8.7.2009   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155/1

(1)

The transition to a knowledge-based economy (Lisbon European Council 2000) requires modernisation and continuous improvement of vocational education and training (VET) systems in response to rapid change in the economy and society, so that they can help increase employability and social inclusion and improve access to lifelong learning for all, including disadvantaged people.

(2)

The Barcelona European Council in 2002 set the target of making Europe's education and training systems a world quality reference by 2010.

(3)

The Lisbon Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs 2005-2008 call upon Member States to develop affordable, accessible lifelong learning systems responsive to the changing needs of the knowledge-based economy and society. Adaptation and capacity-building of education and training systems is necessary to improve their labour market relevance. The objectives set in education and training policy should therefore increasingly complement those of economic and labour market policy in order to combine social cohesion and competitiveness.

(4)

Following the Council Resolution of 19 December 2002 on the promotion of enhanced European cooperation in vocational education and training (4) (the Copenhagen process), and as an outcome of subsequent cooperative work between the Commission, the Member States, social partners, the EEA-EFTA and the candidate countries on the Quality Assurance priority, a Common Quality Assurance Framework (CQAF) has been developed, taking account of existing experience and ‘good practice’ in the different participating countries.

(5)

According to the 2004 joint interim report of the Council and the Commission to the European Council on the Education and Training 2010 Work Programme (5), the CQAF for the VET (as part of the follow-up to the Copenhagen Declaration) and the development of ‘an agreed set of standards, procedures and guidelines on quality assurance’ (6) (in conjunction with the Bologna process and as part of the work programme on the objectives of education and training systems) should be top priorities for Europe.

(6)

The Education Council in May 2004 (7) endorsed the CQAF approach and invited Member States and the Commission, within their respective competencies, to promote it on a voluntary basis, together with relevant stakeholders.

(7)

The European Network for Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training (8) provided a European platform that made possible appropriate follow-up to the Council Conclusions of 2004 and the Helsinki Communiqué, and facilitated sustainable cooperation between countries.

(8)

In 2006, the Helsinki Communiqué underlined the need to further develop and implement common European tools specifically aimed at VET, by drawing on the principles underlying a CQAF, as referred to in the May 2004 Council Conclusions on quality assurance in VET, in order to promote a culture of quality improvement and wider participation in the European Network for Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training.

(9)

This recommendation establishes a European Quality Assurance Reference Framework (the Framework) as a reference instrument to help Member States to promote and monitor continuous improvement of their VET systems based on common European references, which builds on and further develops the CQAF. The framework should contribute to quality improvement in VET and to increased transparency of, and consistency in, VET policy developments between Member States, thereby promoting mutual trust, mobility of workers and learners, and lifelong learning.

(10)

The framework should comprise a quality assurance and improvement cycle of planning, implementation, evaluation/assessment and review/revision of VET, supported by common quality criteria, indicative descriptors and indicators. The monitoring processes, including a combination of internal and external evaluation mechanisms, have to be defined by Member States as appropriate in order to identify the strength of systems, processes and procedures and areas for improvement. The framework should include the use of measuring tools to provide evidence of effectiveness.

(11)

The framework should be applied at the VET-system, VET-provider and qualification-awarding levels. It provides a systemic approach to quality, covering and interrelating the relevant levels and actors. The framework should give strong emphasis to monitoring and improving quality by combining internal and external evaluation, review and processes for improvement, supported by measurement and qualitative analysis. The framework should be a basis for further development through cooperation at European, national, regional and local levels.

(12)

In providing for concrete means to support an evaluation and quality-improvement culture at all levels, this recommendation contributes to the use of evidence-based policy and practice, as a basis for more efficient and equitable policies, in accordance with the 2006 Conclusions of the Council and the representatives of the governments of the Member States on efficiency and equity in European education and training systems (9).

(13)

This recommendation provides for a framework for the identification, support and exchange of best practices not only at national but also at local and regional levels in all relevant networks, including the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework network.

(14)

This recommendation takes into account the ‘Common Principles for Quality Assurance in Education and Training’ that are included in Annex III to the recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (10) (EQF). The Framework should therefore support the implementation of the EQF, in particular the quality of the certification of learning outcomes. It should also support the implementation of other European instruments, such as the European Credit System for VET, and the Common European Principles for the identification and validation of non-formal and informal learning.

(15)

Given its non-binding nature, this recommendation conforms to the principle of subsidiarity referred to in Article 5 of the Treaty insofar as its objective is to support and supplement Member States′ action by facilitating further cooperation between them to increase transparency of VET and to promote mobility and lifelong learning. It should be implemented in accordance with national legislation and practice. This recommendation conforms to the principle of proportionality referred to in that article because it does not replace or define national quality assurance systems. The Framework does not prescribe a particular quality assurance system or approach, but provides common principles, quality criteria, indicative descriptors and indicators that may help in assessing and improving existing systems and provision of VET.

(16)

The reference indicators proposed in Annex II are intended to support the evaluation and quality improvement of VET systems and/or providers in accordance with national legislation and practice, and to serve as a ‘toolbox’ from which the various users may choose the indicators they consider most relevant to the requirements of their particular quality assurance system. In terms of their nature and purpose, they should be distinguished from the indicators and benchmarks referred to in the Council conclusions of 25 May 2007 on a coherent framework of indicators and benchmarks for monitoring progress towards the Lisbon objectives in education and training (11).

(17)

The framework, if used and further developed by the Member States, could help them to further improve and develop their VET systems, support lifelong learning strategies, further European labour market integration and the implementation of the EQF and promote a culture of quality improvement at all levels, while respecting the rich diversity of national education systems.

(18)

This recommendation should contribute to modernising education and training systems, improving the effectiveness of training by seeking to ensure that people do not leave without qualifications, improving the interrelationship of education, training and employment, building bridges between formal, non-formal and informal learning and expanding the awarding of qualifications on the basis of experience acquired,

1.

use and further develop the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework (the Framework), quality criteria, indicative descriptors and reference indicators as set out and further described in Annexes I and II, to further improve and develop their VET systems, support lifelong learning strategies and the implementation of the EQF and of the European Quality Charter for Mobility, and promote a culture of quality improvement and innovation at all levels. Extra emphasis should be placed on the transition from VET to higher education;

2.

each devise, not later than 18 June 2011, an approach aimed at improving quality assurance systems at national level, where appropriate, and making best use of the framework, involving the social partners, regional and local authorities, and all other relevant stakeholders in accordance with national legislation and practice;

3.

participate actively in the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework network (the framework network) as a basis for further development of common principles, reference criteria and indicators, guidelines and tools for quality improvement in VET at national, regional and local levels, as appropriate;

4.

establish, where this does not already exist, a Quality Assurance National Reference Point for VET that is linked to the particular structures and requirements of each Member State and that, in accordance with national practice, brings together existing relevant bodies and involves the social partners and all stakeholders concerned at national and regional levels, in order to ensure the follow-up of initiatives. The reference points should:

5.

undertake a review of the implementation process every four years — such review to be incorporated into every second national progress report drawn up within the context of the future strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training — on the basis of reference criteria to be defined under the framework network in cooperation with the Commission and the Member States.

1.

support Member States in carrying out the above tasks, in particular by facilitating cooperation and mutual learning, testing and developing guidance material, and providing information on quality developments in VET across Member States;

2.

promote and participate together with the Member States in the framework network, contributing to policy development in this area through concrete proposals and initiatives, as appropriate;

3.

ensure follow-up to the implementation of this recommendation by presenting a report every four years to the European Parliament and the Council on the experience gained and implications for the future, including, if necessary, a review of this recommendation conducted in cooperation with the Member States and involving the various stakeholders;

4.

undertake, on the basis of that report and in cooperation with the Member States, an evaluation of the implementation of this recommendation and, if necessary, its revision.

8.7.2009   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155/11

(1)

The development and recognition of citizens′ knowledge, skills and competence are crucial for their personal and professional development and for competitiveness, employment and social cohesion in the Community. In this respect, they should facilitate transnational mobility for workers and learners and contribute towards meeting the requirements of supply and demand in the European labour market. Participation in borderless lifelong learning for all, and transfer, recognition and accumulation of individuals′ learning outcomes achieved in formal, non-formal and informal contexts, should therefore be promoted and improved at the Community level.

(2)

The Lisbon European Council in 2000 concluded that increased transparency of qualifications should be one of the main components necessary to adapt education and training systems in the Community to the demands of the knowledge society. Furthermore, the Barcelona European Council in 2002 emphasised the importance of improving transparency and recognition methods in the area of vocational education and training (‘VET’).

(3)

VET schemes, one of the main areas of lifelong learning, are directly linked to general and higher education, and to the employment and social policies of each Member State. Through their cross-sectoral impact, they promote not only the competitiveness of the European economy and fulfilment of the needs of the labour market but also social cohesion, equality and the participation and involvement of citizens.

(4)

Council Resolution of 19 December 2002 on the promotion of enhanced European cooperation in vocational education and training (4) (‘the Copenhagen process’), and the 2004 joint interim report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the Education and Training 2010 work programme (5), stress the importance of a credit transfer system for vocational education and training, while the 2008 joint progress report of the Council and the Commission (6) stresses the need to step up efforts to improve the quality and attractiveness of VET.

(5)

The Conclusions of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council of 15 November 2004 on the Future priorities of enhanced European Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training gave priority to the development and implementation of a European credit transfer system for VET in order to allow learners to build upon the achievements resulting from their learning pathways when moving between vocational training systems.

(6)

The purpose of this Recommendation is to create a European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training (‘ECVET’) intended to facilitate the transfer, recognition and accumulation of assessed learning outcomes of individuals who are aiming to achieve a qualification. This will improve the general understanding of citizens′ learning outcomes and their transparency, transnational mobility and portability across and, where appropriate, within Member States in a borderless lifelong learning area, and will also improve the mobility and portability of qualifications at national level between various sectors of the economy and within the labour market; furthermore, it will contribute to the development and expansion of European cooperation in education and training.

(7)

ECVET should be based on the principles and technical specifications set out in Annex II. Furthermore, it should be underpinned by the common principles for quality assurance set out in the Council conclusions of 28 May 2004 on Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training and the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 June 2009 on the establishment of a European Quality Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training (7).

(8)

ECVET is applicable for all learning outcomes which should in principle be achievable through a variety of education and learning paths at all levels of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (‘EQF’), and then be transferred and recognised. This Recommendation therefore contributes to the wider objectives of promoting lifelong learning and increasing the employability, openness to mobility and social inclusion of workers and learners. It particularly facilitates the development of flexible and individualised pathways and also the recognition of those learning outcomes which are acquired through non-formal and informal learning.

(9)

Transparent quality assurance principles, exchange of information and development of partnerships between institutions competent for qualifications, VET providers and other relevant stakeholders should help to build mutual trust and should facilitate the implementation of this Recommendation.

(10)

This Recommendation should facilitate the compatibility, comparability and complementarity of credit systems used in VET and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (‘ECTS’), which is used in the higher education sector, and thus should contribute to greater permeability between levels of education and training, in accordance with national legislation and practice.

(11)

The validation of assessed non-formal and informal learning outcomes should be promoted in accordance with the Council conclusions of 28 May 2004 on common European principles for the identification and validation of non-formal and informal learning.

(12)

This Recommendation complements the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2008 on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (8) which recommends that Member States promote close links between the EQF and existing or future European systems for credit transfer and accumulation in higher education and VET. While the main objective of the EQF is to increase the transparency, comparability and portability of acquired qualifications, ECVET is aimed at facilitating the transfer, recognition and accumulation of learning outcomes of individuals on their way to achieving a qualification.

(13)

This Recommendation takes into account Decision No 2241/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 December 2004 on a single Community framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass) (9) and Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on trans-national mobility within the Community for education and training purposes: European Quality Charter for Mobility (10).

(14)

This Recommendation should facilitate the involvement of competent local and regional authorities in the exercise of linking national or other qualifications frameworks and systems to ECVET, where appropriate.

(15)

This Recommendation should be without prejudice to Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications (11) which confers rights and obligations on both the relevant national authority and the migrant. Using ECVET should not affect access to the labour market, where professional qualifications have been recognised in accordance with Directive 2005/36/EC. Moreover, ECVET does not imply any new entitlement for citizens to obtain the automatic recognition of either learning outcomes or points.

(16)

The introduction and implementation of ECVET is voluntary, pursuant to Articles 149 and 150 of the Treaty, and can therefore be undertaken only in accordance with existing national laws and regulations.

(17)

Since the objectives of this Recommendation, namely to support and complement the activities of Member States, to facilitate cooperation between them, to increase transparency and promote mobility and lifelong learning, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale or effects, be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Recommendation does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve those objectives, insofar as it does not replace or define national qualifications systems, qualifications or national credit systems, does not prescribe specific learning outcomes or an individual's competences, and does not aim at or require either the fragmentation or the harmonisation of qualifications systems,

1.

promote the European Credit system for Vocational Education and Training (‘ECVET’) as set out in Annexes I and II at all levels of the EQF with reference to VET qualifications, in order to facilitate trans-national mobility and the recognition of learning outcomes in VET and borderless lifelong learning;

2.

create the necessary conditions and adopt measures, as appropriate, so that as from 2012 – in accordance with national legislation and practice, and on the basis of trials and testing – it is possible for ECVET to be gradually applied to VET qualifications at all levels of the EQF, and used for the purpose of the transfer, recognition and accumulation of individuals′ learning outcomes achieved in formal and, where appropriate, non-formal and informal contexts;

3.

support the development of national and European partnerships and networks involving institutions and authorities responsible for qualifications and diplomas, VET providers, social partners and other relevant stakeholders dedicated to trialling, implementing and promoting ECVET;

4.

ensure that stakeholders and individuals in the area of VET have access to information and guidance for using ECVET, whilst facilitating the exchange of information between the Member States. Furthermore, ensure that the application of ECVET to qualifications is properly publicised by the competent authorities and that associated ‘Europass’ documents issued by the competent authorities contain explicit relevant information;

5.

apply, in accordance with national legislation and practice, the common principles for quality assurance in VET set out in the Council conclusions of 28 May 2004 on Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training when using ECVET, particularly in relation to the assessment, validation and recognition of learning outcomes;

6.

ensure that there are functioning coordination and monitoring mechanisms at the appropriate levels, in accordance with the legislation, structures and requirements of each Member State, in order to guarantee the quality, transparency and consistency of the initiatives taken to implement ECVET.

1.

support Member States in carrying out the tasks referred to in points 1 to 6 and in using the principles and technical specifications of ECVET as set out in Annex II, in particular by facilitating testing, cooperation, mutual learning, promotion, and the launching of information and consultation exercises, whilst ensuring access to the guidance material for all interested citizens;

2.

develop users′ guides and tools, and adapt relevant Europass documents, in collaboration with Member States, national and European experts and users; develop expertise for enhancing the compatibility and complementarity of ECVET and ECTS used in the higher education sector, in collaboration with VET and higher education experts and users at European and national levels; and provide regular information on the developments of ECVET;

3.

promote, and participate together with the Member States in, a European ECVET network involving relevant VET stakeholders and national competent institutions for the purpose of disseminating and supporting ECVET within Member States and establishing a sustainable platform for the exchange of information and experience between Member States; establish, from within this network, an ECVET users′ group in order to contribute to the updating of the users′ guide and to the quality and overall coherence of the cooperation process for the implementation of ECVET;

4.

monitor and follow up the action taken, including the results of trials and testing, and, after the assessment and evaluation of this action carried out in cooperation with the Member States, report, by 18 June 2014, to the European Parliament and the Council on the experience gained and implications for the future, including, if necessary, a review and adaptation of this Recommendation, involving the updating of the Annexes and guidance material, in cooperation with the Member States.

8.7.2009   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155/19

8.7.2009   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155/20

8.7.2009   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155/21

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EIBURS, the EIB University Research Sponsorship Programme,

—

STAREBEI (STAges de REcherche BEI), a programme for financing young researchers working on joint EIB-University projects, and

—

EIB University Networks, a co-operation mechanism for university networks showing characteristics that are of particular relevance to support the objectives of the EIB Group.

—

The costs and benefits of ecosystem protection in the context of climate change, acknowledging the need to address existing threats in order to strengthen resilience to climate change impacts, and the role played by (and value of) healthy ecosystems in terms of both climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation;

—

The use of market-based approaches to protecting and enhancing ecosystem services, based on experience in the carbon market.

EIB-Universities Research Action

100, boulevard Konrad Adenauer

2950 Luxembourg

LUXEMBOURG

8.7.2009   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155/23

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EPSO/AST/100/09 — Assistants with Bulgarian citizenship (BG),

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EPSO/AST/101/09 — Assistants with Romanian citizenship (RO).

8.7.2009   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 155/24

1.

On 30 June 2009, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1) by which the undertaking Platinum Equity LLC (‘Platinum’, USA) acquires within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Council Regulation control of parts of the undertaking Delphi Corporation (‘Delphi’, USA) by way of purchase of shares and assets.

2.

The business activities of the undertakings concerned are:

3.

On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of Regulation (EC) No 139/2004. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.

4.

The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.

Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. Observations can be sent to the Commission by fax (+32 2 2964301 or 2967244) or by post, under reference number COMP/M.5570 — Platinum/Delphi, to the following address: