PRESS RELEASE

Subject :

The Governments of the Member States and the European Commission were represented as follows:

The debate in the Council centred on concrete measures to bring forward the work initiated by the Report and on the next steps to take in view of the preparation of the follow-up report, which is requested for the Spring European Council in March 2002 in Barcelona. Ministers stressed that it was important to start working while proceeding in a pragmatic way, to set up the methodology and to define the instruments (indicators, exchange of good practice, benchmarking, peer review) most suitable for the different areas of work. The use of indicators, in particular qualitative rather than quantitative, was generally welcomed; although emphasis was also put on choosing indicators already used in other fora such as the OECD.

After the debate, the Council agreed on the following Conclusions on the follow-up of the Report on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems, which identify three priority areas for starting work :

"THE COUNCIL

1. Recalls that the Council (Education) adopted the Report on the concrete future objectives of Education and Training Systems on 12 February 2001 for transmission to the Stockholm European Council, following the mandate given by the Lisbon European Council in March 2000, with a very clear message to all those involved in its follow-up that there should be rapid progress in working out how to take its implementation forward, and in selecting priorities.

2. Recalls that the Stockholm European Council underlined that the joint report, which the Council and the Commission will present to the European Council in Barcelona in Spring 2002, should contain "a detailed work programme on the follow-up of the objectives of education and training systems, including an assessment of their achievement in the framework of the open method of co-ordination and in a world-wide perspective".

3. Agrees that the main objectives of the follow-up of the Objectives Report of 12 February 2001 will be to:

As stated in the Objectives Report consideration will have to be given throughout the follow-up process to other processes at European level affecting the work of the Council (Education).

Similarly, account should be taken within those processes of the follow-up work on the objectives of education and training systems.

4. AGREES upon the following milestones leading up to the Barcelona European Council:

5. Emphasises that the work programme should cover in sufficient detail the period up to 2004, the aim being that work should have started by then in all areas contained in the Objectives Report, and also cover in broad terms developments foreseen up to 2010. Similarly, this work programme should aim at a strong general education in order to strengthen lifelong learning in accordance with a permanently evolving society.

6. Further agrees that work will start in the following three areas which were also highlighted in the conclusions of the Stockholm European Council:

7. Underlines that work should start without delay in all three agreed areas so that progress could be accounted for in the joint report by the Council and the Commission to Barcelona.

8. Stresses that indicators, although only one element of the follow-up process, represent an important tool for measuring and comparing performance, and that if the process is to be successful and credible, the indicators need to be underpinned by clearly defined, comparable and, above all, policy-relevant data.

9. REAFFIRMS that the objectives of the follow-up process can only be achieved with active involvement and contribution from Member States i.a. through :

10. Recalls moreover that the Commission will be fully involved in all phases of the work. The Commission should therefore take the necessary initiatives to support the process."

The Council adopted a resolution, reproduced below, on the role of education and training in employment related policies. The resolution reflects the important role given to education and training by the Conclusions of the Lisbon European Council in March 2000, especially within the EU employment strategy, the achievement of the strategic goal set in Lisbon and the successful transition to a knowledge-based economy and society.

"THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

1. The conclusions of the European Council in Lisbon of 23-24 March 2000, where the European Union set itself a new strategic goal for the next decade and emphasised the fundamental role of education and training in the successful transition to a knowledge-based economy and society. In particular, the European Council invited the Council (Education) to contribute to the Luxembourg and Cardiff processes.

1a. The opinion of the Council (Education) of 9 November 2000 on the proposal for a Council Decision on guidelines for Member States' employment policies for the year 2001 which recommends that from 2001 the Commission should, when drafting guidelines for employment policies for the following year, take into account the opinion the Ministers for Education will forward to it.

2. The conclusions of the Stockholm European Council of 23-24 March 2001 which reaffirmed the Lisbon strategic goal and stressed the importance of basic skills, particularly IT and digital skills, and the role of strong general education in order to support labour mobility and lifelong learning.

3. The "Employment Package 2000", which was endorsed by the European Council in Nice of 7-8 December 2000, and the guidelines for Member States' employment policies for 2001 ^{( 1)} which give priority to lifelong learning as a horizontal objective around which Member States should define coherent strategies.

4. The European Social Agenda, also approved by the Nice European Council, which i.a. underlines the need to improve access to lifelong learning and which implies integrated policy formulation and implementation at European and national levels.

5. The report from the Council (Education) on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems, which was submitted to the Stockholm European Council as a contribution to the Luxembourg and Cardiff processes, and the request by the Stockholm European Council for a new report to the Spring European Council in 2002.

6. The Communication from the Commission on "New Labour Markets, open to all, with access for all" which underlines the importance of increasing the level of skills and their transferability from one country to another and of the strengthening of education skills and lifelong learning policies, as well as the endorsement by the Stockholm European Council of the setting-up of a high-level task force on skills and mobility, drawing on expertise from business, education and the social partners.

7. The Commission’s Memorandum on Lifelong Learning which has launched a wide debate at European level and in the Member States on how to implement comprehensive and coherent strategies for lifelong learning, and the e-Learning Action Plan for the period 2001-2004 which aims to involve education and training players, as well as the relevant social, industrial and economic players, in order to rectify the shortage of skills associated with the new economy and to improve social inclusion.

Recognises the importance placed on education and training policies in the European Employment Strategy and the significant role attached to education and training for achieving the new strategic goal set in Lisbon that Europe should become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world;

Acknowledges the importance of addressing education and training policy-related issues in a wide context, taking full account of all the general aims that society attributes to education and training: the development of society and the individual as well as the development of the economy;

Underlines the relevance and the complementarity to the objectives of the Luxembourg process of the three main objectives set out in the Report on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems:

Emphasises that several sub-objectives stated in this report are related to facilitating access to the labour market and to improving adaptability of the workforce, in particular:

Stresses therefore that the elaboration and implementation of the work programme resulting from the Report on the concrete future objectives of the education and training systems is a process in its own right;

Emphasises that the follow-up of this report will make a significant contribution to the Luxembourg process and to the development of employment policies at both European and national level;

Notes the Commission’s document "Education and training in employment policies" which highlights in this context:

Looks forward to the Commission’s forthcoming Action Plan on Lifelong Learning, due to be released in November 2001, which should make an important contribution to existing processes and initiatives for achieving a knowledge-based society and economy;

Looks forward to the report to be submitted by the high-level task force on skills and mobility by December 2001 and to the opportunity to contribute to the preparation of the action plan for developing and opening up new European labour markets, to be presented to the Spring European Council in 2002;

Reaffirms its intention to actively participate in the implementation of the European Social Agenda, particularly in relation to the orientation "More and better Jobs" by promoting effective lifelong learning strategies, the development of skills in information and communication technologies and the mobility of students, teachers and trainees;

Stresses the need for those responsible for education and training to be actively involved in the different processes in place at European level to promote full employment, given the vital contribution that education and training systems are expected to make to them and the importance of a coherent approach to activities and initiatives relating to education and training;

within their respective areas of competence,

Following the vote by the European Parliament in second reading on 15 May 2001 on the proposed Recommendation on mobility within the Community for students, persons undergoing training, young volunteers, teachers and trainers, the Council marked its political agreement on the amendments as voted by the EP. Formal approval will be given shortly, as an item without discussion at a forthcoming Council meeting.

In accordance with the co-decision procedure the Recommendation is thus deemed adopted in the form of the common position as amended by the European Parliament in second reading. It is recalled in this context, that the European Council in Stockholm in March 2001 requested that the Recommendation should be adopted by June 2001.

The fostering of mobility is one of the key objectives of the Treaty provisions on education, vocational training and youth. The Recommendation, complemented by the Action Plan on mobility which was adopted in December 2000 and endorsed by the European Council in Nice, will provide a valuable framework for the facilitating of mobility.

The Recommendation's key objective is to encourage transnational mobility and to remove obstacles.

It recommends the following measures to Member States:

- removal of legal and administrative obstacles;

- encouragement to learn at least two Community languages;

- linguistic preparation before any mobility measure;

- development of arrangements for financial support (grants, loans);

- promotion of qualifications acquired through mobility;

- access to information regarding the possibilities and conditions for mobility.

In the second part of the Recommendation, Member States are invited to take specific measures for each category of persons (students, persons undergoing training, young volunteers, teachers and trainers).

The Recommendation is primarily aimed at Community nationals. It includes nationals of third countries provided they are participating in a Community education, training or youth programme.

The Council heard a presentation by Commissioner REDING of the "eLearning Action Plan" which was adopted by the Commission on 28 March 2001 and which has been prepared with a view to implementing the "eLearning initiative" launched last year by the Commission. It also complements the "eEurope Action Plan" by addressing specifically the implications of the information and communication technologies (ICT) for education and training. The purpose of the "eLearning Action Plan" is to promote co-operation between the European Union, Member States, education, training and industry to combine lifelong education, modernisation of the education and training systems and use of the new information and communication technologies.

After a brief exchange of views, the Council adopted the following resolution which stresses the vital importance of ICT for education and training:

"THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Bearing in mind:

1. The conclusions of the European Council in Lisbon of 23-24 March 2000 which set the strategic goal of creating a competitive, dynamic and knowledge-based economy as well as specific targets with regard to information and communications technology (ICT) and education, as well as the conclusions of the Stockholm European Council of 23-24 March 2001 which reaffirmed that improving basic skills, particularly IT and digital skills is a top priority for the Union;

2. The report from the Council (Education) to the Stockholm European Council on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems which underlines, inter alia, the importance of developing skills for the knowledge society and achieving the targets set by the Lisbon European Council to ensure access to ICTs for everyone;

3. The request at the Stockholm European Council for a new report for the Spring European Council in 2002, containing a detailed work programme on the follow-up of the objectives of education and training systems;

4. The important commitment to the use of ICT in education and training already present in the Socrates and Leonardo Programmes as well as other existing Community instruments;

5. The guidelines for Member States' employment policies for 2001( 2) which stress that in connection with developing skills for the new labour market in the context of lifelong learning, Member States will aim at developing eLearning for all citizens;

6. The Council resolution of 6 May 1996 relating to educational multimedia software in the fields of education and training and the Council conclusions of 22 September 1997 on education, information and communication technology and teacher training for the future( 3);

7. The Commission's communication on "eLearning: designing tomorrow's education" of 24 May 2000 which sets out objectives in the light of the Lisbon conclusions and as a complement to the Commission's comprehensive "eEurope action plan";

8. The Commission's communication entitled "eLearning action plan - designing tomorrow's education" of 28 March 2001 which defines common activity areas and specific measures with regard to using new multimedia technologies and the internet to improve the quality of learning and which covers infrastructure, training, high-quality multimedia services and content and dialogue and cooperation at all levels.

9. INVITES the Member States:

(i) to continue their efforts concerning the effective integration of ICT in education and training systems, as an important part of the adaptation of the education and training systems requested by the Lisbon European Council Conclusions and by the Report on concrete future objectives of education systems;

(ii) to capitalise on the potential of Internet, multimedia and virtual learning environments for a better and faster realisation of lifelong learning as a basic educational principle and for providing access to educational and training opportunities for all, in particular for those who have access problems for social, economic, geographical or other reasons;

(iii) to promote the necessary provision of ICT learning opportunities within education and training systems by accelerating integration of ICT and revision of school and higher education curricula in all relevant subject areas without losing sight of the long-term objectives and the critical approach required by educational systems;

(iv) to continue their efforts in the initial and in-service training of teachers and trainers in the pedagogical use of ICT, given the need to develop the digital culture as one essential element in the teacher's basic skills and to motivate teachers and trainers to make the best pedagogical use of ICT in their own teaching;

(v) to encourage those responsible for educational and training establishments as well as local, regional and national decision-makers and other relevant stakeholders to acquire the necessary understanding of the potential offered by ICT for enhancing new ways of learning and pedagogical development in order to integrate and manage ICT effectively;

(vi) to accelerate the provision of equipment and of a quality infrastructure for education and training, taking into account technical progress: hardware, software and Internet access within educational and training establishments, and relevant human resources for ensuring help, support and maintenance services;

(vii) to encourage the development of high-quality digital teaching and learning materials to ensure quality of online offers; to provide appropriate support mechanisms to facilitate the choice of quality products for teachers and managers of educational and training establishments;

(viia) to take advantage of the opportunities that digitisation and documentary standardisation offer for facilitating access and increasing the educational and pedagogical use of public cultural resources, such as libraries, museums and archives;

(viii) to support the development and adaptation of innovative pedagogy that integrates the use of technology within broader cross-curriculum approaches; to foster new approaches, based on a more extensive use of innovative pedagogical methods and software and the use of new devices and experiences in order to stimulate learners’ knowledge and motivation and to foster, as a part of teaching, critical attitudes among learners to content on the Internet and other media;

(ix) to exploit the communication potential of ICT to foster European awareness, exchanges, and collaboration at all education and training levels, and especially in schools; to consider the possibility of integrating these European experiences in curricula, and to support and strengthen physical and virtual mobility as an important part of education, developing the new skills and competencies required to live and work in a multilingual and multicultural society;

(x) to support and stimulate virtual meeting places for co-operation and exchange of information, experience and good practice, which will take into account new pedagogic approaches and new forms of co-operation between learners, and between teachers or trainers and to stimulate European networking at all levels in the field of educational multimedia, educational use of Internet, ICT-mediated collaboration and learning, and other uses of ICT in education and training;

(xi) to capitalise and build on the experiences gained in the framework of initiatives such as the European School-net and European Network of Teacher Education Policies (ENTEP);

(xii) to foster the European dimension of joint development of ICT-mediated and ICT-complemented curricula in higher education, by encouraging further common approaches in higher education certification models and quality assurance (following the Sorbonne/Bologna process); to provide incentives to establishments, faculties or departments achieving innovative and pedagogically sound work at European level, in this area;

(xiii) to enhance research in eLearning, in particular on how to improve learning performance through ICT, pedagogical development, implications of ICT based teaching and learning and to stimulate international co-operation in this regard;

(xiv) to promote partnership between the public and private sectors as a contribution to the development of eLearning in order to encourage exchange of experiences, the dialogue on future requirements for multimedia learning materials; and technology transfer.

(xv) to monitor and analyse the process of integration and use of ICT in teaching, training and learning, to provide existing quantitative and qualitative information, and to develop improved observation and evaluation methods, in order to share experiences and to exchange good practices with a view to contributing to the follow-up to the Report on the concrete future objectives of education and training systems;

10. INVITES the Commission:

(i) to pay particular attention in its implementation of the eLearning Action Plan, to the work related to the key priorities expressed in the Report on the concrete future objective of education and training systems such as exchange of good practice and experiences between Member States, including experiences from other countries;

(ii) to continue supporting existing European portals and to encourage the development of other portals to facilitate access to educational content and to promote collaboration and exchange of experiences in the area of elearning and pedagogical development, especially with a view to:

(iii) to implement support actions at European level, in particular to share experience and information about products and services in the field of multimedia educational software and, in this context, to propose methods for assistance and advice in the selection of qualitative and pedagogical multimedia resources; the establishment of cross-border links between producers, users and managers of education and training systems in order to promote quality in products and services and better correspondence between supply and demand; to support information and communication actions and European-wide debate in all the above matters;

(iiia) to examine together with Member States whether the eSchola, a week for eLearning in Europe, could develop into an on-going activity that includes an annual high-profile event;

(iv) to support the testing of new learning environments and approaches in order to take into account the growing differentiation of learners' styles, cultures and languages, and to foster, in co-operation with Member States, virtual mobility and transnational virtual campus projects, especially in the field of languages, science and technology, art and culture;

(v) to undertake strategic studies on innovative approaches in education, on the pedagogical aspects of new technologies, on the strengths and weaknesses of the European educational multimedia sector, and on the potential of cultural institutions and science centres as new learning environments;

(vi) to intensify, in the framework of Community programmes, research, experimentation and evaluation on pedagogical, socio-economic and technological dimensions of new ICT-mediated approaches, and on their adaptation to users’ needs; to actively disseminate the results of this research with a view to facilitating its transfer to the education and training systems and to professional publishers and providers;

(vii) to support the development of European multilingual educational resources, platforms and services, taking into account, when necessary, education and training related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the use of new distribution methods, and the development and promotion of internationally accepted standards and open source software;

(viii) to report to the Council on the results of the above-mentioned activities no later than December 2002, in order to facilitate an overall evaluation of their results and decisions on further actions. An interim report shall also be presented to the Council in November 2001. "

The Council was informed by the Presidency on the forthcoming European Conference of Education Ministers in Riga on 28-30 June 2001.

The Conference will be the fifth in a series of regular conferences bringing together ministers of education from the EU, the candidate countries and the European Economic area. The theme of this year's conference, organised jointly by Latvia, the Presidency and the Commission, is "eLearn for life". It will provide opportunities for common reflection and identify concrete priorities, in particular on the topics of information and communication technologies in schools and in adult education.

The process which started four years ago with the first European Conference of Education Ministers in Warsaw, has become a very important political occasion to meet and exchange views on subjects of common concern, especially in the light of the upcoming enlargement of the Union.

The Council was informed by the Presidency on the outcome of the Conference of European ministers of higher education in Prague on 18 and 19 May 2001.

The Conference had been agreed on by the "Bologna Declaration on higher education" which was signed by 29 European ministers in June 1999 and which initiated the so-called "Bologna process". The purpose of the Conference in Prague was to assess the progress achieved with regard to the objectives set in the "Bologna Declaration" and to decide on the next steps in the process of setting up the "European higher education area".

The "Bologna process" goes beyond the EU framework and includes all the candidate countries. Its objective is to strengthen the European dimension of higher education and to stimulate student mobility. The process is due to run till 2010 and will continue with two-yearly meetings; the next one scheduled will take place in Berlin in 2003.

The Council heard information from the Commission on the following three topics:

Following preparatory work by the Commission and extensive consultations with experts and potential users in the Member States, a draft CV-format has been developed. Final technical adjustments and improvements will be made during May and June. A final proposal should be presented in October 2001.

The main purpose of a common CV-format should be to assist individuals in communicating their qualifications, competences and experiences to potential employers at home and abroad, in the most efficient way. It should also support fair treatment and is seen as an essential element for more transparency and better recognition of qualifications and competences.

During the discussion, Ministers unanimously voiced political support for the elaboration of a meaningful White Paper. They stressed that the results of the consultation process, including the numerous valuable recommendations put forward by the young people themselves, should be taken into account, and that the process should continue.

Ministers also gave the Commission some indications of the possible content of such a White Paper. Several mentioned the usefulness of defining a coherent framework for youth policy at European level. Some highlighted the appropriateness of the open method of co-ordination in this respect and the use of the "rolling agenda".

The President concluded the debate by drawing the following conclusions :

"The members of the Council noted with satisfaction that the extensive and dynamic consultation process for the Commission's forthcoming White Paper on Youth Policy in Europe had now reached its final stage. They reiterated the full support given by ministers responsible for youth affairs and stressed the importance of the involvement of young people in Europe in the course of the consultation process over the past 18 months. Moreover, they noted that these consultations highlighted the need for further co-operation in the youth field, while respecting the principle of subsidiarity. The discussions today have shown that the Council is looking forward to the forthcoming proposals of the White Paper which the members of the Council are ready to comment upon."

In view of the dangers which the Internet can present, especially for young people, when used as a vehicle for the propagation of extremist and anti-democratic views, the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, adopted the following Declaration on combating racism and xenophobia on the internet by intensifying work with young people:

"The European Union is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. Diversity and tolerance are democratic values unanimously recognised and respected in each Member State.

Anti-democratic influences exploit the Internet to communicate and disseminate their messages of racism, xenophobia and other expressions of intolerance, taking advantage of the fact that young people in Europe are frequent Internet consumers. The initiative, enterprise, creativity and social solidarity of youth should be harnessed to counteract these anti-democratic attitudes on the Internet and wherever they appear.

Europe must combat all forms of racism, xenophobia and related expressions of intolerance, at local, national, European and worldwide level.

Therefore:

The Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council:

- Emphasise the importance and responsibilities of schools, other relevant institutions and youth organisations in encouraging young people’s direct involvement in the development of democratic values, as well as in creating opportunities for promotion of democracy, human rights and tolerance.

- Stress the need to involve and educate those working with young people in order to increase their awareness and understanding of problems related to intolerance and increase their ability to apply democratic values when working with young people.

- Emphasise the importance and the need for an exchange of experience and information among the Member States, by promoting the development of the existing programmes, networks and institutions such as the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia involving authorities at national and local level as well as professionals in order to develop best practice in this area and the Community Action Plan on promoting the safer use of Internet.

- Stress that efforts should be employed to harness the initiative and creativity of young people with a view to rejecting and counteracting racism, xenophobia and related expressions of intolerance to be found on the web.

- Emphasise the need to encourage Internet service providers based in the Union to provide means for the public to report racist and xenophobic contents that they encounter on the Internet.

" I

1. The Treaty establishing the European Community provides for Community action to be aimed at encouraging the development of youth exchanges and of exchanges of socio-educational instructors.

2. The Community has been assigned the task among others of promoting harmonious, balanced and sustainable development of economic activities, a high level of employment and social protection, and a rise in living standards and the quality of life.

3. The promotion of employment, improvement of living and working conditions, and combating of exclusion are mentioned among the specific objectives of the social provisions of the Treaty.

4. The European Parliament and the Council, under their Decision (No. 1031/2000/EC) of 13 April 2000, have established the Youth Community action programme. One objective of this joint programme is to encourage young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity so that they can play an active role in society.

5. On 9 November 2000 the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council adopted a resolution on the social inclusion of young people.( 4)

5a. On 8 February 1999, the Council and the Ministers of Youth meeting within the Council, adopted a resolution on youth participation which puts the inclusion of youth in institutions of social, political, cultural and economic life in the foreground.

6. In a resolution on a youth policy for Europe, adopted by the European Parliament on 9 March 1999, the Member States and the Commission were encouraged to act promptly to approve knowledge acquired through non-formal learning, and to ensure that it is recognised in the labour market.

7. In the Presidency conclusions of the European Council meeting in Lisbon on 23–24 March 2000, one of the targets set was for the Member States, in accordance with their constitutional provisions, and also the Council and the Commission, to take certain necessary steps within their areas of competence, to fulfil inter alia the target of developing a common European format for curriculum vitae to be used on a voluntary basis in order to facilitate mobility, by helping the assessment of knowledge acquired both by educational and training institutions’ and employers. The achievement of the priority objective of mobility will be based in particular on the action plan for mobility approved by the Heads of State or Government at the European Council in Nice as well as on the draft Recommendation on "mobility within the Community for students, persons undergoing training volunteers, teachers and trainers" which, according to the conclusions of the European Council in Stockholm "should be adopted by June 2001".

7a. The memorandum on lifelong learning presented by the Commission to the Council (Education/Youth) of 9 November 2000, proposes consulting all the relevant public and private actors on six main topics including non-formal learning and the need to invest more in human resources.

8. Under its Decision of 20 December 2000, the Council established a multiannual programme for enterprise and entrepreneurship, and in particular for small and medium sized enterprises (2001 to 2005).( 5)

9. In the conclusions of the European Council meeting in Lisbon on 23–24 March 2000 entrepreneurship is mentioned as one of the five basic skills that should be provided through lifelong learning.

10. In the Employment Guidelines for 2001( 6), developing entrepreneurship and job creation is identified as one of the four pillars.

Therefore,

11. ARE OF THE VIEW that young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity are a key resource that should be better promoted in various spheres of society, for the development of their own personal and social skills as well as being an important precondition for attaining the Union’s strategic goal of becoming the world’s most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth, more and better job opportunities and greater social cohesion,( 7)

12. WELCOME in this context the emphasis put by the Lisbon Conclusions on lifelong learning as a basic component of the European social model; ( 8)

13. EMPHASISE the importance of young people’s own initiative and creativity in combating racism, xenophobia and intolerance.

13a.EMPHASISE the importance of young people initiative, enterprise and creativity when it comes to their ability to prevent social, political and cultural exclusion and strengthening young people’s power and influence over their life situation,

14. CONSIDER the results of the questionnaire survey on non-formal education on which the French Presidency, in the light of the discussions initiated by the Portuguese Presidency during the year 2000, took the initiative on 8 December 2000,

15. CONSIDER that promotion of young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity is one of the objectives of co-operation in youth issues,

INVITE the Commission to emphasise the importance of young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity in European co-operation in youth issues and in particular :

(i) In the preparation of Community co-operation policy in the youth field, to associate young people themselves and to consider their initiative, enterprise and creativity as a resource in society,

(ia.) To ensure that the youth dimension is taken into account in Community activities concerning initiative, enterprise and creativity,

(ii) In the forthcoming evaluation of the Youth programme, to report to what extent young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity are promoted within the framework of the programme,

(iii) To involve young people in development of European co-operation in the youth field and non-formal learning initiatives,

(iiia) To take particular note of young people’s own initiative, enterprise and creativity in drawing up new strategies for lifelong learning.

INVITE the Member States

(i) To encourage and make more visible in all fields the spirit of initiative, enterprise and creativity of the young people,

(ii) To improve young people’s information of available opportunities and support in starting and developing activities, including social, cultural and business activities,

(iii) To promote pupil participation and their initiative and creativity as a valuable resource in teaching and other school activities, and to contribute so that the education system stimulates active citizenship,

(iv) To promote student participation in higher education, and vocational training where young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity are a resource not only in education but also in research and other knowledge-developing activities,

(iva) To take particular note of young people’s own initiative, enterprise and creativity in drawing up new strategies for both lifelong learning and innovative methods of teaching and learning,

(v) To integrate young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity in practical national level labour-market policy measures in the youth sector,

(vi) To develop and to promote sharing of experience and dissemination of best practice with respect to both boys’ and girls’ initiative, enterprise and creativity in clubs and associations, including Youth organisations,

INVITE the Commission and Member States, within their respective spheres of competence,

(i) To integrate and promote young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity in combating exclusion,

(ii) To encourage young people’s initiative and creativity in combating racism, xenophobia and intolerance,

(iii) To promote sharing of experience and dissemination of best practice with respect to activities and projects developed on the basis of young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity,

(iv) To encourage young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity as a key driving force in the context of the strategy for creating more and better jobs in Europe,

(v) To take into account the views of pupils and students in the further implementation of community education programmes notably Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci, in order to put young people’s initiative and creativity to use,

(vi) To promote research and sharing of experience in order to increase knowledge of young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity,

(vii) To emphasise the importance of non-formal learning as a means of expressing and developing young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity, and encourage those engaged in non-formal learning to share their experience,

(viii) To promote existing co-operation between the Member States, the Commission and international organisations, especially the Council of Europe, with respect to research, methodology and assessment models concerning non-formal learning,

(ix) To clarify to what extent and how young people’s initiative, enterprise and creativity are put to use as a resource in projects conducted with the support of the EU Structural Funds,

(x) To educate young people as critical consumers, and take particular note in this context of their important role as consumers as well as practitioners in sectors such as music, film and other creative industries and to promote their enterprise, initiative and creativity in these sectors."

The UN "World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond" from 1995 is the mandate for the United Nations on youth issues. Concerns of young people are addressed in several UN conferences and special sessions but not in a comprehensive and concise manner. After the first World Conference of Ministers responsible for youth was held in Lisbon in 1998, the General Assembly of the UN recommended that the next conference be organised under the aegis of the United Nations. The recommendation also underlined the need for a more coherent cross-sectoral youth policy.

(Decisions for which statements for the Council minutes have been made available to the public are indicated by asterisks; the statements in question may be obtained from the Press Office.)

The Council adopted a Regulation regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (article 255).

(See Press Release 8441/01 - Presse 169-G).

The Council adopted a Decision concerning the conclusion on behalf of the European Community of an Exchange of Letters recording the common understanding on the accession of the Republic of Korea to the principles of international cooperation on research and development activities in the domain of intelligent manufacturing systems between the European Community and the United States of America, Japan, Australia, Canada, Norway and Switzerland.

The Council adopted a Decision on a financial contribution by the Community to certain expenditure incurred by the Member States in implementing the control, inspection and surveillance systems applicable to the common fisheries policy.

The financial reference for the implementation of these measures, set out for the period of 1 January 2001-31 December 2003, is fixed at EUR 105 million.

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Footnotes: