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EU: Qualified Majority Voting

Answer

In the Treaty of Maastricht, the following areas of education, public health and culture were made subject to the co-decision procedure. All areas listed are subject to qualified majority voting unless otherwise stated. Reference is made to the current article numbers in the treaty establishing the European Communities (TEC) with the article numbers prior to the treaty of Amsterdam in parentheses. Education (Article 149 TEC (ex Article 126))Developing the European dimension in education, particularly through the teaching and dissemination of the languages of the member states;"encouraging mobility of students and teachers, inter alia by encouraging the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study;""promoting co-operation between educational establishments;""developing exchanges of information and experience on issues common to the education systems of member states;""encouraging the development of youth exchanges and of exchanges of socio-educational instructors; and""encouraging the development of distance education." In addition, Article 150 TEC (ex Article 127) provides for a vocational training policy, with community action aimed to:"facilitate adaptation to industrial changes, in particular through vocational training and retraining;""improve initial and continuing vocational training in order to facilitate vocational integration and reintegration of the labour market;""facilitate access to vocational training and encourage mobility of instructors and trainees and particularly young people;""stimulate co-operation on training between educational or training establishments and firms; and""develop exchanges of information and experience on issues common to the training systems of the member states." Culture (Article 151 TEC (ex Article 128)— all areas subject to unanimity)Improvement of the knowledge and dissemination of the culture and history of the European peoples;"conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage of European significance; non-commercial cultural exchanges; and""artistic and literary creation, including in the audiovisual sector." Public Health (Article 152 TEC (ex Article 129))Improving public health;"preventing human illness and diseases; and""obviating sources of danger to human health." Article 152 of the TEC as set out in the Treaty of Maastricht stated that the above actions,"““shall be directed towards the prevention of diseases, in particular the major health scourges, including drug dependence, by promoting research into their causes and their transmission, as well as health information and education . . . Health protection requirements shall form a constituent part of the Community’s other policies””." This article has been revised and reordered by subsequent treaty amendments.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

5655; 682 c22-3WA

Session

2005-06

Related items

Symons of Vernham Dean, Baroness
Friday, 4 July 2003
Written questions
House of Lords

Subjects

Culture Education EU action Treaty on European Union Qualified majority voting Public health

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk