COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 26.06.1997 
COM(97) 338 final 
97/0103 (COD) 
Amended proposal for a 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DECISION 
amending Decision 819/95/EC establishing 
the Community action programme 
SOCRATES 
(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2) 
of the EC-Treaty) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
1. Introduction 
1.1 On 14 March 1997, the Commission presented a proposal for a decision ^ pursuant to 
Articles 126 and 127 of the EC Treaty, involving a new Parliament-Council codecision 
procedure, for the purpose of amending the decision establishing the Community action 
programme SOCRATES^. The only amendment proposed is that the programme's 
financial framework be enlarged. The Commission proposes an increase of ECU 50 
million, bringing the total for the period 1995-99 to ECU 900 million rather than ECU 
850 million. The Commission proposal was submitted to the European Parliament and 
the Council on 14 March 1997. 
1.2 The Economic and Social Committee issued its opinion on 28 May 1997^, in which it 
underlined the importance of the programme, expressed the view that programmes 
which bring together the citizens of the EU should be given priority financing even in 
periods of budgetary constraints and welcomed the fact that the Commission was 
proposing an increase in the financial framework, although it considered that the 
proposed increase was insufficient (no alternative figure was proposed). 
1.3 The Council has asked the Committee of the Regions to deliver its opinion by 19 
September 1997. 
1.4 The European Parliament adopted its opinion at the first reading on 12 June 1997^. This 
opinion contains six amendments to the wording originally proposed by the 
Commission. Five of these concern the recitals referring to the Decision. One 
amendment relates to the Decision as such and provides for an increase of ECU 100 
million in the financial framework, rather than ECU 50 million. 
1.5 The Commission is able to accept two of the amendments concerning the recitals. The 
other three are acceptable in principle and/or subject to rewording, but have been 
included in the Commission's amended proposal. The amendment concerning the 
Decision itself cannot be accepted at this stage. 
1.6 The reasons for the position adopted by the Commission regarding these amendments 
are set out in section 3 below. Annex I contains the complete text of the original 
proposal (left-hand column) and the amended proposal (right-hand column). 
COM(97) 99 final, 14.3.1997. 
Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council No 819/95/EC of 14 March 1995 establishing 
the Community action programme SOCRATES, OJ L 87, 20.4.1995, p. 10. 
SOC/337, ESC 593/97 - 97/0103 COD, 28.5.1997. 
2. Aim of the proposal 
The programme spans the period 1995-99 and is applicable to the 15 Member States as well as 
the partner countries in the European Economic Area. Its overall aim is to promote quality by 
increasing mobility, encouraging cooperation and strengthening the European dimension in all 
areas of education. 
SOCRATES is regarded as a cornerstone of a strategy to bring Europe closer to its citizens on 
the one hand and to improve the quality of human resources with a view to promoting European 
competitiveness and stimulating employment on the other. It was warmly received by the 
education community in Europe. SOCRATES is also a mainspring for the process of 
Community enlargement in the broad sense through the pre-accession extension of strategically 
important programmes to the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus. 
The financial framework was the subject of a conciliation procedure between the European 
Parliament and the Council when the Decision establishing the programme was adopted, with 
the figure adopted falling far short of the Commission's original proposal. At the end of the 
conciliation procedure, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission agreed that: 
"Two years after the launching of the programme, the European Parliament and the Council 
will assess the results achieved by the programme. To that end, the Commission will submit to 
them a report accompanied by any proposal which it considers appropriate, including any 
concerning the funding set by the legislator within the meaning of the Joint Declaration of 6 
March 1995$. The European Parliament and the Council will act on those proposals at the 
earliest opportunity "°. 
On the basis of the mandate contained in the Joint Declaration, the Commission has produced a 
report analysing the first two years of SOCRATES (1995 and 1996)7, accompanied by the 
proposal for a decision to modify the financial framework of the programme with the aim of 
enabling it to continue to achieve its objectives. 
3. Commission position regarding the amendments proposed by the European 
Parliament (first reading) 
3.1 Amendments accepted 
The Commission accepts amendments 1, 2 (subject to a slight rewording), 3 (subject to a 
slight rewording) and 5 (subject to a slight rewording). The reasons for this position are 
the following: 
• Amendment 1: This amendment recalls the Commission's initiatives which tended to 
confirm the need for increased financing for European cooperation in the field of 
education. The final part of the amendment concerns the priority which the European 
Parliament would like to give to Community measures in the education sector. The 
Commission has itself now demonstrated that it attaches priority to this sector by 
Declaration by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 6 March 1995 (95/C 
293/03), OJ C 293, 8.11.1995, p. 4. 
Joint Statement by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission concerning Decision 
819/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 1995 establishing the 
Community action programme 'SOCRATES', OJ L 132, 16.6.1995, p. 18. 
COM(97) 99 final, 14.3.1997. 
3 
proposing an increase in the financial framework for SOCRATES despite the extremely 
low rate of increase provided for in the budgetary proposals concerning heading 3 of the 
financial perspective. The amendment nevertheless refers only to resolutions of the 
European Parliament. 
Amendment 2: This amendment tends to back up the Commission's own arguments 
concerning the effects of the funding for the programme being maintained at its current 
level or not being increased sufficiently, particularly as regards the continuous reduction 
of funding. This amendment has therefore been accepted with a minor modification 
giving a slightly more balanced analysis of the implications of a failure to increase 
funding. 
Amendment 3: Given that the Commission itself, in its recitals, drew attention to the 
possible impact on the budget (for establishments in the Member States) of SOCRATES 
being extended to include associated countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus 
- an impact which will also have to be absorbed during the next budgetary period - this 
amendment was accepted with a slight change to its wording. If the costs relating 
directly to the participation of persons and institutions from the new countries are to be 
covered by the contributions from each participating country, cooperation with the new 
countries could in practice result in substantial costs for the institutions in the countries 
currently participating in the SOCRATES programme. The amendment was modified 
slightly in order to above all take account of the fact that the opening-up of the 
programme has not yet taken effect; this is planned for the second half of 1997. 
Amendment 5: This amendment makes a relevant reference to the budgetary 
arrangements allowing the increase proposed in the draft Decision submitted by the 
Commission to be financed. It was therefore accepted (subject to a slight rewording). 
3.2 Amendments acceptable in principle 
Amendment 4 seems to be acceptable in principle. However, the Commission considers 
that the arguments contained in it are sufficiently encompassed by amendments 2 and 3, 
each of which the Commission accepted with minor modifications. It has therefore 
rejected amendment 4. 
3.3 Amendments not accepted 
While the Commission considers that the additional recitals strengthen its arguments in 
favour of an increase in the financial framework, it is unable at this stage to accept 
amendment 6 concerning an increase in the additional funding. The Commission is quite 
aware of the fact that the financial perspective in force would in principle have allowed a 
proposal going well beyond the increase in funding provided for in its proposal. 
However, the Commission considers that, at a time of continuing budgetary constraints, 
it would be premature to propose a larger sum. 
4. Conclusion 
The Commission recommends that the European Parliament and the Council approve the 
amended proposal set out in Annex I. • 
Amended proposal for a 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DECISION 
amending Decision 819/95/EC establishing 
the Community action programme 
SOCRATES ANNEX I 
Initial proposal8 Amended proposal 
Decision of the European Parliament and Unchanged 
of the Council 
amending Decision 819/95/EC9 establishing the 
Community action programme Socrates 
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND Unchanged ~~ 
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 
Commission10, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic 
and Social Committee11, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Committee 
of the Regions12, 
Acting in accordance with the procedure 
referred to in Article 189b of the Treaty13, 
Whereas Decision 819/95/EC of the European Unchanged 
Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 1995 
establishes the Community action programme 
SOCRATES; 
Whereas Article 7 of this Decision provides for Unchanged 
a financial framework for the implementation of 
the programme during the period 1.1.1995 -
31.12.1999; 
Whereas the Joint Statement by the European 
Parliament, the Council and the Commission 
concerning the above-mentioned Decision of 14 
March 1995 provides that two years after the 
launching of the programme, the European 
Parliament and the Council will assess the 
results achieved by the programme, and that to 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 OJC 113, 11.4.1997. 
OJL87, 20.4.1997, p. 10. 
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 
199514, and that the European Parliament and 
the Council will act on those proposals at the 
earliest opportunity15; 
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' 
(CQM(95)0590)16 and its resolution on the 
Commission Green Paper on "Education z 
Training = Research: the obstacles to 
transnational mobility" (COM(96W462V7: 
whereas, in its resolution on the guidelines for 
the 1998 budgetary procedure18, it included 
encouragement for youth and education 
programmes among its priorities: 
Whereas the report submitted by the 
Commission19 pursuant to the above-mentioned 
Joint Statement has set out the outstanding 
results achieved by the programme during the 
first two years following its adoption; Unchanged 
Whereas the programme has been particularly 
well received in the educational community, 
and there is a need to maintain its forward 
momentum towards achieving its objectives; Unchanged 
Whereas the demand for support is already 
many times higher than the available resources 
and is continuing to rise; Unchanged 
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 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 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 Declaration by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 6 March 1995 on the 
incorporation of financial provisions into legislative acts (95/C 293/03), OJ C 293, 8.11.1995, p. 4. 
OJL 132, 16.6.1995, p. 18. 
(EP 257.132, 12.3.97, p. 47). 
(EP 259.215, 14.5.1997, p 66). 
(EP 225.133, 13.3.1997, p. 78). 
COM(97) 99 final, 14.3.1997. 
threshold, which would mainly disadvantage 
ÛÏQS& from l££S favoured backgrounds: 
whereas there is therefore a need to ensure that 
a critical mass of funding is maintained; 
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, Unchanged 
Whereas the associated countries of Central 
and Eastern Europe and Cyprus may 
participate 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. 
Whereas there is a need to adjust the financial Unchanged 
framework for the programme in order to 
maintain the programme's capacity to fulfil the 
objectives set out in the Decision establishing 
the programme, 
Whereas additional funding can be 
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 819/95/EC of the 
European Parliament and of the Council of 14 
March 1995 shall be replaced by the following: 
"The financial framework for implementation of 
this programme for the period referred to in 
Article 1 shall be ECU 900 million." 
Article 2 
This Decision shall enter into force on the day 
of its publication in the Official Journal of the 
European Communities. Unchanged 
Unchanged 
Unchanged 

ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(97) 338 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 16 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-97-332-EN-C 
ISBN 92-78-21905-3 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg 
£