European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop)
22.5.2015
Question for written answer E-008346-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Sophie Montel (NI) , Dominique Bilde (NI)
In France, the unemployment rate amongst the under 25’s is almost 24%. This figure does not include students. The figures for Spain and Greece are over 50%. Nevertheless, the European Parliament, via a string of bland, hollow statements, claims to place youth employment at the heart of EU policies. However, to say that the results are poor is an understatement. Youth unemployment levels continue to rise and vocational training is regarded, especially in France, as being a dead-end for many students. Given the Union’s track record in combatting youth unemployment, the effectiveness of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) may be called into question.
1. In the knowledge that countries such as France are plagued by a training deficit and that vocational training systems have been mismanaged, what is the relevance of Cedefop?
2. In light of the above, does the Commission envisage closing Cedefop given that it has failed in its mission to ‘promote and develop vocational and continuing training at the European Union level’?