EU heads of government commit to two foreign languages in school

Presidency Conclusions. Barcelona European Council 15 & 16 March 2002
(Extract from p. 19)

Full text is on http://ue.eu.int/newsroom/newmain.asp?lang=1
(click on European Council; Nr. 100/02)

A competitive economy based on knowledge

Education

43. The European Council welcomes the agreement on the detailed "Work Programme for 2010" for education and training systems. The European Council sets the objective of making its educative and training systems a world quality reference by 2010. It agrees that the three basic principles to inspire this Programme shall be: improved quality, facilitation of universal access, and opening-up to the wider world.

It invites the Council and the Commission to report to the Spring European Council in 2004 on its effective implementation.

44. The European Council calls for further action in this field:

- to introduce instruments to ensure the transparency of diplomas and qualifications (ECTS, diploma and certificate supplements, European CV) and closer cooperation with regard to university degrees in the context of the Sorbonne-Bologna-Prague process prior to the Berlin meeting in 2003; similar action should be promoted in the area of vocational training;

- to improve the mastery of basic skills, in particular by teaching at least two foreign languages from a very early age: establishment of a linguistic competence indicator in 2003; development of digital literacy: generalisation of an Internet and computer user's certificate for secondary school pupils;

- the European Council calls on the Commission to undertake a feasibility study to identify options for helping secondary schools to establish or enhance an internet twinning link with a partner school elsewhere in Europe, and report back to the Seville European Council in June;

- to promote the European dimension in education and its integration into pupils' basic skills by 2004.

45. The European Council welcomes the Commission's Communication on "Making a European Area for Lifelong Learning a Reality" and invites the Council to adopt a resolution on Lifelong Learning before the European Council in Seville, taking into account the European Employment Strategy.