A4-0188/97

Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision amending Decision 819/95/EC establishing the Community action programme SOCRATES (COM(97)0099 - C4-0132/97 - 97/0103(COD))

This proposal was approved with the following amendments:

(Amendment 1)

Recital 3a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the European Parliament called for an increase in the allocation for the programme in its resolution of 12 March 1997 on the Commission White Paper on Education and Training - Teaching and Learning - Towards the Learning Society (COM(95)0590)(1) and its resolution of 14 May 1997 on the Commission Green Paper on Education - Training - Research - the Obstacles to Transnational Mobility (COM(96)0462(2); whereas, in its resolution of 13 March 1997 on the guidelines for the 1998 budgetary procedure(3), it included encouragement for youth and education programmes among its priorities,

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(Amendment 2)

Recital 7

>Original text>

Whereas there is a need to ensure that a critical mass of funding is maintained, thereby ensuring that the quality of the collaborative activities to be supported is not endangered,

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the success of the programme would be seriously compromised both if the percentage of projects supported were to be reduced and if the annual average amount of support granted to projects fell below a critical threshold, which would mainly disadvantage those from less favoured backgrounds; whereas there is therefore a need to ensure that a critical mass of funding is maintained,

(Amendment 3)

Recital 8a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus will be participating fully in the programme from 1998 onwards; whereas their financial contribution will call for a similar contribution by the Union in order to ensure reciprocal mobility in line with the Union's political objective,

(Amendment 4)

Recital 9

>Original text>

Whereas there is therefore a need to adjust the financial framework for the programme in order to maintain the programme's capacity to fulfil the objectives set out in the Decision establishing the programme,

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas, to avoid a real-term reduction in the contribution by the programme to the mobility of the educational community, there is a need to adjust its financial framework in order to take account, on the one hand, of the increase in demand and the need to maintain a critical mass of funding and, on the other, of 8the opening up of the programme to the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe and to Cyprus; whereas such an adjustment will enable the programme's capacity to fulfil the objectives set out in the Decision establishing the programme to be maintained,

(Amendment 5)

Recital 9a (new)

>Text following EP vote>

Whereas additional funding can be incorporated within the overall allocation for heading 3 of the financial perspective as laid down by the Interinstitutional Agreement of 29 October 1993 and by successive amendments thereto and within the limits of the appropriations available during the two financial years concerned,

(Amendment 6)

ARTICLE 1

Article 7(1) (Decision 819/95/EC)

>Original text>

The financial framework for implementation of this programme for the period referred to in Article 1 shall be ECU 900 million.

>Text following EP vote>

The financial framework for implementation of this programme for the period referred to in Article 1 shall be ECU 950 million.

Legislative resolution embodying Parliament's opinion on the proposal for a European Parliament and Council Decision amending Decision 819/95/EC establishing the Community action programme SOCRATES (COM(97)0099 - C4-0132/97 - 97/0103(COD))

(Codecision procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council, COM(97)0099 - 97/0103(COD) ((OJ C 113, 11.4.1997, p. 14.)),

- having regard to Articles 189b(2), 126 and 127 of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C4-0132/97),

- having regard to Rule 58 of its Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A4-0188/97),

1. Approves the Commission proposal, subject to Parliament's amendments;

2. Calls on the Commission to alter its proposal accordingly, pursuant to Article 189a(2) of the EC Treaty;

3. Calls on the Council to incorporate Parliament's amendments in the common position that it adopts in accordance with Article 189b(2) of the EC Treaty;

4. Points out that the Commission is required to submit to Parliament any modification it may intend to make to its proposal as amended by Parliament;

5. Instructs its President to forward this opinion to the Council and Commission.