TheCommissionrecentlylaunchedastudywhichaimstoprovideanobjectiveassessmentofthesecurity
ofremoteelectronicpayments(egfundtransfers,remotepaymentbycardandmobilepayments)intheInternalMarket,withaviewtopossiblyenhanceconsumerconfidenceine-commerce.ThecallfortenderforthisstudywaspublishedinJanuary2002.Thetenderprocedurehasbeencompletedandthestudywillbecommittedsoon.Finalresultsareexpectedbytheendof2002.
Also,basedontheresultsofthestudy,theCommissionwillorganiseearlyin2003aConferenceonthe
security of payments in the Internal Market, with a view to improve informationon the security ofmodernpaymentproductsandsystemsintheInternalMarket.
InadditiontotheFrameworkDecisionof28May2001combatingfraudandcounterfeitingofnon-cash
meansofpayment(
2),actiontoincreaseInternetsecurityhasalsobeenundertaken.On19April2002the
CommissionproposedaFrameworkDecisiononattacksagainstinformationsystems(3).ThisFramework
Decision addresses the new most significant forms of criminal activity against information systems,including illegal access to information systems. The Framework Decision encourages and promotesinformationsecurity,whileensuringthatEurope’slawenforcementauthoritiescantakeactionagainstthisnewformofcrime.
TheCybercrimeForumhasnotdiscussedissuesspecificallyrelatedtocreditcardfraud,butheldextensive
discussionsontheproblemofillegalaccesstoinformationsystems,whichresultedintheproposalfortheFrameworkDecisionmentionedabove.
(1) Communication from the Commission ‘Preventing fraud and counterfeiting of non-cash means of payment’,
COM(2001)11final,of9.2.2001.
(2) OJL149,2.6.2001.
(3) COM(2002)173final.
(2004/C58E/006) WRITTENQUESTIONE-1220/02
byDanielaRaschhofer(NI)totheCommission
(29April2002)
Subject:ManagementoftheErasmusandSocratesprogrammes
ComplaintsaboutthemanagementoftheErasmus/Socratesmobilityprogrammehaveincreasedrecently.
Particularly the local management of the programmes gives rise to organisational problems, anduncertaintiesoverwhetherexamswillberecognisedarealsocommon.
Aretheredetailedrulesstipulatingwhichexamscanbetakenabroadforeachsubject,andwhichexams
mustberecognisedbythehomeuniversity?
Aredecisionsmadeinadvanceonwhichexamswillberecognised?Whodecideswhatisrecognised,and
whichcriteriaareused?
WhichexamscanforexampleberecognisedwhenanAustrianlawstudentparticipatesinanErasmus/
SocratesprogrammeinSpain?
HowdoestheEuropeanUnionmonitortheuseoffundinginthisarea,andisthereareportonthe
subject?Ifso,whichcriteriaaremonitored,andwhereisthereporttobefound?
AnswergivenbyMrsRedingonbehalfoftheCommission
(6June2002)
ItistruethattherehavebeenrecognitionproblemsforstudentsparticipatinginErasmusalltheyearsthat
Erasmushasexisted,inspiteofthefactthatrecognitionofperiodofstudiesisaprerequisitefortheexchange.TheEuropeanCreditTransferSystem(ECTS)hashelpedagreatdealbutproblemsstillremain.C58E/6 EN6.3.2004 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion
The Commission has recently proposed a new way to organise the contract with universities for
cooperationwithinErasmus,fromtheInstitutionalContractapproachtotheErasmusUniversityCharter.Inthiscontextuniversitieswillberequiredtomakesurethatstudieswillberecognisedandstudentswillbe informed about their rights and obligations through an Erasmus Student Charter. These measurestogetherwithaclosermonitoringoftheimplementationofECTSwillimprovethesituationinthefuture.
Therearenorulesstipulatingwhichexamscanbetakenabroadandmustberecognisedbythehome
university.
WithinECTSthereisaLearningAgreementtobeagreedbetweenthesendingandreceivinguniversities
andthestudent.ThisLearningAgreementcontainsthecoursestobefollowedbythestudentatthehostinstitutionwhichwillberecognisedbythehostinstitutionafterthestudent’sreturn.
Itisamatterforthesendingandreceivinguniversitiestodecidewhichexamscanberecognisedforan
AustrianstudentgoingtoSpain.
ThemonitoringisdonethroughECTS.Thereportswillbecollectedandmadeavailableinthefuture.
(2004/C58E/007) WRITTENQUESTIONP-1320/02
byRobertaAngelilli(UEN)totheCommission
(29April2002)
Subject:Fundsforthebuildingofmonumentalchurchorgans
ManyEuropeancitiescompriseawealthofreligiousbuildingsofmajorhistoricalsignificanceinreligious,
culturalandartistic terms,containingvarious formsoffigurative art carried outbymaster-craftsmen,includingchurchorgans.TheEuropeanUnionhasaspecialinterestinprotectingtheculturalheritage
handed down by craft traditions. There is a project to build, in the recently restored church of San
DomenicoinRieti,a‘DomBedosdeCelles/dashFormentelli’organ,detailedplansforwhichweredrawnupin1780butwhichwasneverbuilt.
TheCommission:
/dash willitstatewhetherthereareanyprogrammesrelatingtoartisticcraftsmanshipandespeciallytothe
buildingofchurchorgans;
/dash arethereanypilotprojectswhichmightapplytothistypeoffunding;/dash whatisit’sviewonthematter?
AnswergivenbyMrsRedingonbehalfoftheCommission
(4June2002)
The Commission supports initiatives for cooperation in the cultural sector, including the protection,
preservationandenhancementoftheculturalheritageaspartof,andinaccordancewiththeselectioncriteriafor,the‘Culture2000’programme,whichistheonlyfinancingandprogramminginstrumentforculturalcooperationintheEU.ThereisnoCommunityprogrammespecificallyconcernedwithartisticcraftsmanshipingeneralorthebuildingoforgansinparticular,sincefundingintheculturalheritagefieldisprovidedonlyunderthe‘Culture2000’programme.
TheHonourableMembercanfindfurtherinformationonthisprogrammeatthefollowingInternetsite:
(http://europa.eu.int/comm/culture/eac/index_fr.html).
In2004,the‘Culture2000’programmewillbegivingprominencetotheculturalheritage.Thissector
comprisesmovableheritage,intangibleheritage,historicalarchivesandlibraries,archaeology,underwaterheritage,culturalsitesandlandscapes,apartfromtheculturalheritageofthemodernera.6.3.2004EN C58E/7 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanUnion