COMMON POSITION (EC) No 38/97 adopted by the Council on 22 September 1997 with a view to adopting Decision No . . ./97/EC the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 819/95/EC establishing the Community Action Programme Socrates (97/C 315/01)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 126 and 127 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2),

Having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions (3),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189b of the Treaty (4),

(1) Whereas Decision No 819/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 1995 (5) establishes the Community action programme Socrates;

(2) Whereas Article 7 of that Decision provides for a financial framework for the implementation of the programme during the period 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1999;

(3) Whereas the Joint Statement (6) by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission concerning Decision No 819/95/EC provides that, two years after the launching of the programme, the European Parliament and the Council will assess the results archieved by the programme, and that to this end the Commission will submit to them a report accompanied by any proposals which it considers appropriate, including any concerning the funding set by the legislator within the meaning of the Joint Declaration of 6 March 1995 (7), and that the European Parliament and the Council will act on those proposals at the earliest opportunity;

(4) Whereas the European Parliament called for an increase in the allocation for the programme in its Resolution on the Commission White Paper on Education and Training - 'Teaching and Learning - Towards the Learning Society` and its Resolution on the Commission Green Paper on 'Education - Training - Research - the Obstacles to Transnational Mobility`; whereas, in its Resolution on the guidelines for the 1998 budgetary procedure, it included encouragement for youth and education programmes among its priorities;

(5) Whereas the report submitted by the Commission pursuant to the abovementioned Joint Statement has set out the outstanding results achieved by the programme during the first two years following its adoption;

(6) Whereas the programme has been particularly well received in the educational community and whereas there is a need to maintain its forward momentum towards achieving its objectives;

(7) Whereas the demand for support is already many times higher than the available resources and is continuing to rise;

(8) Whereas the impact of the programme would be affected 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;

(9) Whereas there is a need to provide continuity of support for projects during their developmental phase, while nonetheless reserving sufficient funds to support new projects and activities, thereby safeguarding the programme's potential for contributing to innovation;

(10) Whereas, without prejudice to the procedures to be completed for the participation of Malta, it is envisaged that the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus should be able to participate in the programme from 1998 onwards; whereas their financial contribution could call for an appropriate contribution by the Community in order to ensure reciprocal mobility in line with the Community's political objective;

(11) Whereas there is 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;

(12) Whereas additional funding is incorporated within the overall allocation for heading 3 of the financial perspective and within the limits of the appropriations available during the two financial years concerned;

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Article 7 (1) of Decision No 819/95/EC shall be replaced by the following:

'1. The financial framework for implementation of this programme for the period referred to in Article 1 shall be ECU 875 million.`

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

Done at . . .

For the European Parliament

The President

For the Council

The President

(1) OJ C 113, 11. 4. 1997, p. 14.

(2) Opinion delivered on 28 May 1997 (OJ C 287, 22. 9. 1997, p. 23).

(3) Opinion delivered on . . . (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(4) Opinion of the European Parliament of 12 June 1997 (not yet published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of 22 September 1997 and Decision of the European Parliament of . . . (not yet published in the Official Journal).

(5) OJ L 87, 20. 4. 1995, p. 10.

(6) OJ L 132, 16. 6. 1995, p. 18.

(7) Declaration by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 6 March 1995 on the incorporation of financial provisions into legislative acts (OJ C 293, 8. 11. 1995, p. 4).

STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL'S REASONS

I. INTRODUCTION

1. On 17 March 1997, the Commission submitted to the European Parliament and the Council a proposal for a Decision, based on Article 126 and 127 of the EC Treaty, amending Decision 819/95/EC establishing the Community action programme Socrates.

2. The Economic and Social Committee delivered its Opinion on 28 May 1997 (1).

3. The Opinion of the Committee of the Regions is expected on 19 September 1997.

4. The European Parliament delivered its Opinion on 12 June 1997 (2).

5. The Commission submitted an amended proposal on 26 June 1997 to take account of the European Parliament's Opinion (3).

II. AIM OF THE PROPOSAL

The proposal is in line with the Joint Statement by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission concerning the Decision establishing the Socrates programme (4), whereby, two years after the launching of the programme, the Commission will submit to the European Parliament and the Council a report assessing the results achieved accompanied by any proposals which it considers appropriate, including any concerning the funding of the programme.

The only amendment proposed by the Commission is that the funding should be increased. The proposed figure is ECU 50 million, increasing the total amount for the period 1995-1999 to ECU 900 million instead of ECU 850 million.

1. General comments

In its common position, the Council was unable to concur fully with the Commission proposal and thus reduced the proposed financial increase.

2. Specific comments

The Council approved an increase off ECU 25 million in the funding of the Socrates programme, as this seemed a fair compromise solution between two contradictory requirements to be satisfied: on the one hand, the need to increase the financial allocation for Socrates in order to make it more accessible to many users and, on the other hand, the need broadly felt in the Member States to continue along the path of budgetary restraint.

2.1. European Parliament amendments

2.1.1. European Parliament amendments adopted by the Commission

In its amended proposal, the Commission adopted in full, in part or in principle five of the six European Parliament admendments.

2.1.2. European Parliament amendments adopted by the Council

The Council also adopted in full, in part or in essence five of the six European Parliament amendments. These are amendments 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

2.1.3. European Parliament amendments not adopted by the Commission

Amendment 6

Funding increase of ECU 100 million

While considering it necessary to increase funding, the Commission was not able to accept amendment 6 on increasing the additional amount as the budgetary situation argued against such an increase. It therefore maintained its proposal to increase funding for Socrates by ECU 50 million.

2.1.4. European Parliament amendments not adopted by the Council

Amendment 6

Funding increase of ECU 100 million

The Council felt that, given the climate of budgetary restraint obtaining in all Member States, it would be inappropriate to agree to the increase proposed by Parliament. It thought that caution and balance were necessary in the present economic situation, but nevertheless agreed to increase the financial allocation for Socrates considerably, thus demonstrating the importance it attaches to continuation and development of the programme in satisfactory conditions.

III. CONCLUSIONS

The Council considers that, in view of the unfavourable budgetary circumstances, its common position constitutes a balanced text which will make it possible for the Socrates programme to continue to have positive effects.

(1) OJ C 287, 22. 9. 1997, p. 23.

(2) Not yet published in the Official Journal.

(3) OJ C 262, 28. 8. 1997, p. 3.

(4) OJ L 132, 16. 6. 1995, p 18.