Brussels, 20/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - The High Level Task Force on skills and mobility notes in a report that it has just handed to the European Commission at the request of Anna Diamantopoulou that too many obstacles still exist in the Union for "true mobility of European citizens seeking to go from a job in one country to a job in another". It makes a series of recommendations to remedy the situation. The independent report will give the Commission a sound base for making progress with its action plan aimed at setting European labour markets in place that will be "open and accessible at European level by 2005". The plan will be presented to the Barcelona Summit in March 2002 "as an element of the Commission's new European objective concerning management of change", states the Commission spokesperson. The Task Force mainly insists on:
1. Better basic language training. All students should master at least two Community languages (English would be an advantage) in addition to their mother tongue, after compulsory schooling. By 2005, the early acquisition of linguistic ability should begin in pre-primary and primary level (by the age of 8 at the latest) and teaching would be strengthened in secondary schools.
2. Students of post-secondary level should follow one third of their study programmes in another EU Member State.
3. Participation by companies in lifelong training and education should be considerably increased and go hand in hand with the exchange of best practices at European level. European prizes and awards could thus be awarded in lifelong education and training in order to reward companies that set up strategies for developing skills and ability.
4. Basic ability including above all reading, writing and arithmetic, but also the information and communication technologies (ICT). ICT proficiency should be defined and developed and made transparent and available throughout the EU on the basis of European norms. In addition, programmes for ICT and on-line commerce must be adjusted to the needs of companies and strengthen access by women to ICT.
5. Simplification of the retirement transfer systems and social security rights, which are to be modernised by 2004, the date when the establishment of a European social security card should make it possible to improve access to benefits throughout the EU.
6. Revision of professional regulation systems (which should be completely modernised by 2005) and recognition of ability and experience acquired in another Member State, thanks to the elaboration of European norms and methods for learning.
7. The launching by the EU, in 2002, of a single information site on European mobility in order to provide citizens with complete information, of high quality, easily accessible and free of charge.