TITLE I - GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1 - Purpose
Article 2 - Scope 1.
Article 3 - Categories of training courses
Article 4 - Internal and external training courses
Article 5 - Interest of the service and shared interest
Article 6 - Gender equality and diversity
TITLE II - TREATMENT OF APPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING COURSES
Article 7 - Applications for internal training courses
Article 8 - Applications for short-term external training courses
Article 9 - Applications for authorisation for long-term training courses leading to a diploma
Article 10 - Applications for external language courses
Article 11 - Requests for authorisation for individual language courses at the place of work (Brussels and Luxembourg)
Article 12 - Training courses for officials working outside Brussels and Luxembourg
TITLE III - SPECIAL TRAINING LEAVE
Article 13 - Eligibility
Article 14 - Follow-up to applications for special training leave and supporting documents
TITLE IV - PARLIAMENT FUNDING FOR EXTERNAL TRAINING COURSES
Article 15 - Course registration fees
Article 16 - Mission expenses
Article 17 - External language training approved in the interest of the service
Article 18 - External language courses approved on a shared-interest basis
Article 19 - Non-linguistic external training in the interest of the service
Article 20 - Long-term external training leading to a diploma
Article 21 - Language courses at the place of employment for officials working in Strasbourg or in information offices
TITLE V - PARTICIPATION IN TRAINING COURSES
Article 22 - Compulsory courses
Article 23 - Obligations of officials registered for a training course
Article 24 - Specific provisions concerning participation in group language courses in Brussels or Luxembourg
Article 25 - Cancellations and absences
TITLE VI - PEOPLE INVOLVED IN TRAINING
Article 26 - Role of the various people involved within the directorates-general
Article 27 - Role of the Professional Training Unit
Article 28 - Directorate for Human Resources Development in DG Personnel
Article 29 - Role of the Advisory Committee on Professional Training
Article 30 - Cooperation with the European School of Administration (EUSA)
TITLE VII - FINAL PROVISIONS
Article 31 - Entry into force

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The Secretary-General,

- having regard to Article 24a of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union (hereinafter 'the Staff Regulations') and Articles 11, 81 and 127 of the Conditions of employment of other servants of the European Union (hereinafter the 'CEOS'),
- having regard to the Bureau decision of 29 March 2004 concerning the new professional training policy,
- having regard to the common rules on the application of Article 45(2) of the Staff Regulations: ability to work in a third language, as decided by all the Institutions, common agreement on which was set down by the President of the Court of Justice of the European Communities on 13 December 2006,
- having regard to the Bureau decision of 17 June 2009 on the general implementing provisions concerning reimbursement of mission expenses (Articles 11 to 13a of Annex VII of the Staff Regulations) and the adoption by the Secretary-General of the Internal Rules on 10 December 2009,
- having regard to the opinion of the Legal Services,
- having regard to the opinion of the Staff Committee,
- having regard to the opinion of the Advisory Committee on Professional Training,
- having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Equal Opportunities,

whereas:

1. Professional training has to be a mandatory permanent, regular process over the whole of the career of officials and all other staff members, enabling the fund of skills within Parliament to be maintained and increased;
2. Professional training is a key factor in increasing professional skill levels, enabling the Secretary-General of the European Parliament to react in the best way possible to a constantly-changing working environment and to the need for mobility and redistribution of staff;
3. Professional training must enable officials and, in certain circumstances, other staff members - taking into consideration the rules applicable to them - to keep up to date in the performance of their duties, provide the opportunity for them to widen their range of skills and allow them to progress smoothly in their careers;
4. A long-term professional training policy needs to be drawn up based on foreseeable qualification requirements;
5. Each service is called upon to encourage its staff to improve the skills and knowledge required in the performance of their duties and to create the conditions for this to take place. Each member of staff is, in turn, required to assess the importance of professional training in the effective performance of the objectives set by Parliament and in the development of his/her career. This must be translated, inter alia, by his/her commitment to attend the training courses and classes for which he/she is registered;
6. Training forms part of the tools available to staff with managerial responsibilities to promote the professional development of the staff of whom they are in charge and therefore has the objective of developing skills and abilities. Managers are also required to attend training courses which are necessary for the sound management of their staff;

has adopted these internal rules:

TITLE I - GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1 - Purpose

The purpose of these rules is to provide a framework for professional training courses (hereinafter 'training courses') for staff of the Secretariat-General of the European Parliament

Article 2 - Scope 1.

These rules apply to the following categories of Parliament staff (hereinafter described - in the absence of express indications to the contrary - as 'officials'):
(1) officials as defined in the Staff Regulations;
(2) temporary staff as defined in Article 2(a), (b) and (c) of the CEOS;
(3) contract staff as defined in Articles 3(a) and 3(b) of the CEOS.

2. In terms of the training courses referred to in Article 3(1), (2) and (4), these rules apply equally to accredited parliamentary assistants as defined in Article 5(a) of the CEOS, subject to the provisions specified in the implementing measures of Title VII of the CEOS.

3. Staff with a fixed-term employment contract must have an EP employment contract when registering for a course. Their right to attend the course shall cease on the day of termination of their contract.

Subject to the availability of places, other categories of staff such as officials seconded to Parliament may be included with the categories referred to in paragraph 1(a) if training courses will be of benefit for the performance of their duties in Parliament and subject to the provisions specified in the rules pertaining to them.

Article 3 - Categories of training courses

In view of the specific nature of the institution and the timetable for its work, Parliament organises the following four categories of training courses, internal and external:
(1) courses in language training, IT and general courses such as induction training, courses on the functioning of Parliament, personal effectiveness and work organisation, and basic financial courses aimed at all Parliament staff;
(2) training courses focusing on essential skills for the performance of duties linked to a particular job (particularly for newly-recruited officials and those moving to new assignments as a result of transfer / promotion / mobility), including IT jobs; except in duly substantiated cases, these courses are only for officials whose duties correspond to the content of the courses;
(3) training courses organised specifically for certain services, devised by the directorates-general and developed together with the Directorate-General for Personnel and, primarily, the Professional Training Unit, with the aim of developing skills linked to the missions and objectives of these services; these courses are open, on invitation, to other officials who are interested but do not belong to the service for which they were devised;

individual training courses contributing to the development of the career of each official.

Article 4 - Internal and external training courses

1. 'Internal training courses' means
(1) all training courses organised by Parliament, other European institutions or the European School of Administration (hereinafter 'ESA') which are offered to Parliament staff;
(2) all courses commissioned by Parliament following a procurement procedure and delivered by external trainers in Parliament's premises, or a location hired by Parliament or made available by the contractor.

2. All other training courses are categorised as 'external training courses'. In particular, participation in a training course organised by a body which is independent of the European institutions (recognised organisations, private companies, universities, etc.) is classified as 'external training'.

3. In theory, external training is available only for officials and temporary and contract staff members with open-ended contracts. In exceptional cases the Head of the Professional Training Unit may decide that, following a signed request from the director-general concerned, an external training course should be approved for a temporary or contract staff member with an open-ended contract, on condition that the contract is valid for at least the planned duration of the course.

Accredited parliamentary assistants may attend external training courses subject to the conditions set out in the implementing measures in Title VII of the CEOS.

Article 5 - Interest of the service and shared interest

1. All internal training courses, as well as external IT courses and courses concerning general skills development, are approved in the interest of the service.

2. Participation in congresses, conferences and seminars is equivalent to a non-linguistic external training course in the interest of the service.

3. Except in duly substantiated cases, external language training courses for non-linguists are approved on a shared-interest basis. External language courses for staff whose duties are linguistic are approved, in accordance with the needs of Parliament, either in the interest of the service or on a shared-interest basis.

4. Long-term courses leading to a diploma are approved on a shared-interest basis.

5. Classification of a course as 'in the interest of the service' or 'on a shared-interest basis' determines the amount of Parliament's financial contribution (see Title IV).

6. For attendance at a course in the interest of the service:
(1) the duration of the course is exactly equivalent to working time,
(2) Parliament will cover all registration costs, with the exception of external language courses for which the ceiling corresponds to the basic salary of a contract staff member in Function Group I grade 1 step 1 as at 1 January of the year of registration For information, the basic salary of a contract staff member in Function Group I grade 1 step 1 was EUR 1 847.76 on 1 January 2011.
(3) a mission will be approved if the course takes place outside the place of work.

7. For attendance at a course on a shared-interest basis:
(1) Parliament will reimburse the registration fee up to a maximum of the amount set out in Article 5.6(2),
(2) for long-term courses, the training days are covered by special training leave (maximum 120 hours per year),
(3) external language training on a shared-interest basis is classified as working time and requires a mission order.

Article 6 - Gender equality and diversity

When putting together training programmes and planning and organising the whole range of professional training courses, Parliament takes care to integrate the principles of equality of opportunity and diversity, in line with Article 1d(2) and (3) of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union.

TITLE II - TREATMENT OF APPLICATIONS FOR TRAINING COURSES

Article 7 - Applications for internal training courses

1. Participation in an internal training course as defined in Article 3(1) and (2) shall be agreed between the official and his/her head of unit (who also authorises the application) and approved by the official with responsibility for professional training in the directorate-general concerned, taking into account any comments on the staff report. Since participation in an internal training course organised by a service as set out in Article 3(3) is compulsory for every official in the service concerned, officials will automatically be invited to the course and do not need to register individually.

2. The Professional Training Unit shall draw up a timetable for general internal training courses as defined in Article 3(1) and (2). The timetable will be communicated to everyone concerned. Every official may apply for these training courses on line.

3. Officials will receive confirmation of registration for courses and, where necessary, a reminder. Participation may be cancelled up to 10 days before the start date.

In the event of dates being incompatible with the efficient operation of the service, the head of unit may make a reasoned request for the participation of the official in the course to be postponed. If the postponement is requested at least 10 days before the start date, the official may cancel his/her registration. If the postponement is requested less than 10 days before the start date, the head of unit must inform the official concerned and the official with responsibility for professional training of his/her directorategeneral.

Article 8 - Applications for short-term external training courses

1. Applications to attend short-term individual training courses (of less than six months' duration) which are not language courses will be accepted if no equivalent internal training course is being offered at a time which is compatible with the needs of the service in which the staff member works and in a language in which the staff member can follow the course.

2. Every application for a short-term individual external course shall be accompanied by a justification from the head of unit which has been approved by the official responsible for training and signed by the director-general of the directorate-general concerned.

3. The signed application must be sent to the Professional Training Unit no less than 10 working days before the course begins.

4. The Professional Training Unit will authorise the application on the basis of the appropriations available and the justification provided. If there is any doubt about the justification, the Professional Training Unit will contact the directorate-general concerned. In duly substantiated cases the head of the Professional Training Unit may refuse the training authorisation.

5. Once the official has confirmation of authorisation from the Professional Training Unit, he/she will register with the organisation providing the external training and pay for the course. Reimbursement will be made as soon as possible on receipt of proof of payment, a document confirming participation in the course and the official's course evaluation.

The application for reimbursement must be sent to the Professional Training Unit no more than six months after the end of the course.

6. The exchange rate for reimbursement of an external training courses in a foreign currency shall be the rate in force on the day the payment order was drawn up by the authorising department (see the rules for implementation of the Financial Regulation).

7. If a course costs more than EUR 1 500 and the course provider does not request payment in advance, the official may ask the Professional Training Unit to make the financial arrangements set out in accordance with the administrative implementing directives and to register him/her with the course provider concerned.

Training courses taking place outside the European Union require, in addition to the procedure described in paragraphs 1 to 4 above, special authorisation from the DirectorGeneral for Personnel.

Article 9 - Applications for authorisation for long-term training courses leading to a diploma

1. Long-term training courses (of more than six months' duration) will be accepted if they

lead to a university diploma or equivalent qualification. Applications are approved by the head of unit, the official responsible for training and the director and signed by the director-general concerned. They must be sent to the Professional Training Unit before the start of the academic period in which the course will take place.

2. Such courses are exclusively for established officials and temporary and contract staff members with an open-ended contract. They may extend over no more than one study programme during an official's career, for a maximum of seven years.

3. These courses aim to provide additional training with a view to improving:
-- the official's job-specific skills relevant to the work of the institution;
-- officials' mobility, and/or
-- officials' readiness to change between function groups.

4. These provisions also apply to long-term external language training, as long as this leads to a university diploma or equivalent qualification.

5. The Head of the Professional Training Unit shall authorise the application and the costs involved.

Participation in events outside the European Union also require authorisation from the Director of Human Resources Development in DG Personnel.

Article 10 - Applications for external language courses

1. Applications to attend an external language course are acceptable as long as the applicant has, as a minimum requirement, successfully passed the final test in an internal or interinstitutional course at level 6 or an equivalent-level test in the relevant language.

2. Derogations may be granted in specific cases (language staff learning a new language, deficit languages, specific need linked to enlargement, etc.).

3. Staff may attend an external language course in accordance with Article 5(3) with approval and justification provided by the director-general concerned and validation provided by the Head of the Professional Training Unit.

4. In general, an external language course must last three weeks, with a minimum of 1 250 minutes of classroom time per week (25 lessons of 50 minutes' duration).

5. Non-linguist officials may take advantage of this possibility once in each learning cycle; again, there must be a minimum of 1 250 minutes of classroom time per week (25 lessons of 50 minutes' duration).

Applications must be sent to the Professional Training Unit no less than 10 days before the course begins. Once the application has been validated by the Professional Training Unit, the official shall register directly with the language school. After the course, the official shall request reimbursement of the registration fee.

Article 11 - Requests for authorisation for individual language courses at the place of work (Brussels and Luxembourg)

1. An individual course in the interest of the service at the place of work may be authorised:
(1) in exceptional, duly substantiated cases, to enable linguists and heads of unit, directors or directors-general to improve their knowledge of or upgrade a language which has already been learned; in this way, heads of unit, directors or directorsgeneral may study a maximum of three foreign languages in accordance with the requirements of the service;
(2) if a language course is essential but the particular course applied for is not available during the relevant period (for example, for an official to whom Article 45(2) of the Staff Regulations applies).

2. Applications for authorisation for such a course must be submitted by the applicants to the Professional Training Unit after approval by the official responsible for training and the agreement of the applicant's immediate superior and the director-general concerned.

These courses are approved by the Professional Training Unit on the basis of a request for a group language course following consultation with the official responsible for training in the directorate-general concerned.

The Professional Training Unit will process applications with the schools contracted to Parliament. If this is not possible, an external course may be approved.

Article 12 - Training courses for officials working outside Brussels and Luxembourg

Officials working in Strasbourg or in information offices may, in the interest of the service, attend language, IT and general courses subject to the following conditions:

1. Officials working in Strasbourg or in information offices may attend the following language courses at their place of work:
(1) external group language courses delivered by a language school;
(2) group courses organised by Parliament at the place of work, if there are sufficient participants at the same level, with an external trainer, if necessary, selected by the Professional Training Unit in agreement with the service concerned and in accordance with the Financial Regulation;
(3) in exceptional, duly substantiated cases, individual language courses.

2. During the summer (between the end of the classes starting in spring and the beginning of classes in autumn), officials working in Strasbourg or in information offices may attend intensive language courses in Luxembourg or Brussels if no equivalent-level course can be held at the place of work or if Article 45(2) of the Staff Regulations applies to them.

3. Applications for authorisation must be signed by the head of unit and approved by the official responsible for training. The director-general of the directorate-general concerned, or his/her representative, gives his/her approval by signing the mission order.

4. Officials working outside Brussels and Luxembourg may attend internal non-linguistic courses organised in Luxembourg, Brussels or, if appropriate, Strasbourg.

5. If this would be incompatible with the efficient operation of the service, the participant may, for some types of course and with the agreement of his/her head of unit and the signature of the official responsible for professional training, attend an equivalent course at his/her place of work. This will be classified as an external training course in the interest of the service.

6. The conditions governing participation in external courses apply in their entirety to officials working outside Brussels and Luxembourg.

7. In order to facilitate access to training for officials working outside Brussels and Luxembourg, the Professional Training Unit is working to forge synergies with other international institutions which may be located nearby (the Council of Europe, OECD, ...).

TITLE III - SPECIAL TRAINING LEAVE

Article 13 - Eligibility

1. In order to enable officials to attend a long-term course leading to a diploma, special training leave may be approved, subject to the conditions set out in Article 57(2) of the Staff Regulations and to a maximum duration of 120 hours per academic year.

2. In the case of officials working part-time, special leave is adapted in proportion to the length of time actually worked.

3. Special training leave cannot be postponed from one year to the next and cannot be converted into annual leave.

4. In the case of courses outside the place of work, applications for special leave may include travel time based on the fastest means of transport.

5. Time spent on a training course outside working hours may be neither compensated nor remunerated.

Applications for special training leave are submitted according to the procedure for all types of special leave. Retroactive applications for special training leave are not admissible.

Article 14 - Follow-up to applications for special training leave and supporting documents

1. Officials authorised to attend long-term external courses leading to a diploma may request special training leave to attend training modules and to prepare for and sit exams.

2. Applications for special leave to sit exams which cannot be postponed are approved automatically.

3. Officials may use their special training leave for the same exam no more than twice. Similarly, they may use such leave twice to sit the final exam in order to obtain the diploma.

4. At the end of each round of courses, officials shall:
(1) submit a document confirming participation in the course and confirmation of passing or failing the exams to the Professional Training Unit;
(2) submit confirmation of passing the exams (or theses) to the Professional Training Unit, in the case of a distance learning course. In the event of failure, the official shall submit confirmation of his/her participation in tutorials and exams;
(3) submit confirmation from the teaching establishment showing an estimate of the number of hours of study required for the course followed.

If the supporting documents referred to in paragraph 4 points (1) and (2) are not provided, the special leave will not be validated and the number of hours in question will be deducted from the official's annual leave.

TITLE IV - PARLIAMENT FUNDING FOR EXTERNAL TRAINING COURSES

Article 15 - Course registration fees

1. Each award of Parliament funding must be preceded by submission of the following documents, without prejudice to any additional documentation which may be required:
-- confirmation of attendance (or equivalent) from the training institution;
-- the evaluation sheet, properly completed;
-- the original invoice, duly discharged (or a bank or credit card statement, or a copy of a bank transfer, showing the name of the official, the amount paid and the name of the organisation) in the event of the official requesting reimbursement of all or part of the course fees.

Reimbursement will vary depending on the type of training (see Articles 17 to 21 of this Title).

Article 16 - Mission expenses

1. Any course outside an official's place of work will require a mission order to be prepared when the course is requested. In addition, an estimate for the cost of the mission will be calculated for all courses of longer than five calendar days' duration and must be approved by the relevant authority.

2. In accordance with the rules on missions, the rate of reimbursement will vary depending on whether the course has been approved in the interest of the service or on a sharedinterest basis.

3. Long-term training leading to a diploma is covered by special training leave and does not require a mission order. No travel or subsistence costs may be reimbursed for this kind of training.

Missions for training courses for accredited parliamentary assistants shall comply with the special provisions which are relevant to them.

Article 17 - External language training approved in the interest of the service

1. Parliament will provide funding if the conditions of admissibility set out in Article 10(4) have been satisfied.

2. In general, such courses are of no more than three weeks' duration; however, the

Training Unit may authorise, in exceptional cases and on the proposal of the head of unit concerned, approved by the official responsible for training and signed by the relevant director-general, courses which are longer than this for linguists who want to finish learning a new working language. However, the maximum amounts are the same.

3. Such funding can only be approved twice for the same language, except in exceptional and duly substantiated cases.

The maximum amount reimbursable for course fees is set out in Article 5.6(2). Exceptionally, a derogation may be considered in response to a duly substantiated request.

Article 18 - External language courses approved on a shared-interest basis

1. Parliament will provide funding for courses with a weekly duration of 1 250 minutes or more (25 lessons of 50 minutes' duration). Such funding is approved once per cycle of learning a language, for a maximum length of three weeks.

2. The maximum amount reimbursable for course fees is set out in Article 5.7(2) (maximum per week: one third of this amount).

No funding will be granted for additional external courses in the same language.

Article 19 - Non-linguistic external training in the interest of the service

In the case of external IT and general skills development training courses in the interest of the service, the whole of the course fees will be covered by Parliament.

Article 20 - Long-term external training leading to a diploma

1. Registration fees for long-term training courses (on a shared-interest basis) will be reimbursed by Parliament up to the amount set out in Article 5.7(1) each year for no more than seven years in total on presentation of confirmation of successfully passing the exams and the original invoice, duly discharged. If success was only partial, Parliament will reimburse the registration fees and, where appropriate, the fees for individual modules successfully passed.

If a module is failed on two consecutive occasions, these benefits will no longer be available to the official for the module in question. The same will apply in the event of failing the final diploma exam on two consecutive occasions.

Article 21 - Language courses at the place of employment for officials working in Strasbourg or in information offices

Parliament funding for training courses referred to in Article 12(1) points (1) and (3) will be as follows:
(1) group language courses delivered at the place of work: maximum reimbursement up to half the amount set out in Article 5.6(2);
(2) individual language courses in exceptional, duly substantiated cases: maximum reimbursement per year corresponding to the amount set out in Article 5.6(2).

A derogation may be approved, depending on the country where the official works. The minimum duration of the course shall be 1 250 minutes (25 lessons of 50 minutes' duration).

TITLE V - PARTICIPATION IN TRAINING COURSES

Article 22 - Compulsory courses

1. Officials must attend all training courses which are compulsory for their work and/or service.

2. The Secretary-General shall decide which specific or individual training courses are compulsory for functions and occupations involving a number of directorates-general or services.

In accordance with Article 26 on the role of directorates-general, the director-general concerned may decide which professional training courses are compulsory for all or part of the staff for whom he/she is responsible.

Article 23 - Obligations of officials registered for a training course

1. Officials registered for a training course undertake to attend.

2. As soon as an official confirms his/her participation in a course, this becomes compulsory and the official makes sure he/she will be available for the whole period of the course.

3. As set out in Article 26(3), the heads of the units concerned must ensure that officials are free to attend training courses, save in exceptional cases duly substantiated by the interest of the service. In this case the head of unit shall issue a justification of absence for the official. This also applies to courses recommended by the Careers Advice and Guidance Service under the procedure set out in Article 28.

Once the course has finished, the official shall complete the course evaluation sheet, failing which no certificate of attendance will be issued.

Article 24 - Specific provisions concerning participation in group language courses in Brussels or Luxembourg

1. Except in duly substantiated cases, officials registered on a language course must complete the basic teaching cycle for the language in question before registering for courses in another language.

2. The language will be chosen in agreement with the head of unit concerned. This must be approved by the official responsible for training, in accordance with the service requirements of the directorate-general.

3. Officials to whom Article 45(2) of the Staff Regulations applies and who have not yet reached the level required in a third language by the common rules on the application of Article 45(2) have a free choice of third language, depending on their existing knowledge. However, given the need for training to be compatible with the efficient operation of the service, and to ensure they do not have to wait too long for promotion, they are advised to select a language for which there are sufficient group courses.

4. For pedagogical reasons, any official who is absent for 20 % of the course consecutively or 30 % in total will be excluded from the course and will have to retake the level. Giving up a course is equivalent to being excluded. Any official who is excluded twice from the same course may register for another course only if there are places available.

This limitation will apply for two years starting from the date of the second exclusion.

Article 25 - Cancellations and absences

1. Apart from cases of illness or accident, all requests to withdraw from a course must be made as soon as possible and no more than ten days before the course starts.

2. Every absence must be justified. Absences must be approved by the official's head of unit and submitted to the Professional Training Unit and the official responsible for training in the directorate-general concerned.

3. In the event of cancellation or absence from an external course because of illness or accident, Parliament may reimburse the costs paid by the official as long as the cancellation is justified, approved by the head of unit and the official responsible for training in the directorate-general concerned and submitted to the Professional Training Unit together with supporting documents.

4. The authority responsible for handling unauthorised absences will be informed of any unjustified absence.

5. In the event of frequent absences, the Professional Training Unit and the official responsible for training in the directorate-general concerned may decide to exclude the official from certain training courses in the future.

If an absence or cancellation has not been justified within ten days of the start of an external course for which the Professional Training Unit has paid the registration fees (order form), the official must repay the fees to Parliament.

TITLE VI - PEOPLE INVOLVED IN TRAINING

Article 26 - Role of the various people involved within the directorates-general

In general, those involved within the directorates-general will take part in determining training needs together with the Professional Training Unit, in approving course registrations and monitoring absences and in the course evaluation procedure.

1. The director-general
(1) The director-general shall approve the overall training plan of his/her directorategeneral, containing the annual forecast of the training needs of his/her services based on information gathered by the official responsible for training and as part of the strategic objectives of Parliament and his/her directorate-general.
(2) He/she can decide which professional training courses are compulsory for all or part of the staff for whom he/she is responsible.
(3) The director-general may delegate his/her power to authorise training courses to his directors.

2. The head of unit
(1) Together with his/her colleagues, the head of unit shall determine the kind of training which is necessary for them to carry out their work and which is covered by the training categories referred to in Article 3. This can take place at any time or when the staff report is drawn up; this should include a note on this subject.
(2) The head of unit shall take account of the interest of the service and in particular of the objectives determined for the service in question. The training course must contribute to the achievement of these objectives.
(3) The head of unit shall ensure that the language learning is in line with the interest of the service.
(4) The head of unit must ensure that his/her colleagues attending language courses are free to do so, in accordance with Article 45(2) of the Staff Regulations.
(5) The head of unit shall undertake to ensure that staff registered for courses with his/her agreement or following a recommendation from the Careers Advice and Guidance Service (see Article 28) are free when the training takes place, save in exceptional cases duly substantiated by the interest of the service.
(6) The term 'head of unit' may be interpreted as meaning 'immediate superior' for staff belonging to other organisational entities, except that responsibility for staff training may not be delegated below the head of unit for staff belonging to one unit.
(7) For accredited parliamentary assistants, the terms 'authorisation of the head of unit' and 'approval of the head of unit' applicable to other categories of staff shall be interpreted as meaning 'authorisation of his/her Member responsible' and 'approval of his/her Member responsible'.

3. The Director of Resources

The Director of Resources shall monitor the training courses requested for the services and keep track of their implementation.

4. The official responsible for training

Each directorate-general shall appoint a duly authorised official to be responsible for professional training and shall provide him/her with the means necessary to carry out this task. The official responsible for training will have the job, for the directorate-general, of:
(1) drawing up the broad guidelines of the directorate-general's general training plan, based on input from his/her superiors and in line with the objectives of the directorate-general, the directorates and the units;
(2) analysing requests for professional training, particularly those made during the staff report procedure, and finding matching training courses;
(3) assisting and advising his/her directorate-general with identifying and defining training courses necessary for its officials as set out in Article 3(1), (2) and (4) and specialised courses aimed at developing the skills linked to the missions and objectives of the directorate-general or one of its services, as set out in Article 3(3);
(4) working with the Professional Training Unit to monitor courses;
(5) keeping the officials in his/her directorate-general informed of specific training courses taking place (training organised for a service);
(6) checking, together with the head of unit, whether the courses requested by officials in his/her directorate-general correspond to the tasks which they carry out and whether it would be possible or advisable to authorise an external training course, and approving training applications to denote his/her agreement on these issues;
(7) validating applications for courses, as set out in Article 3(1) and (2), from staff in the directorate-general;
(8) making the participants and the heads of unit responsible for ensuring attendance at compulsory courses;
(9) informing other officials responsible for training and the Professional Training Unit of specific and internal courses organised by his/her directorate-general;
(10) together with the equality and diversity coordinator, ensuring the promotion of equal opportunities in the participation of staff from his/her directorate-general in training courses and thus helping ensure that there are equal opportunities for professional development;
(11) informing the Professional Training Unit of the order of precedence for officials in his/her directorate-general to participate in courses in the event of the demand exceeding the number of places available;
(12) monitoring, together with the Professional Training Unit, the amount spent on individual external courses on the one hand and the 'mission expenses for training' on the other in order to ensure optimum use of the sums allocated for external training in his/her directorate-general;
(13) monitoring the justification of cancellations or other absences from courses and, where appropriate, reporting this to the senior levels of the directorate-general;

ensuring communication between his/her directorate-general and the Advisory Committee on Professional Training.

Article 27 - Role of the Professional Training Unit

1. The Professional Training Unit is responsible for the planning and implementation of the professional training policy of Parliament staff, in line with Parliament's training strategy. Accordingly, the Professional Training Unit cooperates closely with the directorates-general.

2. The Unit's role comprises, in particular:
at the strategic level:
(1) identifying, together with the directorates-general, the training needs of Parliament's services and assisting them in drawing up their overall training plans; drawing up a list of training courses on the basis of the training plans approved by the directorates-general and in line with the skills required by the services;
(2) identifying, together with the officials responsible for training and the units of the Directorate for Human Resources Development, the training needs of Parliament's staff by analysing the development of tasks and skills, in order to compile a list of courses for Parliament's staff, as set out in Article 3(1), (2) and (4);
(3) proposing an overall training programme to the directorates-general and the services in order to identify and define, together with the officials responsible for training, courses which are necessary for their staff and which are linked to Parliament's strategic requirements;
(4) ensuring the planning and development of training courses organised for these members of staff, as set out in Article 3(1), (2), (3) and (4);
(5) assisting and advising, in a general way, officials responsible for training in Parliament's directorates-general in terms of their other requirements;

at the managing and monitoring level:
(6) ensuring the organisation and management of all training courses by enlisting either internal trainers which it selects and coordinates or external trainers which it selects in accordance with the procedures set out in the Financial Regulation;
(7) developing, together with the directorates-general, the training courses on offer to be taught by permanent internal trainers and, where appropriate, ad hoc internal trainers; highlighting to the directorates-general the contribution of their officials who have taught on these courses as exceptional duties;
(8) ensuring administrative and financial monitoring of individual external training and approving the necessary authorisations;
(9) drawing up, on a regular basis, a timetable for training courses and determining the number and composition of classes;
(10) informing the relevant authority that an approved training course provides an entitlement to a certain number of hours of special training leave so that it can take a decision;

in terms of monitoring and evaluation:
(11) drawing up a list of absences from courses and following these up;
(12) informing the officials responsible for training concerned, on a regular basis, of non-justified absences from courses;
(13) collecting course evaluation sheets from services and staff members so that the courses offered can be continuously improved;
(14) developing the course evaluation system so that it becomes a factor contributing to the quality of training;

in terms of information provided to services and staff:
(15) informing Parliament's services and staff and officials responsible for training, on a regular basis, of ongoing training courses and of conferences, debates and/or seminars organised by Parliament's services or directorates-general, EUSA and other institutions, and by external organisations;
(16) informing services and staff, on a regular basis, of the various aspects of training policy which are of topical interest;
(17) keeping the overview of training for each official up to date and making this available to the official and his/her superiors;
(18) informing the Advisory Committee on Professional Training, on a regular basis, of the progress of courses and the implementation of the training policy and providing it with an activity report at the end of each financial year;

in terms of interinstitutional cooperation:
(19) maintaining relations with the departments involved and/or counterparts at interinstitutional level and cooperating with them to create synergies, particularly with regard to drawing up and organising highly specialised courses; working together with EUSA to develop, implement and monitor courses offered by EUSA to the institutions and, where appropriate, courses specifically commissioned for Parliament's services.

Article 28 - Directorate for Human Resources Development in DG Personnel

1. The Directorate for Human Resources Development in DG Personnel conducts periodic analyses of Parliament's skills development requirements, particularly with regard to developing occupations, on the basis of the operational and projected needs of occupations and posts on the one hand and of the knowledge-base, know-how and abilities of staff on the other. Based on the requirements identified, it will propose, on a regular basis, training programmes aimed at ensuring the development of the relevant skills.

The Directorate for Human Resources Development in DG Personnel may recommend specific training courses as a result of the perusal, at the request of an official or his/her director-general, of the official's personal file, particularly in the context of planned or potential mobility.

Article 29 - Role of the Advisory Committee on Professional Training

1. An Advisory Committee on Professional Training has been set up comprising a Chair, appointed by the Secretary-General, three permanent members and three substitute members from the administration, and three permanent members and three substitute members representing staff. The Chair shall seek a replacement if he/she is otherwise engaged. An observer from the Committee on Equal Opportunities (COPEC) has also been appointed.

2. The Committee has the job of ensuring that the rules on professional training in Parliament are properly applied.

3. To this end, it may make suggestions and recommendations to the Professional Training Unit as it sees fit. It may also submit general opinions to the Director-General for Personnel. It will provide the Secretary-General with an annual report of its activities.

4. The head of the Professional Training Unit or his/her representative takes part in the work of the Advisory Committee on Professional Training without having the right to vote.

5. The Committee is provided with a secretariat by the Professional Training Unit.

6. The appeals procedures under the Staff Regulations notwithstanding, an official may request the opinion of the Advisory Committee on Professional Training on any matter concerning the application of these rules and may, in particular, ask for its views on a refusal of authorisation to attend a training course.

The Committee will give its opinion after hearing the official responsible for training in the directorate-general concerned and on the basis of information provided by the Professional Training Unit.

Article 30 - Cooperation with the European School of Administration (EUSA)

1. Parliament has preferential access to training courses organised by EUSA. The following courses are offered on a regular basis:
(1) courses for newly-recruited officials;
(2) skills development courses for managers;
(3) interinstitutional courses for certification as defined in Article 45(a) of the Staff Regulations.

There may be changes to the range of courses offered by EUSA as a result of new requirements and the definition of its mandate.

2.At the request of a service and after formalisation by the Professional Training Unit, EUSA will also organise specialised training courses (see Article 3(3)).

3. Individual registrations are made via the Professional Training Unit. After registering, officials are invited to courses directly by EUSA.

TITLE VII - FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 31 - Entry into force

1. These internal rules repeal and replace the implementing measures for professional training of 1 July 2002.

2. They will enter into force on 1 July 2012.

Klaus WELLE