European Union Instruments which Encourage the Use of New Information and Communication Technologies in Learning and Training

• Treaty Establishing the European Community (entered into force Nov. 1, 1993)
• Council Recommendation on Access to Continuing Vocational Training (30 June 1993)
• Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Cooperation in Quality Evaluation in School Education (2001/166/EC)
• Council Recommendation on the Broad Guidelines of the Economic Policies of the Member States and the Community (2001/483/EC)

Treaty Establishing the European Community (entered into force Nov. 1, 1993): Part Three - Community Policies: Chapter 3: Education, Vocational Training and Youth

Article 149 (ex Article 126)

2. Community action shall be aimed at:
   • encouraging the development of distance education.

Council Recommendation on Access to Continuing Vocational Training (30 June 1993)

II. RECOMMENDS that, in order to provide easy access for as many employees as possible, Member States:

10. encourage the development of the most suitable teaching and learning methods in continuing vocational training which will facilitate access to continuing vocational training for employees, e.g. methods of self-training on the job, distance learning, media-assisted learning, etc;

Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Cooperation in Quality Evaluation in School Education (2001/166/EC)

Whereas:

8. In guideline 8 of the said guidelines, specific reference is made to developing computer literacy, to equipping schools with computer equipment and to facilitating student access to the Internet by the end of 2002, which should have a positive impact on the quality of education and prepare young people for the digital age.

Council Recommendation on the Broad Guidelines of the Economic Policies of the Member States and the Community (2001/483/EC)

3. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

3.7. Foster the knowledge-based economy

The European Union's transition to the knowledge-based economy is advancing, but it should be speeded up if the Lisbon strategic goal is to be achieved. Business and citizens need to be encouraged to seize the opportunities offered by the knowledge-based economy.

In spite of recent progress in ICT diffusion, the EU continues to lag behind the United States in areas such as research and development, investment in new technology, and internet penetration. It is of high importance that the guidance provided by the Stockholm European Council to accelerate economic reforms is brought into life within the agreed period. Increased investments in human capital, R& D and ICT are required in order to strengthen European competitiveness. The establishment of competitive product markets (see Section 3.4) and well-functioning capital markets (see Section 3.5) contribute to a business climate supportive of innovation and risk-taking that will encourage investment. In the area of R& D, the main challenge is to raise private sector involvement contributing to a better commercialisation of R& D results and to the establishment of the European Research Area to facilitate the transition to the knowledge-based economy, it is necessary to:

2. promote access and use of ICT:
   • implement the unbundling of the "local loop" in order to help bring about a substantial reduction in the costs of using the internet;
   • ensure a better and more widespread use of internet in schools and complete the necessary training of all teachers by the end of 2002;
3. strengthen education and training efforts:
   • both private and public, in order to increase the supply of trained researchers, to increase the number of highly qualified ICT personnel, and to improve the basic skills, in particular ICT skills, of the population;
   • enhance the capabilities of education systems to respond adequately to changes in skill requirements.

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