COMMISSION COMMUNICATION ON TRAINING AND RECRUITMENT Constructive action necessary Last year's Annual Report concentrated on the elements which ECSA, as well as the ETF (European Transport Federation), would wish to see included in the long anticipated Commission Communication on Training and Recruitment. In April, the Communication was published, with most of such points being included. Through stimulating a debate between the Community institutions it is hoped that the initiative will make a valuable contribution to tackling the difficulties being faced in the training and recruitment area. While the Communication has the potential to make a positive impact, there are statements and views introduced which are extraneous to the core issue of the shortage of officers and which are inevitably controversial between Member States and between the social partners. Should such issues dominate the agenda in the coming months it will doubtless lead to sterile, inconclusive debate. To avoid this it will be important to focus on the key issues and on those possible measures on which there is a broad consensus between the social partners. The elements of the Communication on which there is general agreement are as follows;