Audiovisual industry: training programme for professionals, MEDIA-Training 2001-2005

The Commission is gratified that the Council's common position respects by and large the substance and the spirit of the Commission's proposal. It notes that the Council shares the proposal's central objective of strengthening the competitiveness of the audiovisual industry by improving the quality of continuing training offered to professionals in the European audiovisual programme industry. However, there remains a number of significant divergences which still remain between the Commission's amended proposal and the common position. The Commission has strongly defended its proposal on these points, which will be the subject of a statement by the Commission to be inserted in the minutes of the Council meeting. These differences refer in particular to the choice of TAOs to assist the Commission in implementing the programme and also with regard to the minimum proportion of non-national participants in training measures receiving Community support. On the basis of the common position, the legislative procedure may now proceed with the seconding reading in the European Parliament. Subject to points set out above, the Commission considers that there is a solid basis for a final decision to be taken in time for the MEDIA Training programme to become operational on 1 January 2001.�