Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on:

- the 'Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision establishing the second phase of the Community action programme in the field of education - Socrates`,

- the 'Proposal for a Council Decision establishing the second phase of the Community vocational training action programme - Leonardo Da Vinci`, and - the 'Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision establishing the Community action programme - Youth` (1999/C 51/13)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision establishing a community action programme in the field of education - Socrates (COM(98) 329 final - 98/0195 COD) (); the Proposal for a Council Decision establishing the second phase of the community vocational training action programme - Leonardo da Vinci (COM(98) 330 final - 98/0196 SYN) () and the Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision establishing a community action programme - Youth (COM(98) 331 final - 98/0197 COD) ();

having regard to the decisions of the Council on 15 September 1998 and 1 October 1998 (Socrates and Youth Programmes) and the decision of the European Commission on 1 September 1998 (Leonardo Programme), under articles 126, 127 and the first paragraph of 198c of the Treaty establishing the European Community, to consult the Committee of the Regions on this matter;

having regard to its Bureau decision on 13 May 1998 to direct Commission 7 - Education, Vocational training, Culture, Youth, Sport & Citizens' rights - to draw up the relevant Opinion;

having regard to the Draft Opinion (CdR 226/98 rev.) adopted by Commission 7 on 1 October 1998 (rapporteur: Dr Evans);

whereas the Treaty of Amsterdam expressed the commitment of the Member States of the European Union to promote the development of the highest possible level of knowledge for their peoples through a wide access to education and its continuous updating;

whereas the Treaty of Amsterdam in recognition of the important role of local and regional authorities in the field of vocational training has extended the fields of mandatory consultation of the Committee of the Regions to include vocational training,

unanimously adopted the following Opinion at its 26th plenary session of 18 and 19 November 1998 (meeting of 19 November).

1. Introduction

1.1. The COR welcomes the place accorded to knowledge policy by the Treaty of Amsterdam and Agenda 2000 as being at the heart of future developments in the European Union. The Commission's decision to issue three proposals in the fields of education, training and youth was heralded in the Agenda 2000 and Towards a Europe of Knowledge documents. The COR presented its Opinion on the latter CdR 432/97 fin () which viewed the objective of achieving a more open and dynamic European educational area very positively and supported the development of a more strategic coherent framework for education, training and youth policy in the EU.

1.2. The EU Commission wishes to build upon the foundation of the current Socrates - education, Leonardo da Vinci - training and Youth for Europe - youth programmes, initially in the retention of the names, which are now commonly known by many EU citizens, whilst moving to improve the application of EU funds and to influence and better target those resources. The three proposals translate a willingness to implement an integrated approach in particular through the joint actions. The COR welcomes this greater degree of integration which should maximize the impact of initiatives in particular in order to combat social exclusion.

1.3. Three objectives underpin the three programme areas of education, training and youth-related policy:

- to promote employment, in line with the Luxembourg European Council decisions, by developing the skills and competences and an enterprise culture which changes in work and its organisation have made necessary;

- to increase the potential of knowledge in order to create the social and technical conditions of innovation which represents a major asset for economic growth and for improving standards of living;

- to guarantee citizens access to a European experience likely to strengthen a common feeling of identity with and belonging to a Common space.

1.4. The European Commission, the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and other European institutions view unemployment and social exclusion as the two major problems which they have to address. In respect of these the COR welcomes the increasing porousness of the divisions between education and training, formal and informal education and initial and continuing training as reflected in the common, simplified and integrated features of the revised programmes and in the planned links with the Structural Funds, especially the European Social Fund. Complementarity and coherence can only help to combat social exclusion and unemployment.

1.5. The COR welcomes the indication in the Employment Guidelines stemming from the European Council on employment in November 1997 and recognised in the Commission's Actions contained in the revised Programmes that formal and informal education as well as training, taken in the widest sense, are an essential dimension of employability and adaptability. They can strongly support the development processes of the capacity for entrepreneurship and are a significant support for equal opportunities. The Committee of the Regions would particularly highlight the legitimate demands of people with disabilities for initiatives, now that measures for the disabled are being included in the education programmes.

1.6. The COR has pointed out in many past Opinions that the constantly evolving requirements of the workplace involving new systems of work and adaptation to new technologies call for a continuously trained workforce. The world of jobs for life no longer exists and education and training, following a lifelong learning approach, can therefore prove to be essential instruments in developing a skilled workforce, which is the core element of sustainable economic and social development. It is not just private operators, generally represented by employers, who should be advocating this continual updating of skills, but also, first and foremost, local and regional authorities. The COR would particularly emphasize the need to provide teachers with continuous training in methods of exploiting IT and multimedia in teaching.

1.7. The COR welcomes the recognition given to the roles of education and training and youth policy in fostering the full exercise of citizenship, and stresses that access to a learning society is a fundamental aspect of a citizens' Europe enabling greater participation in economic, social and civic life.

2. General comments

2.1. While each programme has specific actions as a function of the objectives pursued, these actions are implemented by using one or more of the following six measures: physical mobility, virtual mobility, importance of networking, promotion of language skills, support for innovatory projects and products and better knowledge of education and training systems. The COR welcomes this common core of activities which upholds a more focused and integrated approach.

2.1.1. Physical mobility

2.1.1.1. The COR notes the success of the physical mobility actions in the three current programmes. It would however stress the need to ensure equal opportunities in access to mobility actions in particular for disadvantaged groups.

2.1.1.2. The COR supports measures promoting mutual recognition of qualifications and skills and steps taken to remove obstacles to mobility. As indicated in its Opinion on the European Commission Green Paper on education-training- research: the obstacles to transnational mobility (), it supports efforts to: expand the European Credit Transfer System and in particular in order to cover the vocational training sector and to develop the mutual recognition of acquired skills/informal vocational training through accreditation.

2.1.1.3. The COR welcomes the intention to boost apprenticeship and work-linked training mobility through Leonardo and welcomes the introduction of a 'EUROPASS- training` which will attest to knowledge gained in the course of training undertaken in another Member State, as indicated in its Opinion on the proposal for a Council decision on the promotion of European pathways for work-linked training including apprenticeship ().

2.1.1.4. The COR recognizes the valuable contribution of the Youth programme which enables in particular disadvantaged young people, who cannot qualify for participation in Leonardo and Socrates, to participate. It is often these young people who face the greatest difficulties in integrating into social and professional life. Youth exchanges can enable them to overcome these difficulties.

2.1.1.5. It welcomes the inclusion of the European Voluntary Service programme into a coherent youth policy approach, which follows the recommendation it put forward in its Opinion on the European voluntary service programme (). It stresses the EVS's contribution to providing an informal educational experience which will contribute towards young people's personal, social and vocational development. It highlights the opportunity it will provide for young people to make an active contribution as citizens of the EU and for cementing solidarity not only between the volunteers but the localities and regions taking part.

2.1.1.6. The COR welcomes opportunities for strengthening links between the world of education and training and the world of work in mobility exchanges either through in-company placements of trainees and trainers (Leonardo) and teachers (Socrates) or through exchanges between companies/universities and training institutions (Leonardo). Efforts to step up links between these two sectors should be reinforced as previously recommended by the COR in its Opinion on the role of local and regional authorities in linking education and training establishments to enterprises ().

2.1.1.7. In the context of school education, the COR also recognizes the importance of student mobility after programme completion, by means of seminars and/or meetings with pupils from the associated countries, in order to evaluate their involvement and cooperation with the project.

2.1.2. Virtual mobility

2.1.2.1. The COR endorses continued efforts to step up action in linking schools to the Internet and the development of pedagogical multimedia material though it reiterates its comments put forward in its Opinion on the Commission Communication on Learning in the information society - action plan for a European education initiative (), regarding the need to ensure that required funding is available. It also reiterates the call for action to be taken to reinforce the use of new technologies in vocational training and in adult education provision.

2.1.2.2. The COR stresses that special care must be taken to ensure that the new technologies do not exacerbate social division between those who have access to them and those who do not. This first involves increasing teacher awareness of the need to give schools the means to access the new multimedia information society. Nor should the importance of the human interface of teacher support be overlooked. The Committee of the Regions would wish to echo the Commission's desire that the new technology be used to combat social exclusion. The COR thus calls for the best possible level of access to these facilities.

2.1.2.3. The COR underlines therefore that media education is required at all levels to help people make sense of the information received through the new technologies and build an inclusive Information society.

2.1.3. Cooperation networks and the importance of networking

2.1.3.1. This is a new feature designed to bring together in the Member States at the regional or sectoral level the public and private players in the form of networks with a view to pooling Community expertise on a given theme and strengthening dissemination of information. The COR would stress the need for a European cooperation network to be built wherever possible on established regional/local networks, to avoid duplication.

2.1.3.2. The COR welcomes the building of such cooperation networks across the EU in particular involving local and regional actors. The COR maintains that there is a wealth of knowledge and experience that exists at local and regional level and that it is at this level where the majority of creative and innovative approaches can be found. The COR has recommended in many past Opinions that this valuable resource should be more effectively tapped by promoting the dissemination of best practices through networks. Such networks are vital in order to enable the development of mainstream policy and to find solutions to combating social exclusion. They can also help ensure the development of a coordinated education, training, industrial and employment strategy of benefit to the area, the business sector and the citizen.

2.1.3.3. Local and regional authorities must be involved in these networks, as stressed in the COR's Opinion on the role of local and regional authorities in linking education and training establishments to enterprises, given their key strategic role in coordinating partnerships and bringing together all relevant actors, in particular bringing together the world of education and training and the world of work.

2.1.3.4. The COR would highlight the importance of ensuring full participation of all relevant actors in these networks including economic and social partners, education and training establishments, parents, students etc. and underlines the need to disseminate best practice on how to set up networks in these fields.

2.1.3.5. The COR welcomes the emphasis given in the Leonardo proposals on the networks role in promoting analysis and anticipation of skill needs. Involving local and regional authorities in this process can help ensure the development of skills that match local labour market demands and fit into local development strategies.

2.1.3.6. The COR calls for the creation of flexible bridges with ESF assistance for operational aspects and ERDF assistance for investment aspects, enabling actions to be reinforced in this area.

2.1.4. The promotion of language skills

2.1.4.1. The COR supports the promotion of language skills and stresses their contribution towards improving cultural awareness as well as employability, language skills being an essential prerequisite to mobility.

2.1.4.2. The Committee of the Regions would particularly emphasize the importance of support measures for 'minority` languages, and the need to promote mobility actions in areas where the lesser-used languages are spoken.

2.1.5. Support for innovatory projects and products

2.1.5.1. The COR would stress the need to ensure the dissemination of best practice of innovative approaches which can make an important contribution towards improving policy and practice in these fields across the EU. It also underlines the importance of promoting transnational pilot projects in order to develop innovation and its transfer in the fields of education, training and youth.

2.1.6. Community sources of reference and better knowledge of systems

2.1.6.1. The development of sources of reference, data and information is vital for a dynamic education, training and youth policy. The COR welcomes the new European Education Observatory that will be set up to reinforce information gathering in the field of education grouping together activities relating to the exchange of information and experience.

2.1.6.2. The COR reiterates its calls on the European Commission to use existing networks to develop cooperation in the fields of quality assurance and the development of accreditation systems, in line with its previous recommendations in its Opinions on the White Paper on education and training () and in the proposal for a Council recommendation on European cooperation in quality assurance in higher education ().

2.1.6.3. Cedefop's role in information gathering in the field of vocational training in particular in the analysis on access to training and skill accreditation should be supported. The European Training Foundation's know how in providing relevant information in the field of vocational training to the partner countries including the countries of central and eastern Europe should also be given recognition. The COR stresses the need to ensure effective complementarity and coordination in work undertaken between different databases and institutions, to ensure no overlap.

2.1.7. Joint calls for proposals

2.1.7.1. The COR welcomes the idea of joint calls for proposals which would allow for the development of a common information system; a co-ordinated system for observing good practices with regard to lifelong education and training; joint actions on education and training multimedia and European centres of knowledge located regionally.

2.1.7.2. The COR calls for efforts to be concentrated on disseminating information about the projects which will be initiated, along with their results. This will involve setting up a central library on the Internet for each of the three programmes discussed here, briefly describing, for example in no more than 10 lines, the assisted programmes and their results, with the e-mail address of project liaison officers.

2.1.7.3. The Commission indicates that the purpose of these European Centres of knowledge is to ensure regional and local contact and interaction between the players taking part in the programmes for the purpose of supporting regional or local lifelong learning policies in particular by means of disseminating information and results and promoting active interaction across the three programmes. From early on in its First Mandate the Committee of the Regions called for the setting up of local and regional knowledge centres since these have a vital contribution towards improving access to education and training opportunities through new technologies, in particular for disadvantaged groups and towards improving social relations and responding to the new relational needs of our time.

2.1.7.4. However, mindful of the financial constraints facing local and regional authorities, it would not be in favour of establishing new facilities where existing facilities merely required additional works to bring them up to the necessary standard for the introduction of hi- tech facilities.

2.1.7.5. The COR calls for the creation of flexible bridges with ESF assistance, enabling actions to be reinforced in this area.

2.1.7.6. The programmes do not make specific mention of rural areas. The COR commends greater recognition of their special needs, some of which are covered by Objectives 5b and 6 of the Structural Funds. It also underlines the valuable contribution that European lifelong learning centres can make by granting opportunities of access to education and training to such areas.

2.1.8. Improved and simplified procedures

2.1.8.1. The COR welcomes the Commission's efforts to streamline procedures and to make them more user friendly. It welcomes the decentralization of the programme on the basis of significant contributions for each State, and proposes that such decentralization should also take place within each country.

2.1.8.2. The COR also welcomes multi-annual funding opportunities provided in the new programmes which will allow for more flexibility and enable initiatives to develop at a different pace.

3. Specific Comments

3.1. Socrates

3.1.1. The aim of the Socrates programme is to promote the quality of education by encouraging co-operation, increasing mobility and developing the European dimension in all sectors of education. The COR welcomes the specification of a European dimension in the programme's aim and urges that this be interpreted in its broadest sense and not only through language teaching. Moreover, it calls for specific reference to be made to the added value of intercultural education eradicating racist and xenophobic attitudes in society and in supporting the integration of all citizens, regardless of their origin, as outlined in the COR Opinion on Intercultural education (). The COR stresses the importance of actions supporting intercultural education and awareness starting as early on as possible in the system and would emphasise the need to provide teachers with continuous training in a European perspective.

3.1.2. It welcomes the proposed bi-annual report from Member States which will need to detail the actual establishment of the European education area during the period in question. However, it underlines the need to involve local and regional authorities in its elaboration.

3.1.3. The COR welcomes the reduction of the objectives of the programme from nine to four: to strengthen the European dimension in education at all levels; to promote co-operation in all sectors and at all levels of education; to help remove the obstacles to such co-operation and to encourage educational innovation in the Community. The COR welcomes this clearer identification of policy objectives which can help ensure that initiatives and projects are coherently and consistently targeting the actions needed to meet them.

3.1.4. The COR welcomes the reduction in number of actions from 27 to eight covering the three fundamental stages of lifelong learning (Comenius - school education, Erasmus - higher education, and Gruntvig - other educational pathways including adult education) and the horizontal policies (Lingua - languages, Atlas - multimedia, observation and innovation, joint actions and accompanying measures).

3.1.5. In support of the programme's second objective, the COR welcomes the new emphasis to be given in the second phase on the education of adults and persons who left school with no qualifications with the new 'Grundvig action`, which promotes new non-formal educational approaches designed to facilitate the acquisition of new competences throughout life. It in particular welcomes proposals within this action to develop accreditation for the skills acquired.

3.1.6. The COR welcomes the Commission's action in response to its consultation regarding the need for more emphasis to be placed on innovative activities, as reflected in the fourth of the programme's objectives. It especially welcomes the capacity of the programme to respond to new needs which may emerge during its lifespan.

3.1.7. The COR welcomes the Commission's support of projects creating bridges between the various sectors of education with a view to encouraging lifelong learning. However, it is disappointed to note that the objectives make no explicit reference to lifelong learning. While it is recognised that lifelong learning in terms of adult education is included within the Annex to the Socrates programme, it is confined to the Community Actions section and refers mistakenly to lifelong skills, precisely an area where individuals need continuous updating.

3.1.8. The programme needs to continue to give impetus to the academic recognition of periods of study spent abroad and qualifications obtained there.

3.1.9. The COR welcomes the sentiment expressed by the Commission of wishing to see greater co-operation between all players working in education, including parents, and the corresponding requirement in the Decision for consultation.

3.1.10. The COR welcomes the grouping together in single actions of all measures relating to schools and to initial and in service training of teachers and the possibility for universities to follow the same course of action.

3.2. Leonardo da Vinci

3.2.1. The Leonardo da Vinci programme has three objectives:

3.2.2. to improve and strengthen the social and occupational integration of young people, in particular through work-linked training and apprenticeship;

3.2.3. to broaden and build up access to high quality continuing training and access to lifelong skills, particularly in order to keep abreast of technological and organisational innovation, and the training investment drive;

3.2.4. to support the vocational training systems to assist those in difficult circumstances, due to having insufficient or outdated competences, to find employment and to better insert themselves in the labour market.

3.2.5. The COR recommends rephrasing of the programme's second objective to read access to lifelong skills acquisition and updating, thereby eliminating the implication that skills do not require renewal. It also stresses the importance of promoting the mutual recognition of qualifications and of acquired skills through accreditation, in the vocational training sector across the EU.

3.2.6. It welcomes the focus on three objectives as opposed to the nineteen objectives of the current Leonardo da Vinci programme. It also welcomes the proposal for the six types of transnational measures (as listed in point 2.1) instead of 23 as in the first phase. This rationalization will enable resources to be more effectively targeted and used.

3.2.7. The COR notes with satisfaction that Leonardo da Vinci has started to serve as a European innovation laboratory and trusts that the innovatory pilot projects measure will continue to yield new products and training methodologies which can subsequently be validated. The COR proposes that the results of the projects carried out at European level be disseminated, in order to create a multiplier effect.

3.2.8. The COR welcomes the Commission's proposals for a better pedagogical and supervisory framework for the programme, together with common quality principles. The COR demands greater transparency regarding project selection criteria.

3.2.9. The COR welcomes the continuation of measures to promote language skills and to generate Community reference terms in respect of vocational training.

3.2.10. The COR welcomes the establishment of a stable framework of priorities for a three year period with an annual selection process, combined with the proposal for a second halfway call in order to define new priorities or make adjustments.

3.2.11. The COR welcomes the support for the concept of lifelong learning contained in Article 1 which refers to lifelong education and training, as opposed to the distinction made in the earlier Leonardo programme between initial and continued training.

3.2.12. Of the three programmes Leonardo da Vinci has perhaps the greatest contribution to make to the implementation of a Community strategy for small and medium-sized enterprises, the engines of job and growth creation. The COR would underline the need to step up measures to support inter-enterprise networking at local and regional level. These can enable the promotion of know-how and skills as well as strategies for effective enterprise start up. They can also promote co-funding strategies which can pool resources together to support training programmes and encourage investment in training. The COR calls for the creation of flexible bridges with ESF assistance, enabling actions to be reinforced in this area.

3.3. Youth

3.3.1. The programme aims to allow young people to acquire knowledge and skills and to exercise responsible citizenship so as to become an active part of society, notably by promoting the role of young women.

3.3.2. It welcomes the reduction of the objectives of the programme from ten to the following three objectives:

3.3.3. to strengthen their sense of solidarity through more extensive participation by young people living legally in a Member State in transnational European voluntary community service activities- within the Community or in non-member countries, in particular those with which the Community has concluded co-operation agreements;

3.3.4. to promote an active contribution by young people to the building of Europe through their participation in transnational exchanges within the Community or with non-member countries, by means of which they may discover the true nature of Europe in all its diversity and become more aware of other environments, thus helping to combat racism, anti-semitism and xenophobia;

3.3.5. to encourage young people's initiative, enterprise and creativity so that they can take on an active role in society while at the same time stimulating recognition of the value of informal education acquired within a European context.

3.3.6. It welcomes the proposal for four types of main action: voluntary service for young people, youth exchanges, youth initiatives and accompanying measures targeted at youth workers and young people (with six sub-actions) instead of the eight main actions (with twenty sub-actions) in the previous programme.

3.3.7. The COR welcomes the decision to make a budget available for multilateral exchanges and the simplification of procedures to facilitate this.

3.3.8. The COR welcomes the Commission's proposed action 'Opportunity for Youth` in the field of co-operation policy and citizenship as a complementary motivational tool to education and training for Europe's young people. The COR has consistently advocated the development of projects involving young people's own initiatives since such schemes can help build self-esteem, a sense of responsibility and foster creativity.

3.3.9. The COR welcomes the Commission's proposal to support studies which will provide systematic analysis of the impact of European programmes on young people's lives.

3.3.10. The COR welcomes the intended special efforts on the part of the Commission and Member States to assist young people who for cultural, social, physical, economic or geographical reasons, find it more difficult to participate in existing action programmes at Community, national, regional or local level and shall accordingly take account of the difficulties faced by this target group.

3.4. The Role of Local and Regional Authorities with regard to the new Programmes

3.4.1. There is little reference to the central role played in all of these programmes by the local and regional authorities across the EU. This needs to be brought to the attention of the Commission. Specific reference within the Recitals at the commencement of the Decision Documents must be made so that local and regional authorities are not merely subsumed within the term local and regional bodies and organisations (Article 4).

3.4.2. There is a glaring omission in Article 12 of the proposal for the Leonardo da Vinci programme in Section 4 where it states that the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament, the Council and Economic and Social Committee an interim report on the implementation of this programme no later than 30 June 2003 and no later than 31 December 2005, a final report on the implementation of this programme.

3.4.3. Whilst acknowledging that as matters currently stand, the Committee of the Regions does not have within its terms of reference the remit for vocational training, this will change and with the Treaty of Amsterdam being ratified by Member States, it is expected that by the end of 1998, this competence will be added to those of the Committee of the Regions requiring a mandatory referral of matters relating to vocational training, including the Leonardo da Vinci programme. It would seem eminently sensible, therefore, to include references to the Committee of the Regions at the outset of these new proposals, rather than wait for the official approval and then require a new Opinion for the Leonardo da Vinci programme which may well be on the point of being launched. Quite clearly this omission with regard to the COR must be rectified.

3.4.4. The Commission indicates that working groups will be set up consisting of well known people from the relevant areas in order to assist in the implementation of the three programmes. The COR welcomes the application of the principle of equal opportunities in constituting these working groups. However, it calls for the participation of local and regional authorities to be ensured in these working groups and as well as the committees set up to assist the Commission in the implementation of the programmes. It also calls for their full involvement in the evaluation process.

3.5. Finance

3.5.1. The financial proposals of the total budget across the three actions come to some three billion ecu (3 000 000 000 ecu) This global sum is split thus: 1,4 billion ecu for Socrates; 1 billion ecu for Leonardo da Vinci and 0,6 billion for Youth.

3.5.2. This amounts to 0,67 % in total of the overall annual budget which is a tiny proportion for such an important area. However, this represents a sixty per cent increase over the overall funding level for the current four programmes. If this were to be achievable, then it would be very welcome, given that the European Parliament Rapporteur for Towards a Europe of Knowledge condemned the inadequacy of funding for the programmes in the past and indeed, the European Parliament - supported by the Committee of the Regions - argued for a substantial increase in the funding for Socrates. Inadequate funding serves only to raise expectations and aspirations which cannot be satisfied. In the interests of more efficient management, there should be more information on, and dissemination of, the indicators used to increase or reduce the amount of funding for given programmes or actions.

3.5.3. The COR is concerned that low level of funding opportunities together with the expected rise in demand for participation in the programmes would create programmes for the privileged élite individuals and institutions, possessing the greatest financial resources. This would compromise the principle of equality of opportunity. When aid is being allocated to the individual projects, steps must be taken to ensure that the funding thresholds are not so high as to preclude smaller projects or cooperation schemes, whose content can be just as innovatory and culturally stimulating as large ones. From a local and regional policy viewpoint, there is a risk that steps to promote 'more expensive` projects may facilitate programme administration, but not benefit projects and cooperation schemes between local societies and the regions in Europe.

3.5.4. Given the ambitious and far-reaching ambit of these programmes, funding at the level of 3 billion ecu or more would be needed. We need to remember under the rules, that increased EU resources lever in at least the same amount of local funding or resources.

3.5.5. The COR would encourage the creation of flexible bridges with other sources of EU funding where there is a complementarity of activity, in particular the European Social Fund in order to secure maximum benefit of opportunities available.

3.5.6. The COR reiterates that investing more in EU education, training and youth programmes will not only contribute towards strengthening economic and social cohesion in the EU but will also help build a real 'citizens' Europe` which can have real meaning in people's lives, as highlighted in its Opinion on the budgetary revision of the Socrates programme ().

3.6. Opening the Programmes

3.6.1. Associated with the financial situation is the opening of the three new programmes to participants from outside the EU, both from the pre-accession states and Malta and Turkey. The COR welcomes this development. Again, if the objective of enlargement is to be pursued with vigour, resources have to be adequate and appropriate to satisfy the justifiable expectations raised by these programmes.

3.6.2. The COR underlines the valuable contribution cooperation in these fields play in strengthening the economic, social and democratic reform process underway in those countries.

4. Conclusion

4.1. In conclusion, the overall strategy of the Commission in presenting these three new programmes at the same time is to be welcomed.

4.2. The proposed eligible actions, if implemented, will allow for a wider degree of participation and involvement in all sectors, to meet the stated objectives.

4.3. The new streamlined approach to administration will allow for a greater impact and consistency in approach by countries involved in the programme.

4.4. The Commission and the other institutions of the EU need to realise and recognise the crucial and central role played by local and regional authorities across the EU. Most have direct responsibility for the provision and delivery of education and youth activities and many also have a remit - usually within regeneration or economic development strategies - for vocational training. This central role must be acknowledged in the implementation and evaluation of the programmes. In this respect the COR calls for local and regional representatives to be included in the Committees and working groups set up to assist the Commission in the implementation of the programmes and calls for their full involvement in the evaluation process.

Brussels, 19 November 1998.

The President of the Committee of the Regions

Manfred DAMMEYER

() OJ C 314, 13.10.1998, p. 5.

() OJ C 309, 9.10.1998, p. 9.

() OJ C 311, 10.10.1998, p. 6.

() OJ C 180, 11.6.1998, p. 49.

() CdR 393/96 fin - OJ C 215, 16.7.1997, p. 1.

() CdR 431/97 fin - OJ C 180, 11.6.1998, p. 43.

() CdR 86/97 fin - OJ C 244, 11.8.1998, p. 47.

() CdR 346/96 fin - OJ C 116, 14.4.1998, p. 98.

() CdR 368/96 fin - OJ C 116, 14.4.1998, p. 89.

() CdR 115/96 - OJ C 182, 24.6.1996, p. 15.

() CdR 285/97 fin - OJ C 64, 27.2.1998, p. 76.

() CdR 194/96 fin - OJ C 215, 16.7.1997, p. 21.

() CdR 151/97 fin - OJ C 379, 15.12.1997, p. 17.