Strasbourg, 11/02: 2002 (Agence Europe) - Endorsing the view of its rapporteur, Marie-Thérèse Hermange (EPP/DE, F; see EUROPE of 7 February, page 15), Parliament asked the Commission to come forward with a Green Paper on illiteracy and social exclusion containing concrete indicators on illiteracy, an annual assessment incorporating statistical data on combating illiteracy and social exclusion and the creation of an illiteracy monitoring centre.
"Functional illiteracy affects over 10% of the EU population. This is a major problem that must be solved if we want our economy to be the world's most competitive", observed Mario Mantovani (Forza Italia), drawing attention to the phenomenon of "returning illiteracy". This phenomenon is a "costly for businesses and for society and an element of exclusion", added Fiorella Ghilardotti (Democratici di Sinistra). Laura Gonzalez Alavrez (GUE/NGL, E) commented that combating illiteracy must be mainstreamed into other EU policies, particularly education, training and equal opportunity, while fellow Spanish Member Maria Antonia Aviles Perea (PPE/DE) made reference to the existence of "pockets of exclusion in cities, composed of illiterate immigrant populations".
The report tries to assess basic skills, commented Anna Diamantopoulou at the conclusion of debate. And she announced that she and President Prodi would be presenting a work programme on mobility, with a view to creating a genuine European labour market (see EUROPE of 9 February, page 7). Recommendations are also made to the Member States on the teaching of reading and writing and basic skills in general. "The subsidiarity principle must be respected; education systems are the exclusive competence of the States", pointed out Mrs Diamantopoulou. And she concluded in terms of follow-up of efforts to combat illiteracy: "We will see the extent to which the EP can use national social integration programmes most effectively, so as to produce a multiplier effect."