Drawing up European competence standards : Some thoughts about the experience gained in France

Since the Treaty of Rome was signed in 1957, it has been generally agreed that harmonising the systems of certification used in the European member countries is liable to facilitate employees'personal mobility. Various approaches have therefore been launched on these lines and re-activated by the Lisbon summit and the Bruges-Copenhagen process. The French system of vocational training was long regarded as an exception in this context. However, a closer look at how this system has evolved shows that it is in fact quite exemplary, since France has applied lifelong learning objectives and set up tools in line with European recommendations:development of a national qualifications framework, outcome-based definition of qualifi cations, application of the concept of competence and validation of previously acquired experience.