L 390/6 Official Journal of the European Union 31.12.2004 DECISION No 2241/2004/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 15 December 2004 on a single Community framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences (Euro- THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EURO- PEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular Articles 149 and 150 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee ('), Having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions (), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (), Whereas: (1) Improved transparency of qualifications and compe- tences will facilitate mobility throughout Europe for life- long learning purposes, therefore contributing to the development of quality education and training, and will facilitate mobility for occupational purposes, between countries as well as across sectors. The Action Plan on mobility (*) endorsed by the Euro- pean Council held in Nice on 7 to 9 December 2000 and Recommendation 2001/613/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 July 2001 on mobi- lity within the Community for students, persons under- going training, volunteers, teachers and trainers (), recommended the generalisation of the use of docu- ments for the transparency of qualifications and compe- tences, with a view to creating a European area of quali- fications. The Commission’s Action Plan for skills and mobility called for instruments supporting the transpar- ency and transferability of qualifications to be developed and strengthened to facilitate mobility within and between sectors. Further action to introduce instruments improving the transparency of diplomas and qualifica- tions was also demanded by the European Council held in Barcelona on 15 and 16 March 2002. The Council’s Resolutions of 3 June 2002 on skills and mobility (°) and of 27 June 2002 on lifelong learning (’) call for increased cooperation, with a view inter alia to creating a frame- work for transparency and recognition based on the existing instruments. 0J C 117, 30.4.2004, p. 12. 0] C 121, 30.4.2004, p. 10. Opinion of the European Parliament of 22 April 2004 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 21 October 2004 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Posi- tion of the European Parliament of 14 December 2004 (not yet published in the Official Journal). 0] C 371, 23.12.2000, p. 4. OJ L 215, 9.8.2001, p. 30. 0J C162, 6.7.2002, p. 1. 0J C163,9.7.2002, p. 1. pass) G) (8 (9 ) ) The Council Resolution of 19 December 2002 on the promotion of enhanced European cooperation in voca- tional education and training () called for action to increase transparency in vocational education and training, through the implementation and rationalisation of information tools and networks, including the integra- tion of existing instruments into one single framework. This framework should consist in a portfolio of docu- ments with a common brand name and a common logo, supported by adequate information systems and promoted through sustained promotional action at Euro- pean and national level. A number of instruments have been developed in recent years, both at Community and at international level, to help European citizens to communicate better their qualifications and competences when looking for a job or for admission to a learning scheme. These include the common European format for curricula vitae (CVs) proposed by Commission Recommendation 2002/236/EC of 11 March 2002 (°), the Diploma Supplement recommended by the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Educa- tion in the European Region, adopted at Lisbon on 11 April 1997, the Europass Training established by Council Decision 1999/51/EC of 21 December 1998 on the promotion of European pathways in work-linked training, including apprenticeship (*), the Certificate Supplement and the European Language Portfolio devel- oped by the Council of Europe. The single framework should include these instruments. The single framework should be open to the future inclusion of other documents consistent with its purpose, once the implementation structure and proce- dures have been established and are operational. In par- ticular, the single framework could be widened subse- quently to include an instrument aimed at recording its holders’ competences in the field of information tech- nology. Provision of good quality information and guidance is an important factor in achieving improved transparency of qualifications and competences. The existing services and networks already play a valuable role that could be enhanced through closer cooperation in order to rein- force the added value of Community action. 0] C 13, 18.1.2003, p. 2. OJ L 79, 22.3.2002, p. 66. (% OJL17,22.1.1999, p. 45.