Brussels, 18/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - Last Thursday, the European Parliament voted on the own-initiative report by Doris Pack (EPP-ED, Germany) aimed at promoting the circus, which is recognised as being an integral part of European culture, and in order to facilitate the life of circus artists. The report places emphasis on the problems that currently exist in this sector: - school education for the children, and vocational training for circus performers; technical standards of mobile equipment (such as tents) and the mobility and employment of artists who come from outside the European Union. MEPs call on the European Commission to foresee appropriate models of school education for the children of itinerant workers in the context of its integrated action programme in favour of lifelong learning. They also call for support to be provided for circus vocational training centres. As far as equipment is concerned, the report highlights the norms to be applied to temporary structures with a view to facilitating the movement of circuses between Member States. Finally, MEPs call for European visa and work permit regulations for third country travelling artists in order to eliminate the restrictions and difficult conditions to be met by artists on short-term contracts, including extension of visa and permit validity, albeit ensuring that all irregularities of such a system are kept in check.
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