Brussels, 13/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the Education Council unanimously adopted its report on "The Future Objectives of Education and Training Systems". This report, which is in line with the Lisbon Summit, will be examined by the Heads of State and Government at their meeting in Stockholm on 23 and 24 March. Also see EUROPE of 10 February, p.9.
The Council decided that in 2001 it would, in cooperation with the European Commission define: - how to assess how far the objectives have been achieved; - concrete work that will have to be undertaken at European level in each of the areas concerned; - what fields can be assessed by peers, the exchange of good practices and how it may be possible to measure progress accomplished through a system of benchmarking (which initially led to reservations be the Germans and Dutch but that were later lifted); - which fields will require the drawing up of new indicators. The results of this work will be the subject of a further report that the Education Council will submit to the Barcelona Summit in the Spring of 2002.
German hesitations over the exchange of good practice between Member States regarding education led to queries. In his reply to the letter Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson had sent, at the beginning of the Swedish Presidency, to all Member States to find out their priorities for the Stockholm Summit, Chancellor Schroeder had placed emphasis on education (he cited: basic skills; - the establishment of Internet sites; - lifelong learning, as well as the exchange of good practice between Member States). The German delegation put an end to the controversy by lifting all its reservations. Mr. Schroeder's concept of "international education" was regarded as "excellent and very constructive" by Commissioner Viviane Rading, and "positive" by French Minister Jean-Luc Melenchon, who found Schroeder's stance "more attractive in relation to what we are used to observing". Greek Minister Petros Efthymiou stressed the importance of education in "promoting humanist values shared by our societies"
Ministers also welcomed the "Commission's Memorandum of Lifelong Education and Training" (see EUROPE of 15 November, p.12). The Commission takes account of the different political comments as well as consultations with citizens and will include these in the action plan it is preparing for end-2001. Viviane Reding presented them with the evaluation report on the first phase of the Community programme Leonardo da Vinci (1995-1999). She briefed ministers on the launch of the European Year of Languages 2001, which will be formally held in Lund (Sweden) from 18 to 20 February, as well as the opening of the 3rd phase of the Tempus programme (higher education) to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
At the end of the meeting, Ms. Reding said that "this Council was important as it was a new point of departure for taking into consideration education in economic policies and the world of work". "It was the first time that Education Ministers have drawn up a project that will serve Heads of State and Government to put in place a new employment policy based on three pillars: social and work; economy; education", she added.