By Peggy Corlin - 20th April 2006
French officials are not well trained on EU issues, a report unveiled this week by the French government has warned.
Matignon ordered the report following the victory of the “No” camp in the French referendum on the EU constitution.
Paris should urgently reconsider its training systems because, “EU affairs have become internal affairs, the European dimension is part of almost all national public policies” the study says.
France must strengthen its influence networks ahead of French EU presidency in 2008 the report adds.
Calling for new exams and specific trainings of high rank civil servants, the report also suggests “compulsory training on EU issues” for teachers.
French civil servants also come under fire for their poor command of English. In the report, the English language is described as being “essential to the daily work of EU institutions.”
Although France has always been keen on preserving the role of French in Brussels, statistics indicate that English is most widely used in European institutions.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.