The Common Vocational Training Policy in the EEC from 1961 to 1972

VOCATIONAL TRAINING NO 32 EUROPEAN JOURNAL

Francesco The common Petrini Post-doctoral researcher in the vocational training Department of International Studies, policy in the EEC University of Padua While Article 128 of the Treaty of Rome very clearly states from 1961 to 1972 that a common policy for vocational training should be developed, this policy has nev- er come to fruition. This is largely due to resistance from Germany and France, which already possessed highly developed vocational training systems. But the failure can also be attributed to the clash Introduction lems. Italy in particular hoped to find in the between the centralising forces Community an instrument for solving the of European development, re- Article 128 of the EEC Treaty signed in Rome structural problems by which its society was vealed by the Commission’s in March 1957 stated that the Council of Min- beset, at least in part. Foremost among those attempts to take the lead in isters of the Community would lay down, problems was what seemed to be endemic financing common policies, based on a proposal of the Commission and unemployment in the less economically ad- and the opposing government after consulting the Economic and Social vanced areas of the country (3). With this in forces that seek to limit the Committee (ESC), ‘general principles for im- mind, a common vocational training poli- Commission’s ambitions and plementing a common vocational training cy could be seen as of great value in facili- defend their sovereignty. As policy capable of contributing to the har- tating the job integration and retraining of a a result, attempts to formu- monious development both of the national significant proportion of the body of un- late a common policy for vo- economies and of the common market’. Ar- employed people, especially bearing in mind cational training have been ticle 118 also included basic and advanced that the Italian training system was not so abandoned: France and Ger- vocational training as one of the matters for highly developed as in some of the other many are not at all keen to which the Commission was given the task Member States. The economic and social in- take on the costs of retrain- ‘of promoting close cooperation between terests of one of the Member States - one of ing the southern Italian labour Member States’. Article 41 specifically re- the three ‘major’ States, perhaps not so much force. ferred to vocational training in the agricul- politically as in geographical, demograph- tural sector, stating that there should be ‘ef- ic and economic terms - together with the (1) For quotations from the Treaty, see fective coordination of efforts in the spheres concern of the newly created Commission Historical Archives of the European Com- munities, hereinafter ASCE, BAC 173/1995, of vocational training ... (that) may include to establish itself as the driving force for in- 2824, EEC Commission, Principi generali joint financing of projects or institutions’ (1). tegration, at least in those fields in which per l’attuazione di una politica comune di formazione professionale [General prin- These were followed by a series of meas- it had been given specific responsibilities by ciples for implementing a common vo- ures (in particular those on the mobility of the Treaty, were all pressures to move in the cational training policy], 26/9/1961. workers in employment, exchanges of young direction of setting up a common vocation- (2) In particular the Commission cited as indirect sources Articles 49, 50, 57 and workers, etc.) which, without explicitly men- al training policy. As stated by the mem- 131 of the Treaty of Rome, plus Article 3 tioning the adoption of a common policy, ber of the Commission who followed most of the Implementing Convention on the association of the overseas countries and could be regarded as indirect legal sources closely the vicissitudes of vocational train- territories with the Community and the for Community competence in matters of ing in the 1960s, Lionello Levi Sandri from provisions of the Protocol on Italy. See 2 ASCE, BAC 173/1995, 2822, EEC Com- vocational training ( ). Italy: ‘... these are important provisions in mission, Principes généraux pour la mise the general context of the European Com- en œuvre d’une politique commune de formation professionnelle - Projet [Gen- It can be stated, then, that the EEC Treaty munity’s social policy since ... it is the only eral principles for implementing a com- provided a solid legal base for a Commis- case in which the Treaty makes provision mon vocational training policy - Draft], sion initiative directed towards establish- on this subject, in its Article 128, for a com- 8/2/1961. ing a common policy on vocational training mon vocational training policy. This enables (3) On the Italian position on European integration, see Varsori, 1999. for the workers of the Member States. Such the Community to make every effort to es- (4) ASCE, BAC 7/1986, 1618. Exposé de measures were a practical response above tablish a genuine, adequate common poli- M. Levi Sandri devant le Comité all to the demands of those countries with cy, unlike its other interventions, which may économique et social [Address by Mr Le- 4 vi Sandri to the Economic and Social Com- the most pressing economic and social prob- in a sense appear to be weaker’ ( ). mittee], 1/3/1962. Cedefop 45 VOCATIONAL TRAINING NO 32 EUROPEAN JOURNAL

Would, then, the allied interests of Italy and could be made to solve the problem of skilled of the EEC Commission succeed in imposing labour shortages by means of intergovern- an ‘interventionist’ line, in other words one mental agreements or the intervention of the in which the Community institutions and newly created European Social Fund, but, ac- mechanisms would perform a decisive role cording to Levi Sandri: ‘the Community’s eco- in vocational training? The reply to this ques- nomic policy and above all its social policy tion, at least as regards the years with which call rather for a vocational training policy ... we are concerned, is ‘no’. Let us try to un- which, as the Treaty intends, must be a com- derstand why this came to pass. mon policy’ (10).

The ten principles of 1963 Thus the general principles were conceived not in the abstract, not in theory, but as ‘pre- On 12 May 1960 the Council, on a pro- cepts that must be effectively imposed on the posal of the Commission, decided to ac- activity of States’ (11). celerate the implementation of the Treaty of Rome (5). Vocational training was chosen As the Commission stated clearly on this sub- as one of the sectors in which steps would ject: to plan for a common vocational train- be taken ahead of the schedule for imple- ing policy when its principles are not bind- menting the provisions of the Treaty. After ing on the Member States would in practice (5) See Gerbet, 1994; p. 214. See also ASCE, consulting the competent national author- be tantamount to not establishing a common CM2/1960, 46. Exposé fait par M. Petril- ities and representatives of the trade unions vocational training policy at all. It is clear that li au cours de la 37e session du Conseil [Address by Mr Petrilli during the 37th and employers, between February and the term ‘general principles’ entails rules of session of the Council], 27/9/1960. September 1961 the Commission, with the conduct and the idea of a tangible result to (6) See ASCE, BAC 173/1995, 2822, Coreper support of the Italian representatives in the be achieved. The act to be adopted, there- - Extrait du procès verbal, problèmes re- 6 latifs à l’accélération [Extract from the min- Community bodies ( ), succeeded in laying fore, is of such a nature as to be binding on utes, problems relating to acceleration], down the content of the general principles the Member States by virtue of the general 14/7/1961, stating that ‘the Italian Rep- resentative confirmed his Government’s on training, as required by Article 128, obligation imposed on them by Article 5; it interest in the early presentation of a Com- setting their number at 10 (7). These prin- ensures that, in matters of vocational train- mission proposal establishing general principles for implementing a common ciples were to be the foundation on which ing, the Member States must align their atti- vocational training policy’. a common line for the six countries was to tudes and their actions with the general prin- (7) For the final version of the principles be constructed. We shall not go into each ciples that are to be laid down (12). see Principi generali per l’attuazione di una politica comune di formazione pro- of those principles in detail here, but we fessionale [General principles for imple- shall look at the more important aspects to On several occasions the Commission made menting a common vocational training policy], 26/9/1961, op. cit. shed light on the Commission’s action guide- an effort to stress the mandatory nature of lines, and we shall then analyse how the the principles laid down pursuant to Article (8) General principles for implementing a common vocational training policy - Community reacted. 128, in an obvious attempt to exclude any Draft, 8/2/1961, op. cit ., in particular pp. likelihood that Governments might apply 7-8, on the economic and social founda- tions for the Commission action. It is of The general objective to be achieved through them according to their national rules and interest that the document stressed that a common social policy was, in the mind of each country in the light of its own priorities, the improvement of working conditions could not be left solely to the workings the Commission, not only higher productiv- which would have rendered the very idea of of the free market which, ‘according to ity and greater economic integration pure and a common policy meaningless. economic theory and experience’, would have accentuated the economic and so- simple but, above all the moral and material cial imbalances existing in the Commu- advancement of workers, so as to associate Regarding the long-term outlook, Levi San- nity. Neither, moreover, would an ‘au- thoritarian’ labour policy have been ac- them in a positive way with the process of dri said he was in full agreement with Maria ceptable. All things considered, a com- integration and its institutions. The devel- Weber, the representative of German unions mon vocational training policy was the most suitable means ‘of creating a so- opment of vocational training in the Member on the ECS, on the idea that, in the transi- cial situation as a precursor to an em- States through a policy of intervention by the tional period of establishing the common mar- ployment policy meeting the general objectives of the Treaty’. authorities therefore came to be seen as cru- ket, an irreversible process should be start-

(9) Idem. cially important in achieving a form of inte- ed up that would bring the Member States gration consonant with the social goals set up to a common level of vocational train- (10) Exposé de M. Levi Sandri devant le 8 13 Comité économique et social [Address by by the Treaty ( ). In a situation in which there ing ( ). This gradual harmonisation of their Mr Levi Sandri to the Economic and So- was a chronic shortage of skilled labour and training systems called for the development cial Committee], 1/3/1962, op. cit . technicians side by side with the persistence of actions based on common programmes 11 ( ) Idem. of high unemployment rates in certain re- and initiatives; in consequence the Commis- (12) General principles for implementing gions of the Community, the importance of sion should have assumed the role of a true a common vocational training policy, 26/9/1961, op. cit . vocational training in improving workers’ liv- prime mover of the common policy rather

(13) Exposé de M. Levi Sandri devant le ing conditions was all too evident: it repre- than that of a mere coordinator of the Mem- Comité économique et social [Address by sented ‘a link between demographic and tech- ber States’ initiatives. In the words of Levi Mr Levi Sandri to the Economic and So- 9 cial Committee], 1/3/1962, op. cit . nological development’ ( ). Of course attempts Sandri: ‘One cannot accept certain proposals Cedefop 46 VOCATIONAL TRAINING NO 32 EUROPEAN JOURNAL

that would reduce these [the Commission’s] nonetheless sought by the Council, in re- powers, proposals that would probably com- sponse to pressure from the Commission) (18), promise the very implementation of the com- some MEPs raised the problem of respecting mon policy.’ (14). specific national characteristics in education, stating that ‘the EEC cannot go further than (14) Idem. (15) General principles for implementing This ‘active’ concept of the Commission’s role permitted by the established structures in the a common vocational training policy, was embodied in the fourth principle, ac- Member States’ (19). Levi Sandri, who was pres- 26/9/1961, op. cit. cording to which the Commission, to ensure ent during the debate, assured the Assembly (16) Idem. the implementation of the common voca- that the Commission ‘does not intend to in- (17) General principles for implementing a common vocational training policy - tional training policy, was to: ‘make concrete terfere with problems that come within the Draft, 8/2/1961, op. cit. proposals to the Council, adopt any other ap- purview of Member States’. (18) See ASCE, CM2/1961 57. Procès verbal de la 53e session du Conseil de la CEE propriate initiative, indicate the order of [Minutes of the 53rd session of the EEC priority of actions, monitor their development, The ESC (whose opinion was not a require- Council], Brussels 23-25/10/1961. The 10 principles were officially brought to the arrange for their coordination and verify their ment but was sought, as for the Parliament) attention of the Council on 3 October results’ (15). expressed doubts as the Advisory Commit- 1961. See ASCE, BAC 26/1969, 140. Let- ter from Mr Hallstein to the President of tee specified under the fourth principle might the EEC Council, 3/10/1961. Note that in In particular the Community executive could in some way be marginalised by an over-par- his letter Mr Hallstein asked the Council to discuss the principles as early as at the formulate common study and research pro- tisan Commission. Here again, Levi Sandri in- meeting of 23 October next, demonstrating grammes and in general propose ‘practical tervened to give an assurance that the Com- both the priority that the Commission attached to the question and perhaps an realisations’ whose implementation would be mission intended to ‘proceed in close con- under-estimate of the resistance that the entrusted to the Member States ‘on its [the tact with the categories concerned’ (20). planned principles might arouse among national governments. In the October ses- Commission’s] impetus’ (in the French version, the Council did not enter into the merits of the principles but merely gave sion, ‘sous son impulsion’), in virtually un- Despite the doubts generated by certain as- its unanimous approval to the idea of con- limited time and space, since both short- and pects of the proposal, it can be stated that on sulting the Parliamentary Assembly and long-term projects were discussed, relating the whole the two institutions supported the the ESC. (19) ASCE, BAC 7/1986, 1618. Note d’in- both to individual national situations and to Commission’s grand design. Both expressed formation-Consultation relative à la propo- the Community as a whole (16). The same favourable opinions, although many amend- sition de la Commission [Information-Con- sultation note on the Commission pro- principle provided for the creation of an ad- ments to the text presented by the Commis- posal], 4/4/1962, in which there is a sum- visory committee on vocational training, con- sion were suggested, especially by the Assem- mary of the debate in the Assembly. The meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly sisting of an equal number of representatives bly (21). Nevertheless, as regards the key point was held on 30 March. of the competent national authorities, trade of the project, the Commission’s power of (20) See as regards the debate in the ESC: ASCE, BAC 7/1986, 1618. Compte-ren- unions and employers’ associations, with the initiative, the report presented by the Par- du des délibérations XXe session [Min- task of assisting the Commission in its action liament’s Social Committee emphasised: ‘the utes of the discussions in the 20th session], 1/3/1962. The statements by Levi in this field. vital importance of the action of initiative and Sandri are in: Exposé de M. Levi Sandri incentive assigned to the Executive body of devant le Comité économique et social [Mr Levi Sandri’s address to the Economic Incidentally, it is of interest that in the first the EEC for the implementation of the com- and Social Committee], 1/3/1962, op. cit. version of the principles, dated February 1961 mon policy. ... It is essential to give the EEC (21) See the amended text of the principles as proposed by the Assembly in ASCE, (the final version was approved in Septem- Commission powers enabling it to adopt ini- BAC 7/1986, 1618. Consultation demandée ber), the fourth principle also included the tiatives of common interest.’ (22). par le Conseil de la CEE à l’Assemblée Parlementaire Européenne [Consultation creation of a European information, docu- requested by the EEC Council of the Euro- mentation and research centre whose terms In other words, the European Parliament came pean Parliamentary Assembly], 2/4/1962. of reference were to disseminate documen- out in full support of the idea of a leading (22) ASCE, BAC 26/1969, 142, APE, Report on behalf of the Social Committee, tation and information on vocational train- role for the Commission in the sphere of com- 21/3/1962. See also the reports on the ing, and to study, as directed by the Com- mon vocational training policies, including Commission debates in ASCE, BAC 173/1995, 2829. Nevertheless, the Assem- mission, technical questions associated with its right of initiative. bly remained more cautious about the 17 Commission’s powers of initiative. It is sig- the realisation of a common policy ( ). This nificant that, in the wording of the fourth wording disappeared in subsequent versions, Reactions from the Governments were nat- principle, the Parliament had proposed re- placing the expression sous son impulsion in which the Commission itself absorbed en urally very different. Almost a year after the [on its impetus] by the words sur sa de- bloc the functions that had in principle been European Parliament had given its opinion, mande [at its request], with reference to the Commission’s action in dealings with assigned to the European centre for voca- a delay that was found surprising in Com- Member States in the performance of the tional training. munity circles (23), the Council finally ex- projects formulated by itself. amined the draft principles at a meeting on (23) See the written question submitted on 29 October 1962 by the Dutch Socialist 24 As is apparent the Commission had lofty am- 21 February 1963 ( ). On that occasion the Deputy, Mr Nederhorst, the Chairman of bitions, which were received with some per- Ministers of Labour were given the task of the European Assembly’s Social Com- mittee, to find out the reasons for the de- plexity even in those circles most in favour representing their Governments. The Com- lay, and the Commission reply on 29 De- of more integrationist ideas. mission was represented by its President, cember 1962, in ASCE, BAC 1/1970, 638. (24) ASCEM CN2/1963, 0009. Procès ver- Walter Hallstein, and by Levi Sandri. The dis- bal de la 96e session du Conseil de la CEE In the European Parliament (whose opinion, cussion focused on the wording of the fourth tenue à Bruxelles le 21/2/1963 [Minutes of the 96th session of the EEC Council although not required by Article 128, was principle. There were two opposing ideas, held in Brussels on 21/1/1963], 26/4/1963. Cedefop 47 VOCATIONAL TRAINING NO 32 EUROPEAN JOURNAL

one of them ruling out the competence of requisite for the free movement of workers the Community institutions for the formula- in the common market - one of Italy’s main tion and application of vocational training objectives in taking part in European inte- policies, the other affirming that competence. gration (26). As a result, in the face of Franco- The French Minister Mr Grandval and, even German resistance, the Italian Minister, Mr more decisively, the German Minister Mr Bertinelli, put forward a compromise formu- Blank, were the spokesmen for the former la to the effect that the Commission could argument. According to the French Minister, present its proposals to the Council in the the Commission seemed ‘to have the inten- first instance and, ‘depending on the cir- tion of going beyond its function of guiding cumstances’, to the Member States as well. the policies of Member States and to want to take direct action within national After a prolonged debate culminating in the economies’. In Mr Blank’s opinion, it was replacement of the word ‘proposals’ by the advisable for ‘the Commission to content it- word ‘measures’, which the French delega- self ... with making its views and opinions tion saw as less binding and of more limited known to the Member States; it would then legal scope, the Council came to vote on a be for the Member States to act in due aware- text that incorporated the compromise so- ness of the facts’. Unless this was accepted, lution put forward by the Italians. Four del- Germany could not give its consent to a text egations voted in favour, and two - the French authorising the Commission to make pro- and the German - against. With regard to the posals to the Council that the Council, ac- question of the funds to back the common cording to the dictates of the Treaty, could policy, approval was given - again with the reject only by a unanimous agreement. To French and German delegations voting against avoid this possibility, the German Govern- - to the Netherlands’ proposal, i.e. that vo- ment proposed that the Commission might cational training policy ‘could’ become the make proposals on vocational training on- object of joint funding, but in essence that ly to the Member States. In this way, each the decision on the methods of funding would (25) Idem . State would retain its freedom to choose be deferred to a later date. (26) On the relations between European whether or not to follow the Commission’s integration and emigration policies in Ital- ian politics, see Romero, 1991 and 1993. guidance. As the German Minister stated: ‘In The 1965 Action Programme

(27) See the documentation in ASCE, BAC matters of vocational training, the Member 64/1984, 969 and BAC 6/1977, 679. States are competent: any text not recog- After a difficult run-up period the final ver- (28) ASCE, BAC 26/1969, 467. Advisory nising this situation would go beyond the sion of the principles was adopted by the Committee on Vocational Training (ACVT). Treaty.’ (25). Council in a decision of 2 April 1963. In a Discours introductif prononcé par M. Le- vi Sandri [introductory address by Mr Le- second decision reached on 18 December vi Sandri], 29/6/1964. In addition to their views on the question 1963, the Council approved the statutes of (29) Idem . of competence, the French and German del- the Advisory Committee on Vocational Train- (30) For example, Levi Sandri recalled, egations stated their opposition to the wording (27). The Committee consisted of 36 mem- based on the proposals formulated by the ing of the 10th principle, which provided bers, i.e. 2 government representatives, 2 Commission, on 8 May 1964 the first common programme for the exchange of for joint financing for certain types of meas- union representatives and 2 employers’ rep- young workers was approved. Levi San- ures directed towards attaining the objec- resentatives per Member State. It was chaired dri also mentioned a whole series of initiatives designed to establish collabora- tives of the vocational training policy. Ac- by a representative of the Commission. Levi tion in the field of information and re- cording to the two ministers, this provi- Sandri, who in the meanwhile had become search on vocational training with national bodies (such as the University of sion should be excluded, leaving it to the Vice President of the Commission, took on Frankfurt and Cologne, the Humanitari- discretion of individual countries to choose this task for the first few years of the Com- an Society of Milan) and international bodies (Centre d’information sur la for- the means of funding. mittee’s work. The address by Levi Sandri mation professionnelle in Geneva, an or- himself on the occasion of the first meeting ganisation closely linked with the ILO). The Commission then embarked whole- The Commission’s project also found sup- of the Committee, on 29 June 1964, gives a heartedly in 1964 on organisating an in- porters within the Council. The firmest sup- comprehensive picture of the Commission’s ternational conference on vocational training, held in Brussels from 16 to 20 Novem- port for the arguments put forward by the vocational training programmes following the ber 1964. See the conference proceed- Commissioners came from Italy. In the light approval of the general principles (28). ings in ASCE, BAC 1/1970, 637 and ASCE, BAC 26/1969, 467, Note d’information of the considerations described above, the concernant le Colloque sur la formation reasons for that support can readily be un- According to the Vice President of the Com- professionnelle [Information note on the vocational training colloquium on voca- derstood: Italy was the country with the great- mission, the common training policy was to tional training], 25/9/1964. est interest in the creation of a genuinely com- be the outcome of concerted action of Mem- (31) ASCE, BAC 6/1977, 679. Projet de pro- mon policy on vocational training, especial- ber States and Community institutions based gramme d’action en matière de politique commune de formation professionnelle ly with the prospect that it might lead to on the general principles. The first step would [Draft action programme on a common the harmonisation of national training stan- be to lay down guidelines for Community in- vocational training policy], 1964, but un- dated. dards for workers in employment, a pre- terventions, setting an order of priority in the Cedefop 48 VOCATIONAL TRAINING NO 32 EUROPEAN JOURNAL

light of the principles and establishing the essentially to promote, through training and more pressing needs. With this in mind, de- retraining, the use of the potential resources clared Levi Sandri, ‘the Commission intends of manpower within the Community, as well to act as a catalyst for the will of Member as the transfer of workers from sectors in States’ (29). In particular, pursuant to the which there was a surplus of labour towards fifth principle, it would be the responsibili- those where there were shortages. To this ty of the Commission to set up a perma- end, there were plans for the development nent network for exchange of information and improvement of Community initiatives among Member States and between them and aimed at creating accelerated training pro- the Commission, to promote the fruitful pool- grammes for adult workers. ing of experience with the various vocational training programmes set up at national lev- Among the long-term measures, the docu- el. But above all, according to the Italian Com- ment placed priority on developing training missioner, the aim of the Community action structures, programmes and methods, par- should be the development of training sys- ticularly in developing regions and those at tems and their adaptation in line with eco- risk of economic decline. To achieve this, im- nomic change and technical progress. Levi portance was attached to training teaching Sandri made a point of recalling all the ef- staff and instructors and to permanent train- forts that had been made by the Commission ing of the work force, so that there could be up to that moment (30), but he felt that the an adequate response to the demands creat- time was now ripe for more structured ac- ed by technological advances. tion, for putting the 10 principles into practice. In the Commission’s opinion, because Another priority indicated in the document the principles were generic and often theo- was the harmonisation of training standards, retical, there was a need for ‘the objectives a result that was ‘one of the fundamental ob- of the common vocational training policy and jectives of the common policy’, in the words the procedures adopted to attain the ESC ob- of Levi Sandri (34), so that the principle of the jectives to be specified and prioritised ... by freedom of movement of workers and the defining a general guideline for the action right of establishment could apply in full. envisaged and by outlining a framework in In consequence, harmonisation should relate (32) Idem . which that action should be placed.’ (31). in the first place to those occupations and (33) ASCE, BAC 6/1977, 685. Programme d’action en matière de politique com- qualifications that accounted for the highest mune de formation professionnelle en To achieve that objective, over 1964 the Com- rates of emigration within the Community. général [Action programme on a common vocational training policy in general], un- mission devoted itself to drafting an Action dated. Programme on common vocational training In May 1965, after consulting the Advisory (34) CCFP. Discours introductif prononcé policy (divided into two parts, one more Committee, the Commission adopted the Ac- par M. Levi Sandri [Introductory speech specifically on agriculture, the other on oth- tion Programme, which was submitted to oth- by Mr Levi Sandri], 29/6/1964, op. cit . er fields of work). The end objective of the er Community institutions for consideration (35) ASCE, BAC 26/1969, 468. Discours in- 35 troductif prononcé par M. Levi Sandri [Ex- common action, as defined in the Action Pro- ( ). The Parliament gave its favourable opin- tract from the minutes of the 316th meet- gramme, was to establish a system offering ion in March 1966 (36). In May that year, ing of the Commission], 5/5/1965. ASCE, BAC 6/1977, 685, CCFP. Avis sur le Pro- ‘all young people of the Community, and one of the working groups coming under the gramme d’action en matière de politique when necessary adults, an appropriate op- Council of Ministers, the Group on social commune de formation professionnelle 32 37 [Opinion on the action programme on portunity for training’ ( ). The Programme questions, examined the document ( ). Within the common vocational training policy], was intended, as was explicitly stated in the the Group, the German and Netherlands del- 19/3/1965. general considerations, to be an intermedi- egations observed that the breakdown of re- (36) See the documentation in ASCE, BAC ate stage between the 10 principles and the sponsibilities between the Community and 26/1969, 469. The Parliament’s favourable opinion was issued on 11 March 1966. concrete proposals that the Commission would the Member States had not been made suffi- (37) ASCE, BAC 26/1969, 469. Working Par- be presenting to the Council or Member States. ciently clear in the action programme. For its ty on Social Questions, Note-Action pro- A set of short- and long-term actions was part, the French delegation formally stated its grammes established by the Commission, planned that should make it possible: ‘grad- reservations, observing that the Commission 9/5/1966. ually to implement a common VT policy that proposals went beyond the field of vocational (38) ASCE, BAC 26/1969, 469. Texte pro- posé par la délégation italienne [Text pro- might contribute to the harmonious devel- training proper in certain significant aspects. posed by the Italian delegation], 21/9/1966. opment of both national economies and In the opinion of the French delegation, they (39) See the declarations by the Commis- the common market, accelerate the raising of extended to questions that were the exclu- sion representative to Coreper in ASCE, CM/AI 31452. Note-Programmes d’action living standards and improve the prospects sive competence of Member States (relating établis par la Commission [Note-Action of employment for workers, whether in em- in particular to employment policy, policy on Programmes established by the Com- 33 mission], Coreper Meeting 5/10/1966. See ployment or self-employed’ ( ). school education and regional policy). The also ASCE, BAC 7/1986, 1619. Note à l’at- French delegation pointed out that some of tention de MM. les membres de la Com- mission [Note for the attention of Com- Under the short-term measures the aim was the actions envisaged raised problems of fund- mission members], 14/10/1966. Cedefop 49 VOCATIONAL TRAINING NO 32 EUROPEAN JOURNAL

ing, and for this reason the Programme could condly, part of the explanation can be traced only be in the nature of guidance, since back to events more closely linked with vo- any concrete commitments would have re- cational training, specifically the failure of quired a unanimous decision by the Govern- the Commission’s first concrete initiative in ments. Along these lines, the delegation pro- this field. posed that Governments come to an agreement on concrete initiatives, without defin- In late June 1965, a few weeks after the ing a general doctrine on funding. In the same action programme was presented, the Com- spirit, Germany expressed the view that it mission forwarded a proposed decision to was preferable not to adopt a specific posi- the Council, to be adopted by a majority, on tion on all the actions covered by the Pro- implementing an accelerated vocational train- gramme but to do so on a case-by-case ba- ing programme (40). The Commission in- sis. This was clearly an attempt by the Govern- tended the initiative as at least a partial re- ments to impose compartmentalisation of the sponse to a real problem. It should be borne Commission’s projects in such a way as to in mind that in 1964 there was a serious exclude any form of supranationality. shortage of manpower in some of the countries of ‘little Europe’: in Germany, for ex- The Italian delegation alone rallied to the ample, 600 000 jobs were unfilled due to defence of the Commission’s approach, ex- lack of skilled manpower. In Italy, on the pressing the opinion that the Council should contrary, according to the official figures not confine itself merely to taking note of there were 1 200 000 unemployed people. the Programme. Italy proposed that a draft As the Commission wrote: ‘There are cur- declaration be presented to the Permanent rently acute shortages of skilled labour in Representatives Committee (Coreper) to the the Community and ... they are so great as effect that the Council stressed on the one to compromise the balanced expansion of hand the need to maintain an overall vision the Community economy ... Italy alone is in of the vocational training initiatives and, on a position to offer a surplus work force that the other, the value of an action leading to could be trained to take up jobs in the oth- the mutual recognition of occupational qual- er Member States.’ (41). ifications to facilitate free movement of workers. According to the declaration proposed From a legal and political viewpoint, the Com- by the Italians, the Council should call on mission’s proposal was based not only on its the Commission to present it with projects recently launched Action Programme but al- that would enable the Action Programme to so on the general principles, more specifi- be implemented (38). The Italian position did cally - as pointed out in the preliminary state- not gain support from the other delegations. ment in the proposal - on the 4th and 10th prin- (40) ASCE, BAC 26/1969, 468. Proposition The Commission itself stated that it would ciples, in other words those under heaviest de décision du Conseil présentée par la Commission au Conseil [Proposed Coun- withdraw the request for the Council to de- fire from the Governments. The pressure orig- cil decision presented by the Commission liberate on its Programme, whose indicative inated from the Advisory Committee which, to the Council], 29/6/1965, attachment, Levi Sandri to Couve de Murville, 1/7/1965. and general nature - it affirmed - it recog- in its favourable opinion on the Action Pro- nised (39). Given that position, Italy softened gramme delivered in March, had pointed out (41) Idem . its position and withdrew its requests. The the need to study measures that would con- (42) Advisory Committee on Vocational Training. Avis sur le Programme d’action Council merely took note of the Action Pro- tribute towards eliminating existing imbal- en matière de politique commune de for- gramme, without discussing it. ances on the labour market and had rec- mation professionnelle [Opinion on the action programme on the common vo- ommended the ‘implementation of special cational training policy], 19/3/1965, op. What was the reason for this retreat by the accelerated vocational training programmes cit . Commission? In my opinion, the explana- in the light of shortages of skilled manpow- (43) There were plans to make available tion is to be sought in two kinds of fac- er and surpluses of unskilled workers’ (42). to the initiative a budget with an upper limit of slightly over 6 million units of ac- tors. In the first place, the general political The Committee expressly suggested pro- count, broken down as follows: approx- climate: we were in the period immediate- ceeding with implementing an accelerated imately 1 700 000 u.a. for 1965, the balance to be spent in 1966. ly following the end of the ‘empty chair’ cri- vocational training programme.

(44) See ASCE, BAC 26/1969, 469. Coun- sis that was resolved by the Luxembourg cil, Note-Proposed Council decision, compromise (e.g. Gerbet, 1994, pp. 269-284). Accepting the Committee’s opinion, the Com- 3/5/1966. It may therefore be assumed that the change mission drew up a training programme for (45) Idem . in the Commission’s attitude was also due 3 000 Italian workers aged up to 35 who (46) In this hypothesis, due to ESF fund- to its defeat in the confrontation with France. were prepared to seek employment in the ing mechanisms, the quota to be borne by Italy would be increased by 85 %, On reflection, France’s intransigence too can building, metallurgical and hotel industries whereas the quota for France and Ger- be interpreted as a consequence of the in- in a Member State other than their own. The many would be reduced by 20 % and 42 % respectively. stitutional crisis of the previous months. Se- courses were to last from eight months to a Cedefop 50 VOCATIONAL TRAINING NO 32 EUROPEAN JOURNAL

year depending on the sector of employ- sented a complete failure of the Commis- ment and were to be held partly in Italy and sion’s attempt to propose itself as the driv- partly in France and Belgium. The partici- ing force of a common vocational training pants were to be entitled to pay and con- policy. ditions that were equivalent, in France and Belgium, to those of their own workers at- In the years that followed, the Commis- tending public vocational training centres. sion redirected its efforts to less ambitious For Italy the terms of remuneration speci- objectives of more limited scope. The focus fied included, in addition to the monthly in- was on studying measures for the harmon- demnity, a bonus payable on completing isation of vocational qualifications, in ap- the course and a contribution towards the plication of the eighth general principle. This person’s transfer abroad. The funding re- was an undertaking that, if extended to all quired in implementing the programme was labour markets, would have placed an ex- to be charged against the Community budg- cessive burden on the limited structures and et (43). competences available to the Community. It was therefore decided to concentrate (47) See ASCE, CM/AI 31457, Council. No- The Commission’s plans came up against the efforts of the Commission and the Ad- ta-Formazione professionale: ravvicina- mento progressivo dei livelli di formazione the opposition of the Governments, here visory Committee on occupations occupied [Note-Vocational training: gradual har- again with the exception of Italy. In the de- by a large number of people, which were monisation of training standards], 15/12/1967, summarising the statements bate within the Working Party on Social Ques- of concern to the Community as a whole of a Commission representative to the tions held over the course of six meetings and which were of some importance in terms Working Party on Social Questions on the state of the art as regards the harmoni- 47 from the end of March to late April 1966, of freedom of movement ( ). Based on these sation of training levels. See also ASCE, nobody disputed the social and economic three criteria, the industries selected were BAC 64/1984, 969. L’action des Com- munautés européennes en faveur de l’har- 44 advisability of the proposal ( ). What gave engineering and building. The objective was monisation de la formation profession- rise to the strongest opposition were the po- to draw up a Community list of the skills re- nelle [The action of the European Com- munities in favour of the harmonisation litical and financial implications of the proj- quired in each trade and to promote its adop- of vocational training], 9/10/1968. This is ect. As the Italian delegation pointed out, tion at national level. In 1967 the Commis- the text of the statement by the Com- mission’s Director General for the So- this particular initiative was of great politi- sion sent the Council a preliminary propos- cial Affairs, Mr Vink, at a conference or- cal significance, going far beyond the frankly al on the qualifications for an ‘average-lev- ganised by the European institute for vocational training. modest impact that it might have on con- el turner’. This was followed by the qualifi- (48) See ASCE, CM/AI 31457. Note-For- ditions on the labour markets: if it became cations of a ‘milling machine setter-opera- mation professionnelle: rapprochement reality, it would be the first concrete Com- tor’ and a ‘grinding machine operator’, the progressif des niveaux de formation [Note- vocational training: gradual harmonisa- munity measure in vocational training to be three lists being combined into a single Oc- tion of training standards], 23/1/1968. implemented by common funding, estab- cupational monograph for the training of (49) See ASCE, CM/AI 31457. Extrait du 45 lishing a significant precedent ( ). But for skilled machine tool workers. procès verbal de la 44e session du Con- the very reason of ruling out any Commu- seil [Extract from the minutes of the 44th session of the Council], 9/7/1968, tak- nity competence in what was regarded as But even in such a technical context, the ing note of the conclusions reached by the sole domain of national governments, Commission’s work had to reckon with the Working Party on Social Questions in ASCE, BAC 173/1995, 2840, Note-For- the other delegations proposed that the Com- the opposition of the French Government, mation professionnelle: rapprochement mission programme be shelved and that in which disputed the chosen method on the progressif des niveaux de formation [Note- Vocational Training: gradual harmonisa- its place a series of multilateral or bilateral grounds that it might lead to the under- tion of training standards] 17/7/1968. agreements between Italy and the other Mem- valuation of specific national characteristics (50) ASCE, CM2/1969, 50. Procès verbal ber States be reached, or that there should and a crystallisation of the skills required to de la 90e session du Conseil [Minutes of the 90th meeting of the Council], 24- be recourse to the Social Fund. Besides the work in trades subject to constant techno- 25/11/1969. question of principle as regards competence, logical change. According to the French del- (51) See ASCE, CM/AI 31441 Conclusioni underlying the dispute there was also the egation in the Working Party on Social Ques- e suggerimenti presentati dalla Com- problem of sharing the costs entailed in set- tions: ‘The Commission’s project .... in prac- missione al Consiglio dopo lo scambio di opinioni del 25/11/1969 [Conclusions and ting up the programme. Under the system tice aims to lay down a single content that suggestions presented by the Commis- proposed by the Commission, the burden Member States should give to training. Fix- sion to the Council after the exchange of opinions of 25/11/1969], 20/4/1970, en- would be shared in equal parts among the ing an average level would, therefore, cre- closure to Bodson, V. (member of the three largest countries, with a significant con- ate serious problems for the Member States, Commission) to Harmel, P. (President of the EEC Council), 24/4/1970 and the tribution from the others. If recourse were which would continue to be responsible for Commission intervention reported in ASCE, to be made to the Social Fund, Italy would establishing and adapting standards to be CM/AI 31389, Note-Travaux dans le do- maine de la formation professionnelle have had to foot only half of the necessary imposed on the various vocational training [Note-Work in the field of vocational train- expenditure (46). systems’ (48). ing], 8/7/1970. (52) ASCE, CM/AI 31389. Note du Gou- vernement français sur les activités com- Faced with such opposition, the proposal Because of the French opposition, the work munautaires en matière de formation pro- foundered and was replaced by a series of of the Commission was suspended in July fessionnelle [French Government Note on Community activities in matters of vo- intergovernmental agreements. This repre- 1968 by a Council decision, until such time cational training], 16/11/1970. Cedefop 51 VOCATIONAL TRAINING NO 32 EUROPEAN JOURNAL

as a working method could be established their over-generic nature, which had made it that was accepted by all the delegations impossible to arrive at ‘many practical achieve- (49). As a result the Community action ulti- ments or those of appreciable interest’; the mately came to a true impasse at the end of paper glossed over the contribution that had the decade. been made to that disappointing result by the resistance of the governments. The 1972 Action Programme According to the French Government, a new The impasse was overcome, at least in part, programme of activities should be established in late November 1969, a few days before the with the aim of developing the exchange of Hague Conference. The Council met to dis- information and harmonisation of training cuss the situation on the labour markets in standards. the Community. The exchange of ideas among the Ministers, at which Levi Sandri was also There should be a new basis for pursuing the present, highlighted the persisting shortage second objective compared with the past; in of skilled labour in industry in every Mem- other words, the approach should no longer ber State and the existence of pockets of long- be to take every single qualification into con- term unemployment, at a time when unem- sideration but to look at more general groups ployment rates were generally falling (50). of trades and functions, the aim being a con- There was a consensus among the Minis- stantly evolving description of new work- ters on the stress on the importance of vo- ing methods rather than a static record of cational training in maintaining a qualitative practices that were bound to age very rap- and quantitative equilibrium on the labour idly. market, and they stated their agreement as to the need to develop studies and research, Lastly, France proposed that common actions encouraging the exchange of experience at be conducted in sectors which by their na- Community level. The Italian delegation called ture required international cooperation or had for an intensification of the efforts to arrive particularly close associations with Commu- at more specific commitments at the Com- nity policies. More specifically, the following munity level. At the end of the session, the were indicated as possible fields for common Council approved a declaration calling on the action: Commission to present its assessment and suggestions regarding vocational training for (a) language learning for emigrant workers; adults. (b) the production of special teaching in- The Commission presented its proposals in struments (such as computers and simula- April 1970. At the Community level, the Com- tors); mission suggested developing statistical in- struments, intensifying the exchange of in- (c) collaboration on or the exchange of ra- formation and experience and improving the dio and television programmes; coordination of research undertaken by the 51 (53) See the debate within the Group for Member States ( ). It will be noted that the (d) the development of Community pro- Social Questions in ASCE, CM/AI 31389, outlook had changed from the high ambi- grammes for training in trades in which new Note-Work in the field of vocational training, 11/1/1971. tions of the early 1960s. The only exception problems are arising in connection with tech-

(54) Idem . See also ASCE, CM/AI 31459, to this low-profile policy was the proposal to nological developments (such as information Note-Opinion of the German delega- consider the possibility, suggested by the ESC, technology, numerical control machine tools, tion on the work in the field of vocational training, 24/2/1971. of setting up a European Institute for the sci- etc.). entific study of vocational training. (55) ASCE, CM/AI 30661. General guidelines for the formulation of a programme The other delegations received the French of activities at Community level on vo- In November the French Government, in re- proposals favourably (53). It is of interest that cational training, 27/7/1971. For the debate within the Working Party on Social sponse to the Commission’s tentative pro- the German delegation agreed fully with the Questions, see the voluminous docu- posals, presented a note on the Communi- negative assessment of the general principles mentation in ASCE, CM/AI 31459. ty’s activities on the subject of training, and of 1963 and the initiatives that ensued and (56) ASCE, CM/AI 31416. First measures for the implementation of a common vo- this became the basis for the initiatives that that nonetheless, rather than sheltering be- cational training policy, 25/10/1972. were to be introduced over the next three hind the generic criticism of their abstract na- (57) ASCE, CM/AI 31419. European Par- years (52). In its document the French Govern- ture, to a certain extent it ultimately ac- liament, Report drawn up on behalf of ment set out a severe critique of Communi- knowledged the true reason for their failure: the Committee on social affairs and employment, 5/6/1973. ty activities in vocational training. In partic- ‘ESC principles attempt to define above all

(58) Idem . ular the general principles were criticised for a number of competences and convey the Cedefop 52 VOCATIONAL TRAINING NO 32 EUROPEAN JOURNAL

impression that it is only the Commission that Conclusion can take effective action ... This approach could not lead to satisfactory results ..., and In conclusion, I would like to go back to the it would moreover be wise not to refer back question I asked at the beginning: why, dur- to certain action programmes that the Com- ing the first decade of the Community’s life, mission has formulated in the past.’ (54). did the attempts to breathe life into a common vocational training policy fail? Based on the French note, an intensive debate developed within the Working Party on One could find various explanations by fol- Social Questions, leading to the Council’s lowing the traces of the succession of events adoption of a document containing basic over the period in consideration: opposition guidelines for possible Community action in from certain Member States, who were re- vocational training (55). These guidelines, luctant to cede their national powers to the which to a great extent reflected the ideas Community in a sector that, however sec- put forward by the French delegation, were ondary it might seem, in fact involved sub- accepted in full by the Commission, which stantial interests in countries such as Germany took it as a basis for a new action programme and France whose vocational training was that first saw the light in October 1972 (56). It highly developed; a measure of imprudence should be noted how the decision-making on the part of the Commission, which was process had been reversed compared to unable to keep the over-integrationist pres- the past: now the Commission followed on sures under control and thus aroused hostil- in turn, after the Governments had taken the ity among the Governments towards projects initiative. As pointed out by the Report of the judged to be too ‘audacious’. And again, the European Parliament’s Social Committee, the projects presented by the Commission could new document represented a step backward be studied in detail to reveal the weakness- from the programme of 1965 (57). The scope es and shortcomings that were part of the of the measures envisaged was modest, main- reasons for them foundering. ly consisting of promoting cooperation and the exchange of ideas and information among But the basic reason, and the aspect that Member States. Obviously there was no pro- makes the study of a relatively secondary el- vision for any independent action on the part ement of European construction significant, of the Commission. Moreover, the author of is one seemingly so far from the heart of the the report noted, the Commission itself, in crucial political issues: that the same forces implicitly admitting that the programme was were in play in vocational training as those limited, suggested that it be integrated into a that determined the course of integration at future plan of action for the purpose of im- higher levels. In other words, in the micro- plementing the common vocational training cosm represented by the attempts to construct policy, including it in the framework of the a common vocational training policy we can social action programme whose preparation trace the effects of the omnipresent dialectic had been entrusted to the Commission by the between intergovernmental momentum and Paris summit of October 1972 (58). supranational pressures. For instance, in the early years of the decade we see a Com- In a few months’ time the socio-political cli- mission trying to emerge as an equal partner mate within the Community was to change with the individual nations, one way being drastically. The economic crisis that signalled its affirmation of its competence in matters the end of the ‘golden age’ of capitalism was of training, as well as in the familiar matters to force Western societies to confront a range of the funding of common policies, com- of problems, and many of what had seemed mercial policy, etc. This attempt provoked to be accepted findings were being chal- reactions from some of the Governments, lenged again. In this new and difficult situ- which in turn restricted the scale of the Com- ation, which forced the States to think about mission’s ambitions. This produced the ‘emp- different ways of overcoming it, some of the ty chair’ policy and, on the more ‘modest’ lev- projects devised in the early 1960s were tak- el with which we are concerned here, a true en up again. One of these was the idea, in- boycott of the application of the general prin- cluded in the first version of the general principles that were to have guided common vo- ciples, of creating a European vocational cational training policy and the other Com- training institute. mission initiatives in this field. At the end of the decade, with the new phase launched by the Hague Conference and continuing in so- Cedefop 53 VOCATIONAL TRAINING NO 32 EUROPEAN JOURNAL

cial policy, due to the pressure of the crisis weakest party, Italy, succumbed to the hos- that put an end to the ‘30 glorious years’, with tility of France and Germany, who were the Action Programme of 1974, discussions obviously reluctant to take on the financial started again - albeit on a different footing burdens to restore a social balance for Italy from the past - on common training policy. or to relinquish their sovereignty in what was In addition, in parallel with the Community evidently deemed to be an important sector, dialectic between institutions and govern- in spite of the technicality of many issues, ments, a clash of national interests ran along- since it would affect the prospects for the side and became intertwined with that di- lives of their citizens and voters. alectic. In the course of these events, the

Bibliography Gerbet, P. La construction de l’Europe. Paris: Imprimerie Varsori, A. L’europeismo nella politica estera italiana. Nationale Éditions, 1994. In Tosi, L. (ed.) Italia e le organizzazioni internazion- ali. Padua: Cedam, 1999. Romero, F. Emigrazione e integrazione europea 1945- 1973. Rome: Edizioni del Lavoro, 1991. Romero, F. Migration as an issue in European interde- pendence and integration: the case of Italy. In Milward, A.S. (ed.) The frontier of national sovereignty. London: Routledge, 1993.

Key words

European construction, European Treaty, Community policy, European Commission, training policy, vocational training

Cedefop 54