for providers; 

•  strong  evidence-based  monitoring  and  evaluation  systems  within  national 

frameworks; 

•  close  relations  with  other  educational  areas  and  bodies  such  as  learner's 
organisation,  branch  associations  and  sectoral  institutes.  As  employers  are 
providers of a large portion of training to adults through work-based learning and 
providing a supportive environment, employer involvement in local and regional 
planning is crucial.  

There is a need for a planned and systematic approach at all levels and within all elements of 
learning, formal and non-formal13, to improve accountability and transparency and to provide 
adequate  confidence  that  adult  learning  provision  will  meet  the  requirements  of  all 
stakeholders, especially the adult learners. 

2.3. 

Delivery 

The  consultation  showed  that  a  key  challenge  for  adult  learning  is  to  deliver  a  service  that 
simultaneously  meets  the  needs  of  the  adult  learner,  provides  high  quality  responses  to  the 
needs  of  the  labour  market  and  society  and  stimulates  further  demand.  Furthermore,  a  wide 
range  of  interconnected  measures  is  needed  to  overcome  the  multi-dimensional  barriers  to 
participation. These include:  

•  bringing high quality information and guidance closer to the learner. This can be 
achieved  through  community-  or  workplace-based  services.  There  was  a  strong 
consensus that this should be provided free of charge for the target groups in this 
Action Plan;  

•  bringing learning closer to learners in their communities and workplaces. This can 
be achieved through local learning centres, NGOs, workplace learning, e-learning. 
Differentiated  learning  opportunities  should  be  offered,  that  respond  to  the 
individuals' specific needs; 

•  enabling  flexible  access  to  assessment,  validation  and  recognition  of  learning 
outcomes,  leading  to  certification  and  qualification;  this  should  be  supported  by 
guidance; 

•  widening  access  to  higher  education14  in  order  to  facilitate  a  "one  level  higher" 
qualification;  putting  in  place  demand-driven  financial  mechanisms  (such  as 
individual  learning  accounts,  tax  measures  and  loans  provided  either  publicly  or 

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14 

For  definitions  see  "Memorandumon  Lifelong  Learning"  (SEC(2000)  1832,30.10.2000  and  further 
work as the Classification of Learning Activities by Eurostat 
Flash Eurobarometer 192: 87% of teaching professionals working in universities in the EU agree that 
universities should open up for adult learners 

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through  a  public  guarantee  mechanism)  to  address  financial  constraints  and  to 
motivate learning on a full-time or part-time basis;  

•  encouraging  individuals  to  invest  in  their  own  learning,  both  for  reasons  of 
personal fulfilment and employability. In this respect, adult learning is a powerful 
mechanism  for  language  learning,  in  line  with  the  Commission's  strategy  as  set 
out  in  the  2004-2006  Action  Plan  for  Promoting  Language  Learning  and 
Linguistic  Diversity.15  Guidance  has  a  crucial  role  in  helping  adults  to  take 
advantage  of  the  possibilities  offered  by  companies,  social  services  and  other 
institutions. 

3. 

ACTION PLAN 

In order to implement the key messages of the 2006 Communication and on the basis of the 
views  collected  during  the  recent  consultation  the  Commission  invites  Member  States  to 
participate  in  a  European  Action  Plan  for  the  sector  consisting  of  actions  in  the  following 
areas:  

•  analyse the effects of reforms in all sectors of education and training in Member 

States on adult learning; 

•  improve the quality of provisions in the adult learning sector; 

•  increase the possibilities for adults to go "one step up" - to achieve a qualification 

at least one level higher than before; 

•  speed  up  the  process  of  assessment  of  skills  and  social  competences  and  have 

them validated and recognised in terms of learning outcomes;  

•  improve the monitoring of adult learning sector. 

The implementation of such actions can be supported through the use of the European Social 
Fund and the Lifelong Learning Programme. 

3.1. 

Analyse  the  effects  of  reforms  in  all  sectors  of  education  and  training  in 
Member States on adult learning  

The adult learning sector touches all the other education sectors. So it is important to analyse 
the effects of developments in other educational areas, both formal and non-formal, and their 
interaction  with  the  developments  in  adult  learning  .  Most  Member  States  are  developing  a 
National  Qualification  Framework  linked  to  the  European  Qualification  Framework.  The 
discussion  on  credit  transfer  is  under  way.  These  developments  are  focussed  on  how  to 
facilitate  access,  progress  and  transfer  and  are  thus  potentially  important  for  opening  up 
qualification  systems  to  adults.  Quality  assurance  forms  an  important  part  of  the  reforms  in 
education and training. Developments in the adult learning sector must be mainstreamed into 

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Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council,  the  European  Parliament,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Promoting Language Learning and 
Linguistic 
2006, 
Action 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/doc/official/keydoc/actlang/act_lang_en.pdf 

Diversity: 

2004 

Plan 

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the ongoing process of modernisation in education and training. In some Member States adult 
learning is included in the reforms; in others not. 

2008  An analysis of the implication of national reforms for the adult learning sector will be 
commissioned, based on existing national reporting mechanisms. This analysis would 
include  a  cost/benefit  analysis  of  these  reforms  to  truly  assess  good  practices.  A 
complementary study will be launched if needed. 

2009  The results of the analysis will be reported showing trends, achievements and gaps at 
European  and  national  level.  This  will  feed  into  the  development  of  the  Lifelong 
Learning Programme and other relevant EU initiatives. 

2010  The Commission will report on progress; and every two years from 2010 onwards. 

3.2. 

Improve the quality of provision in the adult learning sector 

Quality  of  provision  is  affected  by  policy,  resources,  accommodation  and  a  host  of  other 
factors,  but  the  key  factor  is  the  quality  of  the  staff  involved  in  delivery.  So  far  in  many 
Member States little attention has been paid to the training (initial and continuing), the status 
and the payment of adult learning staff. Adult learning staff in this context is not limited to 
teachers  and 
includes  management,  guidance  personnel,  mentors  and 
administration. They have to be able to address the different needs of the specific groups. The 
quality of staff is crucial in motivating adult learners to participate. 

trainers  but 

identify  existing  good  practice 

2008  The results of the study Adult learning professions in Europe will be published. This 
will 
formulate 
recommendations.  Good  practice  identified  will  be  disseminated  through  Education 
and  Training  2010  work  programme  and  the  Lifelong  Learning  Programme  (for 
example by peer learning activities and job shadowing). 

in  Member  States  and 

2009  Development  of  standards  for  adult  learning  professionals,  including  guidance 

services, based on existing good practice. 

2010 

Further  research  on  the  development  of  quality  standards  for  providers  and  the 
accreditation of providers. This will also contribute to the monitoring of the sector. 

3.3. 

Increase  the  possibilities  for  adults  to  go  one  step  up  and  achieve  at  least  one 
level higher qualification 

Demographic projections for Europe suggest that investment in the human and social capital 
of the identified target groups is vital, seen the reductions in labour forces and the resulting 
labour market shortages. Information and guidance have a critical role to play in reaching and 
motivating  these  groups.  The  role  of  the  media  and  their  capacity  to  address  hard-to-reach 
groups should be taken on board. So should the voice of the learners themselves. However, it 
is not enough to simply attract people into education and training. The opportunity for them to 
progress  and  to  raise  their  qualification  levels  must  be  real  and  must  allow  them  to  better 
integrate in all spheres of life. 

Member  States  should  explore  the  possibility  of  setting  national  targets  increasing  the  skill 
level of the target population. 

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2008 

Produce an inventory of good practice and projects for reaching the identified target 
groups,  enabling  their  progress  and  success,  with  a  focus  on  identification  of  key 
factors for reintegrating people in the labour market, in education and training, and in 
society (voluntary work). Results from the Lifelong Learning Programme, especially 
those from Grundtvig will be taken into account. 

2009  Based on the results of the inventory of research (2008), a call for proposals for pilot 
projects  for  reaching  the  target  groups  and  for  further  exploration  will  be  launched 
within  the  Lifelong  Learning  Programme  to  achieve  the  goal  of  one  level  higher 
qualification. 

2010  Launch of the projects and the monitoring of the results will start at the same time. 
Member States should report on progress in raising the skill levels of target groups in 
the Joint Progress Report on Education and Training. 

3.4. 

Speed  up  the  process  of  assessing  and  recognizing  non-formal  and  informal 
learning for the disadvantaged groups 

Recognition  and  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  form  a  cornerstone  in  the 
lifelong  learning  strategy.  Many  Member  States  have  a  legal  framework  and  most  of  them 
have set pilot programmes in motion. 

Assessment  and  recognition  of  skills  and  social  competences,  regardless  of  where  and  how 
they are achieved, are especially important for those who do not have basic qualifications, in 
order to facilitate their integration in society. They will have skills that are not visible. It is 
important  for  all  stakeholders  (employers,  governments,  individuals  etc.)  that  this  is  done, 
because there is evidence that recognizing skills acquired non-formally and informally could 
lead  to  important  savings  in  time  and  money.  It  is  therefore  important  that  national 
governments  adopt  a  positive  approach  to  recognition  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning. 
Special  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  validation  and  recognition  of  the  competences  of 
migrants, without prejudice to EU law on the recognition of profession qualifications.16 

2008 

2009 

2010 

Identification  of  good  practice  of  recognition  and  validation  of  non-formal  and 
informal  learning  with  a  special  focus  on  social  competences,  mainly  acquired 
outside the formal learning system. 

Peer  learning  activity  at  European  level,  exchange  of  good  practice  and  cross 
border  exchange  of  staff.  This  will  be  funded  by  the  Lifelong  Learning 
Programme. 

First report of results will be presented and discussed in a seminar and the results 
will be communicated to all stakeholders. 

3.5. 

Improve the monitoring of the adult learning sector  

As  stated  in  the  Communication  on  adult  learning:  It  is  never  too  late  to  learn,  failure  to 
demonstrate the benefits of adult learning is a major weakness of the field. There is an urgent 

16 

Directive  2005/36/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  7  September  2005  on  the 
recognition of professional qualifications, OJ L 255/22, 30.9.2005 

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need for a common language and common understandings to overcome the misunderstandings 
and the lack of comparable data in the sector. For a regular update (on a two yearly basis) of 
the developments in the sector, a minimum set of core data is required. 

This  action  will  have  a  strong  relationship  with  the  ongoing  development  and  work  on 
indicators and benchmarks17, including the work done in the Standing Group on Benchmarks 
and Indicators. 

2008 

2009 

2010 

Based  on  a  study  launched  by  the  Commission,  a  proposal  on  consistent 
terminology should be agreed by Member States and stakeholders. The objective 
of  the  study  is  also  to  propose  a  set  of  core  data  to  facilitate  a  two  yearly 
monitoring of the sector. 

A  glossary  of  the  agreed  terminology  will  be  developed  and  produced.  The 
collection of the core data will start in the Member States who wish to participate.

The  results  will  be  published  in  the  Joint  Progress  Report  on  Education  and 
Training 2010. 

4. 

FOLLOW UP OF THE ADULT LEARNING ACTION PLAN  

It is time to guarantee the place of adult learning in lifelong learning and to secure its role at 
all  levels  of  policy  making,  so  that  its  contribution  to  meeting  Europe's  challenges  can  be 
realised. 

A working group should be established by the end of 2007, to support the Commission and 
Member States to detail actions and projects under this Action Plan and take care of further 
implementation. The Council and the Parliament are invited to endorse the Action Plan.  

A conference will be organised in the second half of 2009 to report on results achieved and to 
discuss the way forward. 

17 

A  coherent  framework  of  indicators  and  benchmarks  for  monitoring  progress  towards  the  Lisbon 
objectives in education and training. COM (2007)61 final. 

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ANNEX: ROAD MAP OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS 

(1) 

(2) 

4 meetings of the Experts' Group in Brussels, with participation of representatives 
from the European Commission services (DG EMPL, DG ENTR, DG JLS), from the 
social  partners  (ETUC,  EuroBusiness),  from  international  organisations  (OECD, 
UNESCO),  stakeholders  and  experts  representing 
'four  regions',  and  a 
representative of the European Association for the Education of Adults. 

the 

4  trans-national  consultation  meetings  with  Member  States,  EEA  countries  and 
Turkey,  with  participation  of  representatives  from  ministries  of  education  and 
employment, social partners and other stakeholders. 

•  Helsinki, 22-23 February 2007  Countries  invited:  Denmark,  Estonia,  Finland, 

Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden 

•  Bonn, 12-13 March 2007 Countries  invited:  Belgium,  France,  Germany,  Ireland, 

Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom 

•  Ljubljana, 26-27 March 2007  Countries 

invited:  Austria,  Bulgaria,  Czech 

Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia 

•  Lisbon, 3-4 April 2007  Countries 

invited:  Cyprus,  Greece, 

Italy,  Malta, 

Portugal, Spain, Turkey 

(3)  High-level consultation with Member States' representatives 

•  Heidelberg, 1-2 March 2007 

Informal ministerial meeting 

•  Hamburg, 22-23 May 2007 

Meeting of the Directors-General for Vocational 

Training (DGVT) 

•  Brussels, 14-15 June 2007 

Meeting  of 

the  Advisory  Committee  on 

Vocational Training (ACVT) 

(4) 

Informal consultation with Member States and other stakeholders 

(a) 

Informal consultation with "national sounding boards". National authorities in 
the  Member  States,  EEA  countries  and  Turkey  were  invited  to  organise 
national  consultation  with  relevant  stakeholders  in  the  period  26  April  –  22 
May 2007. 

(b) 

Further  informal  consultation  at  other  events  (meetings  of  social  partners, 
conferences, seminars and roundtables on adult learning). 

EN 

11 

   EN