European year of lifelong learning, 1996 (dec. 2493/95/EC). Report

The committee adopted the report by Cristina GUTIÉRREZ CORTINES (EPP-ED, E) on the Commission report on the European Year of Lifelong Learning (1996). The committee regretted the slow start of the activities under the European Year of Lifelong Learning and said that procedures for the launch of Community actions in future should be speeded up. It pointed out that general education and training were not only important for personal development and improving one's chances for the future, but also represented a significant factor in the Member States' attempts to meet the challenges of global competition. The committee therefore regretted that the budget for the European Year of Lifelong Learning 1996 was only EUR 8.4 m for the 15 Member States and their three EEA partners. It also regretted the lack of qualitative data in the Commission's report and called on the Commission to improve the quality of future evaluation reports. The Commission was also urged to define various concepts and aspects of vocational training and lifelong learning more precisely in future programmes and to rapidly implement action programmes and specific measures in the context of a strategy for lifelong education and learning, in coordination with the Socrates II and Leonardo programmes. Lastly, the report called on the Commission to ensure that priority projects included vocational training in the sectors where innovation and change were most urgently needed. �