ARTICLE 10 OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL CHARTER, TO WHICH MOST OF THE MEMBER STATES ARE CONTRACTING PARTIES, TREATS UNIVERSITY EDUCATION AS A TYPE OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING .
18 IT SHOULD ALSO BE BORNE IN MIND THAT THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT VARIATIONS IN THAT REGARD AMONG THE MEMBER STATES AND THAT CERTAIN STUDIES ARE UNDERTAKEN IN UNIVERSITIES IN SOME MEMBER STATES BUT NOT IN OTHERS . THE EXCLUSION OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION FROM THE DEFINITION OF THE TERM "VOCATIONAL TRAINING" WOULD THUS RESULT IN UNEQUAL APPLICATION OF THE TREATY IN DIFFERENT MEMBER STATES .
19 WITH REGARD TO THE ISSUE WHETHER UNIVERSITY STUDIES PREPARE FOR A QUALIFICATION FOR A PARTICULAR PROFESSION, TRADE OR EMPLOYMENT OR PROVIDE THE NECESSARY TRAINING AND SKILLS FOR SUCH A PROFESSION, TRADE OR EMPLOYMENT, IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED THAT THAT IS THE CASE NOT ONLY WHERE THE FINAL ACADEMIC EXAMINATION DIRECTLY PROVIDES THE REQUIRED QUALIFICATION FOR A PARTICULAR PROFESSION, TRADE OR EMPLOYMENT BUT ALSO IN SO FAR AS THE STUDIES IN QUESTION PROVIDE SPECIFIC TRAINING AND SKILLS, THAT IS TO SAY WHERE A STUDENT NEEDS THE KNOWLEDGE SO ACQUIRED FOR THE PURSUIT OF A PROFESSION, TRADE OR EMPLOYMENT, EVEN IF NO LEGISLATIVE OR ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS MAKE THE ACQUISITION OF THAT KNOWLEDGE A PREREQUISITE FOR THAT PURPOSE .
20 IN GENERAL, UNIVERSITY STUDIES FULFIL THESE CRITERIA . THE ONLY EXCEPTIONS ARE CERTAIN COURSES OF STUDY WHICH, BECAUSE OF THEIR PARTICULAR NATURE, ARE INTENDED FOR PERSONS WISHING TO IMPROVE THEIR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE RATHER THAN PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR AN OCCUPATION .
21 THE FACT THAT UNIVERSITY EDUCATION IS DIVIDED INTO TWO STAGES - IN BELGIUM, THE "CANDIDATURE" AND THE "DOCTORAT" - CANNOT BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT . ACCESS TO THE SECOND STAGE, LEADING TO THE FINAL DIPLOMA OR DEGREE, IS CONDITIONAL ON COMPLETION OF THE FIRST STAGE, SO THAT THE TWO STAGES TOGETHER MUST BE REGARDED AS A SINGLE UNIT, AND IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN ONE STAGE WHICH DOES NOT CONSTITUTE VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND A SECOND WHICH DOES .
22 THE DEFENDANTS ARGUE THAT THE IMPOSITION OF A SUPPLEMENTARY ENROLMENT FEE IS JUSTIFIED BY OVERRIDING REQUIREMENTS, WHICH INCLUDE THE SURVIVAL OF BELGIAN UNIVERSITIES . THESE UNIVERSITIES, THEY ARGUE, WOULD BE ENDANGERED BY THE REMOVAL OF THE SUPPLEMENTARY ENROLMENT FEE, WHICH WOULD CONSIDERABLY INCREASE THE INFLUX OF FOREIGN STUDENTS TO BELGIUM AND THUS INCREASE THE UNIVERSITIES' FINANCIAL BURDENS TO AN INTOLERABLE EXTENT . THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION OF 25 JUNE 1980 APPROVING THE GENERAL REPORT OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE ESTABLISHED BY THE RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE MINISTERS OF EDUCATION MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL OF 9 FEBRUARY 1976 COMPRISING AN ACTION PROGRAMME IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION ( OFFICIAL JOURNAL 1976, C 38, P . 1 ) GIVES GUIDELINES FOR A REASONABLE INTERPRETATION OF THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF THE EEC TREATY .
23 IT IS TRUE THAT IN THAT RESOLUTION THE COUNCIL CONSIDERED IT GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE THAT THE MEMBER STATES SHOULD TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO KEEP THE EFFECTS OF NUMERICAL LIMITATIONS IN OTHER MEMBER STATES ON THE