Article 1 Subject-matter and scope
This Decision establishes a single Community framework for achieving the transparency of qualifications and competences by means of the creation of a personal, coordinated portfolio of documents, to be known as ‘Europass’, which citizens can use on a voluntary basis to better communicate and present their qualifications and competences throughout Europe. The use of Europass or of any of the Europass documents shall not impose any obligations or confer any rights other than those defined in this Decision.
Article 2 Europass documents
The Europass documents shall be: (a) the Europass-curriculum vitae (hereafter ‘the Europass-CV’) referred to in Article 5; (b) the documents referred to in Articles 6 to 9; (c) any other documents approved as Europass documents by the Commission, in accordance with the criteria laid out in Annex I, and the procedure referred to in Article 4(2).
Article 3 Social partners
Without prejudice to the procedure referred to in Article 4(2), the Commission shall consult the social partners and other relevant stakeholders at European level, including education and training bodies.
Article 4 Committee procedure
1. For the purposes of Article 2(c), the Commission shall be assisted, depending on the nature of the document concerned, by the Socrates Committee and/or by the Leonardo Committee, established by Decision No 253/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 January 2000 establishing the second phase of the Community action programme in the field of education ‘Socrates’ ( 17 ) and by Council Decision 1999/382/EC of 26 April 1999 establishing the second phase of the Community vocational training action programme ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ ( 18 ) respectively. 2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
Article 5 Europass-CV
The Europass-CV shall provide citizens with the opportunity to present in a clear and comprehensive way information on all their qualifications and competences. The Europass-CV shall be as set out in Annex II.
Article 6 Europass-Mobility
The Europass-Mobility shall record periods of learning attended by its holders in countries other than their own. The Europass-Mobility shall be as set out in Annex III.
Article 7 Europass-Diploma Supplement
The Europass-Diploma Supplement shall provide information on its holder's educational achievements at higher education level. The Europass-Diploma Supplement shall be as set out in Annex IV.
Article 8 Europass-Language Portfolio
The Europass-Language Portfolio shall provide citizens with the opportunity to present their language skills. The Europass-Language Portfolio shall be as set out in Annex V.
Article 9 Europass-Certificate Supplement
The Europass-Certificate Supplement shall describe the competences and qualifications corresponding to a vocational training certificate. The Europass-Certificate Supplement shall be as set out in Annex VI.
Article 10 Europass in the Internet
In order to implement this Decision, the Commission and the relevant national authorities shall cooperate in setting up and managing a Europass Internet-based information system, which shall include elements managed at Community level and elements managed at national level. The information system supporting the Europass framework shall be as set out in Annex VII.
Article 11 National Europass Centres
1. Each Member State shall be responsible for the implementation of this Decision at national level. For this purpose, each Member State shall designate a National Europass Centre (NEC), which shall be responsible for the coordination at national level of all activities referred to in this Decision and which shall replace or develop, where appropriate, existing bodies currently carrying out similar activities. A European network of NECs is hereby established. Its activities shall be coordinated by the Commission. 2. The NEC shall: (a) coordinate, in cooperation with the relevant national bodies, the activities related to making available or issuing the Europass documents or, where appropriate, carry out these activities; (b) set up and manage the national information system, in accordance with Article 10; (c) promote the use of Europass, including through Internet based services; (d) ensure, in cooperation with the relevant national bodies, that adequate information and guidance on the Europass and its documents is made available to individual citizens; (e) facilitate the provision of information and guidance on learning opportunities throughout Europe, on the structure of education and training systems, and on other issues related to mobility for learning purposes, in particular through close coordination with relevant Community and national services, and, where appropriate, make available to citizens an introductory guide to mobility; (f) manage at national level the Community financial support for all activities related to this Decision; (g) participate in the European network of NECs. 3. The NEC shall act as an implementation body at national level in accordance with Article 54(2)(c) and (3) of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002.
Article 12 Commission's and Member States' joint tasks
The Commission and the Member States shall: (a) ensure that adequate promotion and information activities are carried out at Community and national level, covering inter alia citizens, education and training providers and social partners and enterprises including SMEs, supporting and integrating as necessary the action of the NECs; (b) ensure adequate cooperation, at the appropriate level, with relevant services, in particular the EURES service and other Community services; (c) take steps to facilitate equal opportunities, in particular by raising awareness among all relevant actors; (d) ensure that all relevant stakeholders, including education and training bodies and social partners, are involved in the implementation of this Decision; (e) ensure that in all activities related to the implementation of this Decision the relevant Community and national provisions concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy are fully respected.
Article 13 Commission tasks
1. The Commission shall, in cooperation with the Member States, ensure the overall consistency of the actions implemented in pursuance of this Decision with other relevant Community policies, instruments and actions, in particular in the fields of education, vocational training, youth, employment, social inclusion, research and technological development. 2. The Commission shall secure the expertise of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) in implementing this Decision, in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 337/75. Subject to the same conditions and in the relevant areas, coordination shall be established under the auspices of the Commission with the European Training Foundation as set out by Regulation (EEC) No 1360/90. 3. The Commission shall regularly inform the European Parliament and the Council, as well as other relevant bodies, and in particular the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training, on the implementation of this Decision.
Article 14 Participating countries
1. Participation in the activities referred to in this Decision shall be open to acceding States and to non-Community countries of the European Economic Area in accordance with the conditions laid down in the EEA Agreement. 2. Participation shall also be open to the candidate countries for accession to the European Union in accordance with their respective Europe Agreements.
Article 15 Evaluation
By 1 January 2008 and then every four years, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council an evaluation report on the implementation of this Decision, based on an evaluation carried out by an independent body.
Article 16 Financial provisions
The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective. The expenditure resulting from this Decision shall be managed as set out in Annex VIII.
Article 18 Entry into force
This Decision shall enter into force on 1 January 2005.
Article 19 Addressees
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.