He says the bill would modernize investigative techniques for police officers.

But there will be a need to place strong emphasis on the training of Union staff and the information offices, not just to convey to staff modern communication ideas and techniques, but also to revive and enhance a task that is crucial for involving citizens, raising their awareness and encouraging them to participate.

In a structured and consistent manner, my Office must assess the repercussions of draft legislation, programs and policies in all fields, such as the administration of justice in both official languages, Government On-line, immigration, modernization of human resources management, air transportation, health and education, to name just a few examples.

Access to education and training needs to be further encouraged in order to allow young farmers to take full advantage of the potential advantages offered by modern communication technology and business operation techniques.

CONSUMER EDUCATION AND INFORMATION - COUNCIL RESOLUTION [1] "THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community; Having regard to the Council Resolution of 9 June 1986 on "Consumer Education in primary and secondary schools"; Having regard to the Council Resolution of 23 June 1986 on "Future orientations of the policy of the European Economic Community for the protection and the promotion of the consumers' interests"; Whereas Article 3(s) of the Treaty stipulates that the activities of the Community shall include a contribution to the strengthening of consumer protection; Whereas, pursuant to Article 129a (1 ...[+++])(b) of the Treaty, the Community is to contribute to the attainment of a high level of consumer protection through specific action which supports and supplements the policy pursued by the Member States to protect the health, safety and economic interests of consumers and to provide adequate information to consumers; Whereas the Second Commission Three Year Action Plan "Placing the single market at the service of the European consumers" (1993-1995) emphasized that it is essential that the advent and the deepening of the large European market make itself felt in consumers' everyday life in the shape of tangible benefits; Whereas the Commission's Strategic Programme and its Communication on "Making the most of the Internal Market" emphasizes that the consumer has a critical role to play in the successful implementation of the Internal Market Programme since it will not operate properly without strong and effective consumer participation, and also that well-informed consumers exercising market choices can accelerate the positive economic effects of an integrated market; Whereas information measures designed to assist consumers to make soundly-based market choices will be more effective if consumers have the background knowledge and appropriate skills necessary to understand such information and to incorporate it ...

Given the existence of modern techniques for assimilating rapidly a large amount of information, the emphasis in education should be not on quantity but on quality, not on the accumulation of knowledge but on the acquisition of methods.