Part 2 of Volume 1 of the Voctade final reports presents a national profile for each of the 16 nations of the European Union (with Belgium being studied twice).

The aim is to give reliable data for planners, analysts and policy makers and to demonstrate the national solutions chosen for addressing the challenges of structuring systems for students studying at a distance.

The four categories, established as models in Volume 2, are identified for each country (although a particular model may not be present in every country) but no harmonization is intended or considered. The richness and diversity, rather, of each nation's provision is the optic of the study.

For each country data is collected in the following categories:

• National data
• Vocational education and training (VET)
• Distance education and training (DET)
• List of distance training institutions
• Distance training: survey of selected institutions
• University-level distance education: survey of selected institutions
• Distance training market
• Distance training overview
• Distance training statistics.

• government distance training institution
• proprietay distance training institution
• distance teaching university
• provision from conventional universities,

A survey of statistics for each nation profiled is also given. This survey is for 1995,1996 and 1997 for Austria, Finland and Sweden and for 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997 for the other countries.

For the years 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 the statistics are taken from:

• the ZIFF-Papier Distance training in the European Union for 1994,
• the European Commission publication Distance training in the European Union for 1995,
• the interim deliverables of the Voctade project for 1996.
• These final deliverables of the  Voctade project  for 1997.

It should be noted that statistics for 1994 and 1995 are given for historical reasons only. An important aim of the Voctade study is to evaluate these statistics. Some have been found to be incorrect, due to the inclusion of computer-based learning programmes at training centres as distance education by some institutions.

Consolidated statistics are  provided in Volume 2, Chapter 47.

The statistics surveyed are presented without comment on their correctness in this volume. It is a focus of the Voctade  project to analyse the accuracy of these statistics. Analysis of the accuracy of the statistics for 1994, 1995 and 1996 is provided in Volume 2, chapter 47, Statistical Trends Analysis.