Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-09-07-Speech-3-322"
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"en.20050907.22.3-322"2
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".
Mr President, Mrs Honeyball, your report considers some very sensitive matters and I have already encountered the difficulty which you mentioned in your introductory remarks. It is a very controversial issue and sometimes I ask myself why I am here on this side and not on your side asking the questions, because the European schools are quite autonomous bodies with autonomous structures, which decide a lot of these questions by themselves.
I do understand the various expectations following enlargement, but the answer cannot be a systematic creation of new schools for which no justification exists. That would be in complete contradiction with the mission and the spirit of the European school system.
The Commission is fully committed to the cultural specificity of the European schools. It therefore endorses most of the points made in this report, since the sound functioning of the European school system is our common objective.
As regards the budgetary features, we would like to ensure accountability for all actors through transparency, planning and control and therefore sound and efficient use of our citizens' money. I understand people's frustration sometimes when everything comes down to money, but we must understand that in many cases the devil lies in the detail of these financial matters and they must be handled properly.
On governance aspects, I am very pleased to note that the report calls for greater representation for the EU institutions on the Board of Governors, more in line with the role they play and with the EU's financial contribution, currently at EUR 127 million, that is, roughly 60% of the overall budget. Experience has shown that the 1994 Convention is no longer equipped to meet the challenges relating to enlargement and its consequences. I trust therefore that I can rely on your support for improving the current governance mechanism.
I am also pleased to see that we share the same concerns as regards children with special educational needs, in line with the measures advocated by the rapporteur on this subject. Only by progressing in this manner and by making appropriate resources available will we be able to ensure a truly human and inclusive approach.
As far as a European baccalaureate is concerned, I agree with the view that all Member States should be called on to ensure that it becomes more widely available. When designing the appropriate processes, however, we must be careful to ensure that the same quality standards are met.
I agree that efforts should be pursued to allow European schools to offer, as an alternative, a leaving certificate for pupils who choose to follow a more vocational education. Nevertheless, I would like to stress the Commission's concerns in a number of areas.
With regard to the financial aspects, we should find ways to seriously and concretely improve the management and reporting. I still believe that the idea of establishing a yearly ceiling on the Community contribution to the European schools should be carefully considered, as some Members have stressed.
I also believe that it is important to apply and to revise the so-called
criteria, which have been adopted after careful discussion by the Board of Governors, the decision-making body of the European school system. If we are to ensure the maintenance of the European school system as defined in its founding convention, we must have the courage to address the question of the future of those European schools that no longer fulfil the objectives for which they were initially created, without excluding any option."@en1
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"Gaignage"1
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