Activities of Jana ŽITŇANSKÁ related to 2016/0304(COD)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on a common framework for the provision of better services for skills and qualifications (Europass) and repealing Decision No 2241/2004/EC PDF (801 KB) DOC (122 KB)
Amendments (30)
Amendment 48 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Differences in language, definitions, document formats, as well as assessment and qualification validation methods, allcan pose considerable challenges for individuals, employers and competent authorities. These challenges arise especially where individuals move between countries, including third countries, but also when looking for a new job or engaging in learning. Clear information and shared, improved transparency and better understanding is necessary to address these challenges.
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) Decision No 2241/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council24 established a framework to address these challenges. It aimhelped to achieve better transparency and comparability of qualifications and competences through a portfolio of documents known as ‘'Europass’', which individuals can use on a voluntary basis. Decision No 2241/2004/EC, a feature of Europass that should be retained. Decision No 2241/2004/EC, which respects national structures and governance arrangements, also established national bodies, known as National Europass Centres, to implement the Europass framework. _________________ 24 OJ L 390, 31.12.2004, p. 6.
Amendment 69 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) A European Skills, Competences, Qualifications and Occupations framework (ESCO) has been piloted by the Commission as a possible common language and operational tool for education/training and work30 . ESCO. However, ESCO, which aims to structures concepts that are relevant for the EUMember State labour markets and education and training in three interlinked pillars: i) occupations, ii) knowledge, skills and competences and iii) qualifications. The ESCO pillars can be complemented by auxiliary vocabularies covering related domains, such as work context, fields of education and training or economic sectorss not yet sufficiently developed or tested in order to employ it as the basis for Europass referencing terminology. _________________ 30 The Europe 2020 Strategy announced that the Commission would work on such framework, Communication from the Commission on "Europe 2020 - A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth", COM(2010) 2020 final.
Amendment 78 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 11
Recital 11
(11) Regulation (EU) 2016/589 of the European Parliament and of the Council31 establishes European Employment Services (EURES), a network of employment services and a mechanism for an automated matching of people to jobs through the EURES common IT platform. To enable the exchange and the matching of job vacancies with candidates, this mechanism needsmight benefit from a common and multilingual list of skills, competences and occupations. By developing ESCO the Commission isaims to providinge a multilingual classification system ofor occupations, skills and competences and qualifications that iswould be suited to this purpose. _________________ 31 OJ L 107, 22.4.2016, p. 1.
Amendment 91 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 14
Recital 14
(14) There is an acknowledgedWhilst basic literacy and numeracy skills should remain a priority, there is acknowledgement of the growing importance of transversal or 'soft' skills that, which can be applied in different fields. Individuals requirecould benefit from tools and guidance on self-assessing and describing these and other skills, for example digital or language.
Amendment 97 #
(16) Analysis of vacancies, and other labour market trends, is an established way ofor Member States to developing skills intelligence in order to understand issues of skills gaps and shortages, as well as qualifications mismatches. The use of information technology, such as web crawling and big data, can helps to improve skills intelligence and therefore tackle skills mismatches.
Amendment 113 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 19
Recital 19
(19) The revised Europass framework approach should consider the needs of all potential users, including learners, job seekers, workers, employers, guidance practitioners, public employment services, social partners, education and training providers, youth work organisations and policy makers, whilst retaining its voluntary nature and respecting the principle of subsidiarity.
Amendment 118 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) Services should be provided online at Union level. Services should also include the development and use of open standards, metadata schemata and semantic assets to facilitate the effective exchange of information, appropriate authentication measures to ensure trust of digital documents, and skills intelligence and information. Such services should comply with Union and, where necessary, third- country law on data protection and privacy. In addition, support services at national level should promote and ensure access to a wide range of users, including third country nationals.
Amendment 123 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) The Europass framework established by Decision No 2241/2004/EC should therefore be replaced by a new, updated framework to address evolving needs and technological advances.
Amendment 141 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 28
Recital 28
(28) Since the objective of this Decision, namely the establishment of a comprehensive, effective and interoperable framework of tools, simplified and accessible services and clear information for employment and learning purposes, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States alone but can rather, by reason of the effects of the action, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt implementing measures, while respecting 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 Decision does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.
Amendment 146 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 29 a (new)
Recital 29 a (new)
(29a) The Member States and the Union have committed to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal access to the labour market and to information and communication technologies and systems.
Amendment 152 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
1. This Decision establishes a European framework, comprising accessible web- based tools, information and the development of open standards to support the transparency and understanding of skills and qualifications. The framework shall be known as ‘Europass’.
Amendment 181 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – introductory part
1. Europass shall provide the following accessible web-based tools:
Amendment 193 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) opportunities to validate non-formal and informal learning, as appropriate;
Amendment 196 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) comparability or recognition practices and decisions in different countries, including third countries, to help individuals and other stakeholders understand qualifications;
Amendment 201 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 2 – point e
(e) appropriate analysis of trends in skills supply and demand and other types of skills intelligence including at geographical and sectoral level, using technological means such as big data analysis and web crawling;
Amendment 227 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 4
Article 4 – paragraph 4
4. The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) shallmay be used as a supporting framework to provide information in Europass. The EQF will be referred to in information on qualifications, descriptions of national education and training systems and other relevant topics.
Amendment 234 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 5
Article 4 – paragraph 5
5. Once fully tested and approved by Member States, Europass shallmay use the European Classification of Skills/Competences, Qualifications and Occupations (ESCO) established in Article 6 to ensure semantic interoperability between the tools for documentation and information. ESCO shallmay also provide a platform for interoperability with other relevant services such as those developed by the labour market.
Amendment 243 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 8
Article 4 – paragraph 8
8. Europass web-based tools shall be delivered in the official languages of the European Union and shall be accessible for persons with disabilities.
Amendment 261 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 5 – paragraph 3
Article 5 – paragraph 3
3. All Europass Qualification Supplement documents issued by authorised bodies shall be issued automatically and free of charge in electronic form, in the national language and/or in a major European language, in accordance with the procedures agreed between the issuing bodies and the National Skills Coordination Points referred to in Article 8Europass Centres, and in conformity with any procedures agreed between the European Commission and stakeholders.
Amendment 280 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point a a (new)
(aa) keep up to date with and incorporate the latest knowledge on websites and mobile applications that can improve the accessibility of Europass for older people and persons with disabilities;
Amendment 283 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) ensure that adequate and effective promotion and information activities are carried out at Union and national level in order to reach relevant users and stakeholders;
Amendment 291 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point d
Article 7 – paragraph 1 – point d
(d) regularly update the ESCO classification, in close cooperation with Member States and with stakeholders, such as social partners, disabled people's associations, professional associations, education and training institutes, research institutes, statistics institutes and employment services.
Amendment 293 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 7 – paragraph 3 – point a
Article 7 – paragraph 3 – point a
(a) promote and monitor the effectiveness of Europass web-based tools, including their accessibility for persons with disabilities, and update and develop Europass services in line with user needs;
Amendment 307 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 7 – paragraph 3 – point e
Article 7 – paragraph 3 – point e
(e) support the exchange of information on comparability and recognition practices and decisions;
Amendment 317 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 7 – paragraph 3 – point h
Article 7 – paragraph 3 – point h
(h) set up peer reviews and best practice exchanges between Member States.
Amendment 321 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point a
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point a
(a) designate and manage, in accordance with national circumstances, a National Skills Coordination PointEuropass Centre, to support the coordination and cooperation among the national serviceof activities relating to the Europass framework, as referred to in this Decision;
Amendment 327 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point b
Article 8 – paragraph 1 – point b
(b) ensure, through the National Skills Coordination PointEuropass Centres, the timely and effective provision of data and information available at national level for the updating of the Europass framework;
Amendment 338 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Each National Skills Coordination PointEuropass Centre shall:
Amendment 343 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 8 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) support the transparent referencing of levels of qualifications within national qualifications frameworks to the EQF, provide information on the EQF to national stakeholders and communicate the results of the referencing process and on qualifications to the Union web-based tool, as appropriate, taking into account cost and administrative burden;