Name of Committee:

European Language Portfolio Validation Committee (ED-EVC)

Compliance with Resolution
Res(2005)47:

YES

Programme of Activities: project(s)

2006/DG4/891 – Policies for plurilingualism and linguistic diversity

Project relevance:

1. Third Summit Action Plan: Chapter III – Articles 1 – 3 – 5 – 6.

2. Contribution to core values: Right to quality education; democratic culture in education; intercultural dialogue; European standards; mobility.

3. Committee of Ministers’ decisions: Recommendation R (98) 6.

Other criteria:

1. Political justification/framework

- European Cultural Convention (1954), Article 2

- 19th and 20th Standing Conferences of European Ministers of Education of the Council of Europe

2. Consolidation, promotion, implementation of Council of Europe standards

Recommendation R (98) 6 of the Committee of Ministers to member states

3. Relevance to Council of Europe country strategies and country-specific needs

The European Language Portfolio (ELP) brings the standards developed by the Council of Europe in the field of foreign-language teaching within the grasp of teachers and learners and contributes to Council of Europe visibility.

4. Timeliness of project(s)]

1st ELP was launched in the European Year of Languages 2001. Since then almost 100 portfolios have been accredited. New challenges include the accreditation of electronic portfolios, and the link with the Europass recently launched by the EU.

Project added value:

1. Council of Europe as leading agency, most important facilitator

Standards of linguistic competence elaborated by the Council of Europe have been adopted by the member states and the European Union (European Indicator of Language Competence and Europass); the ELP carries these standards to teachers and learners.

2. Project covering ‘new ground’

The ELP introduces standards at all levels of the education system while promoting autonomous learning.

3. Possibility of partnerships with other international organisations

Concrete partnership with the EU already operational:

- the European Commission funds transnational ELP projects:

- the ELP Language Passport is one of the component documents of Europass.

4. Avoiding duplication

No other international organisation has such a tool to offer citizens.

Reasons for entrusting the ED-EVC with these terms of reference

The ED-EVC validates ELP models on the basis of specific criteria that must respect the educational contexts and objectives of the member states while promoting common European objectives (e.g. respect for linguistic/cultural diversity, mobility, lifelong learning); the analysis of a large number of ELP models at each meeting requires substantial expert work ahead of the meeting and in-depth discussion during the sessions, a task which the CDED could not undertake.

Each validated ELP model bears the Council of Europe logo and accreditation number in order to ensure that it can be recognised throughout Europe in spite of its individual characteristics; an accreditation procedure is therefore indispensable.

Financial information:

Two annual meetings of the Committee (9 members) immediately preceded by a Bureau meeting (4 members).

Annual budget: €28 800, of which €18 000 for reimbursement of participation in meetings; €8 000 for interpretation, €2 500 for translation and €300 for production of documents.

Terms of reference of the European Language Portfolio Validation Committee (ED-EVC)

1.

Name of Committee:

European Language Portfolio Validation Committee (ED-EVC)

2.

Type of Committee:

Ad hoc Advisory Group

3.

Source of terms of reference:

Steering Committee for Education (CDED)

4.

Terms of reference:

Having regard to:

- the European Cultural Convention (1954), Article 2:

Each Contracting Party shall, insofar as may be possible,

a. encourage the study by its own nationals of the languages, history and civilisation of the other Contracting Parties and grant facilities to those Parties to promote such studies in its territory; and

b. endeavour to promote the study of its language or languages, history and civilisation in the territory of the other Contracting Parties and grant facilities to the nationals of those Parties to pursue such studies in its territory;

- the Action Plan outlined by the Heads of State and Government of the member states of the Council of Europe at their Third Summit (Warsaw, Poland, 16-17 May 2005), and in particular Chapter III, paragraphs 1, 3 and 6;

- Recommendation R (98) 6 of the Committee of Ministers to member states concerning modern languages, and in particular Article 27 of the Appendix:

Encourage the development and use by learners in all educational sectors of a personal document (European Language Portfolio) in which they can record their qualifications and other linguistic and cultural experiences in an internationally transparent manner, thus motivating learners and acknowledging their efforts to extend and diversify their language learning at all levels in a lifelong perspective;

- Resolution No.1 of the 19th Session of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education of the Council of Europe (Kristiansand, Norway, 22-24 June 1997), and in particular Article 19:

[…] the Education Committee should concentrate on: […]

– the European Language Portfolio – a document in which the learner can note his/her most significant intercultural experiences and achievements in language learning (both formal and informal) in relation to internationally recognised levels, as described in the Common European Framework, thus facilitating educational and professional mobility; […]

- Resolution No 2 (Resolution on the European Language Portfolio) of the 20th Session of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education of the Council of Europe (Cracow, Poland, 15‑17 October 2000), and in particular Recommendation 2.1:

[…] ask a competent body (such as a national committee) to examine ELP models for compulsory education, to establish whether they meet the agreed criteria, and to forward them with a recommendation to the European Validation Committee […].

Under the authority of the Steering Committee for Education (CDED), and in relation with the implementation of Project 2006/DG4/891 – “Policies for Plurilingualism and Linguistic Diversity” of the Programme of Activities, the Committee is instructed to:

i.

ensure the availability of procedures to assist developers of European Language Portfolios (ELP) in seeking accreditation of their models;

ii.

examine applications for accreditation of ELP models and grant the right to use the logo and name “European Language Portfolio” (© Council of Europe) on ELP models on the basis of the characteristics set out by the CDED in the Principles and Guidelines (text contained in the Resolution on the European Language Portfolio adopted at the 20th session of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education of the Council of Europe). In order to do this, the Committee shall:

-       receive ELP models developed by:

a) national and regional authorities;
b) NGOs and INGOs;
c) independent education institutions;
d) private commercial or non-profit-making institutions;

-       consider the opinions forwarded to it by the national committee for the ELP/national authority or relevant (I)NGO;

-       confirm that a given model conforms to the agreed Principles and Guidelines; or

-       clarify why the model submitted has been judged not to correspond sufficiently to the Principles and Guidelines. Such a model may be resubmitted for accreditation once the designers have taken account of the Validation Committee’s recommendations;

iii.

bring forward proposals for future policy and further development regarding the ELP and submit them to the CDED for decision.

The Validation Committee will not be responsible for the implementation, dissemination or use of accredited ELP models, which are the responsibility of the relevant national/regional authorities or (I)NGOs.

5.

Composition of the Committee:

5.A.

Members

The Validation Committee shall be composed of nine (9) specialists in the field of language education policy for plurilingualism who are familiar with the relevant Council of Europe tools and documents, to be appointed by the Secretary General. The Council of Europe budget will bear their travel and subsistence expenses.

6.

Working methods and structures:

i.

ii.

iii.

The Committee shall meet twice a year.

The Committee shall conduct its work in accordance with the Rules for the Accreditation of ELP Models adopted by the CDED.

Where necessary, in order to expedite the progress of its work, the Committee may organise hearings and/or entrust a limited number of committee members with a specific task to be fulfilled by the next meeting.

7.

Duration:

These terms of reference will expire on 31 December 2008.