CELEX: 51995PC0124
Language: en
Date: 1995-03-31
Title: Amended proposal for a EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DECISION establishing a EUROPEAN YEAR OF LIFELONG LEARNING (1996)

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             COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                             Brussels, 31.03.1995
                                             COM(95) 124 final
                                             94/0199 (COD)
                          Amended proposal for a
        EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DECISION
                              establishing a
                   EUROPEAN YEAR OF LIFELONG
                              LEARNING
                                  (1996)
        (presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2)
                            of the EC-Treaty)
 ---pagebreak---                                        Explanatory memorandum
The Commission's proposal COM(94) 264 final - 94/0199(COD) was examined in first reading by the
European Parliament on 16 March 1995. Among the 39 voted amendments, the Commission accepted
25, some in spirit if not verbatim (n° 1 to 8, 12, 15 to 20, 23, 27, 41, 30, 31, 32, 35 to 38). It
accepted amendments n° 9, 24 and 40 in part. It cannot accept 12 amendments (n° 10, 11, 13, 14, 21,
22, 25, 26, 28, 33, 34, 39). The reason for rejecting the latter concerns principally the application of
the principle of subsidiarity, either because they concern relationships between Member States and
their internal authorities, or because they could imply a harmonization at Community level which
would represent a breach of Article 126 of the Treaty.
The amendments accepted mainly concern the specification of the objectives and themes of the Year,
and the means to implement them.
 ---pagebreak--- Initial proposal for a                              Amended proposal
  EUROPEAN PAKUAMENT AND COUNCIL
                     DECISION
                    establishing a
        EUROPEAN YEAR OF LIFELONG
                     LEARNING
                        (1996)
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE
COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the
European Cbmmunity and particularly Articles
126 and 127 thereof
Having regard to the proposal from the
Cbmmission,
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic
and Social Committee,
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee
of the Regions,
Whereas changes in lifestyles and in individual
and collective patterns of behaviour generate new
education and training requirements;
Whereas changes in the production cycle as a
result of the introduction of new technologies
and new configurations of work organisation
imply radical changes in the knowledge and
skills required of workers and entail an effort to
favour the emergence of new jobs in order to
bridge the widening gap between economic
growth and the creation of jobs in Europe;
                                                   A PL
 ---pagebreak--- Whereas the continuing adaptation of education    Whereas the œntinuing adaptation of education
and training systems to these new requirements is and training systems to these new requirements
of major strategic importance to Europe whose     is of major strategic importance to Europe
economic competitiveness and social model are     whose economic competitiveness and social
based on knowledge and knowhow,                   model are based on knowledge and knowhow,
                                                  and whereas the attractiveness of vocational
                                                  training and its social prestige are largely
                                                  dependent on recognition of the equal value of
                                                  general educational and vocational training and
                                                  society's recognition of skilled occupations;
                                                  new recital
                                                  Whereas education and training are intended to
                                                  develop each individual's personality, to teach
                                                  him such values of private, social and public
                                                  life as soUdaritv. tolerance and understanding
                                                  of cultural diversity, to promote the ability of
                                                  the various cultural groups to communicate,
                                                  and to promote the involvement of all the
                                                  citizens of Europe in democratic decision-
                                                  making processes:
                                                  new recital
                                                  Whereas, according to the White Paper on
                                                  Growth. Competitiveness and Employment
                                                  more than two million jobs to be created by the
                                                  year 2000 will consist of new careers linked
                                                  with the technological revolutions in the
                                                  audiovisual sector and the information society,
                                                  requiring continuing education and flexibility in
                                                  initial training concepts:
Whereas the role of lifelong learning for the     Whereas the role of lifelong learning for the
individual and the worker is becoming             individual and the worker is becoming
fundamental both in order to secure personal      fundamental in order to enhance long-term
fulfilment and to enhance long-term employment    employment prospects; whereas-the White
prospects; whereas the White Paper on Growth,     paper on Growth, Competitiveness and
Competitiveness and Employment stresses that      Employment stresses that education and
education and training will undoubtedly play a    training will undoubtedly play a crucial role in
crucial role in the renewal of growth, the        the renewal of growth, the recovery of
recovery of competitiveness and the restoring of  competitiveness and the restoring of a socially-
a sodafiy-acceptable level of employment;         acceptable level of employment;
 ---pagebreak---                                                   new recital
                                                  Whereas it must be borne in mind that non-
                                                  school education and training (e.g. adult
                                                  education and open universities) are gaining in
                                                  importance, whereas it must be ensured that
                                                  everyone has access to such education and
                                                  training, and whereas the promotion needed for
                                                  non-school education must not be at the
                                                  expense of broadly based initial training:
whereas the scale of unemployment affecting
young people and adults brings risks of social
upheaval and of scepticism as regards training,
thus jeopardising the confidence they should
have in the concept of lifelong learning;
                                                  new recital
                                                  whereas continuing training which improves
                                                  the trainee's prospects also forms a good
                                                  oprx>rtunity for resolving social conflicts and
                                                  with appropriate concepts and actions, must
                                                  help to prevent xenophobia alcohol and drug
                                                  abuse, and the associated willingness to resort
                                                  to violence:
                                                  new recital
                                                  Whereas the Cbmmission's White Paper on
                                                  European Social Policy advocates a positive
                                                  flexible approach to work and training, the
                                                  raising of the skill levels of the present-day and
                                                  future workforce and the examination of fiscal
                                                  and other incentives with a view to investment
                                                  by businesses and private individuals in
                                                  continuing education for the development of
                                                  lifelong learning opportunities for adults:
Whereas there should be exchanges of experience
and information on what the Member States have
achieved in their own countries and on the many
regional and local initiatives undertaken, and on
the work of the Council of Europe and other
international organisations involved in education
and training;
 ---pagebreak--- Whereas 1996 will be the year in which the
Leonardo da Vinci1 and Socrates1 programmes,
which constitute the second generation of
Cornmunity education and training programmes,
come into their own;
                                                           new recital
                                                           Whereas existing distance and self-instruction
                                                           systems, global networks fespecially computer
                                                           networks), interactive œmmunication among
                                                           learners and between learners and teachers and
                                                           information infrastructure have an important
                                                           role to play in lifelong learning: whereas
                                                           existing international networks are particularly
                                                           suitable for language training: whereas sound
                                                           basic training is essential if they are to be
                                                           integrated into the lifelong learning process:
Whereas the Structural Funds and particularly the
European Social Fund and the Cbmmunity
initiatives which derive therefrom, particularly
Adept and Employment, do much to enhance
quality education and training;
Whereas there is a need to highlight the                   Whereas there is a need to highlight the
fundamental importance of education and training           fundamental importance of education and
for the construction of a Europe which is                  fraining for the construction of a Europe which
economically competitive and socially anchored             is economically competitive and socially
in sohdarity and in the encouragement of                   anchored in sohdarity, through a series of
individual fulfilment, through a series of                 activities and events concerted at European
activities and events concerted at European                Union level under the banner of a European
Union level under the banner of a European Year            Year of Lifelong Learning, and thus achieve a
of Lifelong Learning, and thus achieve a greater           greater impact than that achieved by existing
impact than that achieved by existing Cbmmunity            Cbmmunity programmes and which would not
programmes and which would not be feasible for             be feasible for actions undertaken singly by
actions undertaken singly by Member States;                Member States;
                 Council Decision ... / /EC (JO No L....).
                 European Parliament and Council Decision .../ /EC (OJ No L...).
 ---pagebreak---                                                    new recital
                                                   Whereas an agreement on a modus vivendi
                                                   between the European ParUament the Council
                                                   and the Commission concerning the
                                                   implementing measures for acts adopted in
                                                   accordance with the procedure laid down in
                                                   Article 189b of the EC Treaty was reached on
                                                   20 January 1995:
HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:
                     Article 1
1. Actions to provide information on, create
    awareness of and promote lifelong learning
    shall be undertaken between 1 January 1995
    and 31 December 1996.
2. 1996 shall be proclaimed the "European Year
    of Lifelong learning".
                     Article 2
The objectives of the actions referred to in
Article 1 are to:
1. make the European public aware of the               make the European public aware of the
    importance of lifelong learning as a key           importance of lifelong learning as a key
    factor in the personal development of              factor in the personal development of
    individuals and for a European model of            individuals and in their participation in the
    competitiveness and growth which is                democratic decision-making processes:
    employment-intensive;
2. foster better cooperation at all levels between
    education and training structures and the
    business cornmunity, particularly the SMEs;
 ---pagebreak---                                                    3. contribute to European competitiveness and
                                                      to an employment-intensive economic
                                                      growth bv promoting awareness amongst
                                                      the social partners of the importance of
                                                      creating opportunities for lifelong learning
                                                      to meet the challenges of economic and
                                                      social change: particular encouragement
                                                      shall be given to SMEs:
3. help to establish a European area of            4. raise awareness among European citizens
   education and training through the academic        of the initiatives taken by the European
   and vocational recognition of quahfications        Union in the field of academic and
   within the European Union and through the          vocational recognition of quahfications and
   introduction of a European dimension in            promotion of a European dimension in
   education and training;                            education and training, particularly through
                                                      the LEONARDO and SOCRATES
                                                      programmes. In this context the European
                                                      Year must focus, among other things, on
                                                      promoting language skills:
                                                   5. emphasise the importance of providing
                                                      access to lifelonglearning and appropriate
                                                      recognised accreditation systems for all
                                                      regardless of différence in sex, age, ability,
                                                      ethnic, economic and social background
                                                      with a view to ending the waste of talent
                                                      combating social exclusioa giving girls
                                                      and women a wider choice of occupations
                                                      and eliminating regional disparities.
   stress the contribution made by education and Deleted
   training to the equality of opportunities - and
   thus the importance of this equality,
   particularly between men and women - in
   access to education and training.
                                                   6. Encourage parents and education authorities
                                                      to shoulder their responsibility for the
                                                      education andfrainingof children and
                                                      young people in a context of lifelong
                                                      learning.
 ---pagebreak---                  Article 3
The actions referred to in Article 1 shall
include general or theme-based events, the
preparation and dissemination of
œrnmunication products, and studies and
surveys.
The criteria, procedures and arrangements for  The actions should provide the means to
the selection and financing of actions are set fulfil the objectives described in Article 2.
out in the Annex.                              They shall highlight the importance of
                                               cooperation between education and training
                                               structures, business and the social partners:
                                               the potential of a European education and
                                               training area in the context of mobility of
                                               people receiving training and of workers:
                                               the need to ensure better access to relevant
                                               education and training actions for all
                                               regardless of gender, ethnic, economic and
                                               social background.
                                               Priority in the selection of the actions
                                               mentioned in section II of the annex will
                                               go to those which offer a practical
                                               demonstration of the advantages of
                                               education and training and a motivating
                                               incentive for individuals, enterprises and
                                               regional development alike: those
                                               highlighting education and fraining actions
                                               as part of a lifelong learning approach:
                                               those encouraging the social partners to
                                               promote through collective arrangements
                                               the provision offrainingand further
                                               training: those which show the contribution
                                               made by transnational cooperation and
                                               those which disseminate the results of
                                               Cbmmunity interventions, those promoting
                                               through European, national, regional and
                                               local networks the exchange of ideas and
                                               the dissemination of good practice in
                                               relation to the provision of lifelong
                                               learning, particularly to the socially
                                               excluded and groups at risk.
 ---pagebreak---                      Article 4
The Commission shall be responsible for the
implementation of this Decision.
The Commission shall be assisted by a            The Cbmmission shall be assisted by a
committee of an advisory nature composed of      committee of an advisory nature composed of
one representative from each Member State and    two representatives from each Member State
chaired by the Cbmmission representative.        and chaired by the Cbmmission representative.
The representative of the Cbmmission shall
submit to the Committee a draft of the measures
to be taken. The Committee shall deliver its
opinion on the draft within a time limit which
the chairman may lay down according to the
urgency of the matter, if necessary by taking a
vote.
The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; in
addition, each Member State shall have the right
to ask to have its position recorded in the
minutes.
The Cbmmission shall take the utmost account of
the opinion delivered by the Cbmmittee. It shall
inform the Cbmmittee of the manner in which its
opinion has been taken into account.
                     Article 5
Decisions on financial support to be awarded by  The decisions on actions to be implemented
the Cbrrimunity for actions proposed by the      under this Decision shall be taken by the
Member States shall be taken by me Commission    Commission in accordance with the procedure
in accordance with the procedure set out in      set out in Article 4.
Articled
                     Article 6
 1. Each Member State shall designate a body
    responsible for the selection, coordination
    and the implementation nationally of the
    actions provided for in this Decision.
 ---pagebreak--- 2. Applications for financial support for the
   actions provided for in section II B of the
   Annex shall be submitted to the Cbmmission
   by the Member States concerned.
                                                                    Article 7
                                               The Cbmmission shall inform the European
                                               Parliament the Economic and Social
                                               Cbmmittee and the Cbmmittee of the Regions
                                               on a regular basis of the activities planned
                                               under the European Year agreed on by the
                                               advisory committee. The Commission shall also
                                               ensure close cooperation with the Leonardo da
                                               Vinci and Socrates programmes.
                                                                   Article 8
                                               The Commission shall optimise the impact of
                                               the European Year for Lifelong learning by
                                               ensuring that in 1996 related EU programmes
                                               and/or other financial instruments, in particular
                                               the education and vocational fraining
                                               programmes, the European Social Fund and the
                                               EU information policy give financial support
                                               and contribute to the objectives pursued by the
                                               Year.
                                                                    Article 9
                                               The Cbmmission and the Member States, each
                                               in accordance with its areas of responsibility,
                                               shall ensure that the social partners and, where
                                               they have a responsibility for education and
                                               fraining. regional or local authorities are
                                               involved in the planning and implementation of
                                               activities connected with the Year.
 ---pagebreak---                        Article 7                                      Article 10
The Cbmmission shall submit, by 31 December      The Cbmmission shall submit by 31 December
 1997 at the latest, a report to the European     1997 at the latest a report to the European
Parhament, to the Council, to the Economic and   Parhament, to the Council, to the Economic
Social Cbmmittee and to the Cbmmittee of the     and Social Committee and to the Cbmmittee of
Regions, on the implementation, results and      the Regions, on the implementation, results and
overall assessment of the actions envisaged by   overall assessment of the actions envisaged by
this Decision and shall propose follow-up        this Decision and shall propose follow-up
arrangements.                                    arrangements.
Done at Brussels,
For the Parhament               For the Council
The President           The President
                                                10
 ---pagebreak---                        ANNEX
L General
7. Objectives and grounds for the actions
The action follows up the White Paper on
Growth, Competitiveness and Employment
submitted by the Cbmmission to the Brussels
European Council in December 1993, in which it
is recommended that the Cbmmission should "set
firmly and clearly the essential requirements and
the long-term objectives for measures and
policies" in the areas of education and fraining,
and that, "one way of sending an important
signal and creating added awareness in this area
would be to announce and organise a "European
Year of Lifelong Learning".
2. Themes
Activities and events undertaken as part of the
European Year of Lifelong Learning will focus
on the objectives described in Article 2, viz. the
development, generalisation and systématisation
of continuing education andfraining,the
importance of cooperation between education and
fraining structures and the business community,
the potential of a European education and
fraining area in the context of mobility of people
receiving fraining and of workers, the need to
ensure better access to education and fraining
actions - particularly from the point of view of
equal opportunities for men and women.
3. Criteria
Priority in the selection of the actions mentioned
in Section II will go to those which offer a
practical demonstration of the advantages of
education and fraining for individuals, firms and
regional development alike; those highlighting
education and fraining actions as part of a
lifelong approach; those based on Cbmmunity
action on education and fraining; and those
which show the contribution made by
transnational cooperation.
                                                   11
 ---pagebreak--- EL Contente                                       Contents
A Actions wholly financed out of the
   Cbmmunity budget
1. a) Organisation of European conferences on 1. Awareness creation actions throughout the
      the abovementioned mêmes to launch and          European Union.
      to close the European Year;
   b) Organisation of meetings in the Member      b) Organisation of meetings in the Member
      States in order to stress the contribution      States in order to stress the contribution
      made by the European Union to the               made by the European Union to the
      abovementioned themes;                          attainment of the aims of the European
                                                      Year:
2. Cbmmunity-wide information and                 deleted
   promotional campaigns involving:
   a) the designing of a logo and a slogan for        the designing of a logo and a slogan for the
      the European Year of lifelong learning;         European Year of lifelong learning;
   b) preparation of œmmunication products            preparation of œmmunication products e.g.
      e.g. video clips describing innovatory          video clips describing innovatory
      experiences in education and fraining;          experiences in education and fraining;
      multimedia points at fairs and                  multimedia points at fairs and exhibitions;
      exhibitions; brochures and leaflets;            brochures and leaflets; packages (texts,
      packages (texts, pictures, graphs,              pictures, graphs, diagrams, etc.) to facilitate
      diagrams, etc.) to facilitate organisation      organisation of local and regional
      of local and regional conferences and           conferences and seminars around the Year's
      seminars around the Year's four themes;         four themes; interactive systems (CD-ROM,
      interactive systems (CD-ROM, CD-I or            CD-I or telematics) to complement printed
      telematics) to complement printed               material; in addition to raising awareness
      material; in addition to raising awareness      these products will help to improve access
      these products will help to improve             by a wider pubhc to information on the
      access by a wider public to information         vocational recognition of quahfications, on
      on the vocational recognition of                the conditions of access to higher education
      quahfications, on the conditions of access      in the Union, and on the projects supported
      to higher education in the Union, and on        by the different Cbmmunity programmes
      the projects supported by the different         and initiatives;
      Cbmmunity programmes and initiatives;
                                                 12
 ---pagebreak---    c) the use of the major public (television,     4. cooperation with the media:
       radio, press) and specialised media
       (educational TV channels, specialised
       press) for events and promotional
       campaigns;
   d) organisation of European competitions            organisation of European competitions
       (e.g. for pupils, schools, companies or         highhghting tangible experiences and
       local authorities) highhghting tangible         achievements in relation to one of the
       experiences and achievements on one of          Year's objectives;
       the Year's four themes, inter aha, in
       conjunction with business circles, the
       social partners and the world of
       education, particularly as regards access
       for workers to continuing education and
       fraining;
                                                   6. The provision of a certificate of
                                                       participation to those who take part in the
                                                       activities organised vvithin the European
                                                       Year for Lifelong learning;
3. Organisation of surveys, preparatory and ex-        Surveys, in particular with a view to better
   post assessment studies as a function of the        defining the target groups concerned by the
   target publics for each of the themes, one of       Year's themes and to evaluating the impact
   the main points being to circumscribe more          of the Year.
   accurately the expectations of these different
   publics, including as regards the contribution
   of the Union.
B. Actions co-financed out of the Cbmmunity        B. Actions co-financed up to 50% out of the
   budget                                              Cbmmunity budget
   The actions proposed for the European Year      deleted
   by the national authorities could qualify for
   modulated financing out of the (immunity
   budget according to each case, up to a
   rnaximum of 50% of the cost. These actions
   could relate inter alia to:
   a) national or regional events around the       1. National or regional events around the
       common themes established for the               common themes established for the
       European Year;                                  European Year;
                                                  13
 ---pagebreak--- b) providing information on and                   Providing information on and disseminating
    disseminating examples of good practice;      examples of good practice;
c) organisation of prizes and competitions at     Organisation of prizes and competitions at
    national or regional level.                   national or regional level.
Actions receiving no financial aid from the
G>mmunity budget
Voluntary actions to be conducted by public
or private! operators, including authorisation
to use the logo and priority themes of the
European Year m campaigns and events.
                                               14
 ---pagebreak---                                                                    ISSN 0254-1475
                                                             COM(95) 124 final
                                               DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                        04 16
                                     Catalogue number : CB-CO-95-132-EN-C
                                                              ISBN 92-77-87576-3
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