11 Education and training: a European
Quality Charter for Mobility
| (26871)
12639/05
COM(05) 450
| Draft Recommendation on transnational mobility within the Community for education and training purposes: European Quality Charter for Mobility
|
| Legal base | Articles 149 (4) and 150(4) EC; co-decision; QMV
|
| Department | Education and Skills
|
| Basis of consideration | Minister's letter of 9 May 2006
|
| Previous Committee Report | HC 34-xxvi (2005-06), para 8 (26 April 2006)
|
| To be discussed in Council | 19 May 2006
|
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
|
| Committee's decision | Cleared
|
Introduction
11.1 In 2001, the Council and the European Parliament adopted
a Recommendation on the mobility within the Community of students,
people receiving training, volunteers, teachers and trainers.[21]
The aim of the Recommendation was to eliminate obstacles to mobility,
ensure better preparation of students and teachers and recognise
the value of experience gained abroad.
11.2 In January 2004, a team of experts reported
on the implementation of the Recommendation.[22]
It concluded that there had been insufficient progress in achieving
some of the objectives of the Recommendation and that efforts
to promote mobility should be increased.
The original text
11.3 In the light of the experts' report, the Commission
proposed a draft Recommendation to:
- lay down a common framework
of principles for use in all types of organised mobility for learning;
and
- provide a reference point for users and providers
of education and training.
11.4 The document recommends Member States to adopt
the European Quality Charter for Mobility. The Charter sets out
ten guidelines on, for example, guidance and information for
students, preparation of participants before they go abroad,
and certification of study or training.
11.5 In November 2005, the Minister of State for
Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education at the Department
for Education and Skills (Bill Rammell) told us that the Government
supported the overall aim of improving the quality of student
mobility. To some extent, the practice advocated in the Charter
is already followed in the UK. However, the Government had reservations
about some aspects of the proposal.
The revised text
11.6 In April 2006, the Minister told us that the
Government was happy with a revised draft of the Recommendation.
It addressed the Government's reservations about the previous
draft. For example, the revised text recommends Member States
"to endorse and promote the use" of the Charter rather
than (as in the previous draft) that they should adopt it; and
the Introduction to the Charter has been amended to say that the
Charter is designed as a basic reference document "which
takes account of national situations and respects Member States'
competences".
11.7 The Minister told us that the revised text would
be considered by Coreper on 3 May and the Education Council on
19 May.
11.8 We made no criticism of the revised text when
we considered it on 26 April. We said that we could see the value
of advice on good practice. There was, in our view, scope for
more than one view whether practical advice of the kind contained
in the Guidelines need be presented as a Charter and included
in a formal Recommendation of the Council and the European Parliament.
But we accepted that the EC Treaty provides the necessary legal
base for the Recommendation and that the proposal is not inconsistent
with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.
11.9 We asked the Minister to tell us the outcome
of Coreper's consideration of the revised text.
The Minister's letter of 9 May 2006
11.10 The Minister tells us that Coreper made no
amendments to the revised text and that the Government remains
content with it.
Conclusion
11.11 We are now content to clear the document
from scrutiny.
21 Recommendation 2001/613/EC: OJ No. L 215. 9.8.2001,
p.30. Back
22
See (25331) 5780/04: HC 42-xi (2003-04), para 24 (25 February
2004). Back
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