Council and Ministers for Education: Environmental education; open and distance learning
Two separate Conclusions of the Council and the Ministers for Education of the Member States, meeting within the Council on 1 June 1992, include the following: - On the development of environmental education: The Council and Ministers for Education recognise that many positive actions have been carried out by the Member States and the Commission following the 24 May 1988 Council Resolution on environmental education. Emphasising the major importance of education and the crucial role of the public in environmental issues, they note with satisfaction that the Commission's fifth action programme on the environment refers to the need for better provision of environmental information and education. - On the development of open and distance learning in the European Community: The importance of this subject is emphasized. In connection with the Commission memorandum (COM(91) 338 of 12.11.1991) and the Presidency/Commission Conference (Coimbra, 30-31 March 1992), the Council and Ministers for Education conclude that open and distance learning elements should be incorporated wherever justified into Community education and training programmes, and be fully taken into account in current discussions concerning the Commission memoranda on "Higher education in the European Community" (COM((91) 349 of 5.11.1991) and "Vocational training in the European Community for the 90s"; Development of better arrangements of open and distance learning offered by other Community programmes should be fully exploited. The Council and the Ministers reiterate their interest in receiving proposals which the Commission might formulate. The potential importance of the reference to encouraging the development of open and distance learning in the education Article of the Maastricht Treaty is also noted.