Brussels, 29/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - EU Education Ministers are meeting in informal session on Saturday 30 September, in Paris, under the chairmanship of Jack Lang. The European Commission is represented by Viviane Reding. The aim, both for the Presidency and for the Commission which launched the action plan for mobility of teaching staff, students and trainees, is to obtain confirmation at political level of the wish by 15 Member States to implement this action plan (which, we recall, was prepared by the Vision Group of Experts - see EUROPE of 15 September and 28 July).
A real "toolbox" in which the States will dip for the measures that they wish to transpose nationally, the action plan on mobility proposes quantified aims in four areas: 1) how to encourage greater mobility; 2) how the financing of mobility be facilitated; 3) how mobility be improved 4) how the periods of mobility can be put to best use. It is accompanied by a timetable for implementation of the measures. The Action Plan on Mobility comes in addition to the EC programmes on mobility (Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci, Youth) and to the proposal of recommendation being adopted at the EP (see EUROPE of 29 September) and at the Council on the abolition of obstacles to mobility (tax obstacles, social regimes, visas, etc.). It only concerns teaching staff, students and trainees, and not other workers, and comes within the priorities of the European Summits of Lisbon and Feira, states the Commission's spokesperson. If the ministers support the approach by the Presidency and the Commission, the action plan for mobility could be adopted during the Education Council on 9 November, then forwarded to the Heads of State and Government at the European Summit of Nice on 7 and 8 December.