9. 9. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 232/9 
Revised proposal for a Council Decision amending the Council Decision of 15 June 1987 
(87/327/EEC) adopting the European Community action scheme for the mobility of university 
students (') (Erasmus) 
COM(89) 392 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 3 August 1989) 
(89/C 232/12) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 128 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas the fundamental objectives of the common 
vocational training policy set down in the second 
principle of Decision 63/266/EEC of 2 April 1963 (2) 
aim in particular at enabling every person to reach the 
highest possible level of vocational training which is 
necessary for his professional activity, and refer also to 
broadening vocational training to meet requirements 
arising from technical progress, linking the different 
forms of vocational training to social and economic 
developments; 
Whereas on the basis of the sixth principle of that 
Decision it is the Commission's responsibility to 
encourage direct exchanges of vocational training 
specialists in order to enable them to acquaint themselves 
with and study the achievements and new developments 
in the other countries of the Community: 
Whereas the Council established the European 
Community action scheme for the mobility of university 
students (Erasmus) by Decision 87/327/EEC of 15 June 
1987 (3) and whereas Article 7 of that Decision provides 
for the possibility of adapting that Decision; 
Whereas the Council has adopted measures with a view 
to strengthening technological cooperation at 
Community level and providing the necessary human 
(') OJ No C 150, 17. 6. 1989, p. 10. 
O OJ No 63, 20. 4. 1963, p. 1368/63. 
(3) OJ No L 166, 25. 6. 1987, p. 20. resources for this purpose, notably through Council 
Decision 89/27/EEC of 16 December 1988 for the 
second phase of the programme on cooperation between 
universities and industry regarding training in the field of 
technology (Comett II 1990 to 1994) (4); 
Whereas the Council has adopted measures to stimulate 
cooperation and interchange between European research 
scientists, notably through Decision 88/419/EEC of 29 
June 1988 establishing the Science programme (5) and 
Decision 89/118/EEC of 13 February 1989 establishing 
the SPES programme (6), whereas it is therefore not 
appropriate that such activities should also by covered by 
the Erasmus Programme. 
Whereas on the basis of the judgment of the Court of the 
European Communities of 30 May 1989 the Erasmus 
programme as amended by this Decision falls within the 
scope of the common vocational training policy as provided 
for in Article 128; 
Whereas the Commission's aim, in following up the 
People's Europe initiative of the European Council, is 
that by 1992 nearly 10 % of all students in the 
Community will be following a university course 
organized by universities in more than one Member 
State; 
Whereas the Council at its meeting on ... adopted the 
Lingua programme to promote training in foreign 
languages as well as the teaching and learning of foreign 
languages in the European Community; 
Whereas the Council at its meeting on 21 December 
1988 adopted a Directive on a general system for the 
recognition of higher education diplomas awarded on 
completion of professional education and training of at 
least three years' duration (7); 
Whereas the annual reports on the functioning of the 
Erasmus programme in 1987 and 1988 and the moni­
toring of the programme to date have shown that the 
programme is a successful means of increasing student 
mobility via effective inter-university cooperation within 
the Community; 
(4) OJ No L 13, 17. 1. 1989, p. 28. 
O OJ No C 335, 30. 12. 1988, p. 3. 
(6) OJ No L 44, 16. 2. 1989, p. 44. 
O OJ No L 19, 24. 1. 1989, p. 16. 
No C 232/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 9. 9. 89 
Whereas therefore the existing actions under Decision 
87/327/EEC should be maintained up to the coming into 
force of this Decision, and should be continued thereafter 
with adaptations, which experience has shown to be 
necessary; 
Whereas the estimated amount required to finance the 
Erasmus programme in the first three years of the 
five-year period is ECU 192 million, 
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Article 1 
1. In Article 1 of Council Decision 87/327/EEC: 
The following is added to paragraph 2: 
'All students studying in those establishments, 
regardless of the field of study and the level of study 
are eligible for support within the Erasmus 
programme, up to doctorate level, provided the studies 
carries out in another Member State constitute voca­
tional training. 
The Erasmus programme does not cover research and 
technological development activities.' 
2. In Article 2 of Council Decision 87/327/EEC: 
(a) Paragraph (ii) is replaced by the following: 'to 
promote broad and intensive cooperation in voca­
tional training between universities in all Member 
States;' 
(b) Paragraph (Hi) is modified as follows : 
'education and' is deleted in line 4. 3. Article 4 of Council Decision 87/327/EEC is replaced 
by the following: 
'Article 4 
As from 1 January 1990 the annual credits necessary 
to cover the Community contribution to the actions 
provided for in the programme will be established in 
the annual budgetary procedure, taking into account 
the results of the programme as well as any new needs 
which may emerge during its operation. These credits 
are intended to finance the various actions set out in 
the Annex, including appropriate measures taken to 
ensure the technical assistance at Community level, 
continuing monitoring and evaluation of the 
programme. 
The appropriations deemed necessary for the first 
three years of the programme will form part of future 
budgets within the framework of the present financial 
forecasts 1988 to 1992 agreed jointly by the three 
institutions in June 1988 and their development.' 
4. Article 5 of Council Decision 87/327/EEC is 
modified as follows: 
'the other actions already scheduled at Community 
level' is replaced by 'other actions at Community 
level'. 
5. In Article 7 of Council Decision 87/327/EEC, '31 
December 1989' in line 1 is replaced by '31 December 
1993', and '30 June 1990' in line 5 is replaced by '30 
June 1994'. 
Article 2 
This Decision comes into effect on 1 July 1990 in the case 
of action 2 (2) and on 1 January 1991 in all other respects. 
ANNEX 
ACTION 1 
Establishment and operation of a European University Network 
Action 1 of the Annex to Council Decision 87/327/EEC is to read as follows: 
'1. The Community will further develop the European University Network established within the Erasmus 
programme and designed to stimulate Community-wide exchange of students. 
The European University Network will be composed of those universities which, in the framework of 
the Erasmus programme, have concluded agreements and organized programmes providing for 
exchanges of students and teachers with universities of other Member States and which recognize study 
periods thus accomplished outside the home university. 
The main aim of inter-university agreements is to give the students of one university the opportunity to 
undertake a fully recognized period of study in at least one other Member State, as an integral part of 
9. 9. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 232/11 
their diploma or academic qualification. These joint programmes should include as necessary an inte­
grated period of foreign language preparation as well as cooperation among teachers and administrative 
staff in order to prepare the conditions necessary for the exchange of students and for the mutual 
recognition of periods of study accomplished abroad. 
Priority will be given to programmes involving an integrated and fully recognized period of study in 
another Member State. For each joint programme, each participating university will receive support of 
up to an annual ceiling of ECU 25 000 normally for a period of three years in the first instance subject 
to periodic review. 
2. Support will also be provided for exchanges of teaching staff for the purpose of carrying out integrated 
teaching assignments in other Member States. 
3. Support will also be provided for joint curriculum development projects between universities in different 
Member States as a means of facilitating academic recognition and of contributing by means of an 
exchange of experience and expertise to the process of innovation and improvement of courses on a 
Community-wide basis. 
4. In addition, support will be provided to universities organizing intensive teaching programmes of short 
duration involving students from several different Member States. 
5. The Community will also provide support for teaching staff and university administrators to carry out 
visits to other Member States, to enable them to prepare programmes of integrated study with univer­
sities of these Member States and to increase their mutual understanding of the training aspects of the 
higher education systems of other Member States. Grants will also be provided to allow teaching staff to 
conduct a series of specialized lectures in several Member States.' 
ACTION 2 
Erasmus student grants scheme 
Action 2 of the Annex to Council Decision 87/327/EEC is to read as follows: 
'1. The Community will further develop a scheme for the direct financial support of students at universities 
as defined in Article 1 (2) of Council Decision 87/327/EEC carrying out a period of study in another 
Member State. In determining the total expenditure for actions 1 and 2 respectively, the Community 
will have regard to the number of students to be exchanged within the European University Network as 
it develops. 
2. The Erasmus student grants are administered normally through the competent authorities in the 
Member States. The allocation of the amount to each Member State will be based on the total number 
of students at universities as defined in Article 1 (2), as well as on the total number of 
18-to-25-year-olds in each Member State. 
Moreover, the Commission will take the necessary steps to ensure a balanced participation across 
Member States and disciplines and will therefore allocate a small proportion of the funds available for 
student grants, not to exceed 5 % of the total annual student grants budget. The funds for student 
grants in respect of certain exceptional programmes whose structure renders administration of the 
grants via national agencies impracticable will be allocated directly by the Commission. 
3. The national grant-awarding-authorities will issue grants up to a maximum of ECU 5 000 per student 
for a stay of one year, subject to the following conditions: 
(a) the grants are not normally intended to cover the full cost of study abroad, but as a means of 
offsetting the additional costs of mobility, that is travel costs, foreign language preparation as 
necessary and higher cost of living in the host country (including, where appropriate, the extra cost 
of living away from the student's home country). Member States will provide, in cases of need, for 
the complementary funding of students to whom mobility grants have been awarded; 
(b) priority will be given to students on courses which are part of the European University Network 
under action 1 as well as to those students participating in the European Community Course Credit 
Transfer System (ECTS) under action 3. Grants may also be provided for other students on courses 
for whom special arrangements are made outside the network in another Member State provided 
they fulfil the eligibility criteria; 
(c) normally, grants will be awarded only in cases where the period of study spent in another Member 
State will be granted full recognition by the student's home university. However, grants may be 
No C 232/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 9. 9. 89 
awarded exceptionally in cases where the period of study to be spent in another Member State will 
be granted full recognition by the degree-awarding university in that Member State, provided that 
this arrangement forms part of an inter-university agreement supported under action 1; 
(d) no tuition fees will be charged by the host university to incoming students, where appropriate, grant 
holders will continue to pay tuition fees at their home university; 
(e) grants will be awarded for periods of study in another Member State of six months to a full 
academic year; grants may be awarded exceptionally for periods of study of a minimum duration of 
three months or for more than 12 months in the case of highly integrated programmes; 
(f) any grants or loans available to students in their own country will continue to be paid in full during 
their period of study at the host university for which they are receiving an Erasmus grant.' 
ACTION 3 
Measures to promote mobility through the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study 
Within Action 3 of the Annex to Council Decision 87/327/EEC: 
1. Section 2 is to read as follows: 
'Measures to promote the Community-wide exchange of information on the academic recognition of 
diplomas acquired and periods of study spent in another Member State, notably by means of the further 
development of the European Community network of national academic recognition information 
centres; grants will be awarded to the centres to facilitate exchange of information, in particular by 
means of a computerized system for data exchange.' 
2. Section 3 is deleted. 
ACTION 4 
Complementary measures to promote student mobility in the Community 
Action 4 of the Annex to Council Decision 87/327/EEC is to read as follows: 
'1. To provide informational support for Erasmus and to increase mutual awareness of university systems 
in the Community, Erasmus will provide for: 
— support to associations and consortia of universities, teaching staff, administrators or students acting 
on a European basis, in particular with a view to making initiatives in specific fields of training 
better known throughout the Community, 
— publications designed to enhance awareness of study and teaching opportunities in the other 
Member States or to draw attention to important developments and innovative models for university 
cooperation throughout the Community, 
— other initiatives designed to promote inter-university cooperation in the field of vocational training 
within the Community, 
— measures facilitating the dissemination of information on the Erasmus programme, 
— Erasmus prizes of the European Community to be awarded to students, staff members, universities 
or Erasmus projects which have made an outstanding contribution to the development of inter-
university cooperation within the Community. 
2. The cost of measures under action 4 will not exceed 5 % of the annual appropriations for the Erasmus 
programme.'