WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1936/97 by Christof TANNERT to the Commission. Community-wide recognition of teacher training in Berlin
C 21/122 EN Official Journal of the European Communities 22. 1. 98 The Commission regrets that the sectors concerned have not so far made use of the grace period allowed by the Council to develop a strategy which would enable them to adjust to the abolition of the tax concession associated with duty-free sales, although it is now five years since the decision was taken. Instead, the duty-free sales sector boosted its turnover by about 50% between 1991 and 1995, thus exerting pressure by unacceptable means. This increase in turnover also reflects the scale of the tax concession enjoyed by the sector, which represents, on average, 35% of turnover. Furthermore, the Commission notes that the arguments being advanced today are exactly the same as those put forward in 1991. Accordingly, it has no plans to conduct a study of the social and economic repercussions in the sector concerned. In this regard it endorses the approach advocated by the Ecofin Council on 11 November 1996. (98/C 21/235) WRITTEN QUESTION E-1936/97 by Christof Tannert (PSE) to the Commission (4 June 1997) Subject: Community-wide recognition of teacher training in Berlin Because of budget cuts, Berlinís Department for Schools, Youth and Sport has decided to reduce from two years to one year the length of courses at teacher-training colleges. The Land Education Authority sent a letter to Berlinís training centres stating that vocational-school students who had proceeded beyond the eleventh class (formerly 10 + 2í: ten yearsí general education plus two years in vocational school) may now apply for admission to the training school. Can the Commission indicate whether, despite the reduction to one year at vocational school ( 10 + 1í), teacher training obtained in Berlin is still recognized throughout the European Union? Answer given by Mr Monti on behalf of the Commission (11 July 1997) The recognition of diplomas qualifying the holder to practise the occupation of childcare worker is covered by the Community directives establishing the general system of recognition of diplomas. Depending on the level of the qualifications concerned, one of the following two directives applies: Directive 89/48/EEC on a general system for the recognition of higher-education diplomas awarded on completion of professional education and training of at least three years’ duration (1), or Directive 92/51/EEC on a second general system for the recognition of professional education and training to supplement Directive 89/48/EEC (2). Each Member State remains free to determine the level of qualifications required to practise as a childcare worker on its territory. The above directives have not, in fact, harmonised training courses; rather, they have established a system whereby a diploma required for a particular profession or occupation in a Member State must be recognised so that the holder can practise the same activity in another Member State, despite the differences between education systems. Thus, Germany is perfectly entitled to decide the level of qualifications required to practise as a childcare worker. The qualification in question is covered by the recognition mechanisms established by Directive 92/51/EEC, which states that, in the event of substantial differences in length and content between the migrant worker’s training and that required by the host Member State, the latter’s authorities can require a compensatory measure to be taken (an adaptation period or an aptitude test). Given the length of the period of training leading to the new German qualification of childcare worker (Erzieher) and that of the courses leading to the corresponding qualification in the host Member State, the imposition of such a compensatory measure may be justified in some cases. (1) OJ L 19, 24. 1. 1989. (2) OJ L 209, 24. 7. 1992