WRITTEN QUESTION E-0093/99

by Gerardo Fernández-Albor (PPE) to the Commission

(27 January 1999)

Subject: Extension of the Erasmus programme to cover Latin America

The Erasmus programme has become a real example of what Community policy can achieve when it has been well thought out and closely coordinated. By taking part in exchanges enabling them to study at other Community universities, thousands of students are helping many young Europeans to feel more European.

The logical conclusion is that the Erasmus programme, which has proved to be a significant venture, should extend beyond Community frontiers, for instance to Latin America, which already has a wealth of experience in the same field because countless thousands of students have crossed the Atlantic to study either in Spain or in Latin America.

Does the Commission believe that it should consider how the Erasmus programme might be extended to cover Latin America, either directly or by implementing a similar programme, with a view to ensuring that young people in the EU and Latin America will each have the opportunity to study in the other geographical area?

Answer given by M. Marín on behalf of the Commission

(9 March 1999)

The Erasmus programme has proved to be a model of academic cooperation in Europe. On the basis of the Erasmus venture and after several studies, the Commission decided to launch a similar initiative and in March 1994 it therefore created the ALFA programme on the basis of Council Regulation (EEC) 443/92 of 25 February 1992, on financial and technical assistance to, and economic cooperation with, the developing countries in Asia and Latin America(1).

ALFA (translated into English as Latin American Academic Training) is the programme of cooperation in higher education between European and Latin American institutions designed to improve management within institutions and the training conditions of qualified staff.

Eligible countries include all the Member States and 18 Latin American countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela).

The partners are institutions of higher education officially recognised by the governments.The final beneficiaries will be high school and university students, administrative staff, teachers and researchers at the institutions involved.

ALFA is divided into two sub-programmes. Sub-programme A: cooperation on institutional management and sub-programme B: cooperation on scientific and technological training (mobility of students and postgraduates).

For the first stage of the ALFA programme 846 projects were approved, including 183 projects (21,6 %) for sub-programme A and 663 projects (78,4 %) for sub-programme B.

In all, 530 European institutions and 373 Latin American institutions participated, and the Commission awarded 366 part-financed grants for European students in Latin America, 1089 for Latin American students in Europe and 243 for Latin American students in other Latin American institutions.

On the basis of programme evaluation reports, the Commission prepared a further stage of the programme which was approved by the Commission on 4 December. Internal Commission procedures to set up the programme are presently underway.

(1) OJ L 52, 27.2.1992.