The Council welcomed the outcome of the debate organised by the Commission in cooperation with the Member States and the opinion expressed by Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and other European and national organisations on the subject of recognition. It considered that the process that had been started was on-going and required the setting-up of a permanent dialogue with all the parties involved. To this effect it called on the Commission to ensure that the report on the results of the debate was given a wide circulation and to promote a greater discussion of this subject; stressed that the dialogue between the relevant authorities in the two areas of recognition concerned should be incorporated into the current activities of the existing national structures; called on the Member States and the Commission to promote better coordination between the national structures responsible for disseminating information on the two areas of recognition, namely NARIC, the Euro-Info-Centres, etc., and to build up the relevant databases, such as ORTELIUS, so as to promote greater transparency within the higher education systems; called on institutes of higher education, professional organisations and other relevant authorities to continue the dialogue in order to ensure that the study programmes made sufficient allowance for the needs of the professions at European level; called on the Commission: - to encourage the involvement of representatives from the business and professional world, the social partners and students in any appropriate subject network provided for by SOCRATES; - to carry out an assessment, in collaboration with the Member States, of the various suggestions that had been put forward in the course of the debate: = the feasibility of putting in place, on a voluntary basis, a European supplement as an administrative annex to the university degree. This annex would comprise a description of the studies completed by the degree holder and would be aimed at promoting transparency and providing greater recognition for the study course in Member States other than the country of learning; it would also take account of the experience acquired in this area by other organisations, such as the Council of Europe and UNESCO; = the appropriateness of identifying and promoting an awareness of the procedures at national or Community level, which could help in finding an amicable solution to the disagreement that existed in respect of the recognition of qualifications, in response to individual requests addressed directly or, preferably, through the NARIC network or the network of coordinators for the various directives; - to provide it and Parliament, before the end of 1998, with a report on the headway that had been made in this area and on the progress achieved on the different initiatives taken at Community and national level.

The rapporteur pointed out that many young people would like to be able to carry out part of their studies abroad and that other citizens wanted their qualifications to be recognised in another Member State. Mrs PACK regretted that the Commission communication was limited to measures on the recognition of university qualifications and neglected vocational training. The Commission did not make any mention of the possibility of the recognition of a qualification obtained abroad or a national qualification for working abroad. The rapporteur also regretted that the ECTS had not yet been extended to all countries nor to all types of training. The Commission communication should therefore as a priority define the remaining obstacles to mobility in the Member States. Finally, Mrs Pack welcomed the Commission’s proposal to develop new information networks, but she felt that it would perhaps be better in the first instance to refine those that already existed. Commissioner Deus PINHEIRO pointed out that the right to free movement within the European Union was one of the citizens’ fundamental rights. For this right to be applied, citizens’ qualifications should be easily recognised in host countries. He underlined the contradiction that existed between the theory and the practice, and he criticised the Member States that put up artificial obstacles to the recognition of qualifications. He called for a simplified system for the recognition of qualifications.

The Economic and Social Committee welcomed this Communication, the purpose of which was to give a focus to improving matters in the recognition of qualifications for academic and professional purposes, particularly with regard to the links between the recognition of both categories of qualifications. The proposals thus sought to improve the scope for the free movement of students and those in the higher professions in the European area. The ESC considered that the overall implementation and operation of the two General Directives of 1989 and 1992 should be reviewed in due course alongside the ESC’s suggestion for further proposals covering all levels of occupational skills groups in the European workforce.