The European Parliament adopted a resolution based on the own-initiative report drafted by Doris PACK (EPP-ED, DE) on new challenges for the circus as part of European culture. (Please see the summary of 12/07/2005.) Parliamentcalled on the Commission to introduce specific measures to ensure that the circus is recognised as part of European culture, and urged the Member States who have not already done so to recognise the circus as part of European culture.
School education and vocational training:Parliament askedthe Commission, together with the organisations representing the parents of children from travelling communities, to introduce mechanisms for the cooperation of the Member States in order to promote an adequate education for children from travelling communities regardless of the Member State in which they happen to be. There must be a commitment to improving the welcome extended to such families and to stepping up the dialogue with school establishments in order to raise parents' awareness of the need to enrol their children in school, with such establishments appointing someone to take charge of this communication and monitoring. Parliament urged pilot projects to determine appropriate models for the schooling of children from travelling communities. Parliament asked the Commission and the Member States to carry out an information campaign to guarantee quality assurance in education and vocational training and to ensure that the education and vocational training of children from travelling communities are based on the standards applicable to conventional education and professional-training systems.
Temporary structures:The Commission was asked, to create a standardisation mandate for the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) to prepare a comprehensive set of standards relevant to mobile circus facilities, including finalisation of current work on the Safety Standard for Temporary Structures (such as tents. This will facilitate the movement of circuses among the Member States and thereby contribute to the conservation of the classical European circus and public safety.
Circus workers: mobility, employment of third country nationals:Parliament asked the Commission to carry out an analysis of the current visa and work permit issuing systems for peripatetic artists and on that basis to draw up a proposal for a European regulation in this area. It made suggestions for the content of such a regulation.