15.6.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 169/1

Council conclusions of 11 May 2012 on fostering the creative and innovative potential of young people

2012/C 169/01

THE COUNCIL AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHING THE COUNCIL,

HAVING REGARD TO:

—

the Council Resolution of 27 November 2009 on a renewed framework for cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018), which calls for support to ensure young people’s participation in representative democracy and civil society at all levels and in society at large and furthermore to support development of young people’s talent and entrepreneurial skills with a view to enhancing their employability and future job opportunities and promoting personal development, enhanced learning capabilities, intercultural skills, understanding and respect for cultural diversity as well as the development of new and flexible competences and skills for future job opportunities,

—

the Europe 2020 strategy and its flagship initiative ‘An agenda for new skills and jobs’ and ‘Youth on the Move’, and especially the headline target on employment (aiming to raise to 75 % the employment rate for women and men aged 20-64, including through the greater participation of young people, older workers and low-skilled workers and the better integration of legal migrants) and the headline target on education and training (improving education levels, in particular by aiming to reduce school drop-out rates to less than 10 % and by increasing the share of 30-34 years old having completed tertiary or equivalent education to at least 40 %),

—	the Council conclusions of 22 May 2008 on promoting creativity and innovation through education and training,

—

the Council conclusions of 27 November 2009 on promoting a creative generation: developing the creativity and innovative capacity of young people through cultural expression by promoting wider access to culture and cultural expression through both formal education and non-formal learning, in particular through structured and strategic partnerships at institutional and policy level,

—

the Council Resolution of 19 November 2010 on youth work ‘stresses the importance of ensuring that youth work is fully incorporated into the Youth on the Move initiative. It must equip all young people, in particular those with fewer opportunities, with the relevant skills and key competences needed for the society and economy of 2020’,

—	the Council Resolution of 19 May 2011 on encouraging new and effective forms of participation of all young people in democratic life in Europe which recognises that young people have valuable contributions to make to the development of society,

—	the Council conclusions of 29 November 2011 on cultural and creative competences and their role in building intellectual capital in Europe,

—	the Statement of the Members of the European Council of 30 January 2012 which calls for efforts to stimulate employment, especially for young people, including by promoting their first work experience and their participation in the labour market,

RECOGNISE THAT:

—

the European Union faces a considerable number of challenges, including the economic and social consequences of the global economic and financial crisis leading to insufficient growth and progress, high youth unemployment and restricted opportunities for young people, as well as a lack of social inclusion and cohesion,

—

the current youth unemployment rate in Europe at over 20 % is twice as high as for the whole working population and is likely to have serious short-term and long-term implications for the young people affected, including young people with additional or specific needs or fewer opportunities who may have limited qualifications,

—	there is a growing demand for creativity, innovation, adaptability and advanced communication skills in the labour market and in social life as well as a need to develop entrepreneurial skills,

—	young people’s participation in formal democratic processes such as elections is often lower than that of the population as a whole,

CONSIDER THAT:

—	creative and innovative potential of young people through entrepreneurship is one of the keys to achieving smart, sustainable and inclusive growth,

—	entrepreneurship education can encourage young people to have a more positive attitude towards education, have higher ambitions for their future education and career, feel they can contribute to society and have a more optimistic outlook on the future,

—

young people’s active engagement in society e.g. through youth work, voluntary activities and civic organisations can harness their creativity and innovative capacity and thereby their active citizenship and increase their prospects on the labour market and for creating self-employment opportunities,

—	non-formal and informal learning, as well as formal education and training, are indispensable to develop competences and skills for employability, achieve better inclusion of young people on the labour market and in society in general,

—	youth work and youth organisations are channels for developing skills and competences of young people, including young people with fewer opportunities,

—	acquisition of cultural competences is fundamental to the development of young people's intellectual capital and promotes the formation of their creativity and their innovation capacity,

—

young people’s creative use of social media should be further stimulated, alongside efforts to strengthen their ability to access media and to understand, critically evaluate, create and communicate media content, with the purpose of enhancing their participation in society as a whole, including building social capital through linking communities and individuals online and at the same time giving society the benefit of their competences and skills,

AGREE THAT:

—	participation of young people in the labour market is essential to benefit from their creative and innovative potential as well as to ensure active citizenship and social inclusion,

—	young people’s creativity, innovative capacity and entrepreneurial skills as tools for active participation in society, and increased employability should be fostered, through appropriate funding and by developing partnerships between relevant sectors aiming at stimulating innovation,

—	competences and skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning should be better promoted and preferably validated in order to strengthen young people’s capacities and future role on the labour market e.g. as employees or entrepreneurs,

—	youth initiatives — as currently supported by the Youth in Action programme — are an important instrument to inspire and to support creative youth entrepreneurship,

INVITE THE MEMBER STATES TO:

support young people’s creativity, innovative capacity and talent aiming at ensuring sufficient opportunities for personal and social development through non-formal and informal learning, voluntary activities, active citizenship, intercultural cooperation and youth work e.g. by ensuring appropriate and sustainable funding where possible;

2.	stimulate strategic partnerships between youth organisations, authorities at local, regional and national level as well as the private sector to organise projects and events led by young people;

3.	facilitate and improve the recognition and validation of non-formal and informal learning;

4.	encourages initiatives to promote co-ownership with young people on youth-related issues through a dialogue in which all actors can express ideas to engage young people in democratic decision-making procedures at all levels;

5.	promote and disseminate information about young people’s creativity, innovation capacity and talent through exchange of good practice,

INVITE THE MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION TO:

establish a thematic expert group with the participation of national experts appointed by Member States under the principle of the open method of coordination and in accordance with the principles set out in the Annex with the following objective:

—	to share best practice on how to promote the creativity and innovative capacity of young people by identifying competences and skills acquired through non-formal and informal learning relevant for employability;

address the creativity and innovative capacity of young people as well as their active citizenship and social inclusion through the priorities of the Youth in Action programme and, without prejudice to ongoing negotiations, possibly other existing and future EU programmes and funds, including the European Social Fund;

3.	consider initiating research on media use in relation to democratic participation at national and European level in order to support increase of democratic participation via tailored, youth-friendly and transparent communication;

4.	make optimal use of the 2013 European Year of Citizens (1) with a view to focusing on the free mobility and full participation of young people in European society, and strengthen the awareness of their rights and responsibilities as EU citizens, cohesion and mutual understanding of one another,

INVITE THE COMMISSION TO:

1.	report back to the Youth Working Party on the results of this thematic expert group at the latest by the end of 2013;

2.	disseminate the results of the upcoming study on ‘Youth participation in democratic life in Europe’, with a special focus on its possible implications for employability of young people;

3.	make a proposal for a Council recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning as announced under the Europe 2020 flagship initiatives ‘Youth on the Move’ and ‘An agenda for new skills and jobs’.

(1) Subject to the formal adoption of the proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Year of Citizens (2013), doc. 13478/11.

ANNEX

Principles relating to the membership and functioning of the thematic expert group established by the Member States and the Commission

Membership

—	The participation of Member States in the work of the group is voluntary and Member States can join them at any time.

—	Member States interested in participating in the work of the thematic expert group will ensure that the nominated experts have relevant experience at national level and will ensure effective communication with competent national authorities. The Commission will coordinate the nomination exercise.

—	The thematic expert group can decide to invite other participants: independent experts, stakeholders and representatives of European third countries.

Working procedures

—	The thematic expert group will be responsible for appointing its chair or co-chairs at the first expert group meeting. It will also prepare a work schedule with a view to delivering concrete and useable results on the subject requested.

—	The Commission will provide expertise, as well as logistical and secretarial support to the work of the thematic expert group. As far as possible, it will support the group by other suitable means.

—	The thematic expert group will meet in Brussels as a main rule, but can organise meetings outside Brussels when invited by a Member State.

15.6.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 169/5

Council conclusions of 10 May 2012 on the digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and digital preservation

2012/C 169/02

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

CONSIDERING THAT:

—	The digitisation and online accessibility of the Member States’ cultural material and its long-term digital preservation are essential to enable access for all to culture and knowledge in the digital era and to promote the richness and diversity of European cultural heritage.

—

Digitised cultural material is an important resource for European cultural and creative industries (1). Digitisation and online accessibility of Member States' cultural heritage, considered both in a national and cross-border context, contributes to economic growth and job creation and to the achievement of the digital single market through the increasing offer of new and innovative online products and services.

—	Coordinated action at Union level is necessary to create synergies between national efforts and ensure that online accessibility of Europe’s cultural heritage reaches a critical mass.

—

The context for digitisation efforts and for collaboration at European level has changed since the Council adopted in 2006 conclusions on digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and digital preservation (2). Europeana was launched in 2008 as a common multilingual access point to Europe’s digital cultural heritage and the agenda for its further development was set out in the 2010 Council conclusions on ‘Europeana: next steps’ (3);

1. WELCOMES:

—	the Commission Recommendation of 27 October 2011 on the digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and digital preservation (4) (2011/711/EU) as part of the Digital Agenda for Europe (5);

2. RECOGNISES:

—	the ongoing efforts in Member States to digitise and make accessible online the material of cultural institutions, as well as the efforts to provide funding for digitisation in a time of economic crisis;

—	the valuable work done by Europeana, by the Member States’ institutions and national aggregators contributing to Europeana in terms of content and coordination;

—	that although progress has been made in digitising Europe’s cultural heritage, further steps are necessary to turn this heritage into a lasting asset for Europe's citizens and economy in the digital age;

3. UNDERLINES:

—	the need to bring out the richness of Europe’s cultural heritage in the online environment and to promote the creation of content and new online services as part of the information society and the knowledge-based economy;

—

the vital importance of ensuring the long-term viability of Europeana, including in terms of governance and funding, and the need to further develop it as a common multilingual access point to Europe’s digital cultural heritage and a valuable resource for the creative industries, notably by improving the quality and the variety of the digitised cultural material from all categories (text, audiovisual, museum objects, archival records etc.);

—	the need for a cooperative effort by the Member States and the Commission to promote quality and technical standards for the content brought into Europeana;

—	the need to continue work on technical standards for digitisation and metadata, including through the framework of Europeana, for the benefit of both accessibility and long-term preservation of digital material;

—	the underlying vision of working with all relevant partners to avoid a ‘20th century black hole’ in the material available through Europeana and the need to make more in-copyright material available through the site;

—	the need to actively promote voluntary agreements (6) on the large scale digitisation and online availability of out-of-commerce works and to take the necessary measures to provide for the required legal certainty in a national and cross-border context;

—	that the digitisation and online accessibility of Europe’s cultural heritage should be carried out in full respect of intellectual property rights;

4. TAKES NOTE OF:

—

the report ‘The New Renaissance’ (7) by the Reflection group (‘Comité des Sages’) on bringing Europe’s cultural heritage online, and of the Commission’s recent legislative proposal regarding digital service infrastructures, including on funding of Europeana, as part of the Connecting Europe Facility (8), as well as the proposals regarding orphan works (9) and re-use of public sector information (10);

5. INVITES THE MEMBER STATES TO:

—

take the necessary steps in line with the priorities outlined in the Annex in order to:

—	consolidate their strategies and targets for the digitisation of cultural material;

—	consolidate the organisation of digitisation and the provision of funding for digitisation, including through promoting the use of public-private partnerships;

—	improve the framework conditions for the online accessibility and use of cultural material;

—	contribute to the further development of Europeana, including by encouraging cultural institutions to bring all relevant digitised cultural material into the site;

—	ensure long-term digital preservation;

while taking into account the different levels of progress on, and approaches to, digitisation as well as the overall budgetary consolidation efforts being made in Member States;

6. INVITES THE COMMISSION TO:

—	continue to support Europeana as a common multilingual access point to Europe’s digital cultural heritage in line with the 2010 Council conclusions on Europeana;

—	gather, analyse and disseminate results and experience gained at national and Union level; present on this basis every two years a report on progress on digitisation, online accessibility and digital preservation;

—	support the exchange of information and good practices including on public-private partnerships and standards for digitisation;

7. INVITES THE MEMBER STATES, THE COMMISSION AND EUROPEANA, WITHIN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPETENCES, TO:

—	continue, in line with the 2010 Council conclusions on Europeana, the work on the content roadmap for Europeana, including the masterpieces of Europe's cultural heritage as selected in the individual Member States;

—	raise awareness of Europeana amongst the general public;

—	promote the use of material accessible through Europeana and the related metadata for innovative purposes in full respect of intellectual property rights;

—	further develop Europeana as a user-friendly access point;

—	make concrete progress in the discussions on the governance structure of Europeana.

(1) According to the European Competitiveness Report 2010, creative industries account for 3,3 % of EU GDP and 3 % of employment in the EU.

(2) OJ C 297, 7.12.2006, p. 1.

(3) OJ C 137, 27.5.2010, p. 19.

(4) OJ L 283, 29.10.2011, p. 39.

(5) COM(2010) 245 final/2.

(6) On 20 September 2011 a Memorandum of Understanding on the Key Principles on the Digitisation and Making Available of Out-of-Commerce Works was signed in Brussels by stakeholders’ representatives, following a stakeholders’ dialogue sponsored by the Commission.

(7) http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/digital_libraries/comite_des_sages/index_en.htm

(8) COM(2011) 665 final/3.

(9) COM(2011) 289 final.

(10) COM(2011) 877 final.

ANNEX

Priority actions and indicative timetable

The suggested table of activities and objectives is an indicative roadmap for work by Member States in the years 2012-15.

1.	To consolidate their strategies and targets for the digitisation of cultural material by:

2.	To consolidate the organisation of digitisation and the provision of funding for digitisation, including through promoting the use of public-private partnerships by: (1)

3.	To improve the framework conditions for the online accessibility and use of cultural material by:

4.	To contribute to the further development of Europeana by:

5.	To ensure long-term digital preservation by:

(1) These conclusions do not prejudge the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework.

15.6.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 169/9

Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 10 May 2012 on combating doping in recreational sport

2012/C 169/03

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES,

1. RECALLING:

1.	The European Union Work Plan for Sport for 2011-2014 (1), adopted on 20 May 2011, which highlighted the fight against doping as a priority theme and which established an Expert Group on anti-doping,

The Commission’s White Paper on Sport of 11 July 2007 (2) which called on all actors with a responsibility for public health to take the health risk aspects of doping into account, and the Commission’s Communication of 18 January 2011 on Developing the European Dimension in Sport (3), which stated that doping remains an important threat to sport and that use of doping substances by amateur athletes poses serious public health hazards and calls for preventive action, including in fitness centres,

3.	That European Union action in the field of sport shall be aimed at, inter alia, protecting the physical and moral integrity of sportsmen and sportswomen, especially the youngest sportsmen and sportswomen,

2. CONSIDERING THAT:

Doping in recreational sport and recreational sport environments such as fitness centres, is an important problem across EU Member States which:

—	threatens the health of individual doping users

—	threatens persons in the doping users’ immediate environment

—	harms the integrity of recreational sports

—	is linked to negative societal phenomena, including criminal activities such as illegal trafficking of doping substances

—	in particular affects young people,

2.	Knowledge of doping in recreational sport, including the scope and magnitude of the problem and effective measures of prevention, education, control, sanctioning and recovery from substance abuse, is limited at both an EU and an international level (4),

3.	While international cooperation in relation to the fight against doping in elite sports is well developed, cooperation in relation to the fight against doping in recreational sport, between EU Member States as well as internationally, has so far been limited,

4.	The fight against doping in recreational sport should not divert attention from the fight against doping in elite sports, but rather supplement the efforts to secure clean and safe sport environments at all levels,

While the main motive for using doping in elite sport is performance enhancement, studies indicate that users of doping in recreational sports also have a range of other motives, including aesthetics, self confidence building and experiencing euphoria from using doping substances, and that the problem of doping in recreational sport should be understood and dealt with accordingly,

While the World Anti Doping Code (the Code) focuses on the fight against doping in international and national elite sports, the Code also states that some National Anti Doping Organisations (NADOs) may elect to test and apply anti-doping rules to recreational-level or masters competitors, but that the NADOs are not required to apply all aspects of the Code to such persons and instead can establish specific national rules for doping control for non-international-level or non-national-level competitors without being in conflict with the Code (5),

3. CALL ON EU MEMBER STATES TO:

1.	Encourage and contribute to the development of educational programmes, information campaigns or other preventive measures regarding doping in recreational sport and related issues that could be applied by the sports movement, by the fitness sector, and by the education system and the health sector,

2.	Promote close cooperation between public authorities, the sport movement and the fitness sector, for instance by sharing information on prevalence and prevention and developing joint projects, guidelines and regulation in the fight against doping in recreational sport,

Encourage adequate and effective information sharing and cooperation between national and international authorities dealing with aspects of the problem of doping in recreational sport and with investigation and sanctioning of illegal sale and trafficking of doping substances, including authorities responsible for sport, anti doping, health, education and police and customs authorities,

Promote a framework of effective and appropriate national measures for investigation and sanctioning of the production, trafficking, distribution and possession of doping substances in recreational sport in order to restrict the availability and use of such substances, for example through control and related measures in relevant recreational sport environments such as fitness centres,

Support the efforts of WADA to develop effective frameworks of cooperation with Europol, Interpol, the World Customs Organization, the pharmaceutical industry, and other relevant international stakeholders in order to restrict the availability of doping substances that can be used both in elite and recreational sports,

4. AGREE TO:

Extend the mandate of the Expert Group on Anti-Doping established under the EU Work Plan for Sport 2011-2014 by adding, while stressing that priority should be given to the actions described in the Work Plan relating to the EU contribution to the World Anti-Doping Code review process, the following action: to collect, including through cooperation with relevant stakeholders, best practices in the fight against doping in recreational sport in EU Member States, inter alia, in relation to prevention, education, control and related measures as well as recovery from substance abuse, and on this basis, by end-2013, to present a set of recommendations on combating doping in recreational sport that can be applied at both EU and national level.

5. INVITE THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO:

1.	On the basis of previous work in this field initiate a study with the aim of developing the evidence base for policies designed to combat doping in recreational sport, including through information gathering on the use of doping substances in recreational sport in EU Member States,

Promote and support the sharing of best practices in the EU regarding the fight against doping in recreational sport, inter alia, through support to trans-national public awareness campaigns and dissemination of the results of the projects regarding the fight against doping supported through the Preparatory Actions in the field of sport as well as the results of any projects regarding doping in recreational sport to be supported in the future. The sharing of best practices could relate to:

—	Education, information and public awareness raising

—	Testing for doping substances in recreational sport

—	Treatment and recovery from abuse of doping in recreational sport

—	Labelling and controlling content in nutritional supplements in order to avoid inadvertent intake of doping substances

—	Legislative measures that have proven effective at tackling doping in recreational sports in individual EU Member States.

(1) OJ C 162, 1.6.2011, p. 1.

(2) doc. 11811/07.

(3) doc. 5597/11.

(4) Among more recent studies on the subject are the network projects regarding doping in recreational sport co-financed through the 2010 Preparatory Actions in the field of sport, ‘Fitness Against Doping’ and ‘Strategy for Stopping Steroids’.

(5) World Anti Doping Code, World Anti Doping Agency, 2009, p. 126 (Appendix I, Definitions, Athlete).

15.6.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 169/11

Council conclusions of 11 May 2012 on the employability of graduates from education and training

2012/C 169/04

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAVING REGARD TO:

—

the Council conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (‘ET 2020’) (1), which given the importance of enhancing employability through education and training in order to meet current and future labour market challenges invited the Commission to present a proposal for a possible European benchmark in this area,

—

the conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 18 November 2010 on the priorities for enhanced European cooperation in vocational education and training for the period 2011-2020 (2), which emphasised that countries should promote partnerships between education and training providers, social partners and other relevant stakeholders in order to ensure a better transfer of information on labour market needs and to provide a better match between those needs and the development of knowledge, skills and competences,

—

the Council conclusions of 14 February 2011 on the role of education and training in the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy (3), which stressed the importance for enhancing employability of the transition towards learning outcomes-based qualification systems and the greater validation of skills and competences acquired in non-formal and informal contexts,

—	the Europe 2020 flagship initiative ‘An agenda for new skills and jobs: a European contribution towards full employment’, which is aimed at enhancing the performance of education and training systems and seeking to equip young people with the relevant skills and competences for labour market needs,

—

the Council conclusions of 17 June 2011 on promoting youth employment to achieve the Europe 2020 objectives (4), which stressed that the European Social Fund has an important role to play in improving the employment prospects and skills levels of young people and implementing policies at the national, regional and local level in order to increase the labour market access and employability of young people,

—

the Council conclusions of 28 November 2011 on the modernisation of higher education (5), which called for efforts to strengthen links between higher education institutions, employers and labour market institutions in order to take greater account of labour market needs in study programmes, to improve the match between skills and jobs, and to develop active labour market policies aimed at promoting graduate employment,

—	the 2012 Annual Growth Survey (6), which calls on Member States to support in particular the employment of young people, including by promoting quality apprenticeships and traineeship contracts and by adapting education and training systems to reflect labour market conditions and skills demands,

—

the Statement of the Members of the European Council of 30 January 2012 (7), which calls for efforts to stimulate employment, especially for young people, including by promoting their first work experience and their participation in the labour market, with the aim of ensuring that within a few months of leaving school young people receive a good quality offer of employment, continued education, an apprenticeship, or a traineeship,

RECALLING THAT:

—	empowering young Europeans to acquire the knowledge, skills and competences needed to ensure a smooth transition to the EU labour market and to further develop their career prospects is more essential than ever, as the number of young jobseekers continues to rise steeply,

—

the current economic crisis accentuates the importance of the education to work transition. Ensuring that young people leave education and training with the best possible support to obtain their first job is critical. Young people who face unemployment or a slow transition may experience long-term adverse effects in terms of future labour market success, earnings or family formation. This may in turn jeopardise public and private investment in their education and training, which results in a loss for society as a whole. This is particularly true in the context of demographic challenges, which put added pressure on Europe's increasingly scarce young people to integrate quickly and effectively into the labour market,

—	adding a benchmark (8) on the share of employed graduates (9) which focuses on the transition from education and training into the labour market would allow policy exchanges to be taken up within the ‘ET 2020’ framework on measures to enhance the employability of graduates,

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THAT:

—

the share of employed graduates — that is to say, the share of the employed population aged between 20 and 34 years old who graduated one, two or three years before the reference year and who are not currently enrolled in any further education or training activity — fell by almost 4,5 percentage points between 2008 (81 %) and 2010 (76,5 %),

—	sufficient data are already available to allow monitoring of the employability of graduates from education and training, without creating additional administrative burdens and costs for either Member States or Eurostat (10),

ACKNOWLEDGES THAT:

—

employability — that is, the combination of factors which enable individuals to progress towards or enter employment, to stay in employment and to progress during their career — is a complex concept, involving not only each individual's characteristics, skills, attitudes and motivation, but also other external factors which lie beyond the scope of education and training policy, such as labour market regulations, demography, the structure of the economy and the overall economic situation,

—	strengthening employability is a policy concern for all public authorities, including those responsible for education and training and for employment. At European level, it is a matter of relevance to the Europe 2020 strategy and the ‘ET 2020’ framework,

—

education and training's support for the employability of young people is partly covered by the relevant Europe 2020 headline targets and existing ‘ET 2020’ benchmarks, such as those on tertiary educational attainment, early leavers from education and training, adult participation in lifelong learning and low-achievers in reading, mathematics and science,

—

the transition from education and training to employment is not yet addressed, however, within the current monitoring framework. In this phase, the contribution of education and training systems to the employability of graduates could for instance be made through career guidance and counselling, through stronger links between education and training institutions and relevant stakeholders, through the alignment of curricula with labour market needs, through strengthening entrepreneurship education, through placements in companies, through more transparent information on learning outcomes and through more responsive education and training policies which reflect labour market skills needs, and through encouraging all young people to pursue their studies beyond general upper-secondary education. Attention should also be paid to the employability of young people with special needs on the labour market,

—

the development of a European benchmark on the share of employed graduates would help to identify education and training policies which improve the transition between education and training and work and help to boost employment success. A European benchmark measuring the share of employed graduates, accompanied by relevant analysis on the qualitative aspects such as the match between the supply of knowledge, skills and competences and the occupation obtained up to three years after graduation, would also help to enhance European cooperation on policies in the field of education and training which focus on the transition from education and training to work. It would help to monitor the progress of Member States towards the increased employability of graduates, as well as to identify examples of good practice and support the development of peer-learning initiatives,

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES:

while taking account of the different situations in individual Member States,

1.	to adopt measures at national level which are aimed at increasing the employability of graduates leaving the education and training system, with a view to achieving the European benchmark as outlined in the Annex hereto, whilst also promoting the match between educational attainment and occupation;

on the basis of the available sources and tools, to monitor the share of employed graduates from education and training, with a view to enhancing the evidence base for policy development on the interface between education and training on the one hand and work on the other hand, as outlined in the Annex;

3.	to promote the implementation and use of EU programmes, tools and frameworks designed to support employability, mobility and lifelong learning, including Europass, Youthpass, EQF, ECTS, ECVET and EQAVET;

to enhance cooperation between education and training institutions and relevant stakeholders in the world of work at local, regional and national level, with a view to promoting apprenticeships, internships and placements in companies during the earliest phase of transition from education and training to the labour market,

INVITES THE COMMISSION TO:

examine, in particular through the annual Education and Training Monitor and the Joint Report on the implementation of the ‘ET2020’ strategic framework, the degree to which the European benchmark is being achieved.

The Education and Training Monitor will also provide information on the European benchmark as regards early school leavers, although this target group is not included in the set objective;

enhance European cooperation on policy development in the field of education and training for employability through the analysis and monitoring of such education and training, including by:

—	examining the specific impact of education and training policies on the transition from education and training to work,

—	analysing the quality of first jobs by matching educational attainment and job content, including the match between the supply of knowledge, skills and competences and the occupation pursued during the three first years on the labour market;

3.	cooperate closely with other relevant international institutions, such as the ILO, OECD and UNESCO, in order to exchange analyses and expertise on the transition of graduates to the labour market,

AND INVITES THE MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION TO:

1.	collect qualitative information and examples of good practice aimed at complementing the quantitative monitoring and enhancing the foundation for evidence-based policy making, using mainly existing sources, including the ‘ET 2020’ reporting arrangements;

identify examples of good practice in the Member States concerning the smooth transition from education and training to work by setting up an expert group on the transition of graduates from education and training to the labour market, thereby contributing to the ‘ET 2020’ priorities. The group should consist of national experts appointed by the Member States and experts representing the relevant social partners appointed by the Commission, and should, with due regard to subsidiarity:

(i)	examine how to incorporate more practical elements into education and training, for instance through applied learning or dual education, as a way of enhancing the employability of graduates;

(ii)	consider — in close collaboration with the Indicators Group of the Employment Committee and the Standing Group on Indicators and Benchmarks — the most suitable indicators for monitoring which education and training policies might help boost the employability of graduates;

(iii)

report back to the Council on the outcomes of its work by the end of 2014 in the report on the implementation of the ‘ET 2020’ strategic framework;

3.	develop, in cooperation with appropriate bodies in the areas of education and training and employment (including the Employment Committee), peer-learning activities on the transition phase from education and training to work.

(1) OJ C 119, 28.5.2009, p. 2.

(2) OJ C 324, 1.12.2010, p. 5.

(3) OJ C 70, 4.3.2011, p. 1.

(4) 11838/11.

(5) OJ C 372, 20.12.2011, p. 36.

(6) 17229/11 + ADD 1, 2 and 3.

(7) SN 5/12.

(8) As outlined in the 2009 strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training, this is a reference level of European average performance which is not to be considered as a concrete target for each country to reach, but rather as a collective target which Member States are invited to contribute to achieving (OJ C 119, 28.5.2009, p. 7).

(9) For the purpose of this text, the term ‘graduate’ refers to any person who has left education and training with at least upper-secondary or post-secondary, non-tertiary qualifications (ISCED 3 to ISCED 4, excluding ISCED 3 C short), or with tertiary qualifications (ISCED 5 and 6).

(10) Towards a benchmark on the contribution of education and training to employability: Methodological note (EUR 24616 EN 2011).

ANNEX

A reference level of European average performance

(‘European benchmark’)

on the share of employed graduates from education and training

As a means of monitoring progress and identifying challenges, as well as contributing to evidence-based policy making, the Member States agreed in 2009 that reference levels of European average performance (‘European benchmarks’) should support the objectives outlined in the Council conclusions which they adopted on 12 May 2009 on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (1). Agreement was reached at the time on five European benchmarks and a request submitted for the Commission to submit proposals on further benchmarks, including one in the area of employability.

Having examined the proposals contained in the Commission staff working paper of 24 May 2011 (2), the Member States also now agree to the following benchmark on the share of employed graduates from education and training. The benchmark complements those already adopted in May 2009 and the one on learning mobility adopted by the Council in November 2011 (3). As such, it should be based solely on existing comparable data. It should take account of the different starting points of individual Member States and the various possibilities they have for enhancing performance through education and training policies. It should not be considered as a concrete target for individual countries to reach by 2020. Rather, Member States are invited to consider, on the basis of national priorities and whilst taking account of changing economic circumstances, how and to what extent they can contribute to the collective achievement of the European benchmark in the area outlined below through national actions.

Benchmark on the share of employed graduates from education and training

Employability — that is, the combination of factors which enable individuals to progress towards or enter employment, to stay in employment and to progress during their career — is a complex concept, involving not only each individual's characteristics, skills, attitudes and motivation, but also other external factors which lie beyond the scope of education and training policy, such as labour market regulations, demography, the structure of the economy and the overall economic situation.

Against this background, and with a view to highlighting what education and training policies can do to boost employment success and to increasing the employability of graduates (4) who are not currently enrolled in any further education and training activity, Member States accordingly agree to the following benchmark:

The target level refers to an EU average and does not constitute a national target for individual Member States.

The benchmark should allow for a breakdown according to specific sub-populations. There should in particular be a disaggregation of data based on ISCED (8) levels, educational orientation and the field of education and training which would allow, for example, a distinction to be drawn between the performance of upper-secondary graduates as they emerge from general education or from vocational education and training, and between the performance of higher education graduates according to the field of education and training.

Moreover, an analysis of the extent to which education and training fields and levels match the types of occupation which graduates pursue during their first years of employment should be undertaken and could be based on the ISCED-measured educational attainment.

The above benchmark will be examined and assessed by Member States and the Commission as part of the ‘ET 2020’ Joint Report in 2014, in order to decide whether a revision of the indicators is needed.

(1) OJ C 119, 28.5.2009, p. 7.

(2) Doc. 10697/11.

(3) OJ C 372, 20.12.2011, p. 31.

(4) For the purpose of this text, the term ‘graduate’ refers to any person aged 20-34 who has left education and training with at least upper-secondary or post-secondary, non-tertiary qualifications (ISCED 3 to ISCED 4, excluding ISCED 3C short), or with tertiary qualifications (ISCED 5 and 6).

(5) The 1997 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) classifies educational activities in seven broad levels, where ISCED 0-2 and 3C short cover lower secondary education. In the estimation of appropriate levels for the 2020 target, only two levels of graduates are considered, namely graduates with upper-secondary education attainment (ISCED 3), post-secondary, non-tertiary (ISCED 4) and tertiary education attainment (ISCED 5-6). Those who graduated from general upper-secondary education (ISCED 3A) should be encouraged to participate in further education and training. The group of graduates with less than upper-secondary attainment (ISCED 0-2 and ISCED C3 short) was excluded from the estimation due to small sample size (in the 20-34 age group there are only few recent school leavers with less than upper-secondary education), and due to the fact that already in 2003 Member States agreed to reduce early leavers from education and training to less than 10 % of all 18-24 year old (a target confirmed by the Europe 2020 strategy).

(6) The lower bound of 20 years was selected to align with the new age bracket introduced with the employment rate headline target of the Europe 2020 strategy (i.e. 20-64). Given that across Europe the majority of pupils complete their upper-secondary education (ISCED 3, excluding ISCED 3C short) and post-secondary, non-tertiary education (ISCED 4) between the age of 18 and 20, this lower age bound is expected to allow analysing the employability of that cohort one, two or three years after the completion of their degree. The upper bound of 34 years old was in turn chosen in correspondence with the current benchmark on tertiary attainment, which is measured on the 30-34 year-old cohort. Again, this upper bound should therefore ensure an optimal coverage of the newly graduated population from tertiary education (ISCED 5-6).

(7) Measured as the share of the employed population aged between 20 and 34 years old who graduated one, two or three years before and are not currently enrolled in any further education or training activity. Individuals currently engaged in any form of education or training are excluded to ensure that the employability of that cohort may not be altered by the fact that the individual is currently engaged in an updating/upgrading of his/her skills. Given the lack of longitudinal data to measure precisely the flow of graduates into employment, the average over the three year-end points following graduation is used. This approach helps to smooth out the possible impact of short unemployment periods which are common in the early years of employment.

(8) As indicated above, the current 1997 International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) classifies educational activities in 7 broad levels from 0 to 6. ISCED 2011 will be implemented in 2014 with nine levels in all EU education data sources. This implies that tertiary education will be further differentiated into Bachelor, Master and Doctorate level and that the boundaries between lower and upper secondary education will be better defined.

15.6.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 169/16

Euro exchange rates (1)

14 June 2012

2012/C 169/05

1 euro =

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,2551
JPY	Japanese yen	99,51
DKK	Danish krone	7,4312
GBP	Pound sterling	0,80920
SEK	Swedish krona	8,8373
CHF	Swiss franc	1,2008
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	7,5070
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	25,540
HUF	Hungarian forint	297,63
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,6968
PLN	Polish zloty	4,3150
RON	Romanian leu	4,4578
TRY	Turkish lira	2,2890
AUD	Australian dollar	1,2626
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,2885
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	9,7379
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,6143
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,6102
KRW	South Korean won	1 464,11
ZAR	South African rand	10,5901
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	7,9411
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,5508
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	11 844,46
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	3,9990
PHP	Philippine peso	53,460
RUB	Russian rouble	41,0070
THB	Thai baht	39,586
BRL	Brazilian real	2,5912
MXN	Mexican peso	17,6279
INR	Indian rupee	70,0530

(1) Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

15.6.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 169/19

Call for proposals — EACEA/20/12

under the Lifelong Learning Programme

Implementation of the European strategic objectives in education and training (ET 2020) (stakeholder cooperation, experimentation and innovation)

2012/C 169/08

Part A —

Support to national implementation and awareness-raising of the objectives of European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020)

Part B —

Support to implementation of innovative learning environments using ICT (called ‘creative classrooms’) in the frame of transnational cooperation in the development and implementation of transversal education and training policy issues linked to the priorities set out in Europe 2020 and ET 2020

1. Objectives and description

The general objective of the call for proposals is:

to promote the implementation of the four strategic objectives of the ‘Strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020)’ (lifelong learning and mobility; quality and efficiency; equity, social cohesion and active citizenship; creativity and innovation) and the strategic priorities agreed for 2012-14 through activities improving institutional commitment, coordination and partnership with all relevant stakeholders at national/regional/local levels, by:

—	supporting awareness-raising and institutional commitment, coordination and partnership with all stakeholders, with a focus on the role of education and training in preventing and reducing youth unemployment (part A),

—

supporting trans-national co-operation (policy experimentation, joint policy development, exchange of good practice and innovation) in the development and implementation of innovative policy approaches in line with the priorities set out in Europe 2020 and ET 2020, with a focus on ‘creative classrooms’ (part B).

Transnational cooperation may occur at national, regional or local level; it may cover different types (formal, non-formal, informal) and levels (pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, adult, initial and continuing vocational education and training) of learning and may include links to other sectors (e.g. employment and business).

2. Eligible organisations

This call is open to organisations established in the countries participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme.

Applications must be submitted by a legal person having the legal capacity. Natural persons may not apply for a grant.

Beneficiaries can be national or regional ministries in charge of education and training and lifelong learning policies, and other authorities/bodies and stakeholders’ organisations active in the development and implementation of lifelong learning policies. Stakeholders’ organisations include European, national and regional associations or organisations whose main activities or core responsibilities are directly linked to any education and training sector, in particular social partner organisations and other national or regional associations that represent the interests of a societal group in the establishment and implementation of lifelong learning policies.

For the purpose of this call, all higher education institutions accredited by Member States (participating countries), and all institutions or organisations providing learning opportunities which have received over 50 % of their annual revenues from public sources over the last two years (other European Union grants for an action excluded), or which are controlled by public bodies or their representatives, are considered to be public bodies. Such organisations are required to state in a signed declaration of honour (included in the application package) that their organisation complies with the abovementioned definition of public body. The Agency reserves the right to request documentation to prove the veracity of this declaration.

Part A.1 — Support to national implementation and awareness-raising of the objectives of European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) focused on involvement of public authorities

Applications for funding may be made by one or more national or regional authorities from the same country responsible for education and training and lifelong learning policies (pre-primary, schools, VET, higher education and adult learning), or other bodies and stakeholders’ organisations designated by such authorities to reply to the call. Signed designation letter(s) from the involved authority must be sent with the paper version of the proposal.

Part A.2 — Support to national implementation and awareness-raising of the objectives of European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) focused on involvement of stakeholder organisations

Applications for funding may be made only by national partnerships composed of at least three organisations directly involved in the development and implementation of lifelong learning policies.

Part B — Support to implementation of innovative learning environments using ICT (called ‘creative classrooms’) in the frame of transnational cooperation in the development and implementation of transversal education and training policy issues linked to the priorities set out in Europe 2020 and ET 2020

Applications for funding may only be made by a national or regional ministry directly involved in the development and implementation of lifelong learning policies, or another organisation designated by such a ministry to reply to the call.

The transnational partnerships must be composed of at least five organisations involving three or more eligible countries. At least one partner by country must be a national or regional ministry directly involved in the development and implementation of lifelong learning policies or another organisation designated by such a ministry to reply to the call.

Signed designation letter(s) from the delegating ministry(ies) must be sent with the paper version of the proposal.

Applications may be submitted by organisations (including all partner organisations) established in countries participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme:

—	the 27 EU Member States,

—	the three EEA/EFTA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway,

—	candidate countries: Croatia, former Yugoslave Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey,

—	Switzerland.

Third country participation is not allowed for this action.

At least one country of the partnership must be an EU Member State (applies only to part B of this call).

3. Eligible activities

Part A.1 — Support to national implementation and awareness-raising of the objectives of European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) focused on involvement of public authorities

The activities to be financed under this part of the call include (specific objectives):

—

awareness-raising activities supporting national debates and dialogue linked to the implementation of the four strategic objectives of ET 2020 (such as national or regional conferences, seminars or workshops), with a focus on how to use lifelong learning tools and services for young people to obtain the right skills and competences for the labour market,

—

the establishment of stakeholders fora and other activities which will contribute to better coherence and coordination at national level in the process of establishing and implementing coherent and comprehensive national lifelong learning strategies, with a focus on equipping young people with the right skills and competences for the labour market,

—

dissemination and awareness-raising activities under ET 2020 of tools or reference material (e.g. information activities, including media campaigns, publicity events, etc.), with a focus on the lifelong learning tools and services that enhance the capacity of alternative learning pathways for young people and low-qualified adults to attain right skills and competences for the labour market through, for example, validation of non-formal and informal learning, career guidance, qualifications frameworks, mobility, etc.,

—	follow-up actions linked to existing national programmes aiming at establishing and implementing the Education and Training Open Method of Coordination activities under the ET 2020 strategy at national level, with a special focus on young people and adults with low or no qualification.

Part A.2 — Support to national implementation and awareness-raising of the objectives of European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) focused on involvement of stakeholder organisations

The activities to be financed under this part of the call include (specific objectives):

—

—	follow-up actions linked to existing national programmes aiming at establishing and implementing the Education and Training Open Method of Coordination activities under the ET 2020 at national level, with a special focus on young people and adults with low or no qualifications.

The activities to be financed under this part of the call include (specific objectives):

—

policy experimentations by transnational partnerships, involving relevant authorities, stakeholders and research institutions. Actions will not address broad topics, but target concrete common policy concerns. Appropriate importance has to be given to developing a robust evidence base and involving reliable monitoring, evaluation and reporting procedures of the multiple experimentations of ‘creative classroom’ settings,

—	jointly designing and testing innovative tools and practices through experimentations involving a sufficiently high number of educational establishments to reach a representative critical mass,

—

actions aiming at analysing from a policy point of view the effectiveness, efficiency and conditions of generalisation of the experimentations, as well as transnational transfer of the lessons learned and good practice (peer learning) which may include analyses, conferences and seminars, aimed at directly supporting policy-making and implementation,

—	actions to ensure systematic dissemination at national and international level and foster transferability between different education and training systems and policies.

For parts A and B:

Activities must start between 1 March 2013 and 31 May 2013.

The mandatory duration of projects is 12 months for part A and 24 months for part B. No applications will be accepted for projects scheduled to run for a different period than that specified in this call for proposals.

No extensions to the eligibility period beyond the maximum duration will be granted. However, if after the signing of the agreement and the start of the project it becomes impossible for the beneficiary, for fully justified reasons beyond his control, to complete the project within the scheduled period, an extension to the eligibility period may be granted. A maximum extension of three additional months may be granted for part A and six additional months for part B, if requested before the deadline specified in the agreement. The maximum duration will then be 15 months for part A and 30 months for part B.

Consortia must allow in their budgets and planning provision for two meetings in Brussels during the project lifetime: an inception meeting bringing together all the successful projects, and a further monitoring meeting (could be required by the Agency during the lifetime of the project). It is expected that each consortium will be invited to send maximum two representatives.

4. Award criteria

Eligible applications will be assessed on the basis of the following criteria:

Part A — Support to national implementation and awareness-raising of the objectives of European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020)

1. Relevance: based on the call for proposals, the objectives are clear, realistic and address relevant issues and target groups, including a wide range of key stakeholders at all levels concerned by the establishment and implementation of lifelong learning strategies, including policy and decision makers, practitioners, providers, social partners, representatives of civil society and learners (30 %).

2. Quality of the plan of actions: the organisation of the work is clear and appropriate to achieving the objectives; tasks/activities are defined in such a way that the results will be achieved on time and to budget (10 %).

3. Quality of the methodology: the tools and practical approaches proposed are coherent and appropriate to address the identified needs for clearly identified target groups (10 %).

4. Quality of the project team: the project team includes all the skills, recognised expertise and competences required to carry out all aspects of the plan of actions, and there is an appropriate distribution of tasks across its members (10 %).

5. The cost-benefit ratio: the grant application demonstrates value for money in terms of the activities planned relative to the budget foreseen (10 %).

6. Impact: the foreseeable effects of the project's activities on target groups and systems concerned are clearly defined and consistent with the objectives set; measures are planned to ensure that those effects can be achieved. The results of the activities are likely to be significant (20 %).

7. Quality of the valorisation plan (dissemination and exploitation of results): the extent to which the planned dissemination and exploitation activities will ensure optimal use of the results beyond the participants in the proposal, during and beyond the lifetime of the project (10 %).

1. Relevance: based on the call for proposals, the objectives are clear, realistic and address relevant issues and target groups, including a wide range of key stakeholders at all levels concerned by the establishment and implementation of lifelong learning strategies including policy and decision makers, practitioners, providers, social partners, representatives of civil society and learners (30 %).

2. Quality of the plan of actions: the organisation of the work is clear and appropriate to achieving the objectives; tasks/activities are distributed among the partners in such a way that the results will be achieved on time and to budget (10 %).

3. Quality of the methodology: the tools and practical approaches proposed are coherent, innovative and appropriate to address the identified needs for clearly identified target groups (10 %).

4. Quality of the consortium: the consortium includes all the skills, recognised expertise and competences required to carry out all aspects of the plan of actions, and there is an appropriate distribution of tasks across the partners (10 %).

5. the cost-benefit ratio: the grant application demonstrates value for money in terms of the activities planned relative to the budget foreseen (10 %).

6. Impact and European added value: the foreseeable effects of the project activities on target groups and systems concerned are clearly defined and consistent with the objectives set; measures are planned to ensure that those effects can be achieved. The results of the activities are likely to be significant and the benefits of and need for European cooperation (on top of national, regional or local approaches) are clearly demonstrated (20 %).

5. Budget

The total budget earmarked for the co-financing of projects amounts to EUR 3,8 million.

Financial contribution from the European Union cannot exceed 75 % of the total eligible costs.

The maximum grant per project will be EUR 120 000 for part A (A.1 and A.2) and EUR 800 000 for part B.

The Agency intends to allocate the amount available according to the following indicative proportion: EUR 1 500 000 for part A and EUR 2 300 000 for part B. However, the final allocation depends on the number and quality of the proposals received for parts A and B.

The Agency reserves the right not to distribute all the funds available.

6. Deadline for submission

Only applications submitted on the correct form, duly completed, dated, showing a balanced budget (revenue/expenditure), submitted online (original) and signed by the person authorised to enter into legally binding commitments on behalf of the applicant organisation will be accepted.

Deadline: Monday 1 October 2012 12.00 noon (Central European Time)

Applications which do not include all the stipulated documents and which are not submitted before the deadline will not be considered.

A complete application consists of the following:

—	one original application package (eForm and its four attachments). To be submitted online as instructed in the eForm User Guide. This version, including its attachments, is considered to be the master version,

—

one paper version to be sent immediately after the deadline containing:

—	copy of the application package: submitted eForm (with received reference number) with its attachments (including the originally signed declaration on honour),

—

for parts A1 and B (when applicable): duly signed designation letter from public authority/ministry must be sent with the paper version of the proposal. The letters must use the models provided. Signed fax or scanned versions of the designation letters will be accepted at proposal stage, but originals will have to be available at the moment of establishing the agreement. If no designation letter is provided, the proposal could be declared ineligible,

—

mandate letters from all partners (for all multi-beneficiary agreement, i.e. when more than one participant is involved). The letters must use the models provided. Signed fax or scanned versions of the mandate letters will be accepted at proposal stage, but originals will have to be available at the moment of establishing the agreement,

—	proof of legal existance (copy of articles of associations and/or legal registration documents),

—	annual account for the most recent financial year,

—	financial capacity form (only for private organisations),

—	financial identification form,

—	VAT registration (when applicable).

The paper version must be sent by ordinary or registered mail immediately after the online submission to the following address:

Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency

Unit P9 — Lifelong Learning: Eurydice and Policy Support

Key Activity 1 — ECET

Call for proposals EACEA/20/12 — Part A.1/Part A.2/Part B (please specify)

BOU2 01/055

Avenue du Bourget/Bourgetlaan 1

1140 Bruxelles/Brussel

BELGIQUE/BELGIË

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

Applications sent by fax or only by e-mail will not be accepted.

7. Further information

Detailed guidelines of the call for proposals and the application package are available on the following website:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/funding/2012/call_ecet_2012_en.php

Applications must be submitted using the forms provided and contain all the attachments, annexes and information as required in the detailed guidelines.

15.6.2012

Official Journal of the European Union

C 169/25

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs

2012/C 169/09

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date of this publication.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘STORNOWAY BLACK PUDDINGS’

EC No: UK-PGI-0005-0876-03.05.2011

PGI ( X ) PDO ( )

1. Name:

‘Stornoway Black Puddings’

2. Member State or Third Country:

United Kingdom

3. Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff:

3.1. Type of product:

Class 1.2.

Meat products (cooked, salted, smoked, etc.)

3.2. Description of product to which the name in point 1 applies:

‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ are a black pudding unique to Stornoway, the capital of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. They have a rich, deep reddish-brown to deep brown colour when raw, varying according to individual local recipes.

The following ingredients are used in the production of ‘Stornoway Black Pudding’:

—	beef suet,

—

oatmeal,

—

onion,

—	sheep’s or cow’s or pig’s blood,

—	water — where dried blood is used,

—

salt,

—

pepper,

—	synthetic or natural sausage casings or skins.

No other seasonings are permitted and ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ must be free from artificial colours, flavours, bulking agents and preservatives.

In their original form, they are produced as 52-72 mm diameter cylindrical ‘sausage-shaped’ puddings, varying in length from 150 mm to 500 mm and in weight from 0,5 kg to 1,36 kg, encased in skin. They may, however, be produced in other sizes and shapes to suit different customer requirements, e.g. a loop, or in slices.

They are moist and firm in texture, with discernable, yet small, fat particulates. The Scottish oatmeal used in ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ is responsible for its good, rough texture.

‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ maintain their shape well throughout the cooking process. Once cooked, they appear almost black and break apart very easily when cut, yet do not significantly crumble. The meaty flavour is moist, rich, full, savoury, well seasoned — but not spicy — with a non-greasy, pleasant mouth and clean after taste feel.

3.3. Raw materials (for processed products only):

According to tradition and heritage, there is some individual variation in the recipes used. Some of the recipes require fine chopped ingredients, others require a coarser chop, which gives rise to the slight variations in visual appearance and texture depending on the producers individual recipe. There is also very slight variation in recipes of the percentage of each ingredient used to make the puddings.

The percentages of ingredients used in a ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ must fall within the following ranges:

—	beef suet — minimum 37 % to a maximum of 50 %,

—	oatmeal — minimum 16 % to a maximum of 20 %,

—	onion — minimum 15 % to a maximum of 18 %,

—	sheep or cow or pig’s blood — minimum 12 % to a maximum of 26 %,

—	water — where dried blood is used,

—	salt — minimum 0,6 % to a maximum of 2 %,

—	pepper — minimum 0,4 % to a maximum of 2 %,

—	skins (or casings) either synthetic or natural — diameter — 52-72 mm, length — 150-500 mm.

3.4. Feed (for products of animal origin only):

Not applicable

3.5. Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area:

All stages of preparation and production of the ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ must take place in the area including:

—	preparation of suet,

—	mixing of ingredients,

—	filling the synthetic casings,

—	cooking and cooling of puddings.

3.6. Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc.:

Not applicable

3.7. Specific rules concerning labelling:

Not applicable

4. Concise definition of the geographical area:

The town of Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis and the parishes included in the ‘Stornoway Trust’ area.

5. Link with the geographical area:

5.1. Specificity of the geographical area:

Crofting, a form of tenant small holding unique in Scotland, has been the mainstay of island life on Lewis for hundreds of years. Only within the last 40 years or so have crofters taken other jobs outside the croft, and have become part-time crofters. Crofting is very much a subsistence economy, Stornoway crofters kept a small number of sheep and/or pigs and cows and had to ensure that every part of those animals was utilised to the full. When it came to killing the animal, crofters shared the task and, in a time of no refrigeration, the meat with neighbours who in turn would return the favour at a later date, thus ensuring a meat supply during the long winter.

To make the ‘Marag Dubh’ — the Scots Gaelic name for a black pudding; dubh meaning ‘black’, the animal would be killed and the blood collected and saved. The intestines would be removed and cleaned in the salt water of the sea. They would then be taken back to the croft, turned inside-out and placed in cold water in the sink, seawater and salt would be added before leaving them covered for 24 hours. The intestines would be then rinsed in cold water and then hot. This lengthy process softened the lining of the stomach, allowing the crofters to scrape the intestines clean, leaving them beautifully white and clean. A full intestine would form the skin for at least five Marag Dubhs — the Deasainn (from the rumen), the Brog (or Boot), the Curachd an Righ (King’s Crown) and two long puddings cut at the ileum and tied.

Crofters could not afford to waste any meat, so they would eat the same food every day until it was finished. The puddings provided a rich source of iron and were a very important part of a crofter’s diet and still remain so for the people of Stornoway. The Scottish oatmeal used in ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ is responsible for its good, rough texture. In cold climates, such as the Hebrides, the high calorific value of suet makes it an ideal food in winter.

The production of ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ involves many direct manual skills such as:

—	preparation of the beef suet involves cleaning and preparing the suet to the required size,

—	mixing of dry ingredients requires careful weighing of ingredients, to ensure the overall consistency of the mix has the right thick density — this is a skilled process judged by the eye and expertise of the butcher,

—	filling the casings is carried out by machine with manual assistance applied, some sausages are then hand tied,

—	cooking and cooling of the pudding — once cooked, each pudding is hung individually to cool.

The skills involved have been developed locally and passed down through generations which has resulted in the maintenance of the traditional characteristics of ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’.

5.2. Specificity of the product:

The ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ is unique in that it uses only the following ingredients in order of quantity: beef suet, oatmeal, onion, blood (with the addition of water where dried blood is used), salt and pepper. They are free from artificial colours, flavours, bulking agents and preservatives. They have a rich, deep reddish-brown to deep brown colour when raw.

Unlike other regional black puddings, beef suet is a major constituent of ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’. Suet is the fat around the kidney and loins of cattle. It has a low melting point 45-50 degrees centigrade, which means it is easy to use in the solid form when making puddings but will melt when steaming or boiling. Although almost flavourless, suet enhances the flavour of added ingredients and also lightens the texture of puddings. In cold climates, such as the Hebrides, the high calorific value of suet makes it an ideal food in winter. The type of oatmeal grown in Scotland provides a good rough texture for the ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’.

The basic recipe for the ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ has remained unchanged over the years — they still contain only beef suet, oatmeal, onions, blood, salt and pepper, but the methods of production have had to change, as greater hygiene regulations have come into force and as demand for the puddings has increased. The production steps in the making of ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ involve a great deal of skill. Manual preparation of the beef suet must be carried out to ensure that pieces are cut into consistently sized fine pieces. In addition, the dry ingredients are mixed first, either by hand or machine, before water is added and mixed. All ingredients are very carefully weighed throughout the process, to ensure consistency of product, which is a thick porridge-like consistency, which can still be stirred, but with some effort. The mixture is then transferred to a sausage filler machine which feeds the mixture into the sausage casings. The sausages are filled by manually placing the sausage skin onto the machine nozzle. Regulating the flow of meat is also carried out manually. The ends are then either hand-tied with string, or clipped by machine. Once cooked, each pudding is hung individually on a rack, to cool.

‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ may be cooked in or out of the skin, they maintain their shape well throughout the cooking process. Once cooked, they appear almost black and break apart very easily when cut, yet do not significantly crumble. The meaty flavour is moist, rich, full, savoury, well seasoned — but not spicy — with a non-greasy, pleasant mouth and clean after taste feel.

Butchers continue to make this distinctive local product using recipes passed down over generations while retaining the traditional characteristic features which come from the specific ingredients and texture of the product.

5.3. Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product (for PDO) or a specific quality, the reputation or other characteristic of the product (for PGI):

Crofting, a form of tenant small holding unique in Scotland, has been the mainstay of island life on Lewis for hundreds of years. Crofters could not afford to waste any meat, so they would eat the same food every day until it was finished. The puddings provided a rich source of iron and were a very important part of a crofter’s diet and still remain so for the people of Stornoway.

The ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ is unique in that it uses only the following ingredients in order of quantity: beef suet, oatmeal, onion, blood, salt and pepper with the addition of water. They are free from artificial colours, flavours, bulking agents and preservatives.

Unlike other regional black puddings, beef suet is a major constituent of ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’. Suet is the fat around the kidney and loins of cattle. It has a low melting point 45-50 degrees centigrade, which means it is easy to use in the solid form when making puddings but will melt when steaming or boiling. Although almost flavourless, suet enhances the flavour of added ingredients and also lightens the texture of puddings. Most regional black pudding are made using blood from pigs. ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ however use sheep’s, cow’s or pig’s blood, the blood being obtained from the local abattoir on the island where possible.

Some of the Stornoway butchers who form the ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ Producers’ Association have been making and selling their puddings since 1931. The ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ have been sold by that name since that time. The butchers have cooperatively used the ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ name and have sought to maintain high standards in production and to retain the links back to Hebridean heritage. As a result, the pudding has gathered an increasingly international reputation for its taste and quality and is now known as one of the top gourmet puddings in the UK. The product has made the transition of being traditionally known as staple ‘crofting dish’ food to today being associated with being a world renowned delicacy.

The ‘Stornoway Black Puddings’ is intrinsically linked to the area’s tourism, frequently purchased by visitors as a souvenir or ‘taste of the islands’. There is world recognition of the brand and the link back to Stornoway as an area. Most of the guide books on Scotland mention the Marag Dubh in connection with Lewis. Several hundred entries for Google also mention the link. The Hebrides are experiencing a growth in visitor numbers and the tourist industry in the area has been boosted by the success of TV exposure via programmes such as Monty Hall’s ‘Great Hebridean Escape’. The pudding featured in the January 2010 edition of National Geographic and was an essential part of Visit Scotland’s 2010 ‘Homecoming Campaign’.

Reference to publication of the specification:

(Article 5(7) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

http://www.archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/food/industry/regional/foodname/products/documents/stornoway-black-pudding-pgi.pdf

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.

		ISSN 1977-091X doi:10.3000/1977091X.C_2012.169.eng
Official Journal of the European Union		C 169

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 55 15 June 2012

	V Announcements
	ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
	European Parlament
2012/C 169/07	Recruitment notice PE/158/S	18

	European Commission
2012/C 169/08	Call for proposals — EACEA/20/12 — under the Lifelong Learning Programme — Implementation of the European strategic objectives in education and training (ET 2020) (stakeholder cooperation, experimentation and innovation)	19

	OTHER ACTS
	European Commission
2012/C 169/09	Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs	25

Quota order number	Quantities not applied for, to be added to the quantity fixed for the subperiod 1 October to 31 December 2012 (in kg)
09.4212	9 891 500
09.4214	6 597 950
09.4217	690 000
09.4218	3 478 800

Notice No	Contents	page
	IV Notices
	NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	Council
2012/C 169/01	Council conclusions of 11 May 2012 on fostering the creative and innovative potential of young people	1

2012/C 169/02	Council conclusions of 10 May 2012 on the digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and digital preservation	5

2012/C 169/03	Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 10 May 2012 on combating doping in recreational sport	9

2012/C 169/04	Council conclusions of 11 May 2012 on the employability of graduates from education and training	11

	European Commission
2012/C 169/05	Euro exchange rates	16

2012/C 169/06	Communication from the Commission concerning the quantity not applied for to be added to the quantity fixed for the subperiod 1 October to 31 December 2012 under certain quotas opened by the Community for products in the poultrymeat sector	17