EUR-Lex - 32001H0613 - EN Avis juridique important | 32001H0613 Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 July 2001 on mobility within the Community for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and trainers Official Journal L 215 , 09/08/2001 P. 0030 - 0037 Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 10 July 2001on mobility within the Community for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and trainers(2001/613/EC)THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 149(4) and Article 150(4) thereof,Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(1),Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions(2),Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty(3),Whereas:(1) The transnational mobility of people contributes to enriching different national cultures and enables those concerned to enhance their own cultural and professional knowledge and European society as a whole to benefit from those effects. Such experience is proving to be increasingly necessary given the current limited employment prospects and an employment market which requires more flexibility and a greater ability to adapt to change.(2) Mobility for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and trainers - whether in the context of a Community programme or not - is an integral part of freedom of movement for people. This is one of the fundamental freedoms protected by the Treaty. The right to move and reside freely is moreover recognised for any citizen of the Union under the conditions provided for by Article 18 of the Treaty.(3) Council Directive 68/360/EEC of 15 October 1968 on the abolition of restrictions on movement and residence within the Community for workers of Member States and their families(4), recognises the right of residence for workers and their families. Council Directive 93/96/EEC of 29 October 1993 on the right of residence for students(5) obliges Member States to recognise the right of residence for any student who is a national of another Member State and who has been accepted on a vocational training course, and for the student's spouse and their dependent children who do not enjoy this right under other provisions of Community law. Furthermore, Council Directive 90/364/EEC of 28 June 1990 on the right of residence(6) recognises the right of residence more generally, in certain conditions, for citizens of the Union.(4) Mobility for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and trainers is also an integral part of the principle of non-discrimination on grounds of nationality as provided for in Article 12 of the Treaty. That principle applies to the areas covered by the Treaty, as has been held in the case law of the Court of Justice. It therefore applies to the fields of education, training and youth.(5) The Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, adopted on 14 December 2000 a resolution concerning an Action Plan for mobility(7), which was also approved at the Nice European Council.(6) Council Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of 14 June 1971 on the application of social security schemes to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Community(8) has in part become applicable to students under Council Regulation (EC) No 307/1999(9).(7) Council Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68 of 15 October 1968 on freedom of movement for workers within the Community(10) provides for equality of treatment as regards access to education and vocational training for workers and their families who have exercised their right to freedom of movement.(8) The recognition of professional qualifications for entering and exercising regulated professions, such as teaching, is governed in the Community by the general system established by Council Directives 89/48/EEC(11) and 92/51/EEC(12).(9) Council Resolution of 3 December 1992 on the transparency of qualifications(13), and Council Resolution of 15 July 1996 on the transparency of vocational training certificates(14), called on the Commission and the Member States to take steps to improve mutual understanding of the qualifications systems of the various Member States and of the qualifications themselves, by making them clearer and more readable, and therefore more transparent. A European Forum in the field of transparency of vocational qualifications has been created to make concrete proposals for implementing those Resolutions. The first proposals were submitted in February 2000.(10) Involvement in transnational voluntary activities helps to shape young people's future careers, develop their social skills and smooth their integration into society, thereby fostering the development of an active citizenship. In addition, since voluntary work is an activity which specifically involves solidarity, is non-profit-making and unpaid, it should not be treated, under national legislation, as employment.(11) Furthermore, the Council has invited the Commission to study the feasibility of introducing, on a voluntary basis, a European administrative annex to the diploma in order to establish synergies between academic recognition and professional recognition of qualifications(15). The work undertaken along those lines by the Commission together with the Council of Europe and UNESCO has been completed and will soon be followed up with a public awareness campaign.(12) Despite the provisions quoted above, the Green Paper on "Education, training, research: the obstacles to transnational mobility", adopted by the Commission in October 1996, noted the existence of obstacles to mobility. The diversity of the status in the Member States of students, persons undergoing training, teachers and trainers, particularly with regard to provisions on the right of residence, employment law, social security and taxation, is an obstacle to mobility. Similarly, not recognising the specific nature of voluntary work is a hindrance to the mobility of volunteers.(13) Persons wishing to undertake mobility in the areas of education, training and youth, particularly students, persons in training, volunteers and teachers and trainers, are often discouraged by the many obstacles they encounter, as evidenced by the petitions they address to the European Parliament. In this context, the Community's action should cater for the aspirations of its citizens in terms of mobility in education and training.(14) In the context of Article 293 of the Treaty which provides in particular for the Member States, so far as is necessary, to enter into negotiations with each other with a view to securing for the benefit of their nationals the abolition of double taxation within the Community, it should be noted that this network of bilateral agreements is still not complete, with the result that obstacles to mobility still remain.(15) The Green Paper proposed a series of actions to eliminate those obstacles. They have been largely approved in the context of the debates which have been organised on this subject in all Member States. It is therefore necessary to remove those obstacles to mobility. Special attention should be paid to the needs of the most disadvantaged and most vulnerable groups, such as the disabled.(16) The European Council in Lisbon on 23 and 24 March 2000 declared its support for mobility as an essential feature of the new knowledge society and in promoting lifelong education. It called on the Member States, the Council and the Commission to:- take the necessary steps within their areas of competence to foster the mobility of students, teachers and training staff, in particular by removing obstacles, through greater transparency in the recognition of qualifications and periods of study and training, and through specific measures for removing obstacles to the mobility of teachers by 2002;- develop a common European format for curricula vitae to encourage mobility by helping to improve assessment, by education and training establishments and employers, of knowledge acquired.The European Council also called on the Council and the Commission to create a European database on jobs and learning opportunities to facilitate mobility, while improving employability and reducing the skills shortage.(17) Mobility fosters the discovery of new cultural and social environments. There is therefore a need to facilitate the cultural preparation and initiation of the persons concerned into living, learning and working practices in different European countries, as well as their return under appropriate conditions, namely by training relevant contact persons of the target groups (university teachers and administrators, vocational teachers and trainers, teachers and head teachers, staff of sending and hosting organisations) interculturally, and to encourage educational and training establishments to appoint staff to coordinate and facilitate their intercultural training.(18) This Recommendation conforms to the principle of subsidiarity referred to in Article 5 of the Treaty insofar as Community action, complementing action by the Member States, is necessary for the obstacles to mobility to be removed. It is important to that end to emphasise that mobility requires Community intervention because by its nature it entails transnational aspects. This Recommendation also conforms to the principle of proportionality referred to in that Article because it does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives pursued.(19) This Recommendation seeks to encourage cooperation between Member States on the subject of mobility by supporting their activities and fully respecting their responsibilities within the framework of their national legislation in particular as regards the implementation of the invitations which it contains.(20) This Recommendation is aimed at Member State nationals who would like to experience living in a Member State other than the home Member State. Nevertheless, it should also be noted that the European Council stated at Tampere on 15 and 16 October 1999 that the European Union must ensure "equal treatment for third country nationals who are legally resident in a Member State" and that a more vigorous integration policy should aim at granting them rights and imposing on them obligations comparable to those citizens of the Union. Third country nationals who are legally resident in a Member State should be granted a number of rights in that Member State which come as close as possible to those enjoyed by the citizens of the Union.(21) Community education, training and youth programmes are open to the countries of the European Free Trade Association participating in the European Economic Area and the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CCEE), in accordance with the conditions set out in the Europe Agreements, in their additional protocols and in the decisions of the relevant Association Councils, and to Cyprus, Malta and Turkey. This Recommendation should accordingly be brought to the attention of these countries and mobility should be facilitated for any nationals from those countries who pursue studies or training, take part in voluntary activities, or provide teaching or training within the European Union under a Community programme.(22) The Community programmes, including those mentioned above, have enabled the development at Community level of good practice and of important tools which aim to facilitate mobility for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and trainers. The widest possible application of those good practices and tools should be envisaged,I. HEREBY RECOMMEND that Member States:1. Measures which concern all categories of people covered by this Recommendation:(a) take the measures they consider appropriate to remove the legal and administrative obstacles to the mobility of persons undertaking a course of studies, a period of training or a voluntary activity, or providing teaching or training in another Member State, particularly in the context of Community programmes (including Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth) but also outside them; to cooperate with the Commission in the promotion of the exchange of experience and good practice relating to the transnational mobility of the persons concerned and the various aspects of this Recommendation;(b) take the measures they consider appropriate to reduce linguistic and cultural obstacles, for example:- to encourage the learning of at least two Community languages, and to make young people aware, in particular, of Union citizenship and respect for cultural and social differences;- to encourage linguistic and cultural preparation before any mobility measure;(c) promote the development of various arrangements for financial support for mobility (grants, scholarships, subsidies, loans, etc.) and in particular:- facilitate the portability of scholarships and national aids;- take the measures they consider appropriate so that the procedures for transferring and paying grants and other assistance abroad are facilitated and simplified;(d) take the measures they consider appropriate to promote a European qualification area, i.e. to enable those concerned to report on the qualifications obtained and the experience acquired in the host State to the relevant authorities, particularly the academic and professional authorities in their home State; that might be carried out by promoting the objectives of the 1992 and 1996 Resolutions on the transparency of qualifications and training certificates, by encouraging the use of the Europass Training document as provided for in Council Decision 1999/51/EC of 21 December 1998 on the promotion of European pathways in work-linked training, including apprenticeship(16) and of the European diploma supplement, and by implementing the conclusions of the Lisbon European Council of 23 and 24 March 2000, in particular by establishing a European framework of basic skills and a common European format for curricula vitae;(e) consider to what extent the persons covered by this Recommendation can benefit from the arrangements for support available to the same categories of persons in the host State, such as for example reductions for public transport, financial assistance with accommodation and meals, as well as access to libraries and museums, with the exception of benefits available under social security. In this context discussions on introducing a "mobility card" should be initiated;(f) help to enable people interested in mobility to have easy access to any useful information concerning opportunities for studying, training, volunteering, or providing teaching or training in the other Member States, by extending the work of the National Academic Recognition Information Centres, the European Network of Information Centres and Europe Direct, in particular by:- improving the dissemination of information regarding the possibilities and conditions (especially the arrangements for financial support) concerning transnational mobility;- ensuring that their citizens are aware of their entitlements under Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 and under existing reciprocal arrangements concerning social security cover while they are temporarily resident in another Member State;- encouraging the training of, and regular provision of information to, those at all administrative levels regarding the Community acquis on mobility;- taking part in the work on the creation of a database on jobs and learning opportunities, in the context of decentralised procedures and taking full advantage of existing structures and mechanisms such as the European Employment Services (EURES);(g) take the measures they consider appropriate so that the categories of persons concerned by this Recommendation are not subjected to discrimination in their home Member State in relation to the same categories of persons who do not undertake a transnational mobility experience;(h) take measures they consider appropriate to remove obstacles to the mobility of third country nationals who, when participating in Community programmes, including Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth, pursue study or training, do voluntary work or provide teaching or training.2. Measures which specifically concern students:(a) facilitate the recognition, for academic purposes, in the home Member State of the period of study undertaken in the host Member State; for this purpose the use of the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) throughout the Community should be encouraged which, based on the transparency of curricula, guarantees the recognition of academic experience as a result of a contract drawn up in advance between the student and the home and host establishments;(b) take, furthermore, appropriate measures so that the decisions of the authorities responsible for academic recognition are adopted within reasonable timescales, are justified and can be subject to administrative and/or legal appeal;(c) encourage educational establishments to issue a European supplement as an administrative annex to the diploma, the aim of which is to describe the studies undertaken in order to facilitate their recognition;(d) encourage students and pupils to complete a part of their studies in another Member State and to facilitate the recognition of periods of study completed in this context in another Member State;(e) take or to encourage appropriate measures to enable students more easily to prove that they have health cover or insurance in order to obtain their residence permits;(f) facilitate the integration (academic guidance, educational psychology, etc.), of students undergoing mobility into the education system of the host Member State, as well as their reintegration into the education system of the home Member State, following the example of the Socrates programme.3. Measures which specifically concern persons undergoing training:(a) promote the consideration in the home Member State of attested training undertaken in the host Member State; to this end, the use of the "Europass Training" document, amongst others, should be encouraged;(b) encourage the use of more transparent models for vocational training certificates, as provided for in the 1996 Resolution on the transparency of vocational training certificates and in the proposals submitted by the European Forum on the transparency of vocational qualifications. These proposals aim in particular at:- issuing, with official national certificates, a translation of such certificates and/or a European certificate supplement;- designating national reference points responsible for providing information on national vocational qualifications;(c) take the measures they consider appropriate, in accordance with Community law and in the framework of their national law, so that persons travelling to another Member State for the purpose of undergoing recognised training there are not subject, because of their mobility to discrimination with respect to relevant social protection, including the administrative formalities for this protection, such as in the area of health care and other relevant areas;(d) take the measures they consider appropriate from the administrative point of view to make it easier to obtain proof that a person undergoing training in another Member State has sufficient resources, as provided for in Directive 90/364/EEC.4. Measures which specifically concern volunteers:(a) ensure that the specific nature of voluntary activity is taken into account in national legal and administrative measures;(b) promote the consideration, in the home Member State, of voluntary activity undertaken in the host Member State by means of a certificate that persons have taken part in voluntary activity projects, describing the experience gained, within the framework of the objective of bringing about a common European format for curricula vitae;(c) take the measures they consider appropriate, in accordance with Community law and in the framework of their national law, so that volunteers and their families are not discriminated against because of their mobility with respect to relevant social protection, such as health care and social welfare policies;(d) take the measures they consider appropriate, under national legislation, to ensure that recognised voluntary activities are not treated as employment.5. Measures which specifically concern teachers and trainers:(a) take into account as far as possible the problems facing teachers and trainers on short-term mobility covered by the legislation of several Member States and encourage cooperation in this respect;(b) take the measures they consider appropriate to facilitate teachers' and trainers' mobility to other Member States, for example:- by making arrangements for the temporary replacement of teachers and trainers on European mobility;- by ensuring that arrangements are made to facilitate their integration in the host establishment;- by considering the introduction, in accordance with procedures established at national level, of European training periods to make mobility easier.(c) encourage the introduction of a European dimension into the professional environments of teachers and trainers, in particular:- in the content of the programmes for the training of teachers and trainers;- by encouraging contacts between establishments for the training of teachers and trainers in different Member States, including exchanges and courses in other Member States;(d) promote consideration of European mobility experience as a component of the careers of teachers and trainers.II. HEREBY INVITE Member States:- to draw up and forward to the Commission, within two years of the adoption of this Recommendation and thereafter every two years, an evaluative report on the action they have taken in response to the recommendations set out above and in the Action Plan for mobility.III. HEREBY INVITE the Commission:(a) to set up a group of experts who represent all Member States and comprise the officials responsible for coordinating, at national level, the implementation of these recommendations and of the measures in the Action Plan for mobility, in order to enable the exchange of information and experience on these;(b) to continue to cooperate with the Member States and the social partners, within inter alia the European Forum on the transparency of professional qualifications, so that useful information and experience concerning the implementation of the measures advocated in this Recommendation may be exchanged;(c) to submit to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, at the latest two years and six months after the adoption of this Recommendation and thereafter every two years, an analytical summary of the reports from the Member States referred to in II above; and to include in such a summary an indication of the areas of activity in which Community action may be needed to complement measures which have been taken by Member States;(d) to study the procedures for introducing a pass for schoolchildren/students/trainees/volunteers within the Community giving holders entitlement to different concessions during their period of mobility;(e) to draw up proposals for improved cooperation in promoting the transparency of qualifications, in particular for making the EUROPASS available to third countries participating in Community programmes, and with regard to certificates of completion of vocational training;(f) to study appropriate procedures for the adoption of measures, in cooperation with the Member States, for the exchange of information on opportunities for education, training or voluntary work, or providing teaching or training in the other Member States.Done at Brussels, 10 July 2001.For the European ParliamentThe PresidentN. FontaineFor the CouncilThe PresidentD. Reynders(1) OJ C 168, 16.6.2000, p. 25.(2) OJ C 317, 6.11.2000, p. 53.(3) Opinion of the European Parliament of 5 October 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 19 January 2001 (OJ C 70, 2.3.2001, p. 1) and Decision of the European Parliament of 15 May 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal). Council Decision of 26 June 2001.(4) OJ L 257, 19.10.1968, p. 13. Directive as last amended by the 1994 Act of Accession.(5) OJ L 317, 18.12.1993, p. 59.(6) OJ L 180, 13.7.1990, p. 26.(7) OJ C 371, 23.12.2000, p. 4.(8) OJ L 149, 5.7.1971, p. 2. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1399/1999 (OJ L 164, 30.6.1999, p. 1).(9) OJ L 38, 12.2.1999, p. 1.(10) OJ L 19, 24.1.1989, p. 16.(11) OJ L 19, 24.1.1989, p. 16.(12) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992, p. 25. Directive as last amended by Commission Directive 2000/5/EC (OJ L 54, 26.2.2000, p. 42).(13) OJ C 49, 19.2.1993, p. 1.(14) OJ C 224, 1.8.1996, p. 7.(15) OJ C 195, 6.7.1996, p. 6.(16) OJ L 17, 22.1.1999, p. 45.ANNEXCATEGORIES OF PEOPLE COVERED BY THIS RECOMMENDATIONThe people mentioned below are covered by this Recommendation only if they move from one State (the home State) to another (the host State) for a temporary stay and return to the home State at the end of their stay. Such persons keep their legal residence, as defined by the law of each Member State, in the home State.I. StudentsPeople who study in educational establishments such as those covered by the third indent of Article 149(2) of the Treaty.II. Persons undergoing trainingPeople who, regardless of their age and professional conditions, attend vocational training at any level including higher education.III. VolunteersPeople, especially young people, who, in the context of the "European Voluntary Service" section of the Community "Youth" programme or of transnational voluntary projects similar to the "European Voluntary Service", undertake an activity which specifically involves solidarity, is nonprofit making and unpaid and helps them acquire social and personal skills.IV. TeachersPeople who provide teaching in educational establishments such as those covered by the third indent of Article 149(2) of the Treaty.V. TrainersPeople who provide training in educational or vocational training centres such as those referred to in the fourth indent of Article 150(2) of the Treaty and/or in training centres or undertakings.

Summary: Mobility for students, trainees, young volunteers, teachers and trainers Mobility for students, trainees, young volunteers, teachers and trainers SUMMARY OF: Recommendation 2001/613/EC on mobility within the EU for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and trainers WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE RECOMMENDATION? Following the European Council in Lisbon in 2000, this recommendation aims to support free movement in the field of education and training. It calls on European Union (EU) countries to take the necessary steps to encourage the mobility of students, teachers and training staff within the EU. KEY POINTS The recommendation calls for EU countries to remove legal, administrative, linguistic and cultural obstacles to people: studying or undergoing training; volunteering; or teaching or providing training; in another EU country. Among the issues, aims and suggestions put forward are: the goal of learning at least 2 EU languages, with linguistic and cultural preparation before travel; encouraging awareness of EU citizenship in young people, as well as respect for differences; easy access to information about opportunities in other EU countries; financial support (grants, scholarships, subsidies, loans, etc.) to be facilitated and simplified; assistance with transport costs, accommodation, meals and access to cultural resources on the same basis as host country citizens; and better awareness of financial entitlements and reciprocal social security cover. Measures which specifically affectstudents or those undergoing training encourage students to complete a part of their studies in another EU country and facilitate the academic recognition of periods of study completed between countries; encourage clearer models for training certificates, for example by providing translations and centralised information points; enable students to show more easily that they have health cover or financial resources to obtain residence permits; and facilitate the integration and support of students within the education system of the host country, as well as their reintegration in their home country. Measures affecting young volunteers ensure that the specific nature of voluntary activity is considered in legal and administrative issues; promote the introduction of a certificate of participation with a view to a common EU format for job applications; and avoid discrimination against volunteers in entitlement to social protection. Measures which concern teachers and trainers consider problems faced in mobility resulting from some national legislation and encourage cooperation; temporary replacement of teachers and trainers on mobility; facilitate integration in the host establishment; introduce European training periods to make mobility easier; encourage a European dimension in the profession through the content of training programmes, and through contact and exchanges between establishments; and promote European mobility experience as a career component. EU countries are asked to draw up a report every 2 years on the action taken in response to these recommendations. BACKGROUND The recommendations outlined applied originally to EU programmes such as Socrates (education), Leonardo da Vinci (vocational training) and Youth, all of which are now part of the Erasmus+ programme, and complement measures that now fall under ET 2020 which covers cooperation in education, training and lifelong learning. MAIN DOCUMENT Recommendation 2001/613/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 July 2001 on mobility within the Community for students, persons undergoing training, volunteers, teachers and trainers (OJ L 215, 9.8.2001, pp. 30–37) RELATED DOCUMENTS Council Recommendation of 28 June 2011 — ‘Youth on the move’ — promoting the learning mobility of young people (OJ C 199, 7.7.2011, pp. 1–5) Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Youth on the Move — An initiative to unleash the potential of young people to achieve smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in the European Union (COM(2010) 477 final, 15.9.2010) Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the establishment of a European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) (OJ C 155, 8.7.2009, pp. 11–18) Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council of 15 November 2007, on improving the quality of teacher education (OJ C 300, 12.12.2007, pp. 6–9) Decision No 2241/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2004 on a single Community framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass) (OJ L 390, 31.12.2004, pp. 6–20) last update 19.12.2016


EUR-Lex - 32001G0720(02) - EN Avis juridique important | 32001G0720(02) Council Resolution of 13 July 2001 on e-Learning Official Journal C 204 , 20/07/2001 P. 0003 - 0005 Council Resolutionof 13 July 2001on e-Learning(2001/C 204/02)THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,Bearing in mind:(1) The conclusions of the European Council in Lisbon of 23 and 24 March 2000 which set the strategic goal of creating a competitive, dynamic and knowledge-based economy as well as specific targets with regard to information and communications technology (ICT) and education, as well as the conclusions of the Stockholm European Council of 23 and 24 March 2001 which reaffirmed that improving basic skills, particularly IT and digital skills is a top priority for the Union.(2) The report from the Council (Education) to the Stockholm European Council on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems which underlines, inter alia, the importance of developing skills for the knowledge society and achieving the targets set by the Lisbon European Council to ensure access to ICTs for everyone.(3) The request at the Stockholm European Council for a new report for the spring European Council in 2002, containing a detailed work programme on the follow-up of the objectives of education and training systems.(4) The important commitment to the use of ICT in education and training already present in the Socrates and Leonardo Programmes as well as other existing Community instruments.(5) The guidelines for Member States' employment policies for 2001(1) which stress that in connection with developing skills for the new labour market in the context of lifelong learning, Member States will aim at developing e-Learning for all citizens.(6) The Council resolution of 6 May 1996 relating to educational multimedia software in the fields of education and training and the Council conclusions of 22 September 1997 on education, information and communication technology and teacher training for the future(2).(7) The Commission's communication on "e-Learning: designing tomorrow's education" of 24 May 2000 which sets out objectives in the light of the Lisbon conclusions and as a complement to the Commissions comprehensive "e-Europe action plan".(8) The Commission's communication entitled "e-Learning action plan - designing tomorrow's education" of 28 March 2001 which defines common activity areas and specific measures with regard to using new multimedia technologies and the internet to improve the quality of learning and which covers infrastructure, training, high-quality multimedia services and content and dialogue and cooperation at all levels,(9) INVITES the Member States:(i) to continue their efforts concerning the effective integration of ICT in education and training systems, as an important part of the adaptation of the education and training systems requested by the Lisbon European Council Conclusions and by the Report on concrete future objectives of education systems;(ii) to capitalise on the potential of Internet, multimedia and virtual learning environments for a better and faster realisation of lifelong learning as a basic educational principle and for providing access to educational and training opportunities for all, in particular for those who have access problems for social, economic, geographical or other reasons;(iii) to promote the necessary provision of ICT learning opportunities within education and training systems by accelerating integration of ICT and revision of school and higher education curricula in all relevant subject areas without losing sight of the long-term objectives and the critical approach required by educational systems;(iv) to continue their efforts in the initial and in-service training of teachers and trainers in the pedagogical use of ICT, given the need to develop the digital culture as one essential element in the teacher's basic skills and to motivate teachers and trainers to make the best pedagogical use of ICT in their own teaching;(v) to encourage those responsible for educational and training establishments as well as local, regional and national decision-makers and other relevant stakeholders to acquire the necessary understanding of the potential offered by ICT for enhancing new ways of learning and pedagogical development in order to integrate and manage ICT effectively;(vi) to accelerate the provision of equipment and of a quality infrastructure for education and training, taking into account technical progress: hardware, software and Internet access within educational and training establishments, and relevant human resources for ensuring help, support and maintenance services;(vii) to encourage the development of high-quality digital teaching and learning materials to ensure quality of online offers; to provide appropriate support mechanisms to facilitate the choice of quality products for teachers and managers of educational and training establishments;(viii) to take advantage of the opportunities that digitisation and documentary standardisation offer for facilitating access and increasing the educational and pedagogical use of public cultural resources, such as libraries, museums and archives;(ix) to support the development and adaptation of innovative pedagogy that integrates the use of technology within broader cross-curriculum approaches; to foster new approaches, based on a more extensive use of innovative pedagogical methods and software and the use of new devices and experiences in order to stimulate learners' knowledge and motivation and so foster, as a part of teaching, critical attitudes among learners to content on the Internet and other media;(x) to exploit the communication potential of ICT to foster European awareness, exchanges, and collaboration at all eductation and training levels, and especially in schools; to consider the possibility of integrating these European experiences in curricula, and to support and strengthen physical and virtual mobility as an important part of education, developing the new skills and competencies required to live and work in a multilingual and multicultural society;(xi) to support and stimulate virtual meeting places for cooperation and exchange of information, experience and good practice, which will take into account new pedagogic approaches and new forms of cooperation between learners, and between teachers or trainers and to stimulate European networking at all levels in the field of educational multimedia, educational use of Internet, ICT-mediated collaboration and learning, and other uses of ICT in education and training;(xii) to capitalise and build on the experiences gained in the framework of initiatives such as the European School-net and European Network of Teacher Education Policies (ENTEP);(xiii) to foster the European dimension of joint development of ICT-mediated and ICT-complemented curricula in higher education, by encouraging further common approaches in higher education certification models and quality assurance (following the Sorbonne/Bologna process); to provide incentives to establishments, faculties or departments achieving innovative and pedagogically sound work at European level, in this area;(xiv) to enhance research in e-Learning, in particular on how to improve learning performance through ICT, pedagogical development, implications of ICT-based teaching and learning and to stimulate international cooperation in this regard;(xv) to promote partnership between the public and private sectors as a contribution to the development of e-Learning in order to encourage exchange of experiences, the dialogue on future requirements for multimedia learning materials; and technology transfer;(xvi) to monitor and analyse the process of integration and use of ICT in teaching, training and learning, to provide existing quantitative and qualitative information, and to develop improved observation and evaluation methods, in order to share experiences and to exchange good practices with a view to contributing to the follow-up to the Report on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems;(10) INVITES the Commission:(i) to pay particular attention in its implementation of the e-Learning Action Plan, to the work related to the key priorities expressed in the Report on the concrete future objective of education and training systems such as exchange of good practice and experiences between Member States, including experiences from other countries;(ii) to continue supporting existing European portals and to encourage the development of other portals to facilitate access to educational content and to promote collaboration and exchange of experiences in the area of e-Learning and pedagogical development, especially with a view to:- supporting transnational virtual meeting places,- stimulating European networking at all levels and in this context establish and provide networks for the benefit of teacher training,- supporting directories of existing quality Internet resources.(iii) to implement support actions at European level, in particular to share experience and information about products and services in the field of multimedia educational software and, in this context, to propose methods for assistance and advice in the selection of qualitative and pedagogical multimedia resources; the establishment of cross-border links between producers, users and managers of education and training systems in order to promote quality in products and services and better correspondence between supply and demand; to support information and communication actions and European-wide debate in all the above matters;(iv) to examine together with Member States whether the "eSchola, a week for e-Learning in Europe", could develop into an on-going activity that includes an annual high-profile event;(v) to support the testing of new learning environments and approaches in order to take into account the growing differentiation of learners' styles, cultures and languages, and to foster, in cooperation with Member States, virtual mobility and transnational virtual campus projects, especially in the field of languages, science and technology, art and culture;(vi) to undertake strategic studies on innovative approaches in education, on the pedagogical aspects of new technologies, on the strengths and weaknesses of the European educational multimedia sector, and on the potential of cultural institutions and science centres as new learning environments;(vii) to intensify, in the framework of Community programmes, research, experimentation and evaluation on pedagogical, socioeconomic and technological dimensions of new ICT-mediated approaches, and on their adaptation to users' needs; to actively disseminate the results of this research with a view to facilitating its transfer to the education and training systems and to professional publishers and providers;(viii) to support the development of European multilingual educational resources, platforms and services, taking into account, when necessary, education and training-related aspects of intellectual property rights and the use of new distribution methods, and the development and promotion of internationally aspected standards and open source software;(ix) to report to the Council on the results of the abovementioned activities no later than December 2002, in order to facilitate an overall evaluation of their results and decisions on further actions. An interim report shall also be presented to the Council in November 2001.(1) Council Decision 2001/63/EC of 19 January 2001 (OJ L 22, 24.1.2001, p. 18).(2) OJ C 303, 4.10.1997, p. 5.

Summary: Council Resolution on eLearning Council Resolution on eLearning The aim of this resolution is to encourage European Union (EU) countries and the Commission to undertake initiatives to facilitate the integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education and training. ACT Council Resolution of 13 July 2001 on eLearning [Official Journal C 204 of 20.07.2001]. SUMMARY The Stockholm European Council (23-24 March 2001) reaffirmed that improving basic skills, particularly information technology (IT) skills, is a top priority for the European Union (EU). Actions required of EU countries and the Commission The resolution calls on EU countries to: continue their efforts concerning the effective integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education and training systems and the initial and in-service training of teachers and trainers; capitalise on the potential of the Internet, multimedia and virtual lifelong learning environments; speed up the integration of ICT and the revision of school and higher education curricula; encourage those in charge of schools to integrate and manage ICT effectively; ensure more rapid provision of equipment and of a quality infrastructure for education and training; encourage the development of high-quality digital teaching and learning materials to ensure the quality of resources available online; take advantage of the opportunities offered by ICT for facilitating access to cultural resources, such as libraries, museums and archives; support the development and adaptation of innovative teaching that incorporates the use of technologies; take advantage of the communication potential offered by ICT to foster European awareness; support virtual forums for cooperation and exchange of information; capitalise on the experience gained from initiatives such as European School Net and European Network of Teacher Education Policies; foster the European dimension of the joint development of higher education curricula; enhance research in eLearning; promote partnerships between the public and private sectors; monitor and analyse the process of integration and the use of ICT in teaching. This resolution also invites the Commission to: pay particular attention to the implementation of the eLearning action plan and to the concrete future objectives of education and training systems; support existing European portals in order to promote collaboration and exchange of experiences in the area of eLearning and pedagogical development; implement support actions at European level to ensure that experiences are shared, to establish cross-border links and to encourage information and communication measures; consider together with EU countries whether the eSchola initiative could develop into an ongoing activity; support the testing of new learning environments and approaches; undertake strategic studies on innovative approaches in education; intensify research, experimentation and evaluation relating to the pedagogical, socio-economic and technological dimensions of ICT; support the development of European multilingual educational resources, platforms and services; report to the Council on the results of these activities no later than December 2002. An interim report shall also be presented to the Council in November 2001. Background The institutions' interest in new technologies indicates that the importance of these technologies is increasing. Since the Lisbon European Council (23-24 March 2000), which set the strategic goal of creating a competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy and specific objectives relating to ICT and education, several initiatives have been taken: the 2001 employment guidelines, the resolution relating to educational multimedia software, the communication on eLearning and the eLearning action plan. More recently, the Stockholm Council (23-24 March 2001) reaffirmed that improving basic skills, particularly IT skills, is a top priority for the EU. RELATED ACTS Decision No 2318/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 December 2003 adopting a multiannual programme (2004 to 2006) for the effective integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education and training systems in Europe (eLearning Programme) [Official Journal L 345 of 31.12.2003]. last update 16.08.2010


EUR-Lex - 32000D0427 - EN Avis juridique important | 32000D0427 2000/427/EC: Council Decision of 19 June 2000 in accordance with Article 122(2) of the Treaty on the adoption by Greece of the single currency on 1 January 2001 Official Journal L 167 , 07/07/2000 P. 0019 - 0021 Council Decisionof 19 June 2000in accordance with Article 122(2) of the Treaty on the adoption by Greece of the single currency on 1 January 2001(2000/427/EC)THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 122(2), thereof,Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1),Having regard to the report from the Commission(2),Having regard to the report from the European Central Bank(3),Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,Having regard to the discussion of the Council, meeting in the composition of Heads of State or Government,Whereas:(1) The third stage of economic and monetary union (EMU) started on 1 January 1999. The Council, meeting in Brussels on 3 May 1998 in the composition of Heads of State or Government, decided that Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal and Finland fulfilled the necessary conditions for adopting the single currency on 1 January 1999(4).(2) In accordance with paragraph 1 of the Protocol on certain provisions relating to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland annexed to the Treaty, the United Kingdom notified the Council that it did not intend to move to the third stage of EMU on 1 January 1999. This notification has not been changed. In accordance with paragraph 1 of the Protocol on certain provisions relating to Denmark annexed to the Treaty and the Decision taken by the Heads of State or Government in Edinburgh in December 1992, Denmark has notified the Council that it will not participate in the third stage of EMU. Denmark has not requested that the procedure referred to in Article 122(2) of the Treaty be initiated.(3) By virtue of Decision 1998/317/EC Greece and Sweden have a derogation as defined in Article 122 of the Treaty.(4) The European Central Bank (ECB) was established on 1 July 1998. The European Monetary System has been replaced by an exchange rate mechanism, the setting-up of which was agreed by a resolution of the European Council on the establishment of an exchange-rate mechanism in the third stage of economic and monetary union of 16 June 1997(5). The procedures for an exchange-rate mechanism in stage three of economic and monetary union (ERM II) were laid down in the Agreement of 1 September 1998 between the ECB and the national central banks of the Member States outside the euro area laying down the operating procedures for an exchange rate mechanism in stage three of economic and monetary union(6).(5) Article 122(2) of the Treaty lays down the procedures for abrogation of the derogation of the Member States concerned. According to that Article at least once every two years, or at the request of a Member State with a derogation, the Commission and the ECB shall report to the Council in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 121(1) of the Treaty. Such reports have to be prepared in 2000. On 9 March 2000 Greece made such a request.(6) National legislation in the Member States including the statutes of national central banks shall as necessary be adapted with a view to ensuring compatibility with Articles 108 and 109 of the Treaty and the Statute of the ESCB. The reports of the Commission and the ECB provide a detailed assessment of the compatibility of the legislation of Greece and Sweden with Articles 108 and 109 of the Treaty and the Statute of the ESCB.(7) According to Article 1 of the Protocol on the convergence criteria referred to in Article 121 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the criterion on price stability referred to in the first indent of Article 121 (1) of the Treaty means that a Member State has a price performance that is sustainable and an average rate of inflation, observed over a period of one year before the examination, that does not exceed by more than one and a half percentage points that of, at most, the three best performing Member States in terms of price stability. For the purpose of the criterion on price stability inflation will be measured by the harmonised indices of consumer prices (HICPs) defined in Council Regulation (EC) No 2494/95(7). In order to assess the price stability criterion a Member State's inflation has been measured by the percentage change in the arithmetic average of 12 monthly indices relative to the arithmetic average of 12 monthly indices of the previous period. In the one year period ending in March 2000 the three best performing Member States in terms of price stability were France, Austria and Sweden, with inflation rates of, respectively 0,9 %, 0,9 % and 0,8 %. A reference value calculated as the simple arithmetic average of the inflation rates of the three best performing Member States in terms of price stability plus 1,5 percentage points was considered in the reports of the Commission and the ECB. On this basis, the reference value in the one year period ending in March 2000 was 2,4 %.(8) According to Article 2 of the Protocol on the convergence criteria referred to in Article 121 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the criterion on the government budgetary position referred to in the second indent of Article 121(1) of the Treaty shall mean that at the time of the examination the Member State is not the subject of a Council decision under Article 104(6) of the Treaty that an excessive deficit exists.(9) According to Article 3 of the Protocol on the convergence criteria referred to in Article 121 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the criterion on participation in the exchange-rate mechanism of the European Monetary System referred to in the third indent of Article 121(1) of the Treaty means that a Member State has respected the normal fluctuation margins provided for by the exchange-rate mechanism (ERM) of the European Monetary System without severe tensions for at least the last two years before the examination. In particular, the Member State must not have devalued its currency's bilateral central rate against any other Member State's currency on its own initiative for the same period. Since 1 January 1999 the ERM II provides the framework for assessing the fulfilment of the exchange rate criterion. In assessing the fulfilment of this criterion in their reports, the Commission and the ECB have examined the two-year period ending in March 2000.(10) According to Article 4 of the Protocol on the convergence criteria referred to in Article 121 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the criterion on the convergence of interest rates referred to in the fourth indent of Article 121(1) of the Treaty means that, observed over a period of one year before the examination, a Member State has had an average nominal long-term interest rate that does not exceed by more than two percentage points that of, at most, the three best performing Member States in terms of price stability. For the purpose of the criteria on the convergence of interest rates, comparable interest rates on 10-year benchmark government bonds were used. In order to assess the fulfilment of the interest-rate criterion a reference value calculated as the simple arithmetic average of the nominal long-term interest rates of the three best performing Member States in terms of price stability plus two percentage points was considered in the reports of the Commission and the ECB. On this basis, the reference value in the one year period ending in March 2000 was 7,2 %.(11) In accordance with Article 5 of the Protocol on the convergence criteria referred to in Article 121 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, the data used in the current assessment of the fulfilment of the convergence criteria will be provided by the Commission. For the preparation of this proposal the Commission provided data. Budgetary data were provided by the Commission after reporting by the Member States by 1 March 2000 in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 3605/93 of 22 November 1993 on the application of the Protocol on the excessive deficit procedure annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community(8).(12) The Greek domestic legislation, including the Statute of the national central bank, is compatible with Articles 108 and 109 of the Treaty and the Statute of the ESCB.Regarding the fulfilment by Greece of the convergence criteria mentioned in the four indents of Article 121(1) of the Treaty:- the average inflation rate in Greece in the year ending March 2000 stood at 2,0 % which is below the reference value,- by virtue of Council Decision 2000/33/EC of 17 December 1999 abrogating the Decision on the existence of an excessive deficit in Greece(9), Greece is not the subject of a Council Decision on the existence of an excessive government deficit,- Greece has been a member of the ERM and subsequently of ERM II during the last two years. In that period the Greek drachma (GRD) has not been subject to severe tensions and Greece has not devalued, on its own initiative, the GRD bilateral central rate against any other Member State's currency up to 1 January 1999 nor against the euro since then,- in the year ending March 2000 the long-term interest rate in Greece was, on average, 6,4 % which is below the reference value.Greece has achieved a high degree of sustainable convergence by reference to all four criteria.Consequently, Greece fulfils the necessary conditions for the adoption of a single currency.(13) The Council, acting by qualified majority on a proposal by the Commission, shall decide which Member States with a derogation fulfil the necessary conditions for the adoption of the single currency and abrogate the derogations of the Member States concerned,HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:Article 1Greece fulfils the necessary conditions for the adoption of the single currency. The derogation in favour of Greece laid down in recital 4 of Decision 98/317/EC shall be abrogated with effect from 1 January 2001.Article 2This Decision is addressed to the Member States.Done at Santa Maria da Feira, 19 June 2000.For the CouncilThe PresidentJ. Pina Moura(1) Opinion delivered on 8 May 2000 (not yet published in the Official Journal).(2) Opinion delivered on 5 May 2000 (not yet published in the Official Journal).(3) Opinion delivered on 28 April 2000 (not yet published in the Official Journal).(4) Council Decision 1998/317/EC of 3 May 1998 in accordance with Article 121(4) of the Treaty (Oj L 139, 11.5.1998, p. 30).(5) OJ C 236, 2.8.1997, p. 5.(6) OJ C 345, 13.11.1998, p. 6.(7) Council Regulation (EC) No 2494/95 of 23 October 1995 concerning harmonised indices of consumer prices (OJ L 257, 27.10.1995, p. 1).(8) OJ L 332, 31.12.1993, p. 7. Regulation as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 475/2000 (OJ L 58, 3.3.2000, p. 1).(9) OJ L 12, 18.1.2000, p. 24.

Summary: Greece's membership in the single currency Greece's membership in the single currency This Council Decision repeals the derogation to the Treaty covering Greece, so as to enable it to adopt the single currency on 1 January 2001. ACT Council Decision of 19 June 2000 in accordance with Article 122(2) of the Treaty on the adoption by Greece of the single currency on 1 January 2001 [Official Journal L 167 of 7 July 2000]. SUMMARY At the time of the transition to the third stage of economic and monetary union (EMU), Greece did not fulfil the convergence criteria (Decision No 98/317/EC) and was covered by a derogation laid down in Article 122 of the Treaty. Every two years, or at the request of the Member State concerned, a report by the Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB) examined whether the convergence criteria were met. Greece requested that the derogation be repealed on 9 March 2000. In its decision, the Council took the view in the light of the Commission and ECB report that: Greece fulfilled the criterion relating to the average rate of inflation; during the previous year, the inflation rate reached 2 %, which was lower than the reference value (2.4 %); Greece was not the subject of a decision on the existence of an excessively high government deficit (Decision 2000/33/EC), as the annual government deficit did not exceed the reference value (3 % of GDP) and the government debt ratio was approaching the reference value (60 % of GDP) at a satisfactory rate; Greece had been a member of the exchange-rate mechanism of the European Monetary System (EMS) and subsequently of ERM II for two years without devaluing its currency's central rate; Greece met the criterion of the long-term interest rate; over the previous year, the interest rate reached 6.4 %, which was lower than the reference value (7.2 %); Greek domestic legislation, including the statute of the national central bank, was compatible with the Treaty and the Statute of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). The Council therefore considered that Greece had achieved a high level of sustainable convergence and that it fulfilled the necessary conditions for the adoption of the single currency. The derogation relating to Greece was repealed on 1 January 2001. References Act Entry into force Deadline for transposition in the Member States Official Journal Council Decision 2000/427/EC 01.01.2001 - OJ L 167 of 07.07.2000 RELATED ACTS Council Regulation (EC) No 1478/2000 of 19 June 2000 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2866/98 on the conversion rates between the euro and the currencies of the Member States adopting the euro. By this Regulation, the Council set the conversion rate between the Greek drachma and the euro at 340.750 drachmas per euro, as of 1 January 2001. Last updated: 25.08.2005