MEPs and MPs debate culture's contribution to jobs and growth

"Educated people can face challenges and transform them into opportunities", said Education and Culture Commissioner Ján Figeľ,  stressing education's role in generating growth, creating jobs and building a knowledge economy. Mr Figeľ  encouraged EU Member States to adopt the European Qualification Framework, so as to improve the mobility of European students and workers. He also called on Member States to step up their dialogue with EU institutions, stressing that "subsidiarity does not mean lack of co-operation", and that "Europe is defined by cultural diversity and common values much more than by businesses and geography". 

 

 

The quality of education "needs to be made much more measurable", and "intensive teacher training is essential", said  Mr Azis Polozani, an MP from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

 

Portuguese MP Luis Fagundes explained that his country has sought to improve its education system by introducing broadband internet access and compulsory English lessons. "We have noticed positive trends and more people are staying longer at school", he said.

 

 

Doris Pack (PPE-ED, DE), underlined that "it is really important to create links between universities and companies and increase the mobility of young people through Erasmus and Comenius programmes". Pack criticised the fact that not all the European students can afford to study abroad and said that the Erasmus programme benefits only an "élite"¨.

  

Helga Trüpel (Greens/EFA, DE), emphasized that Member States should pay attention to the EU institutions' recommendations on key skills for lifelong learning. "Learning to learn and sense of initiative and entrepreneurship should be promoted across Europe", she said.

 

 

A lively debate on culture and the economy was triggered by Odile Quintin, the Commission's Director General for Education and Culture, who said that cultural industries account for 2.6 % of Member States' GNP. 

 
Christa Prets (PES, AT ), underlined the importance of the Unesco Convention on protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expression, which the EU has signed, and has now become part of the national and European legal order.

 

Vasco Graça Moura (EPP-ED, PT), who is drafting a report on 'Culture in a globalising world', felt that the Commission puts too much emphasis on the economic aspect of culture. "Culture is not sufficiently recognised as a vehicle for social development," he said, adding that "if we use economic benchmarking, we might distort the nature of culture". What matters, he said, is how to "preserve European culture and inject more dynamism into it".

 

 

Several participants also stressed that culture is and should still be a responsibility of national governments. Camelo Abela, of  the Maltese Parliament, saw promoting culture in the population and at European level as a dual task, but Lithuanian MP Marija Pavilioniene underlined that culture should remain free, and said that "we should not allow European institutions to co-ordinate national culture".

 

Participants also discussed dialogue between religions in connection with the Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008, and the role of media in promoting European Culture.

  

The meeting was jointly organised by the EP Committee on Culture and Education and the Portuguese Parliament,  Assembleia da Republica.