Text tabled : A7-0247/2012

  Zoltán Bagó (PPE), in writing. – (HU) It is a threat to the achievement of the goals of a knowledge-based economy if new austerity measures introduced under the pretext of crisis management significantly affect education and training systems. Both Member State and EU level cuts in financing come at the cost of quality. If we allocate more funding to high-quality early-childhood education, we can cut costs in later stages of education. I voted in favour of the report because I acknowledge the priority of education policy. I support the European harmonisation of dual vocational training systems, and I am of the opinion that practical training should be given greater priority in higher education. The report points out that students and educators in vocational education and training should be encouraged to make more efficient use of the opportunities provided by mobility. A stable European economy demands high-quality work and European professionals with complex expertise. To this end, it is essential to eliminate any remaining barriers to mobility in the European area of education and training.