Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2006-09-25-Speech-1-133"
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"en.20060925.16.1-133"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, I am glad that we have been able, after long-drawn out wrangling, to agree on this document, and, moreover, that we have been able to produce it in good time before the Year of Mobility is over, for I do not think it would make much sense to roll out a Mobility Charter next year; that would not exactly have the desired effect on the outside world.
More to the point, this Charter is needed as an accompaniment to the new educational programmes that are due to start next year, in which we have put a great emphasis on quantity, in that we want, for example, to have three million students on the lifelong learning scheme by 2012, and 80 000 per annum on Leonardo. In view of that, the need for quality must not be ignored; it really must not be allowed to lose out. Quality must be guaranteed not only in the host countries in which students spend time, but also in their countries of origin, so that the best possible use can be made of their experiences when they return and can really be seen to be added.
I would also like to emphasise that mobility must not merely make them more employable; there is a purely personal benefit involved as well, for education is of value not least in that it is character-building, and should therefore ultimately also contribute to greater European understanding.
The Charter is intended for all those who want to complete a formal or informal period of education or further education abroad, but there must also be a certain balance, not only for the students’ benefit, but also to promote the use of the Leonardo programme and create more openings for businesses to take on trainees.
While I do believe that this document can set a lot of things in motion, that will depend on how it is received in the Member States. What we have set before this House is not legally binding, and so it is for the Member States to commit themselves to doing what it calls on them to do. We know that very many resolutions are adopted in the Council and accepted without dissent in the EU or within the Council, only to be inadequately implemented at national level. That would be sure to diminish young people’s confidence in what we are doing and also in our intentions.
There are, though, a number of points I would like to highlight, some of which you, Commissioner, have mentioned. It is important that there should be a Mobility Guide containing introductory information on mobility options, grants and contact addresses. It is also important that the various educational systems be made transparent and capable of being compared with one another, so that young people can know what is in store for them in this or that country. It is also, of course, important that there should be information on the recognition of diplomas, on financial and other support, and that language barriers should be removed.
The transferability of grants – to which Mrs Schöppges has already referred – is absolutely vital, in that it is needed, not least, alongside logistical support, insurance, residence and work permits, accommodation and preparations for travel, and is every bit as important as the transferability of loans. The same is true of social security insurance. If young people are going to venture to make this leap and be prepared to embark on this ‘foreign adventure’, then their own country’s social security system is one of the things they have to be able to ‘take away’ with them.
The intention is that the mobility charter should be seen as a frame of reference for making mobility more efficient and effective, with the persons using it having a checklist of ten matters to be sorted out before their departure, such as advice, information, and a learning plan; there are others, but it is not absolutely necessary that I discuss them now.
I would like to thank all those who have played their part in putting this compromise together. That was not an easy thing to do, but we did eventually manage it. I am glad to see that all the groups have tabled amendments or compromise amendments, and that we will, no doubt, be able to get through tomorrow’s vote quickly and then be able to present a good report."@en1
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