WRITTEN QUESTION E-0734/01

by Roy Perry (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 March 2001)

Subject: Mobility of teachers

The 2000 Lisbon European Council called upon the Member States, in line with their constitutional rules, the Council and the Commission to take the necessary steps within their areas of competence to take steps to remove obstacles to teachers mobility by 2002 and to attract high-quality teachers.' Does the Commission that believe this target will be met, and what evidence can it supply to support its view?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(4 May 2001)

Concerning the removal of the remaining obstacles and improvement (in a bid to attract quality teachers) of the conditions under which transnational mobility can be exercised for the purposes of teaching, the Commission would like to draw attention to the existence of a number of significant political initiatives, in particular:

- the action plan for mobility(1), approved by the Nice European Council of December 2000;

- the recommendation on mobility(2), expected to be adopted under the Swedish Presidency;

- mobility also occupies an important place in the Social Agenda, which refers to the need to modernise and improve the Community rules for the protection of the social rights of workers who exercise their right to mobility;

- finally, the creation of a high-level skills and mobility taskforce(3), which will provide a solid basis for future developments in the field of free movement.

Generally speaking, these initiatives include measures such as the removal of remaining administrative and legal obstacles; reduction of linguistic and cultural obstacles; easy access to all useful information on working as a teacher in another Member State; introduction of replacement arrangements in the establishment of origin, and arrangements in the host establishment to facilitate European mobility for teachers; introduction of European training periods in accordance with procedures laid down at national level; inclusion of periods of European mobility as part of a teacher's career; safeguarding of the social rights of people exercising the right to transnational mobility.

The Commission intends to monitor the implementation of these initiatives, in particular through a group of experts whose tasks will be to facilitate the exchange of information and experience with a view to assessing progress in this field every two years and to contribute to the report which the Commission has to submit to Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.

The Commission will take on a coordinating role in this connection. The extent of the results achieved will largely depend on the willingness of Member States to adapt their legislation and practices in order to take the steps called for in these initiatives.

(1) Resolution of the Council and of the representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council of 14 December 2000 (OJ C 371, 23.12.2000).

(2) Proposal for a Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on mobility within the Community for students, persons undergoing training, young volunteers teachers and trainers (COM(1999) 708 final).

(3) Provision was made for this task force in the Communication from the Commission to the Council New European labour markets, open to all, with access for all (COM(2001) 116 final).