Proposal for a Council Decision establishing the second phase of the Community vocational training action programme "Leonardo da Vinci"
Date: 1998-05-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, access to education, action programme, integration into employment, vocational training

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 27.05.1998 
COM(1998) 330 final 

98/0196 (SYN) 

Proposal for a 
COUNCIL  DECISION 

establishing the second phase of the Community vocational training 
action programme  "Leonardo da Vinci" 

(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

I. 

INTRODUCTION 

In  presenting  its  three  decision  proposals  in  the  field  of  education,  training  and 
youth, extending and broadening the scope of the current  Community  action  programmes 
which  finish  on  31  December  1999,  the  Commission  is  making  concrete  the  strategic 
guidelines  announced  in  "Agenda  2000"  and,  in  the  three  domains  in  question,  in  its 
Communication  of  November  1997  "Towards  a  Europe  of  Knowledge"1.  In  that 
document,  the  Commission  has  already  indicated  what  should  be  the  principal 
dimensions and strategic axes of Community action  aiming to contribute to a progressive 
construction  of  a  European  educational  space  oriented  towards  the  development  of 
competences,  the  enrichment  of  citizenship  and  the  development  of  employ-ability 
through  the  acquisition  of  competences.  The  central  common  objective  of  these  three 
proposals is to support, at all levels, the process of lifelong  education and training. 

These  three  proposals  translate  the  willingness  to  implement  an  integrated 
approach:  together  they  translate  the  political  will  to  stress  the  central  objective  of 
lifelong  education  and  training  in  a  European  context  characterised  by  the  progressive 
construction  of  a  European  educational  space  oriented  towards  the  development  of 
knowledge, the enrichment  of citizenship  and  the  development  of  employability  through 
the  acquisition  of  competences.  The joint  actions  envisaged  in  each  decision  proposal 
will  contribute  to  strengthening  this  integration.  In  a  world  which  is  rapidly  changing, 
notably  from  the  effects  of  technological  evolution  and  the  information  society  ,  the 
divide between "education" and "training" is becoming  more and more porous, the same 
goes  for  the  distinction  between  initial  and  continuing  training  or  even  the  distinction 
between "formal" and "informal"  education. 

The  same  approach  is  envisaged  for  implementation  and  management.  As 
compared  to  the  current  programmes,  they  translate  the  same  desire  for  simplification, 
concentration, and decentralisation whilst ensuring greater transparency which is likely to 
strengthen access for those using the programmes. 

Different  elements have been taken into account in the approach proposed: 

The  acquired  experience  of  the  programmes:  all  the  current  programmes 
* 
(as well as the preceding ones) have been the subject  of  in-depth  evaluations  which have 
brought  out  the  impact  of  the  three  programmes  on  the  policies  and  systems  of 
Member States  in  the  domains  concerned.  They  have  also  highlighted  the  European 
added  value  of  the  actions  undertaken  in  the  different  programmes  both  in  terms  of 
mobility  for  the  different  groups  targeted  in  the  domains  of  education,  training,  and  in 
terms  of  transnational  cooperation  partnerships.  They  have  also  drawn  attention  to  a 
certain number  of weaknesses  - essentially  arising  from  the  complexity  and  slowness of 
procedures  which the present proposals  intend  to  correct.  In this  respect  the  table  below 
shows  how  and  in  what  ways  the  decision  proposals  take  into  account  this  desire  for 
concentration, simplification  and transparency. 

COM(97) 563  final. 

the  5th  Framework  programme 

* 
Complementarity  and coherence with the other interventions of the  Community 
in the domains covered  by these three proposals: as much with the policy of knowledge -
for  Research  and  Technological 
in  particular 
Development  -  as  other  domains  such  as  culture  and  audio-visual,  the  completion  of 
the internal  market,  the  information  society,  environment,  consumer  protection,  SMEs, 
social policies, employment and public health, it is necessary to ensure this coherence and 
this  complementarity  in  order  to  reinforce  the  effectiveness  of  interventions  and  the 
value added of Community action. 

In this context, the three proposals also stress, notably as far as vocational training 
is concerned, the close and continuing  link to be implemented  at Community  level and in 
the  Member  States  with  the  interventions  of  the  Structural  Funds,  in  particular  those 
relevant to the European  Social Fund. Education and training, as well  as the full  exercise 
of citizenship, contribute to strengthening economic and social cohesion. 

* 
The new context introduced by the coordinated  strategy for employment: this 
strategy,  defined  by  the  extraordinary  European  Council  on  employment  in  November 
1997,  and  the  Employment  Guidelines  which  resulted  from  this,  clearly  indicate  that 
formal  and  informal  education  as  well  as  training,  taken  in  the  widest  sense,  are  an 
essential  dimension  of  employability  and  adaptability;  they  can  strongly  support  the 
development  processes  of the capacity  for  entrepreneurship  and  are a significant  support 
for  equal  opportunities.  The  three  decision  proposals  strongly  integrate  this  dimension  -
notably  as  to  the  nature  of  the  contribution  of  these  three  programmes  (in particular 
Leonardo  da  Vinci)  to  the  implementation  of  a  Community  strategy  for  small  and 
medium-sized  enterprises. 

* 
The opening of the programmes: extending the cooperation already entered  into 
with the EFTA/EEE countries and the associated countries of Central  and Eastern Europe 
as well  as  with  Cyprus,  which,  thanks  to  a considerable  effort,  have  already  resulted  in 
active  participation  in  the  current  programmes,  the  three  proposals  clearly  indicate 
(Article  10) the  willingness  to  open  up  the  Community  action  programmes  to  applicant 
States  in  the  pre-accession  phase.  The  three  domains  concerned,  do  indeed  provide  a 
positive  and  concrete  support  mechanism  for  the  process  of  enlargement.  The same 
approach is proposed for Turkey and Malta in the context of their association agreements. 

* 
The  principle  of  subsidiarity  and  the  Europein  added-value  of  Community 
action: the  Community  actions  and measures proposed  in each  of the  decision  proposals 
do  not  do  not  call  into  question,  in  accordance  with  the  treaty  provisions,  the 
competences of Member  States. In fact,  Community action supports and complements the 
actions  undertaken  by  Member  States,  and  the  procedures  proposed  for  implementation 
and management  strengthen cooperation  in this respect by ensuring a greater  transparency 
in  the  running  of  the  programmes.  Conversely,  the  European  dimension  of  the  actions 
implemented,  notably  in  terms  of  physical  and  virtual  mobility  in  the  form  of 
transnational  pilot  projects  and  European  networks  as well  as  the  support  for  actions  to 
in 
promote 
Member States. 

training  practices 

competences 

education 

linguistic 

enrich 

and 

I. 

A. 

PUTTING IN PLACE A KNOWLEDGE  POLICY 

A priority  objective 

Both  the  Treaty  of  Amsterdam  and  Agenda  2000  resolutely  place  knowledge  policy  at 
the heart  of  future  developments 
in  the  European  Union:  "knowledge  policies, 
research, innovation,  education  and  training  -  are  of  decisive  importance  for  the 
future  of  the  Union...  Like  research,  education  and  training  represent  essential 
immaterial investments ". 

As  stated  in  the  Commission  communication  Towards  a  Europe  of  Knowledge,  the 
objective  is  to  "promote  the  highest  level  of  knowledge  ...  through  broad  access  to 
education and its permanent updating". 

Education, lifelong training and youth-related policy involve three objectives: 

(a) 

(b) 

to  promote  employment,  in  line  with  the  Luxembourg  European  Council 
decisions,  by  developing  the  skills  and  competences  and  an  enterprise  culture 
which changes in work and its organisation have made necessary; 

to  increase  the potential  of knowledge  in  order  to  create  the  social  and  technical 
conditions of innovation  which represents a major  asset for  economic  growth and 
for improving standards of living; 

(c) 

to  guarantee  citizens  access  to  a  European  experience  likely  to  strengthen  a 
common feeling of identity with and belonging to a Common space. 

B. 

A coordinated and simplified  approach 

The proposals  submitted  take the utmost  account  of what has been  achieved  through the 
programmes now coming to an end, particularly with regard to three major  aspects: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

a legal basis: drawn  up for  these programmes  and these actions, and  underpinned 
by experience, it sets out clearly the Community's responsibilities in this area; 

implementation  which has constantly  sought  to act as a fulcrum  for  action by the 
Member States; 

a  common  core  of  activities  which  has  built  up  on  the  basis  of  six  measures: 
physical  and  virtual  mobility,  importance  of  networking,  promotion  of  language 
skills, support for innovatory projects and products, better knowledge of systems. 

The  partnerships  formed  at  the  European  level  have  by  and  large  raised  the  profile  of 
Community  action  by improving  its  quality  and  opening  up  opportunities  for  access  to 
knowledge  for  the citizens  of Europe. Thanks  inter alia to this experience, two thirds of 
them  today  would  like  to  see  Europe  play  a  specific  role  in  the  areas  of  education, 
vocational training and youth. 

In  the  context  of  the  implementation  of  these  three  programmes,  the  Commission  will 
also put in place working  groups made up of well known people from  the relevant areas. 
When these groups are set up, the  Commission  will  aim to ensure  an equal  participation 
of women and men and will encourage the Member  States to the same when forming  the 
programme Committees. 

The expectations of the various publics and players concerned by these programmes have 
prompted  the  Commission  to  present  them  in  a  coordinated  manner,  which  means  that 
after  31 December  1999  it  will  be  possible  to  better  cater  for  the  major  objectives  of 
Community  action  in the areas  of education  and  vocational  training  and  in  youth-related 
matters. 

In  its  communication  Towards  a  Europe  of  Knowledge,  the  Commission  set  out  the 
advantages  of closely coordinating the three decisions in an overall approach. To do this, 
it used the experience  amassed  and which at all  levels  of involvement points to the need 
to  develop  common  'channels'  and  'bridges'  conducive  to  the  emergence  of  a  genuine 
European education area. 

The proposals submitted to attain the objective  of lifelong  education and training reflect  a 
more coordinated approach which comes out at three levels: 

(a) 

Firstly, the  implementation  of the  three  programmes  sets out clearly  to  gradually 
build  up this European  education  area as an open and dynamic framework  giving 
tangible expression to the objective  of lifelong  education and training. While each 
programme  has  specific  actions  as  a  function  of  the  objectives  pursued,  these 
actions are nevertheless implemented by using one or more of the six measures: 

physical mobility for people undergoing training and for teachers; 

various forms of virtual mobility and arrangements for using the new ICTs; 

the development of cooperation  networks at European level; 

the promotion of language and cultural skills; 

the  development  of  innovation  through  European  cooperation  using  pilot 
projects based on transnational  partnerships; 

the  constant  improvement  of  Community  references  for  the  systems  and 
policies  relating  to  education,  training  and  youth  in  the  Member  States 
(data base, good practices). 

iY) 

Secondly,  the  proposals  for  European  Parliament  and  Council  decisions  in  each 
of these  three  fields,  and  therefore  the  features  of  the  formal  arrangements 
proposed,  while  not  being  absolutely  identical  on  account  of  the  specific 
characteristics  of  these  areas,  are  assembled  along  the  same  lines  and  contents, 
and  arc  based  on  arrangements  which  often  differ  little  on  essential  points, 
e.g. committee procedures. 

icj 

Lastly, 
these 
joint actions. 

three  proposals  contain  specific  provisions 

for 

launching 

The Commission will accordingly be putting forward  appropriate initiatives, in the form 
of  joint  calls  for  proposals,  for  instance,  in  close  cooperation  with  the  programme 
committees  concerned.  These  joint  actions  should  in  particular  make  jt  possible 
to develop: 

• 

• 

• 

• 

a common information system; 

a  coordinated  system  for  observing  good  practices  with  regard  to  lifelong 
education and training; 

joint actions on education and training multimedia; 

European knowledge centres located regionally. 

II. 

THE LEONARDO DA VINCI PROPOSAL 

MAIN PROPOSALS FOR A REVAMPED  APPROACH 

•  A fundamental  guideline: Community action to promote innovation  in support of and 

as a complement to action taken in and by the Member  States 

•  A broader legal basis: Article  127 of the treaty establishing the European  Community. 

•  Three objectives: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

to  improve  and  strengthen  the  social  and  occupational  integration  of  young 
people, in particular through work-linked training and apprenticeship; 

to  broaden  and  build  up  access  to  high  quality  continuing  training  and 
access to lifelong skills, particularly in order to keep abreast of technological  and 
organisational  innovation, and the training investment drive; 

support  the  vocational  training  systems  to  assist  those 
in  difficult 
circumstances  due  to  having  insufficient  or  outdated  competences,  to  find 
employment and to better insert themselves in the labour market. 

•  Six  types  of  transnational  measures  with  demonstration  actions  of  an  experimental 

nature: 

0  physical mobility of young people undergoing training should be stepped up; 

0  virtual mobility in order to promote use of the new ICTs in vocational training; 

0  transnational  pilot projects to create and pass on innovation and quality; 

0  European  networks  for 
dissemination of the results; 

the  pooling  of  Community  expertise  and  broad 

0  the  promotion  of  language  skills  tailored  to  the  requirements  of  the  world  of 

work, using new products and new training methods; 

0  Community  terms  of  reference  for  a  more  systematic  and  a  more  programmed 

approach to the different  tasks of studies, surveys and analyses. 

•  A general  call for  proposals  at the start of the programme  for  all  objectives  and  for 
all Community  actions and measures for  a three-year  period.  A  second  general  call 
for proposals, i.e. at the half-way  stage of the programme. 

•  Devolution  of  more  responsibility  to  the  Member  States  for  the  organisation  and 
management  of  actions  and  measures thanks to  a "decentralised  selection"  procedure 
and  a  centralised  selection  procedure  for  a  restricted  number  of  projects  of  an 
experimental nature. 

•  The launching of joint actions with the education and youth action programmes. 

I. 

1. 

Introduction 

is  submitting  a  proposal  for  a  second  phase  of 

The  Commission 
the 
Leonardo  da  Vinci action programme  for  implementing  a Community  vocational 
training  policy.  The  proposal  takes  on  board  the  lessons  learned  from  its 
implementation  since  1995.  These  are  set  out  in  the  Commission's  interim 
report2,  which  stresses  that  the  programme  has  had  a  definite  impact,  reflecting 
genuine European  expertise  in vocational  training, and that  it has  started  to  serve 
as  a  'European  innovation  laboratory'.  This report  and the  ones presented  by the 
Member  States  have  also  pointed  out  the  improvements  to  be  incorporated,  in 
particular  regarding  procedures  and  the  management  of  the  programme.  For 
information  purposes,  the  table  below  outlines  the  quantitative  results  achieved 
during  the  first  three  years  of  the  initial  Leonardo  da  Vinci  programme 
(1995-1997) 

Type of Measure 
Placements and Exchanges 
Pilot Projects 

Number of partners within the projects 

Number 
85 000 
1658 pilot projects 
(7954 submitted) 
38 000 

2. 

There  is no denying that while diversity was a feature  of the programme, this did 
in  some  cases  make  things  undoubtedly  overcomplicated  and  also  generated 
problems  of  management.  The  Commission's  proposal  will  mean  significant 
changes  in  order  to  concentrate  actions  on  a  restricted  number  of  objectives,  to 
clarify  Community. 

II. 

The arrangements  proposed 

3. 

4. 

The  legal  arrangement  proposed  caters  for  three  features:  (i)  it  retains  the 
arrangements  of  the  Leonardo  programme  which  have  functioned  satisfactorily, 
particularly  from  the  point  of  view  of  committee  and  follow-up  procedures; 
(ii) it is consistent  with  the proposals  put  forward  for  the  decisions  on  education 
and  youth;  (iii)  it  involves  innovations  designed  to  improve  the  operational 
efficiency  of  Community  action,  particularly  when  it  comes  to  operational 
complementarity with the other Community policies. 

The legal basis 

The  Community's  VT policy  stems  from  Article  127, which  constitutes  the  legal 
basis  for  the  proposal  as was  the  case  for  the  first  phase  of the programme.  The 
Leonardo  da  Vinci  programme,  according  to  Article  127,  contributes  to  the 
implementation of a vocational training policy at the Community level. 

Interim  report  on  the  implementation  of  the  Leonardo  da  Vinci  programme.  COM(97)  399  final  of 
23  July  1997. 

Focused  objectives 

5. 

The actions are focused  on three objectives  (rather than  19 as in Leonardo I): 

(a) 

improve  and  strengthen  the  social  and  occupational  integration  of 
young people, particularly by apprenticeship and work-linked training; 

(b)  broaden  and  build  up  access  to  high  quality  continuing  training  and 
to  keep  abreast  of 
access  to 
technological  and  organisational  innovation  and  the  training  investment 
drive; 

lifelong  skills,  particularly 

in  order 

(c)  support  the  vocational  training  systems  to  assist  those  in  difficult 
circumstances  due  to  having  insufficient  or  outdated  competences,  to  find 
employment and to better insert themselves in the labour market. 

Clearer measures 

6. 

The  proposal  takes  the  experience  amassed  during  the  first  phase  of  the 
Leonardo da  Vinci  programme  and 
the  Commission 
communication  "Towards  a  Europe  of  knowledge"  (COM(97)  563  final)  and 
chooses  six  types  of  transnational  measures  (instead  of  23  as  in  the  first  phase), 
some of them  involving  experimental  demonstration  actions  (described  briefly  in 
a box) 

the  guidelines  of 

is 

intention 

(a)  Physical  mobility  for  young people  in training  should be stepped  up and the 
Commission's 
to  accordingly  boost  apprenticeship  and 
work-linked  training.  It  is  also  eager  to  give  exchanges  a better  pedagogical 
and  supervisory  framework  along  with  common  quality  principles.  It  hopes 
in this  way  to  support  the  proposal  for  a  Council  decision  currently  being 
examined  for  promoting  "European  pathways"  and  the  introduction  of 
"EUROPASS-training"3. The Commission  at the same time proposes  support 
for the preparation (and not just the implementation) of transnational  mobility 
programmes  and  specific  arrangements  to  make  the pedagogical  supervision 
of young people undergoing training in SMEs and craft  industry easier. 

(b)  The  Commission's 

is  to  promote 
Community actions which contribute to increasing the use of the new ICTs in 
vocational training. 

intention  with  "virtual  mobility" 

(c)  The  "innovatory  pilot  projects"  measure  continues  one  of  the  original 
features  of  the  Leonardo  programme  which  achieved  very  notable  results 
during  the  first  phase  with  innovatory  projects  opening  on  to  new  products 
and  comprehensive  training  processes.  The  Commission  feels  that  the 
transnational pilot projects help to create and pass on innovation and quality. 

3 

Proposal  for  a  Council  Decision  on  the  promotion  of  European  pathways  for  work-linked  training, 
including apprenticeship (COM(97) 572 final  of  12 November  1997). 

(d)  The  European  networks  measure  is  a  new  feature  of  the  programme 
designed  to  provide  promoters  with  a  Community  cooperation  framework 
which  is more permanent  and more  stable than the pilot projects  with a view 
to:  (i)  pooling  Community  expertise  on  a  given 
theme;  (ii)  broad 
dissemination  throughout  Europe  of  the- results  achieved  by  pilot  projects 
completed on a common theme. 

(e)  The measure on promotion  of language  skills  is also a continuation  as such 
given  the  importance  of  this  type  of  skill  for  all  the  objectives  of  the 
programme. Specific  transnational  operations targeting the needs of the world 
of  work  can  open  on  to  new  products  and  new  training  methods  in  a  field 
to which  the  completion  of  the  Single  Market  gives  undoubted  European 
added value. 

(f)  The Community  reference  terms measure caters for the objective  of a more 
systematic  and  more  programmed  approach  to  studies,  surveys  and  analyses 
relating to the  situation  and trends  in vocational  training  systems.  Significant 
'  results  have  been  achieved  with  the  publication  of  the  first  key  data  on 
vocational  training  (produced jointly  with  CEDEFOP  and  EUROSTAT)  and 
the  Commission's 
the 
European Union.  The  point  of  this  measure  is  to  gradually  provide  users, 
particularly  public  decision  makers,  both  sides  of  industry  and  budget 
managers, with reference  facts and  figures. 

report  on  access 

to  continuing 

training 

in 

7. 

8. 

9. 

The players,  the target groups and participation  in the  programme 

For the sake of transparency in access to the programme, a new Article (Article 4) 
identifies  for the purposes  of the objectives  to be  attained  the  players  likely to be 
involved in the various actions. The Commission  is thus seeking to encourage the 
involvement  of  more  vocational  training  players  (particularly  territorial  players 
and/or multimedia players  and  the players  of the  SMEs)  and  step  up  cooperation 
between the players. 

Opening up to countries which have reached thepre-accession  stage 

The proposal has an Article on opening up the programme  to the countries which 
have  reached  the  pre-accession  stage.  This  Article  uses  the  provisions  which 
featured  in the  1994 Council  Decision  (Article  10), adjusting  them to the current 
context. 

Simplified implementation 

The  Commission  proposes  that  programme  implementation  be  substantially 
revamped  in  the  interests  of  simplification  and  more  efficiency  in  the  use  of 
Community funding  by: 

(a)  a  drastic  cut  in  the  number  of  objectives  in  relation  to  the  first  phase  of 
the Leonardo  programme,  and  an  improved  link-up  between  objectives 
and measures; 

10 

(b)  a  general  call  for  proposals  will  be  published  at  the  start  of  the 
programme  for all the objectives  and  for  all the  Community  actions  and 
measures.  It  will  establish  a  stable  framework  of  priorities  for  a  three-year 
period - selection being undertaken annually as before. 

(c)  in  order  to  achieve  some  degree  of  flexibility  and  take  account  of  major 
changes  of  context  which  could  arise,  it  is  proposed  that  at  the  half-way 
stage  of the programme,  a second  general  call for  proposals  be  launched 
on  the  basis  of  the  interim  evaluation  report  stipulated  in  Article  12  of 
the  Council  Decision; this  second  call  could  define  fresh  priorities  or  adjust 
those initially  adopted; 

(d)  it  is  proposed  to  give  the  Member  States  greater  responsibility  for  the 
organisation  and  management  of  actions  and  measures, 
through  a 
"decentralised  selection"  procedure  on  the  basis  of  "indicative  budgets" 
per Member State. 

The  Commission  also  attaches  great  importance  to  the  positive  effects  of 
decentralised  management  of the measures  of the programme, particularly  thanks 
to the initiatives of the Member  States, in strengthening  coordination  between  the 
measures of this programme, action stemming from  the other education  and youth 
programmes, and  structural  funding,  particularly through cooperation  between the 
different  management  structures involved in the selection of proposals. 

10. 

The  experience  with the  first  phase  and the  implementation  of  EC  demonstration 
actions  on  each  of  the  five  White  Paper  objectives  prompt  the  proposal  of  a 
centralised  selection procedure for a restricted number of experimental  projects. 

11. 

These  projects  will  have  a more  pronounced  Community  dimension  in  that  they 
involve three types: 

• 

• 

• 

proposals  from  established  European  organisations  and  involving  a  major 
percentage  if not all of their instigators; 

proposals  from  European  networks  set  up  to  utilise  and  disseminate  the 
results of pilot actions conducted  transnationally; 

proposals  to  test  through  European  cooperation  innovatory  themes  with  a 
view  to  developing  European  evaluation  of  these  trial  runs  and  disseminate 
the results. 

12. 

The  Commission  feels  the  opportunity  to  conduct  Community  demonstration 
actions 
the 
"second  chance schools"  or  the  "computerised  skill  accreditation  systems"  under 
the current  programme 

i>  particular!) 

innovations 

for  major 

useful 

such 

as 

III. 

Programme  funding 

13. 

The  option  to  base  the  second  phase  of  Leonardo  on  the  same  legal  basis  as  that 
used  for  the  first  phase  (1995-1999)  implies  that  the  indications  relevant  to  the 
2000-2004  financial  envelope  are presented  in the  financial  statement  annexed  to 
the proposal  for a decision. This envelope is for  a total  of ECU  1  000 million over 
this  five-year  period  (as  opposed  to  ECU 620  million,  indicated  by  the  Council. 
for the period  1995-1999). 

IV.  Monitoring and evaluation 

14. 

V. 

15. 

16. 

Experience  has  shown  that  there  was  no  need  for  annual  changes  to  the  working 
priorities  for  the purposes  of the programme  objectives,  but  that  there  was a case 
for having a margin of manoeuvre  for adjustment,  particularly  as the second  phase 
will  last five  years  (2000-2004). The Commission  has therefore  proposed  that the 
interim  evaluation  can  if necessary  include  a review  of these  priorities.  As  in the 
first  phase  of  the  programme,  monitoring  and  evaluation  of  the  programme  and 
the projects must be carried out through cooperation  between the Commission  and 
the Member States, in particular regarding external  evaluations. 

The  complementarity  of  the  Leonardo  da  Vinci  Programme  with  the 
European  Social Fund  interventions 

for 

(Article  2)  with 

its  draft  Council  Regulation 

the 
Convergence  of  objectives  as  defined 
the 
Leonardo da Vinci  programme 
Commission 
the 
in 
European  Social Fund  (Article 2)  is taken  into  account  both  in  the  draft  proposal 
for  a  Decision  both  at  the  legislative  level  (Recital  No  9  and  Articles  9(3) 
and  12(2)) and in the implementation  process  itself for which a close  coordination 
at  all  levels  should  be  ensured  in  a structured  manner  - especially  with  regard  to 
the operational procedures. 

the  second  phase  of 
those  proposed  by 
governing 

(EC) 

It  is  necessary  to  underline  in  this  context  that  actions  concerning  physical 
(and virtual)  mobility  -  which  should  represent  more  than  half  the  budgetary 
allocation  of  the  programme  -  as  well  as  those  concerning  the  promotion  of 
language  skills  - are  specific  to the Leonardo  programme  whereas  they  are not  at 
the centre of the  Social  Fund  interventions.  Similarly,  it  is necessary  to  underline 
the fact that the principal axes of the different  actions envisaged  in the programme 
is that  of  supporting  experimental  approaches  of  a transnational  character  which 
can  lead  to  the  validation  of  the  products  and  methodologies  of  training.  In  this 
perspective,  Leonardo  da  Vinci  is  a  "Laboratory  for  innovation":  Community 
demonstration  actions  of  an  experimental  character  as  identified  in the  Annex  to 
the  draft  decision  - such  as those  relating  to  new  forms  of  accreditation  of  skills 
including  expertise  learned  on the job  or the  experimentation  of "second  chance" 
training  arrangements  should  develop  "upstream"  of  European  Social  Fund 
interventions  while  being  closely  linked  to  innovatory  actions  foreseen  in  the 
aforementioned  (EC)  Regulation  concerning  ESF.  This  close  and  structured 
cooperation  should  lead  to  the  development  and  enrichment  of  training  practices 
throughout the Community. 

12 

The  table  below  presents  the  main  modifications  to  be  introduced  in  the 
second programme: 

LDVI 

LDVII 

19 objectives (Article 3) 

* 3 Objectives (Article 2) 

* 23 measures 

- improving and strengthening the social 
and occupational integration of young 
people; 
- and developing access to continuing 
training and skills; 
- providing support for vocational training 

systems in order to consolidate 
reintegration into employment 
* 6 measures (Article 3): mobility  for 

persons in training, promoting  virtual 
mobility, supporting the development of 
cooperation networks, promotion of 
language skills, supporting innovatory pilot 
projects, improvement of Community terms 
of  reference 

* Actors not  identified 

* Actors identified  (Article 4) 

* Distinction  between initial 
and continuing training 

* Emphasis placed on life-long  learning 

(Article 1) 

* No joint  actions 

* Joint actions (Article 6 and Annex) 

* Yearly priorities 

* Priorities for three years with an annual 

selection process (Annex) 

* No specific  measure  for 
participation of SMEs 

* Lack of integration in 
selection  procedures 

* Specific  measures for the participation of 

SMEs (Annex) 

* Selection procedures based on "integrated 

packages" 

Proposal for a 
COUNCIL  DECISION 

establishing the second phase of the Community vocational training 
action programme  "Leonardo da Vinci" 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

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

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission4, 

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee5, 

Acting  in  .accordance  with  the  procedure  referred  to  in  Article  189c  of  the  Treaty  in 
cooperation with the European Parliament6, 

Whereas  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Community  stipulates  that  the 
latter's  action  shall  inter alia  contribute  to  the  development  of  quality  education 
and  training;  whereas  this  was  resolutely  reiterated  by  the  Amsterdam  Treaty 
signed  on 2 October  1997, which states that the  Community's  objective  is also to 
promote  the  highest  possible  level  of  knowledge  for  its  peoples  through  a  wide 
access to education and through a continuous updating of knowledge; 

Whereas,  by  Decision  94/819/EC7,  the  Council  set  up  an  action  programme  to 
implement  a Community  vocational  training  policy; whereas  it is appropriate, on 
the  basis  of  the  acquired  experience  of  that  programme,  to  ensure  its  extension, 
taking into account the results obtained to date; 

the  extraordinary  European  Council  on  Employment  held 

Whereas 
in 
Luxembourg  on  20  and  21  November  1997  adopted  a  coordinated  employment 
strategy  in which  lifelong  education  and training  have  a fundamental  role to play 
in implementing guidelines8 for the Member  States'  employment policies in order 
to enhance employability, adaptability, and the culture of entrepreneurship9 and to 
promote equal opportunities; 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4 

5 
6  Opinion of the European Parliament of xxxxx (OJ C xxx, xxxxxxxxx, p.xx), Council Common Position 
of  xx  xxxx  xxxx  (OJ  xxxxx,  xxxxxxxxx,  p.xx)  and  Decision  of  the  European  Parliament  of 
xxxxxxxxxx xxxx (OJ xxxxx, xxxxxxxxxx). 

7  OJL  340, 29.12.1994, p. 8. 
8  OJC30,  28.1.1998, p. 1. 
9  Communication  from  the Commission  to the  Council  "Fostering  entrepreneurship  in Europe: priorities 

for the future"  (COM(98) 222 final/2 of 21 April  1998). 

14 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

Whereas  the  Commission 
in  its  Communication  "Towards  a  Europe  of 
Knowledge"10  set  out  guidelines  on  the  creation  of  a  European  education  area 
capable  of  achieving  the  objective  of  lifelong  education  and  training,  defining 
six types  of  measures  to  be  developed  at  the  Community  level,  all  focusing  on 
transnational  cooperation and designed to bring added value to the action taken by 
the Member  States, in full  respect of the principle of subsidiarity,  and in a context 
of simplified  procedures; 

Whereas the White Paper11  Teaching and learning - Towards  the learning society 
states  that  the  emergence  of  the  learning  society  entails  encouraging  the 
acquisition  of  new  knowledge  and  to  this  end  providing  motivation  to  learn  at 
every  opportunity;  and  whereas the  Green Paper12  Education,  training,  research: 
the obstacles to transnational mobility highlighted  the advantages mobility brings 
to people and competitiveness  in the Union; 

Whereas  there  is  a  need  to  promote  active  citizenship,  to  strengthen  the  links 
between  measures  pursued  under  this  programme,  and  to  step  the  fight  against 
exclusion  in  all  its  forms,  including  racism  and  xenophobia;  whereas  special 
attention should be focused  on removing all forms  of inequality and on promoting 
equal opportunities for women and men; 

Whereas  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  in  their  Decisions  No 
[Education]13,  No 
action 
programmes  for  the  education  and  youth  fields  respectively,  which  contribute 
together with the training programme to implementing a knowledge policy; 

established  Community 

[Youth]14  have 

Whereas  it  is  necessary,  in  order  to  reinforce  the  added  value  of  Community 
action  to  ensure,  at  all  levels,  a  coherence  and  a  complementarity  between  the 
actions  implemented  in  the  framework  of  this  Decision  and  the  Community 
interventions,  in  particular  in  the  domains  of  culture15,  audio-visual  media,  the 
completion  of  the  single  market,  the  environment,  consumer  protection,  the 
information  society, SMEs, social policies, employment and public health; 

Whereas  the  Commission's  proposals  for  reforming  the  Structural  Funds16, 
particularly  the  European  Social  Fund,  and  the  Community  initiatives  stemming 
therefrom,  are  based  on  objectives  designed  to  support  the  adaptation  and 
modernisation  of  policies  and  systems 
training 
and  employment; 

to  education, 

relating 

10  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council,  the  European  Parliament,  the  Economic 
and Social Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  -  Towards  a  Europe  of  knowledge, 
COM(97) 563 final,  12 November  1997. 

11  Commission's  White  Paper:  Education  and  training:  Teaching  and  learning  -  Towards  the learning 

society",  Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg,  1996. 

12  Commission's  Green  Paper:  Education,  training,  research:  the  obstacles  to  transnational  mobility, 

COM(96) 462 final, 2 October 1996. 

13 
14 
15  Proposal  for  a  Parliament  and  Council  Decision  establishing  a  single  financing  and  programming 

instrument for cultural cooperation (Programme Culture 2000); OJ C 211,  7.7.1998, p. 18. 

16  Proposal  for  a  Council  Regulation  (EC)  laying  down  general  provisions  on  the  Structural  Funds; 

OJC  176, 9.6.1998, p. 1. 

15 

10.  Whereas  the  Commission,  in  conjunction  with  the  Member  States,  is  seeking  to 
secure  coherence  between  the  actions  under  this  programme  and  Community 
action  of  a  structural  nature;  whereas  the  Commission,  in  partnership  with  both 
sides of industry, is endeavouring to develop cooperation between this programme 
and the activities of the Community social dialogue; 

11.  Whereas provision should be made to open up this programme to participation by 
the  associated  Central  and  Eastern  European  countries,  in  accordance  with  the 
conditions  established  in  the  relevant  agreements,  notably  the  association 
agreements  and  the  additional  protocols  to  these  agreements,  to  Cyprus  on  the 
same terms as those applied to the EFTA/EEA countries as well as to Turkey and 
Malta according to procedures to be agreed with those countries; 

12.  Whereas  this  programme  should  be  monitored  and  continually  assessed  in 
cooperation between the Commission and the Member  States in order to allow for 
readjustments, particularly in the priorities for implementing the measures, 

13.  Whereas  in  accordance  with  the  principle  of  subsidiarity  and  the  principle  of 
proportionality  as set  out  in Article  3b of the  Treaty,  the objectives  of  the  action 
envisaged  concerning  the  implementation  of  a  vocational  training  policy  at 
Community  level  cannot  be  adequately  realised  by the  Member  States  given  the 
complexity of training partnerships and can therefore, because of the transnational 
dimension of the community actions and measures, be best realised at Community 
level; whereas this Decision  is limited  to the minimum  required  to  achieve  these 
objectives and does not exceed what is necessary to this end, 

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 

Article 1 
Establishment of the programme 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

This  Decision  establishes  the  second  phase  of  the  action  programme  for  the 
implementation  of a Community  vocational  training  policy "Leonardo  da Vinci", 
hereinafter  referred  to as "this programme". 

This  programme  shall  be  implemented  in  the  period  starting  on  1 January  2000 
and ending on 31 December 2004. 

This  programme  shall  contribute  to the  Community's  knowledge  policy  through 
the  implementation  of  a  European  education  area  fostering  the  development  of 
lifelong  education and training. It shall permit  the development  of the  knowledge 
and skills likely to foster the full  exercise of citizenship. 

This  programme  shall  support  and  supplement  action  taken  by  and  within  the 
Member  States,  while  fully  respecting  their  responsibility  for  the  content  and 
organisation of vocational training, and their cultural and linguistic diversity. 

Article 2 
Aims of the programme 

1. 

The  implementation  of this programme  is based  on objectives,  in  support  of  and 
as a supplement  to policies  and actions undertaken  by and  in the Member  States, 
and designed as a matter of priority to: 

(a)  improve  and  strengthen  the  social  and  occupational  integration  of  young 

people, particularly through work-linked training and apprenticeship; 

(b)  expand  and  develop  access  to  quality  continuing  training  and  access  to 
technological  and 

in  order  to  consolidate 

lifelong  skills,  particularly 
organisational  innovation, and investment in training; 

(c)  support 

the  vocational 

in  difficult 
circumstances owing to inadequate or outdated skills, to find employment and 
to better insert themselves in the labour market. 

training  systems 

to  assist 

those 

2. 

In  implementing  these  objectives,  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  shall 
ensure that action under this programme is consistent with the Community's  other 
actions  and  policies,  particularly  with  regard  to  employment,  to  the  removal  of 
inequality, to equal opportunities for women and men, and to social policy. 

Article 3 
Community  actions 

The aims of this programme  shall be pursued through actions supported  by the  following 
Community  measures,  the  operational  content  and  the  application  procedures  of  which 
are described in Annex A, and which can be used in combination: 

(a) 

support for the mobility of people undergoing vocational training; 

(b) 

(c) 

promotion of virtual mobility in the context of vocational training, particularly  by 
promoting access to educational  multimedia; 

support  for  the  development  of  European  level  cooperation  networks  permitting 
mutual exchange of experience and good practice; 

(d) 

promotion of language skills and understanding of different  cultures; 

(e) 

(f) 

support  for 
innovatory  pilot  projects  based  on  transnational  partnerships 
designed to  develop  innovation  and  quality  in  vocational  training  in  order  to 
create training products,  instruments  of  skills  accreditation  or in order to test  out 
any new approach; 

through 
the  constant  improvement  of  the  Community  terms  of  reference 
support for  the  dissemination  of  good  practice  and  through  the  observation  and 
dissemination of innovation. 

17 

Article 4 
Access to the  programme 

Under  the  conditions  and  in  accordance  with  the  definitions  and  arrangements  for 
implementation  specified  in the  Annex, participation  in this programme  shall  be open to 
all public and/or private bodies and institutions  involved  in vocational training as  defined 
Annex A, and in particular: 

(a) 

training establishments, centres and bodies at all levels, including universities and 
higher education establishments; 

(b) 

research centres and bodies; 

(c) 

companies  and  consortia,  particularly  SMEs  or  public  or  private  sector 
establishments, including those involved in training; 

(d) 

trade organisations, including Chambers of Commerce; 

(e) 

organisations of both sides of industry at all levels; 

(f) 

local and regional bodies and organisations; 

(g) 

associations. 

Article  5 
Implementation  of the programme and  cooperation 
with the Member States 

1. 

2. 

3. 

The  Commission  shall  ensure  the  implementation  of  the  Community  actions 
covered by this programme in accordance with the Annexes. 

In  cooperation  with  the  Member  States,  the  Commission  shall  take  the  steps 
described  in point  8 of Annex  A to make the best  use  of what  has been  achieved 
through  the  action  undertaken  under  the  first  phase  of  the  Leonardo  da  Vinci 
programme and the Community initiatives on training. 

Member  States shall take appropriate  action to secure nationally the coordination, 
organisation  and the follow-up  needed  for  the attainment  of the objectives  of this 
programme,  involving  all  the  parties  concerned  by  vocational  training  in 
accordance with national practice. 

To  that  end,  they  shall  set  up  an  integrated  management  structure  for  the 
operational 
implementation  of  the  programme's  actions  and  shall  ensure 
that appropriate  information  and  publicity  is  provided  on  actions  cofinanced  by 
the programme. 

4. 

Each  Member  State  shall  endeavour  to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  ensure  the 
efficient  running  of this  programme  and  to  take  appropriate  measures  to  remove 
any obstacles to access to this programme. 

18 

5. 

The  Commission,  in  conjunction  with  the  Member  States,  shall  ensure  the 
transition  between  those  actions  developed  within  the  framework  of  the  preceding 
"Leonardo"  programme  in  the  field  of  vocational  training  and  those  to  be 
implemented  under  this  programme. 

Article  6 
Joint  actions 

As  part  of  the  process  of  building  up  a  Europe  of  knowledge,  the  measures  of  this 
programme  may  be  implemented  as joint  actions  with  other  Community  actions  forming 
part  of  the  knowledge  policy,  particularly  Community  programmes  in  the  area  of 
education  and  youth-related  matters. 

Article  7 
Committee 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

The  Commission 
representatives  of  Member  States  and  chaired  by 
the  Commission. 

shall  be  assisted  by  a  committee  composed  of 

the 
representative  of 

the 

The  representative  of  the  Commission  shall  submit  to  the  Committee  a  draft  of 
the  measures  to be taken  as  regards: 

(a) 

the  arrangements 
appropriate 
programme's  actions: 

for 

implementing 

the  annual  plan  of  work 

the  programme, 
the 

including  where 
the 

implementation  of 

for 

(b)  the  criteria  applicable  for  establishing  the  indicative  breakdown  of  funds 
among  the  Member  States  for  the  purpose  of  the  actions  to  be  managed  on  a 
decentralised  basis: 

(c)  the  arrangements  for  evaluating  the  programme. 

The  Committee  shall  deliver  its  opinion  on  the  draft  within  a time-limit  which  the 
Chairman  may  lay down  according  to  the  urgency  of the  matter.  The  opinion  shall 
be  delivered  by  the  majority  laid  dowii  in  Article  148(2)  of  the  Treaty'  in  the  case 
of  decisions  which  the  Council  is  required  to  adopt  on  a  proposal  from  the 
Commission.  The  votes  of  the  representatives  of  the  Member  States  within  the 
Committee  shall  be  weighted  in  the  manner  set  out  in  that  Article.  The  Chairman 
shall  not  vote. 

The  Commission  shall  adopt  measures  which  shall  apply  immediately.  However. 
if  these  measures  are  not  in  accordance  with  the  opinion  of  the  Committee,  they 
shall  be  communicated  by the  Commission  to  the  Council  forthwith. 

In that  e\ ent. 

the  Commission  may  deter  application  of  the  measures  which  it  has  decided 
lor  a reriod  OT up  to  one  month  from  the  date  of the  Communication: 

the  Council,  acting  h;,  a  oaialilîed  majoras,  ma;,  lake  a  dilterei'it  decision 
\vit:.:n  me  time-iiimi  rcierred  to  m the  firs!  indent 

5. 

The  Commission  may  consult  the  Committee  on  any  other  matter  concerning 
implementation  of the programme. 

In  that  event,  the  Commission  representative  shall  submit  to  the  Committee  a 
draft  of the measures  to be taken. The Committee  shall  deliver  its opinion  on the 
draft  within  a  time-limit  which  the  Chairman  may  lay  down  according  to  the 
urgency of the matter, if necessary by taking a vote. 

The  opinion  shall  be  recorded  in  the  minutes:  in  addition,  each  Member  State 
shall have the right to ask to have its position recorded in the minutes. 

The  Commission  shall  take  the  utmost  account  of  the  opinion  delivered  by  the 
Committee. It shall  inform  the  Committee  of the manner  in which  its opinion  has 
been taken into account. 

Article 8 
The two sides of industry 

Without  prejudice  to  the  procedure  described  in  Article  7(3)  and  (4),  the  Commission 
may consult the committee on any matter concerning the application  of this Decision. 

Whenever  such  consultation  takes  place,  representatives  of  both  sides  of  industry. 
appointed  by  the  Commission  on  the  basis  of  proposals  from  both  sides  of  industry  at 
the 
Community 
Member States, shall participate in the work of the committee as observers. 

in  number  to  that  of  the  representatives  of 

level,  and  equal 

They  shall  have  the  right  to  request  that  their  position  be  recorded  in  the  minutes  of 
committee meetings. 

Article 9 
Consistency  and  complementarity 

1. 

The Commission  shall, in conjunction  with the Member  States, ensure  the overall 
consistency  with  other  Community  policies  and  actions.  There  shall  be 
coordination  between  the  activities  of  this  programme  and  the  other  Community 
actions, in particular those covered by the knowledge policy. 

The Commission  shall ensure in conjunction  with the Member  States  consistency 
between  implementation  of  this  programme  and  the  other  Community  actions 
relating  to  training  in  the  domain  of  culture  and  the  audio-visual  sector,  the 
completion  of  the  internal  market,  the 
information  society,  environment, 
consumer protection, SMEs, social policies, employment, and public health. 

The  Commission  shall  ensure  an  efficient  link-up  between  this  programme  and 
the programmes  and  actions  in the  area  of  vocational  training  undertaken  as part 
of the Community's external relations. 

2. 

The  Commission  and  the  Member  States  shall  ensure  that  the  measures  of  this 
programme  are,  as  part  of  the  implementation  of  the  coordinated  employment 
strategy, consistent  with the orientations  established  annually  for  the  employment 
guidelines  and  in  conjunction  with  the  other  actions  contributing  to  the 
implementation of the action plans. 

20 

3. 

4. 

5. 

The  Commission  and 
the  Member  States  shall  ensure  consistency  and 
complementarity  between  action  taken  under  this  programme  and  Community 
action under the Structural Funds. 

When  implementing  this  programme, the  Commission  in  close  conjunction  with 
both  sides  of  industry  at  Community  level  will  endeavour  to  develop  the  social 
dialogue  at  the  Community  level,  particularly  by  providing  support  at  all  levels, 
including sectoral  levels, and by disseminating its results. 

The  Commission  shall  secure  the  assistance  of  the  European  Centre  for  the 
Development  of  Vocational  Training  (CEDEFOP) 
this 
programme,  in  accordance  with  the  arrangements  set  out  in  Council  Regulation 
(EEC)  No  337/7517.  Subject  to  the  same  conditions  and  in  the  areas  which  lend 
themselves  to  it,  coordination  shall  be  established  under  the  auspices  of 
the Commission  with 
the  European  Training  Foundation  as  specified  by 
Regulation (EEC) No  1360/9018. 

implementing 

in 

6. 

The  Commission  shall  keep  the  Advisory  Committee  on  Vocational  Training 
regularly informed  of the progress of this programme. 

Participation  of the associated Central and Eastern European  countries, 

Cyprus, Turkey and Malta 

Article 10 

1. 

This programme  shall  be  open  to  the  participation  of  the  associated  Central  and 
Eastern European  countries  (CEEC)  in accordance  with the  conditions  laid  down 
in  the  Europe  agreements  or  in  existing  or  anticipated  additional  protocols 
governing  the  participation  of  these  countries  in  Community  programmes.  This 
programme  shall  also  be  open  to  the  participation,  funded  by  additional 
appropriations,  of  Cyprus  under  the  same  rules  as  those  applied  to  the  countries 
the 
of the  European  Free  Trade  Association 
European Economic  Area  (EEA)  according  to  the  procedures  to  be  agreed  with 
this  country.  This  programme  shall  also  be  open  to  participation  by  Turkey 
according to the procedures to be established with that country. 

(EFT A)  which  belong 

to 

2. 

This  programme  shall  also  be  open  to  participation  by  Malta  according  to  the 
procedures to be agreed with that country. 

Article 11 
International  cooperation 

The  Commission  shall  strengthen  its  cooperation  with  non-Community  countries  and 
with the relevant international  organisations. 

17  OJ L 39,  13.2.1975. p. 1. 
18  OJL  131,23.5.1990, p. 1 

21 

Article  12 
Monitoring and  evaluation 

1. 

The  Commission  shall  continually  monitor  this  programme  in  conjunction  with 
the Member States. 

This  monitoring  shall  be  effected  through  the  reports  referred  to  in  paragraph  3 
and through specific  activities. 

2. 

The  Commission  shall  evaluate  this  programme  periodically  in  conjunction  with 
the Member  States. The evaluation  shall  seek to appraise the effectiveness  of the 
actions implemented, by reference to the objectives set out in Article 2. 

The  evaluation  shall  also  examine  the  complementarity  between  actions  under 
this  programme  and  those  pursued  under  other  Community  programmes, 
particularly actions supported by the European  Social Fund. 

In  .accordance  with  criteria  established  using  the  procedure  described  in 
Article 7(2),  there  shall  be  periodical  external  evaluations  of  the  results  of  the 
Community actions. 

3. 

4. 

Member  States  shall  submit  to  the  Commission  by  31  December  2002  and 
30 June 2005, respectively,  reports  on  the  implementation  and the impact  of this 
programme, and on the vocational training  systems and arrangements which exist 
in the Member States. 

The  Commission  shall  submit  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council  and  the 
Economic and Social Committee: 

an  interim  report  on  the  implementation  of  this  programme  no  later  than 
30 June 2003; 

no  later  than  31  December  2005,  a  final  report  on  the  implementation  of 
this programme. 

Article  13 
Entry into force 

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

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 
The President 

22 

ANNEX A 

Community actions and measures 

Section I:  General principles 

1. 
The  aims  set  out  in  Article  2 of  this  decision  will  be  implemented  by means  of 
transnational  partnerships  which  submit  proposals  for  action  on  the  basis  of  the 
Community measures described in Article 3. 

Each  proposal  submitted  by  a  transnational  partnership  will  be  part  of  the 
the 

the  objectives  of 

the  programme, 

indicating 

2. 
implementation  of  one  of 
measure(s) proposed. 

A  Community  call  for  proposals  will  define  the  priorities  for  the  objectives,  the 
3. 
timetable,  the  conditions  of  submission,  the  common  eligibility  criteria,  particularly  in 
terms of trànsnationality and selection. 

This  call  for  proposals  will  remain  valid  for  three  years  for  the  first  phase  of  the 
programme.  A  second  call  for  proposals  will  be  drawn  up  at  the  half-way  stage  of  the 
programme  on  the  basis  of  the  interim  assessment  referred  to  in  Article  12(4)  of 
this Decision. 

The  Community  call  for  proposals  will  be  published  by  the  Commission  after 
consultation of the Programme Committee. 

4. 
The  proposals  for  action  must  set  out  clearly  the  aims  established,  the  results 
anticipated  and the partners  associated  in the other Member  States, as well  as the  nature 
and  level  of participation  of these partners, including  their  financial  contribution  and the 
timetable of work. 

5. 
The  proposals  can  be  sent  in  at  any  time  during  the  period  of  validity  of  the 
overall  call  for  proposals.  Proposal  selection  by the  Commission  will  take place  at  least 
once yearly in accordance with the procedures defined  below. 

Section II : Actions 

1. 

PHYSICAL  MOBILITY 

Support  for  transnational  physical  mobility  programmes  for  people  undergoing 
training and for trainers and training organisers 

Community support shall be provided for the following  actions: 

preparation  and  implementation  of  transnational  programmes  of  placement 
(a) 
and exchange  for  young  people  undergoing  initial  vocational  training,  studying  or 
who have  just  finished  studying:  including  students  and  qualified  young  people, 
in  accordance 
young workers  or  young  people  available  on  the 
laws  and  practices,  particularly  programmes  which  are  part  of 
with the national 

labour  market 

23 

"European pathways for  work-linked training and apprenticeship" within the meaning of 
Council  Decision  98/.../EEC19.  Placements  for  young  people  may  be  short  term 
(two weeks  to  three  months)  and  in  such  cases  are  designed  essentially  to  familiarise 
them  with  the  occupational  and  cultural  context  of  another  Member State.  Long  term 
placements  (three months to a maximum of  12 months) are intended primarily  for  young 
people  who  already  have  initial  occupational  training or  a  work  experience.  Long-term 
placements can be carried out in two or more periods. 

The  transnational  placement  programmes  for  young  people  undergoing  training  which 
involve  SMEs  and  craft  industry  as  host  bodies  will  receive  special  treatment  in  the 
conditions described below. 

(b) 
The  organisation  of  transnational  programmes  of  exchanges  between  companies 
on  the  one  hand  and  on  the  other  training  organisations  or  universities  and  targeting 
human  resources  managers  in the business  sector,  and training  programme  planners  and 
managers  (particularly  trainers  and  mentors),  advisers  and  occupational  guidance 
specialists and economic and social circles. Study visits for vocational training organisers 
on the themes defined  by the Commission can be provided by the CEDEFOP on behalf of 
the  Commission  in the  conditions  to be  decided  upon  after  receiving  the  opinion  of the 
programme committee. 

As  a general  rule, placements  and  exchanges  as well  as  study  visits  for  these  categories 
will last between one week and a maximum of six weeks. 

The transnational  placement  and exchange programmes may be multi-annual  and  last up 
to three years. 

Demonstration  actions 

As part  of the  "Physical mobility" measure, pilot  demonstration  actions  will be given 
support  and  will  relate  to  the  organisation  and  implementation  of  multi-annual 
transnational  placement  programmes  organised  among  regions  and/or  sectors  in 
European  work-linked training and apprenticeship networks. 

Funding 

The  Community's  financial  contribution  to  the  transnational  placement  and  exchange 
programmes defined  under measure above may not exceed ECU 5 000 per beneficiary  for 
a placement or an exchange - the maximum amount of this contribution corresponding to 
the maximum duration indicated above. 

For this measure, the  Commission  may allocate  to  each  Member  State  an  annual  global 
grant the amount of which will be defined  in accordance with the procedures described in 
Annex C. 

10%  of  this  allocation  is  set  aside,  in  accordance  with  procedures  agreed  upon  with 
the management  structure  concerned,  to  help  potential  promoters  of  programmes 
to prepare  their  proposals.  The  sum  allowed  for  this  purpose  may  not  exceed 
ECU 500 per promoter. 

19 

24 

In line with the same procedure, and within the same allocation, a sum will be granted to 
transnational  programmes  undertaken  in  the  SMEs  and  in  craft  industry  and  lasting  a 
minimum  of  three  weeks. This  sum  is  designed  to  facilitate  the pedagogic,  cultural  and 
linguistic  follow-up  of young people placed  in a host company  in another  Member  State 
may  not  exceed  ECU  250  per  placement,  with  a  ceiling  of  ECU  25  000  per  company. 
This amount  is on top of that set aside  for  the body of the original  Member  State for  the 
management and monitoring of transnational placement programmes. 

2. 

VIRTUAL  MOBILITY 

Support  for  actions  to  promote  the  new 
technologies and designed to develop virtual mobility 

information  and  communication 

Community  support  is available  for  transnational  actions to develop the  use  of new ICT 
in  training  actions  and  products  to  inter  alia  promote  access  for  people  undergoing 
training to new tools, services and products in training which use the new ICT, to  support 
the  development  of  European  distance  training  networks  through  the  new  ICT 
(multimedia products, WEB sites, network transmission, etc.) and to try out new training 
approaches stemming from new work situations (e.g. teleworking). 

These projects may last for a maximum of two years. 

Demonstration  actions 

Under  the  measure  "Virtual  mobility",  Community  demonstration  actions  on 
experimental  "pilot actions" to promote  the new ICT will be supported  and  specifically 
for 
targeted  partly 
guidance/counselling/training  in business-related services, particularly  with  a  view to 
building up a virtual European area of training and job  seeking. 

the  development  of  European  arrangements 

towards 

Funding 

The  Commission's  financial  contribution  to  the  transnational  virtual  mobility  projects 
may be up to 75% of eligible expenditure, with a ceiling of ECU  300 000 per project  and 
per year. 

In  no  case  may 
Community  funding. 

the  project  partners'  own  resources  be  derived 

from  other 

3. 

INNOVATORY  PILOT PROJECTS 

Support  for  transnational  pilot  training  projects  to  develop  aptitude  to  innovation, 
its  transfer  and  entrepreneurship,  and  the  development  of  innovation  and  its 
transfer in training 

* 

Community  support  is  available  for  the  design,  development,  testing  and  assessment  of 
European transnational pilot projects to develop and/or disseminate innovation in training 
and  to  develop  aptitude  to  innovation  and  its  transfer.  These  projects  may  relate  to  the 
dissemination and transfer  to other Member States of the results of innovatory  approaches 
in  training,  developed  and  validated  in  another  Member  State.  They  may  relate  to  the 
development  of quality  in training and to occupational  guidance in the context  of  lifelong 
training. They may also relate to the promotion of new methods of training as part of new 

25 

configurations  of  work  organisation  and  the  development  of  new  forms  of  working, 
e.g. teleworking. 

Projects under this measure may last a maximum of two years. 

Demonstration  actions 

Under  "Innovatory  pilot  projects", 
demonstration actions relating to: 

there  will  be  support  for 

experimental 

*  the implementation  at European  level  of new forms  of accreditation of skills,  with 

emphasis on recognising skills and expertise learned on the job; 

*  stepping  up  the  fight  to  head  off  exclusion  through  'second  chance*  training 
arrangements for  the  different  publics  affected,  especially  in  the  problem  urban 
districts, in  order to reintegrate young  and  adult  unemployed persons,  particularly 
the long term unemployed, and those who have no qualifications. 

Funding  -

The  Community  may contribute  up  to  75% of  eligible  expenditure  for  the  transnational 
pilot projects, with a ceiling of ECU 200 000 per year and per project. 

Under  no  circumstances  may  the  project  partners'  own  resources  derive  from  other 
Community  funding. 

4. 

COMMUNITY  NETWORKS 

Support for Community networks of Community  expertise and dissemination 

Community  support  is  available  for  setting  up  and  organising  Community  networks  of 
cooperation in training, bringing together in the Member States at the regional or sectoral 
level  the  public  and  private  players  concerned  including  researchers,  in  the  area  of 
vocational  training  and  designed  (i) to  assemble,  distil  and  build  on European  expertise 
and  innovatory  approaches  on  a  priority  theme  of  common  interest,  (ii)  to  improve  the 
analysis and anticipation of skills requirements, (iii) to disseminate the results throughout 
the EU in the appropriate circles. 

Projects under this measure may last a maximum of three years. 

Demonstration actions 

Under  "European networks",  there  will  be  support for  experimental  demonstration 
actions relating to the -development and  networking  of multi-player training  consortia 
organised  regionally  or  sector ally  and  involving  in particular  the  local  authorities, 
local  chambers  of  commerce,  trade  organisations for  employers  and  employees,  and 
research  and  training  centres  -  including  the  universities  -  and fulfilling  the  role  of 
centres  providing  services,  advice  and  information  on  access  to  validated  training 
methods and products. 

26 

\ 

Funding 

The Community may contribute up to 75% of eligible expenditure for the organisation of 
European  networks,  with  a minimum  of  ECU  150 000  per  year  and  per  network  and  a 
ceiling of ECU 500 000 per year - this ceiling applicable only in the case of proposals for 
transnational  networks  seeking  to  develop  an  integrated  set  of  experimental  measures 
opening  on  to  validated  and  transferable  training  products.  The  financial  contribution 
to "multi-player  training  consortia"  will  be  restricted  to  ECU  50  000  per  year  and 
per operation, representing a maximum of 50% of the eligible operational costs. 

Under  no  circumstances  may the project  partners'  own  resources  be  derived  from  other 
Community  funding. 

5. 

LANGUAGE SKILLS 

Support for actions to promote language and cultural skills in training 

Community support is available for transnational pilot projects to develop language skills 
linked to the promotion of the  social  and occupational  integration  of young people and a 
higher  level  of  employability  and  adaptability  of  workers.  Language  skills  can  be 
considered as key skills in the context of the knowledge-based  society. 

The point of these projects is to design, test and validate, assess and disseminate teaching 
material  tailored  to  the  specific  needs  of  each  occupational  area  and  economic  sector, 
including through the use of language audits, and also innovatory teaching methods based 
on language self-tuition  and the dissemination of their results. 

Proposals  for  linguistic  and  cultural  support  may  also  be  submitted  under  other  actions 
and  measures, particularly  in  order  to  improve  language  and  cultural  skills  amongst  the 
trainers  and  mentors  responsible  for  the  pedagogic  supervision  of  young  people  taking 
part in transnational physical mobility programmes. 

Community  support  is  also  available  for  transnational  programmes  and  exchanges 
between  the  business  sector  on  the  one  hand  and  the  specialised  language  training 
establishments  or  training  bodies  on  the  other.  The  exchanges  relate  to  trainers  and 
mentors in the area of language skills. 

The maximum duration of the projects under this measure is usually two years. 

Funding 

The  Community  may  contribute  up  to  75%  of  eligible  expenditure,  with  a  ceiling  of 
ECU  150 000 per project and per year. 

Under  no  circumstances  may  the  project  partners'  own  resources  be  derived  from  other 
Community  funding. 

27 

6. 

COMMUNITY TERMS OF REFERENCE 

Support  for  actions  to  establish,  update  and  disseminate  Community  terms  of 
reference which can be used to compare training systems 

Community  support  is  available  for  actions  undertaken  on  a  transnational  basis  and 
making  a  contribution  through  surveys,  analyses  and/or  studies,  to  establishing 
comparable  data  on vocational  training  systems  and  arrangements  in the Member  States 
or likely to produce  quantitative and/or  qualitative  information  in support of policies and 
enhance  training  practices  for  lifelong  training.  Eurostat  and  CEDEFOP  are  closely 
associated  with 
instruments  within  the  procedures 
currently in  place  notably  those  defined  by  the  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  322/97  on 
Community  statistics,  taking  into  account  the  Council  Decision  on  the  statistical 
programme  1998-2002.  In  the  same  connection,  the  Community  will  support  the 
introduction  of  arrangements  to  observe  innovatory  practices  in  lifelong  training, 
particularly  with  regard  to  access  to  continuing  training,  in  close  conjunction  with  both 
sides of industry at the various levels. 

the  production  of  statistical 

The maximum duration of projects under this measure is three years. 

The Commission  will  ensure that these terms  of reference  are  disseminated  as widely as 
possible  in  different  ways,  particularly  in  order  to  make  them  available  to  public  and 
private decision-makers in vocational training. 

Demonstration  actions 

Under the  measure  "Community terms  of reference"  and  as  a follow-up  to  its report 
on  the  implementation  of  the  Council  Recommendation  of  June  1993  on  access  to 
continuing  training,  the Commission,  in close conjunction  with both sides of industry 
and  in  cooperation  with the  CEDEFOP,  will propose  support for  an  arrangement  to 
observe good practice  on access to training,  the  development  and  the transparency of 
qualifications and skills, particularly  at branch and company  level. 

Funding 

The  Community's  financial  contribution  will  be  between  50  and  100%  of  eligible 
expenditure, with a ceiling of ECU 500 000 per year and per project. 

Under  no  circumstances  can  the  project  partners'  own  resources  be  derived  from  other 
Community  funding. 

7. 

1. 

2. 

JOINT ACTIONS 

For  the joint  actions  described  in  Article  6 of this  Decision,  Community  support 
may be provided  for joint  actions with  other  actions under the knowledge  policy, 
particularly  Community  education  and  youth  programmes  designed  to  widen 
access to knowledge. 

Coordination  of the programmes  can be achieved  by common  calls for  proposals. 
The  Commission  intends  in  particular  to  develop  a  joint  information  and 
observation  arrangement  with  regard  to  good  practice  in  the  field  of  knowledge, 
and joint actions on education and training  multimedia. 

28 

3. 

Appropriate  steps, a significant  one being the  setting up of  "European  knowledge 
centres",  will  be  taken  to  ensure  regional  and  local  contact  and  interaction 
between  the  players  taking  part  in  this  programme  and  in  education  and 
youth-related  programmes. This will  contribute  to the implementation  of a policy 
of lifelong  learning in the regions and local districts concerned. 

8. 

ACCOMPANYING  MEASURES 

To  attain  the  objectives  set  out  in  Article  2  of  the  Decision,  Community  support  is 
available  for: 

* 

* 

* 

coordination  and  monitoring  activities  by  the  Member  States  as  described  in 
Article 5 of this Decision; 

information,  monitoring, organisation  assessment  and dissemination  activities by the 
Member  States  and  the  Commission  to  facilitate  access  to  the  programme  and 
consolidate  the  transfer  of  methods, products  and  tools  designed,  and  of  the  results 
obtained  by  the  Community  measures,  including  through  telematics  links  and 
data banks; 

In  carrying  out  the  programme  the  Commission  can  have  recourse  to  technical 
assistance  organisations  the  financing  of  which  may  be  provided  for  within  the 
overall envelope for the programme. It can, under the same conditions, have recourse 
to experts. Furthermore, the Commission will be able to organise seminars, colloquia 
or  other  meetings  of  experts,  likely  to  facilitate  the  implementation  of  the 
programme.  The  Commission  can  also  take  forward  information,  publication  and 
dissemination actions. 

' 

Section III:  "Selection"procedures 

IIIA :  "Decentralised selection " procedure 

The  decentralised  selection  procedure  will  be  applied  to  all  Community  actions 

1. 
and measures and comprises the following  stages. 

2. 
Under  the  rules  defined  in  the  general  call  for  proposals,  proposals  are  to  be 
submitted  by  the  coordinators  of  transnational  projects  at  the  management  structure 
designated by the Member State. 

The management  structure will  assess the proposals  on the basis  of  specifications 

3. 
established at the Community level, using the definitions  given in Annex C below. 

4. 
Every  year,  on  the  basis  of  this  assessment  at  a  date  to  be  decided  by  the 
Commission  following  consultation  with the  Committee,  Member  States will  submit  to 
the Commission  (and to the other Member  States for  information)  their overall  proposal 
in  the  form  of  a  report,  presenting,  the  results  of  the  general  call  for  proposals,  by 
objective  and  by measure, the  assessment  procedure  and  the  technical  back-up  given  to 
promoters  as well  as a descriptive  and  reasoned  list  of proposals  likely to be retained  in 
order of priority. 

The  Commission  will  examine  each  report  and  liaise  accordingly  with  the 

5. 
Member State concerned. 

29 

At  the  end  of  the  examination,  the  Commission  will  submit  to  the  Committee  a 
6. 
proposal  on  how  the  year's  budgetary  resources  to  be  allocated  on  a  decentralised  basis 
should  be  distributed  by  measure  and  by  Member  State,  and  will  obtain  its  opinion  in 
accordance with the procedures set out in Article 6 of the Decision. 

7. 
After  receiving the opinion of the Committee, the Commission  will determine the 
final  amount  to  be  allocated  to  each  Member  State  and  the  list  of  proposals  accepted 
per measure. 

8.  The process on stages 5, 6 and 7 must not take more than two months. 

IIIB :  "Centralised selection " procedure 

1. 
The  centralised  selection  procedure  applies  to  the  Community  demonstration 
actions for  each measure and in particular concerns the proposals  submitted  by European 
organisations,  networks  set  up  to  utilise,  disseminate  and  propagate  the  results  of 
transnational  projects  on  a  Community  theme,  and  actions,  projects  or  demonstration 
networks having an experimental character as defined  in Section II above. 

(i) 

(ii) 

(iii) 

(iv) 

(v) 

(vi) 

Under the general call for proposals setting out the priorities, project  coordinators 
must  submit  a  pre-proposal  to  the  Commission  and,  for  information,  to  the 
management structure in their Member State. 

The  Commission,  in  consultation  with  the programme  Committee,  will  examine 
all  the  pre-proposals  and  make  a  selection.  The  project  coordinators  will  be 
informed  of the outcome of this pre-selection. 

The  coordinator  for  each  project  selected  at  the  close  of  this  first  phase  will 
forward  the  final  proposal  to  the  Commission  within  three  months  and,  for 
information,  to the management structure of his/her Member  State. 

The  Commission,  with  the  assistance  of  a  group  of  independent  experts 
appointed by  the  Commission  after  consulting  the  Member  States  and  the 
industry,  will  undertake  a 
circles concerned,  particularly  both  sides  of 
transnational  appraisal  of  the  proposals  received  and  establish  a  short  list  of 
actions for a European knowledge programme. 

The  Commission  will  seek  the  opinion  of  the  Committee  on  this  short  list  and 
finalise,  in accordance with the arrangements  set out in Article  7 of this Decision, 
the European knowledge programme. 

The  Commission  will  establish  the  final  list  of  proposals  selected  and  inform 
the Committee. 
these 
experimental projects. 

for  monitoring 

the  conditions 

set  out 

It  will 

30 

ANNEX B 

Overall budget breakdown 

1. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  operation,  and  no  later  than  1 March  every  year,  the 
Commission  will  submit to the Committee  an ex ante breakdown  of budget resources by 
type of measure, by procedures and taking into account, to this end, the objectives  set out 
in  Article  2  of  the  present  decision  and  will  seek  its  opinion.  The  Commission  will  on 
this  basis  define  an  indicative  budget  for  each  Member  State  for  the  implementation  of 
the measures covered by the decentralised  selection procedure. 

2. 
For  the  first  year  of  programme  implementation  and  only  for  the  transnational 
programmes  of  placements  and  exchanges  described  in  measure  Bl  and  defined  below 
undertaken before  1  October 2000, the Member States must submit to the Commission an 
operational plan no later than 31 March 2000. The Commission will on this basis allocate 
to each Member  State an amount on the basis of which it can go ahead with  transnational 
programmes. The amounts not used up within this allocation at  1 September 2000 will be 
incorporated  in the final amount  cf the global  grant as shown in the procedure  described 
in Section II below. 

Procedure 
exchange programmes 

for 

determining 

amounts 

for 

transnational 

placement 

and 

1. 
The  transnational  placement  and  exchange  programmes  for  young  people 
undergoing  initial  training  must  be  presented  to  the  Commission  for  examination  and 
approval  by  31  March  every  year.  They  must  indicate  clearly  for  each  programme  by 
group of beneficiaries: 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

the target publics of the programmes; 

the content and objectives in terms of skills and/or  qualifications; 

the  duration  of training  and/or  work  learning  experience  in a training  establishment 
and/or company; 

the  partners  associated  in  the  other  Member  State  or  States  if  the  training  periods 
take place consecutively in several; 

the arrangements for validating or recognising  skills and/or qualifications  acquired in 
the  training  system  of  the  original  Member  State  in  which  the  beneficiaries  are 
pursuing their training. 

For each category  of public targeted  by these programmes, the Commission  will  allocate 
a global grant established  on the basis of calculation criteria defined  within the procedure 
described in Article 7 of this decision, taking into account: 

* 

* 

the population; 

the GDP per capita in each Member State in terms of purchasing power parities; 

31 

* 

the geographical distance and the costs of transport; 

*  whenever  possible,  the  weight  of  the  target  public  concerned  in  relation  to  the 

overall population; 

* 

the overall unemployment figure  and the level of long term unemployment. 

In  any  event,  the  application  of  these  criteria  cannot  result  in  the  exclusion  of  any 
Member  State  from  funding  of  the  transnational  placement  and  exchange  programmes 
described above. 

The overall  grant  is allocated  to each  Member  State  on the basis  of the  abovementioned 
operational plan which must set out clearly: 

* 

* 

* 

the arrangements for managing financial  aid, 

the  steps  to  be  taken  to  assist  placement  and  exchange  organisers  to  identify 
potential partners, 

appropriate measures to be taken in the interests of sound preparation  (particularly in 
terms  of  teaching  and  language  preparation),  organisation  and  follow-up  of 
placements and exchanges. 

32 

ANNEX C 

Definitions 

For  the  purposes  of  this  Decision  and  taking  account  of  the  differences  which  exist 
between the systems and arrangements in the Member States: 

"initial  vocational  training"  means  any  form  of  initial  vocational  training, 
(a) 
including  technical  and  vocational  teaching  and  apprenticeship,  which  gives  young 
people access to a vocational qualification  recognised by the competent  authorities  in the 
Member State in which it is obtained; 

(b) 
"work-linked  training" means  vocational  training  at  all  levels, including  higher 
education, which opens on to a certificate  or a qualification  recognised  by the  competent 
authorities  of  the  Member  State  concerned,  and  involving  structured  periods  of  work-
linked training in a training establishment  and a company as separate and  complementary 
forums  of framing; 

"continuing vocational training" means any vocational training undertaken by a 

(c) 
worker in the Community during his working  life; 

(d) 
"lifelong  training"  means  the  training  opportunities  offered  to  any  individual 
throughout their lives to enable them to continually update their knowledge and skills  for 
the purposes of his career; 

(e) 
"vocational  guidance"  means  the  provision  of  advice  and  information  on  the 
choice  of  an  occupation  and  changes  of  occupation,  both  through  vocational  education 
and training and through individual information  initiatives; 

(f) 
"company"  means  all  companies  in  the  public  or  private  sector  whatever  their 
size, legal status or the economic sector in which they operate, and all types of economic 
activities, including the social economy; 

"worker" means all persons, whether in work or not, including the  self-employed, 

(g) 
who have links with the labour market; 

(h) 

(i)  "both  sides  of  industry  at  national  level" means  employers'  and  workers' 

organisations in conformity  with national laws and/or practices; 

(ii)  "both  sides  of  industry  at  Community  level"  means  employers'  and 
the 

the  social  dialogue  at 

taking  part 

in 

workers'  organisations 
Community level; 

(i) 
"training  body" means  any type  of  public,  semi-public  or  private  establishment 
which, in accordance with national  laws and/or practices, design  or undertake  vocational 
training,  further  training,  refresher  training  or  retraining,  irrespective  of  the  designation 
given to it in the Member States; 

"university" means any type of higher education  institution  which, in  accordance 
(j) 
with  national  laws  and/or  practices,  offer  higher  level  qualifications  or  diplomas, 
whatever such establishments may be called in the Member States; 

33 

"local and regional partners" means any player in regional and local life - local 
(k) 
authority, association, local chambers of commerce and associations, consortia, advisory 
bodies, the media - participating in local or regional cooperation activities which include 
training; 

"apprenticeship  and open and distance training" means any form  of  flexible 

(1) 
vocational training involving: 

the use of ICT techniques and services in traditional or modern form 

and 

support in the form of individualised advice and mentoring; 

(m) 
"European  training  pathways"  means  any  period  of  initial  or  continuing 
vocational  training  undertaken  in a Member  State  other  than  that  in  which  the person 
concerned is pursuing his/her training. 

(n) 
"Community  terms  of  reference" means  all  the  analyses,  studies,  surveys and 
identificatfon  of good practice which make it possible to locate, at Community level, the 
relative position of the various Member States and the progress made on a given subject 
or in a given area. 

34 

"LEONARDO  DA VINCI" PROGRAMME 

FINANCIAL  STATEMENT 

TITLE OF  OPERATION 

Second  phase  of  the  Community  vocational  training  action  programme  (Leonardo 
da Vinci II). 

2. 

BUDGET HEADING  INVOLVED 

B3 -  1021 -  Leonardo da Vinci and Part A. 

3. 

LEGAL BASIS 

Decision No  99/.../EC of the Council, of ../../l 999 establishing the second phase of 
the Community vocational training action programme (Leonardo da Vinci II). 

4.  CLASSIFICATION  OF EXPENDITURE OR REVENUE 

4.1.  Classification  of expenditure, FP heading 

Non-compulsory  expenditure, differentiated  appropriations, FP heading: 3 

4.2.  Period covered and arrangements for renewal or extension 

The programme covers the period  1  January 2000 - 31 December 2004. 
Any proposal  to extend the programme, depending  inter alia on the results  of 
the  interim  evaluation  stipulated  in  Article  12  of  the  Decision,  will  be 
submitted by the Commission by 30 June 2003. 

5.  TYPE OF EXPENDITURE OR REVENUE 

- 

- 

100% subsidy:  occasional  100% subsidy (public contracts); 

subsidy  for  joint  financing  with  other  sources  in  the  public  and/or  private 
sector:  this  is  the  norm:  the  measures  are  usually  co-financed  to  a  maximum 
of 75%. 

6.  NEED 

FOR 

COMMUNITY 

FINANCIAL 

AID 

AND 

OBJECTIVES  PURSUED 

6.1.  Grounds for Community  aid 

Entering,  re-entering  and  remaining  in  the  employment  market  in  all  the 
countries  of  Europe  depends  primarily  on  acquiring  occupational  skills  and 
qualifications  which  are  recognised.  This  process  rules  out  a  portion  of  the 
citizens  of  Europe  from  being  part  of  society  in  this  respect  (young  people 
with no work experience and the long-term unemployed). 

35 

With  regard  to  first-time  employment,  Community  cooperation  (PETRA,  ad 
hoc measures under  Leonardo  I) has  delivered  promising  results based  on the 
exchange of experience and sound practice: new training approaches, adapting 
teaching  methods  and  resources,  inter  alia  through  the  use  of  the  new 
information  and  communication  technologies  (ICTs).  In this  field,  moreover, 
as with higher education, we are witnessing strong demand from  young people 
for European exchange and mobility. 

Maintaining  a  high  level  of  employed  human  capital  in  Europe  implies 
catering for increasing training requirements throughout occupational  life: 

(a) 

because  of  the  demographic  trends  highlighted  by  the  Commission  in 
its  demographic  report20  the  replenishment  of  available  skills  will 
increasingly depend on workers already in jobs; 

(b) 

' 

successfully  adjusting  work  organisation  to  technological  innovation 
(widespread  use  of  new  ICTs)  largely  depends  on  how  the  workers 
already part of a company's workforce  develop their skills. 

The  Commission  has  emphasised21  how  much  progress  needs  to  be  made  in 
the European Union. Fewer than one worker out of four has access to any kind 
of  continuing  training  in  any  given  year.  Community  action  must  therefore 
promote diversification  of access to and acquisition  of new skills at European 
level  and  define  the  occupational  profiles  which  correspond  to  tomorrow's 
professions  in Europe. 

Lastly,  in  all  the  Community  countries,  access  to  skills  is  becoming  a  factor 
crucial  to  employability,  while  the  lack  of  skills  or  obsolete  skills  can  mean 
protracted  exclusion  from  the  labour  market,  a problem  ill  catered  for  by the 
traditional  solutions  of  adaptation  to  employment.  The  aim  is  to  apply 
Community  cooperation  to  developing  wholly  innovatory  approaches  which 
will help to stem this process of exclusion. 

6.2.  General objective of the operation 

Taking  over  the  pattern  from  the  first  Leonardo  programme  (particularly  the 
findings  of  the  interim  evaluation  report)  and  the  objectives  set  by  the 
Commission  in  its  communication  "Towards  a  Europe  of  knowledge",  the 
programme  will  undertake  action  in  the  area  of  vocational  training  and 
contribute  to  the  development  of  a  Community  knowledge  policy,  the  aim 
being to  create  a European  education  space  conducive  to the development  of 
lifelong  education  and  training  in  order  to  enhance  knowledge,  skills 
and citizenship. 

20  Demographic report  1997 COM(97)361  final. 
21  Report on access to continuing training in the European Union COM(97)180 final. 

36 

6.3.  Specific  aims and  measures 

The  proposal  for  a  second  phase  of  the  programme  seeks  to  continue  the 
Community-level  cooperation  between  vocational  training  players  and  to 
streamline  implementation  procedures.  In this  connection,  it  is proposed  that 
Community action be focused  on three objectives: 

• 

improve  and  strengthen  the  social  and  occupational  integration  of young 
people, in particular through work-linked training and apprenticeship. 

On the basis of the results of Leonardo I and considering the guidelines of the 
Commission  White  Paper  "Teaching  and  learning"22 a  definite  priority  will 
be  given  to  work-linked  training  and  apprenticeship  at  all  levels,  including 
higher education:  by encouraging  the definition  and  acquisition  of skills (key 
skills,  specific  occupational  skills  and  horizontal  skills)  this type of  training 
raises the perceived  level of employability  of young people and their personal 
ability to integrate. 

• 

to broaden  and  build  up  access  to quality  continuing  training  and  access 
to  lifelong  skills,  particularly  in  order  to  keep  abreast  of  technological 
and organisational  innovation. 

Community  cooperation  is  a  decisive  factor  (see  interim  evaluation  of 
Leonardo I) in stimulating  investment in training by all the players concerned 
and in removing the obstacles to access to training. 

• 

to consolidate the process of getting people whose position on the labour 
market  has  been  seriously  jeopardised  back  into  jobs,  particularly  by 
better  cooperation  between  business  circles,  training  circles  and  the 
relevant  infrastructures. 

These approaches will be adapted to the socio-institutional context and to the 
target  public  concerned  (marginalised  young  people,  adults  undergoing 
retraining,  older  workers,  immigrant  populations,  etc.),  and  will  help  to 
achieve  stronger  cooperation  between 
training  circles  (organisations, 
universities),  business  circles  (particularly  local  SMEs)  and  the  relevant 
infrastructures. 

Six  types  of  measures,  presented  in  the  Commission  communication 
"Towards  a  Europe  of  knowledge",  could  be  used  on  a  more  systematic 
basis for  each  of  the  objectives,  but  with  a  relative  weight  varying  from 
one objective  to  another.  In  the  case  of  the  objective  of  integration,  the 
physical  mobility  of apprentices  brings the highest  Community  added value. 
For  the  second  objective  (continuing  training),  the  intensification  of  worker 
mobility  would  generate 
insurmountable  organisational  and  budgetary 
problems,  and  the  focus  will  therefore  be  on  virtual  mobility,  pilot  projects 
and  networks.  As  for  the  third  objective  (getting  people  back  into jobs), the 

White  Paper  "Teaching  and  learning:  towards  the  learning  society". 

37 

most  efficient  type  of  measure  at  Community  level  is  the  dissemination  of 
sound practice through networks. 

1.  Physical  mobility:  support  for  mobility  (stepping  up  the  number  of 
short  and 
long-term  placements),  backed  up  by  exploratory  actions 
(study visits) and trial dissemination  (demonstration  actions); 

2.  Virtual mobility: transnational pilot projects  to promote use of the new 
ICTs in training, by means of European partnerships, the way being paved by 
preparatory and dissemination actions (demonstration  actions); 

3. 
Innovatory  pilot  projects: transnational  pilot  projects  generating  new 
products  and  processes  for  training  (accreditation,  access  to  skills,  etc.), 
backed  up  by  demonstration  actions  for  the  monitoring  and  dissemination 
of results; 

the  creation  and  running  of 
4.  European  networks:  support  for 
transnational  networks  of  cooperation,  expertise  and  demonstration  with  a 
view  to  mutual  exchange  of  experience  and  sound  practice  in  the  area  of 
vocational training; 

5.  Language skills: promotion of language skills and the understanding of 
different  cultures by means of transnational  pilot  projects  opening  on to new-
training  products  and  methods  tailored  to  the  requirements  of  the  world  of 
work, and to the enhancement  of trainers'  skills (mobility actions); 

6.  Terms  of  reference:  support  for  the  dissemination  of  sound  practice 
and  the  improvement  of  the  knowledge  of  systems  and  arrangements  in 
vocational training, by consolidating  instruments  of comparison  (quantitative 
and qualitative data bases). 

The work carried  out on certain themes  (access to skills, continuing training, 
etc.) have brought out the need for prior comparison  in order to have systems 
of  transnational  indicators,  key  elements  for  the  future  common  systems  of 
evaluation and benchmarking. 

Three additional remarks need to be made: 

(a)  The financial  planning envisages different  timescales  for  each measure; 
while  it  is  realistic  to  consider  that  physical  mobility  actions  will 
gradually  gather  momentum,  virtual  mobility  and  networks,  which 
innovation,  require  a  more  marked  rate  of 
constitute  a  definite 
expansion  from  a comparatively  low  starting  base. There  will  be  fewer 
pilot  projects  and  language  actions  than  at  present  (priority  going  to 
innovation), but again with a significant  rate of development. 

(b)  These  measures  may  also  be  implemented  within  joint  actions  with 
the areas  of  education  and  youth.  The  Commission  will  for  this 
to  be  most  appropriate, 
purpose use 
e.g. joint calls  for  proposals  across  the  three  programmes,  for  limited 
and specific  operations. 

the  arrangements  deemed 

38 

(c)  The  proposal  provides  for  two  types  of  project  selection  procedure, 
based on a call for  proposals for  which the priorities will be renewed  at 
the half-way  stage of the programme: 

•  Decentralised 

selection  based  on 

specifications 
(delegation  of greater responsibility to the national  authorities), the 
final decision remaining the responsibility of the Commission.  This 
procedure will apply to most projects. 

common 

•  Centralised  selection:  this  procedure  will  apply  to  projects 
to  European-scale 

submitted 
dissemination networks and to certain demonstration  actions. 

by  European  organisations, 

6.4.  Target population  and concept of critical mass: 

The  six  measures  implemented  directly  target  the  final  beneficiaries  of  the 
vocational  training  (young  people  undergoing  physical  mobility),  trainers 
and/or  decision-makers  as  multipliers  (study  visits,  physical  mobility 
'demonstration  actions,  and  mobility  of  in-company  language  teachers)  or  the 
different  parties  concerned,  public  and/or  private  organisations  and 
institutions as mentioned  in Article 4 of the decision, as the case may be. 

For  the  physical  mobility  of  young  people,  roughly  30  000  grants  were 
awarded under Leonardo I. The new phase of the programme is aiming higher: 
around  75 000  annual  grants  by  the  end  of  the  period.  We  are  seeking  to 
emulate, if possible, the level of success achieved  by Erasmus, but in the field 
of  mobility  of  apprentices  and  other  young  people  undergoing  vocational 
training,  in  terms  of  visibility  of  Community  action,  changing  mentalities 
among the potential beneficiaries, public opinion and decision-makers. 

The  number  of  projects  funded  for  the  other  types  of  measures  has  been 
deliberately  limited  in  order  to  concentrate  efforts  on  the  quality  of  action 
supported  and  thus  the  impact  of  their  dissemination.  For  instance,  the 
increased  expertise  incorporated  in  the  projects,  which  responds  to  the 
conclusions  of  the  external  interim  evaluation  of  Leonardo  I,  is  particularly 
significant  in the case of innovatory pilot projects. 

7.  FINANCIAL  IMPACT 

7.1.  Method of calculating total cost of operation (definition  of unit costs) 

7.1.1.  Measure  1 (Physical mobility) 

(a) Short-term placements (two weeks -  three months): 

. This  part  is  intended  for  young  people  in  training,  students,  young 
people  with  qualifications,  young  workers  and  young  people 
available on the labour market. Estimated unit cost: ECU  1 500. This 
amount  is based  on the minimum  costs  of the  following  elements  of 
which it could be comprised: 

39 

Subsistence costs (average 30 days at ECU 25/day): 

750 

Travelling costs: 

Insurance: 

Preparation/organisation/teaching  support: 

Total unit cost (minimum) 

500 

50 

200 

1 500 ECU 

(i.e. ECU 50/day) 

The average  daily  cost  of  short-term  placements  (an average  of three 
weeks)  under  Leonardo  I  was  around  45 ECU/day  in  1995;  the 
increase  is accounted  for  by the  strengthening  of teaching  support  in 
line with the recommendations  of the interim  evaluation. 

(b) Long-term  placement (3 months -  12 months) 

The target  group  remains  the  same.  The  average  duration  being  four 
months  in  the  current  programme,  placement  organisation  becomes 
more  complex  than  that  of  short-term  training  periods  and  teaching 
support therefore  has to be more comprehensive. Estimated  unit  cost: 
ECU 4 200, based on the following  minimum costs: 

Subsistence costs (average  120 days at ECU 25/day):  3 000 

Travelling costs: 

Insurance costs: 

Preparation/organisation/teaching  support: 

Total unit cost (minimum) 

500 

200 

500 

4 200 ECU 
(i.e. ECU 35/day) 

The  average  daily  cost  of  long-term  placements  (averaging  91  days) 
under  Leonardo  I was  around  ECU 31/day  in  1995. The difference  is 
partly 
comprehensive 
need 
explained 
teaching  support. 

for  more 

the 

by 

(c) Study visits ( 1 -6  weeks): 

The  target  group  consists  of  trainers,  mentors,  vocational  training 
specialists and the average duration  is two weeks. 

Estimated  unit cost: ECU  2 100 (i.e. ECU  150/day) 

the 
The  difference  of  daily  average  cost  compared  with 
two previous actions  is  accounted  for  primarily  by  the  subsistence 
costs 
population 
(ECU110/day) 
(adults on assignment). 

generated 

target 

the 

by 

(d) Demonstration  actions 

The  target  group  combines  those  of  the  actions  described  above. 
These  multilateral  exchange  pathfinder  projects  will  give  the  target 
public  an example  of tangible  mechanisms  for  geograpnical  mobility 
on  a  truly  European  scale.  They  will  bring  together  several  regions 
and/or  occupational  sectors  in  European  networks  of  work-linked 
training (including apprenticeship). 

Each  action,  wholly  funded  by  the  Community,  will 
involve 
on average  10 countries,  i.e.  10 national  management  structures;  the 
annual  unit  cost  is  estimated  at  ECU 400 000,  i.e.  ECU 40 000 
per structure. 

The  calculation  basis  consists  of  nine  demonstration  actions 
(each country  being  involved  on  average  in  six  actions)  for  the 
duration  of  the  programme,  with  an  amount  of  ECU 400 000 
per action per year, i.e. ECU 3.6 million per year. 

7.7.2.  Measure 2 (Virtual mobility): 

This  new  measure  covers  two-year  projects  and  its  purpose  is  to 
promote  the  new  ICTs  for  the  design  of  new  vocational  training 
material (cf.  interim evaluation of Leonardo I). 

(a) Transnational virtual mobility projects: 

These projects  for new multimedia educational material will take into 
account the professional  practices of several countries (ideally four or 
five, with one expert per country, plus a small specialised  multimedia 
team for the master copy). The total unit cost  is estimated  at between 
ECU 550 000 and 900 000, on the basis of the following  costs: 

Design of the medium (development  of the master copy) 

Cost of producing an interactive CD-ROM: 

or Cost of producing a diskette: 

150 000-200 000 

100 000-120 000 

or Cost of producing an Internet site (texts): 

50 000-60 000 

Experts' costs, working half-time  over two years 
(5-7 experts, multimedia team included): 

work: 5-7 x 235 days x ECU 300/day: 

350 000-500 000 

Travel and meetings (1/quarter) at ECU  1  000 x 4 experts):  32 000 

Assistance and secretariat (4 persons working  half-time 
over 2 years, ECU  150/day): 

70 000 

Miscellaneous (hire of equipment,  communication) 

over 2 years: 

40 000-60 000 

Costs of dissemination  (brochures, etc.): 

10 000-50 000 

Total unit cost 

ECU 550 000-900 000 approx. 

41 

The  Community's  financial  contribution  is  limited  to  75%  of  the 
total costs,  with  a  ceiling  of  ECU 300 000  per  project  per  year 
two-year  period). 
(for a project  costing  ECU  800 000  .over  a 
Five projects,  two  major  projects  (multimedia  CD-ROM)  and  three 
other less elaborate projects  (straightforward  publications, or Internet 
site text) will be launched in each country. 

With  financial  support  of  2  x  ECU 300 000  per  multimedia  project 
and  2  x  ECU 200 000  per  non-multimedia  project,  the  level  of 
commitment  envisaged  is  ECU  17.8  million  per  year  on  average 
(without prejudice to the schedule for the launching of projects). 

(b) Community demonstration  actions 

These  are  two-yearly  actions  covering  all  the  participant  countries 
and  entirely  funded  by  the  Commission.  They  help  to  strengthen 
training policy and the transfer  of technology through the new ICTs. 

Estimated unit cost: ECU 600 000. 

It is hoped to launch on this basis an average of roughly five twro-year 
approaching 
level  of 
projects  yearly, 
ECU 3 million yearly. 

commitment 

i.e.  a 

7.1.3.  Measure 3 

(a) Innovatory pilot projects 

These  help  to  achieve  broader  impact  of  teaching  methods  through 
the dissemination of products incorporating the new ICTs. 

By analogy with the cost of a  'basic'  virtual  mobility project  (e.g. an 
Internet  site with no video animation), the total  cost can be estimated 
at  around  ECU 500 000  over  two  years.  With  the  ceiling  on 
cofinancing  set  at  75%, the  level  of  commitment  for  each  two-year 
project  is 2 x 200 000 = ECU 400 000. 

This  level  of unit  cost  reflects  the  strengthening  of the  expertise  and 
technical follow-up  of the projects  (in line with the conclusions of the 
interim  evaluation  of  Leonardo  I).  This  is  offset  by  the  degree  of 
concentration:  the  launch  of  5  projects  per  country  every  year, 
i.e. approximately  75  two-year  pilot  projects  yearly  (a  reduction  of 
around  80%  in  the  number  of  projects  compared  to  Leonardo  I), 
with a  maximum  support  of  2  x  ECU 200 000  per  project, 
i.e. ECU 30 million yearly. 

(b) Demonstration  actions 

The two-year  demonstration  actions  will  relate  amongst  other  things 
to  new  forms  of  accreditation  of  skills  and  'second  chance'  training 
arrangements. The estimated cost is ECU 400 000. 

42 

The  Commission  intends  to  launch  an  average  of  around  nine 
demonstration  actions  of  this  type  on  what  are  considered  to  be 
priority issues (accreditation, quality of training, access to skills, etc.) 
with  100%  Community  support  (ECU 400 000  committed  at  the 
launch), i.e. ECU 4 million yearly. 

7.1.4.  Measure 4 (European networks): 

(a) Multi-player training consortia 

The  purpose  of  these  structures  is  to  bring  the  business  sector  and 
vocational  training  institutions  closer together, taking  as  a model  the 
this 
COMETT  programme's  UITP  which  successfully 
process.  Between  1992  and  1994, around  220  UITP  were  supported 
by  the  Commission  to  a total  of  ECU  24  million  (i.e.  an  average  of 
approximately ECU 36 000 per UITP every year). 

initiated 

(again  on  a 

training  consortia 

and 
regional 
Multi-player 
this  process.  The 
sectoral basis)  will  be  used 
Commission's  cofinancing, 
is  50% 
(and ECU 50 000  per  year  per  operation),  is  spread  over  five  years 
and  its  degressive  nature  is  an  incentive  to  seek  alternative  funding 
(involvement of local authorities). 

to  underpin 

the  ceiling 

for  which 

On a slightly lesser  scale than was the case of the UITP  network,  the 
initial  number  of  the  consortia  will  be  gradually  stepped  up,  in  two 
stages,  by  25%> in  the  2 000-2002  period.  This  increased  volume  of 
activity  takes  account  of  the  inclusion  of  countries  in  the  pre-
accession phase. 

(in 

2000 

2001 

ECU million) 
2002 

2003 

2004 

Number of 
consortia 

Total 
2000-
2004 

200 

10.000 

8.000 

6.000 

4.000 

2.000 

25 

25 

1.250 

1.000 

0.750 

0.500 

1.250 

1.000 

0.750 

Total:  250 

10.000 

9.250 

8.250 

5.750 

3.250 

36.500 

(b) Networks of Community  expertise and  dissemination 

The  point  of  this  demonstration  action  is  to  distil  and  disseminate 
European  expertise  and  innovatory  approaches  to the  priority  themes 
of  common  interest:  the  link  between  training  and  working  time, 
'learning  organisations',  accreditation  of  skills,  modernisation  of 
apprenticeship,  integration  of  the  handicapped,  etc.  The  complexity 
of  these  themes  makes  it  necessary  to  launch  at  least  20  networks 
over the programme's duration. 

43 

The  programme  should  last  a  minimum  of  three  years:  at  least  two 
years to build up and  compare  expertise, and another year to help the 
networks  to become  self-sustaining  by disseminating  and  comparing 
findings  with outside expertise. 

The  Community  may  fund  up to  75% of eligible  expenditure, with a 
minimum  of ECU  150 000 per year and per network  and  a ceiling  of 
ECU 500 000 per year. 

The estimated  average annual budget  for  a project  of average scale is 
around  ECU 400 000,  based  on  a  costs  structure  incorporating  two 
main  components:  expertise 
(one  expert  per  country)  and 
dissemination  (publications; Internet forum  site and its updating). 

The  ceiling  on  Community  cofinancing  is  set  at  ECU 900 000, 
i.e. 3 x  ECU 300 000.  Irrespective  of  how  the  launches  may  be 
spread  over  time;  this  action  represents  a  total  commitment  of 
3 x ECU 300 000 x 20 networks = ECU 18 million. 

7.1.5.  Measure 5 (Language skills) : 

Language  and  cultural  preparation  helps  to  make  a  success  of 
mobility activities, particularly those concerning work-linked  training 
importance  of 
and 
continuing training for in-company language teachers. 

their  dissemination,  whence 

including 

the 

(a) Transnational  programmes of exchange for language trainers 

Leonardo  II  envisages  for  the  period  2000-2004  an  average  of 
500 beneficiaries  yearly,  with  a  support  of  ECU 2 250  per  exchange 
(in relation to the  study visits under Measure  1, the additional  cost is 
accounted for by the longer stay and the cost of continuing training). 

The  level of commitment  for  an average volume of 500 exchanges  is 
ECU 2 250 = ECU 1.125 million yearly. 

(b) Pilot projects 

These  projects  last  a  maximum  of  two  years  and  are  designed 
teaching  material  suited 
to prepare,  evaluate  and  disseminate 
to the needs  of  each  occupational  area  and  economic  sector 
- including language  audits  -  and  innovatory  self-tuition  language 
learning methods. 

The  programme  will  involve  on  average  the  equivalent  of  15  major 
pilot projects  yearly, whose  cost  structure  can be compared  with that 
of  the  virtual  mobility  projects  (Measure  2).  Assuming  an  average 
level  of  complexity  (multimedia  teaching  CD-ROMs),  the  unit  cost 
of a teaching material pilot project  is around ECU 400 000. 

As  the  ceiling  for  Community  funding  is  set  at  ECU  150 000,  the 
above objective means an average commitment of  15 x 2 x  150 000 = 
ECU 4.5 million yearly. 

44 

7.1.6.  Measure 6 (Terms of reference): 

(a)  Actions  to  establish,  update  and  disseminate  Community 
terms of reference for the comparison of training systems 

These  are  actions  launched  on  the  initiative  of  the  participating 
countries  and  will  help,  through  surveys,  analyses  and/or  studies, to 
compile  data  which  are  comparable  on  Member  States'  vocational 
training  systems  and  arrangements  or  which  can  give  quantitative 
and/or  qualitative  information  in  support  of  policies  and  training 
practices in the context of lifelong  training. 

The  ceiling  for  Community  co-financing  can  vary  from  50  to  100% 
depending  on  the  case  and  the  average  will  be  75%, the  maximum 
being set at ECU 500 000 per project per year. 

(i) Three major surveys 

These  will  cover  work-linked  training  and  apprenticeship,  access  to 
initial training and access to continuing training. 

On the basis of an average funding  rate (75%), the funding  granted to 
each of the three major  two-yearly surveys comes to ECU 2.9 million 
per  survey,  i.e.  ECU 8.7  million  for  the  three  surveys  for  the  whole 
of the programme. 

(ii) Other projects 

The  estimated  amount  needed  for  these  other  three-year  projects  is 
ECU 4.5 million. 

rate  of  75%  the  Commission's 

At  a  co-financing 
financial 
contribution  will  therefore  be  around  ECU 300 000  for  one  project 
per  lead  country  every  three  years  on  average  (25  three-year 
projects  over  five  years),  i.e.  5  projects  x  3  x  ECU 300 000  = 
ECU 4.5 million committed yearly. 

(b) Demonstration  actions wholly financed  by the Commission 

Following  up  its  report  on  the  implementation  of  the  Council 
Recommendation  of June  1993 on access to continuing training, it is 
the  Commission's  intention,  in  close  conjunction  with  both  sides  of 
industry  and  with  CEDEFOP,  to  support 
the  creation  of  an 
arrangement  to  observe  sound  practice  on  access  to  training,  the 
development 
skills, 
particularly at branch  level. 

transparency  of  qualifications 

and 

and 

Annual  running  costs  for  this  observation  arrangement  would  be  an 
estimated  ECU  1.3  million yearly. 

45 

7.7. 7.  Accompanying measures 

(a)  Studies,  experts'  meetings,  seminars, 
publications 

information  and 

This  mainly  involves  information,  follow-up,  organisational  and 
dissemination  activities  by  the  participant  countries  and  by  the 
Commission,  e.g.  'contact  and  information  days'  for potential  project 
promoters at European level, seminars in the various countries, etc. 

(b) Evaluations 

*  External  evaluation:  a total  of ECU  1 million  is required  for 

the two external evaluations (interim and final); 

*  Internal  evaluation:  subsidy  for  national  evaluation  work. 
The  two  internal  evaluations  require  Community  funding  or 
around ECU  1 million for the whole of the programme 

(c) National  assistance 

This primarily involves costs of integrated  management  structures  for 
level  of 
Leonardo II  in  each  participant  country.  The  higher 
decentralisation  in  project  management  means  that  these  structures 
will  have  to  see  to  more  important  tasks,  particularly  with  regard  to 
total  budget  of 
follow-up  of  projects.  A 
monitoring  and 
ECU  10 million  yearly  (in  terms  of  Community  co-financing  with  a 
ceiling of 50%) is required for this. This amount can be related to that 
allocated  in  1998  (ECU  10.2 million)  for  the  running  of the  national 
coordination  bodies  (agencies  and  national  vocational  guidance 
resource centres). 

(d) Technical assistance at central  level 

The  Commission  will  use  the  services  of  a  common  technical 
assistance  office  (TAO)  to  implement  the  Leonardo  da  Vinci 
programme (plus the Socrates and Youth programmes). 

The administrative tasks entrusted to this office  are: 

• 

• 

assistance  with  the  logistics  of  the  programme  (e.g.  informatics 
backup,  production  and  dissemination  of  vade  mecums  or 
applicants'  guides); 

in 

assistance 
the  collection,  examination,  processing  and 
evaluation  of  part  of  the  requests  for  financing  submitted  to the 
Commission under the centralised  procedure; 

preparation  of  financial  agreements  for  part  of  the  requests  for 
funding,  after  selection  of  the  projects  by the  Commission:  these 
agreements will be signed by the  Commission: 

making payments and recovery  orders under these agreements. 

Use  of  this  technical  assistance  is  justified  by  the  fact  that  the 
programmes  in  question  are  'mass'  programmes  involving  a  high 
volume  of  transactions  which  are  standardised  and  which  relate  in 
most  cases  to  small  amounts.  Office  tasks  will  be  performed  under 
the supervision  of the Commission  and will not involve delegation of 
public service tasks. 

The  contribution  of  the  Leonardo  programme  to  the  annual 
running  costs  of  the  TAO  will  not  exceed  3%  of  the  programme's 
annual  funding.  The  contract  with  the  office  will  incorporate  'good 
practice'  clauses  to  avoid  clashes  of  interest,  to  define  points  of 
incompatibility and to impose observance of  confidentiality. 

7.2. 

Indicative schedule by components  of the operation 

Commitment appropriations in mi 

lion ECU 

Indicative  schedule 
Measure 1 
Physical  mobility 
Measure 2 
Virtual  mobility 
Measure 3 
Pilot  projects 
Measure 4 
European  networks 
Measure 5 
Language  skills 
Measure 6 
Terms of  reference 
Accompanying 
measures 
Total 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

82.0 

84.4 

99.3 

121.7 

137.3 

8.8 

11.4 

17.4 

28.6 

37.2 

29.2 

28.8 

30.4 

39.6 

40.0 

11.8 

12.0 

12.8 

14.8 

4.7 

7.5 

4.7 

7.6 

5.3 

7.5 

6.3 

7.6 

3.3 

7.2 

7.5 

16.0 

16.1 

17.3 

16.4 

17.5 

Total 

524.7 

103.4 

168.0 

54.7 

28.2 

37.7 

83.3 

160.0 

165.0 

190.0 

235.0 

250.0 

1 000.0 

47 

7.3.  Schedule  of  commitment  appropriations/payment 

appropriations. 

Itemised breakdown of cost 

Commitment 
appropriations 
Payment  appropriations 
2000 

2001 

2002 
2003 
2004 
2005 
2006 
2007 
Total 

Commitment  appropriations  in million ECU 

2000 
160.0 

2001 
165.0 

2002 
190.0 

2003 
235.0 

2004 
250.0 

Total 
1 000.1 

121.3 

27.2 

8.2 
3.3 

124.7 
28.1 
8.9 
•^  n 
:>.:> 

144.3 
32.1 
10.2 
3.4 

175.3 
41.1 
14.7 
3.9 

160.0 

165.0 

190.0 

235.0 

191.0 
40.7 
16.7 
1.6 
250.0 

121.3 

151.9 

180.6 
219.6 
245.6 
58.8 
20.6 
1.6 
1 000.1 

8.  FRAUD PREVENTION  MEASURES 

legal  commitments  concluded  between 

All  contracts,  agreements  and 
the 
Commission  and  the  beneficiaries  of  payments  allow  for  first  and  second-degree 
checks  in  situ  (i.e.  on  the  direct  beneficiary  of  the  Community  subsidy  or  the 
second-degree  beneficiary  in  the  case  of  an  activity  managed  in  a  decentralised 
manner) by the  Commission  and  the  Court  of Auditors, and also  for  the  production 
of  all  documentary  evidence  of  expenditure  undertaken  under  these  contracts, 
agreements  and  legal  commitments  for  a period  of  five  years  following  the  end  of 
the contract  period.  Moreover,  the recipients  of aid  in respect  of actions  are  obliged 
to  submit  financial  reports  and  accounts  which  are  analysed  both  from  the  point  of 
view  of  eligibility  of  expenditure  in  accordance  with  the  objective  of  Community 
financing  and taking due account  of the contractual  obligations and the principles of 
economy and financial  management. 

Attached  to  the  financial  agreements  are  administrative  and  financial  information 
intended inter alia to specify  expenditure which is eligible under these agreements. If 
necessary,  limiting  Community  assistance  to  the  coverage  of  certain  cost  elements 
which  are  real,  identifiable  and  verifiable  in  the  beneficiary's  accounts  will  make 
supervision  and  auditing  (and  evaluation  at  the  time  of  selection)  of  the  subsidised 
projects  easier. 

The  agreements  between  the  Commission  and  the  organisations  designated  to 
manage  the  decentralised  activities  will  include  a  number  of  clauses  which  these 
organisations must incorporate  in the agreements with the final  beneficiaries  in order 
to  guarantee  the  highest  level  of  protection  possible  in  respect  of  the  interests  both 
of  the  final  beneficiaries  and  of  the  Community.  These  organisations  are  urged  to 
define  and implement  an audit policy  with the final  beneficiaries. 

9. 

MONITORING  AND EVALUATION  OF THE  OPERATION 

9.1.  Details  and  frequency  of  planned  evaluations  -  assessment  of  the 

results obtained 

The action programme planned will be constantly monitored  on the basis of 
a partnership between the Commission and the Member States. 

To assess how effective  it is, this programme will be continuously  evaluated 
by  means  of  an  interim  evaluation  and  a  final  evaluation.  Additional 
evaluations may be carried out at the instigation of the Member  States or the 
Commission in order to identify  transferable  experiences. 

The interim evaluation  will examine  the preliminary  results of action taken, 
the  relevance  of  the  objectives  and  the  extent  to  which  they  have  been 
attained.  It  includes  an  analysis  of  the  situation  as  regards  equal 
*  opportunities  for  women  and  men.  It will  also  examine  the  sound  financial 
management  and  the  details  of  monitoring  and  implementation.  It  will  be 
based on reports which the Member  States must forward  to the  Commission 
by  31  December  2002,  backed  up  by  an  external  evaluation.  The 
Commission  will  draw  up  a  summary  report  on  the  basis  of  these  national 
reports and of the external evaluation by 30 June 2003. 

The point  of the final evaluation  is to account  for  how resources have  been 
used,  how  effective  and  efficient  Community  action  has  been  and  what 
impact  it  has  had  on  vocational  training  systems  and  arrangements,  and  to 
draw the lessons for  implementing  a Community  vocational  training policy. 
This  evaluation  will  be  based  on  reports  which  the  Member  States  must 
forward  to  the  Commission  by  30  June  2005,  backed  up  by  an  external 
evaluation. The Commission will  draw up a summary report  on the basis of 
these national reports and of the external evaluation by 31 December 2005. 

9.2.  Monitoring and evaluation of the operation 

Monitoring  will  focus  essentially  on  the  operational  aspects  of  programme 
implementation. The salient features  will be: 

*  building  up  a  data  base  and  a  common  informatics  platform  for 
management  of  the  programme  actions  by  the  players  concerned;  this 
will permit project management,  will make inter-agency consultation and 
cooperation  easier,  and  will  provide  facts  and  figures  on  the  activity 
generated by the programme; 

*  analysis  of  reports  from  beneficiaries  and  other  partners,  and  of  direct 
contributions  resulting  from  meetings  and  seminars  held  to  monitor  the 
progress of actions; 

*  regular  feedback  from  the  integrated  management  structures  defined  in 

Article 5(3) of the Decision; 

49 

*  training and awareness-raising  in order to foster  a 'culture'  of monitoring 

and evaluation among the players involved. 

9.3.  Performance  indicators  selected 

The  following  indicators  are  given  as  examples  of  criteria  for  assessing  the 
performance  of the measures  envisaged: 

9.3.1.  Output indicators (measuring activities used) 

9.3.1.1.  Quantitative: 

• 

for the mobility actions: 

-  number of requests for grants  received/eligible/accepted; 

- 

average (duration, unit cost, daily cost) of mobility; 

-  matrix  of 
country); 

transnational 

flows 

(country  of  origin;  host 

-  number 

and 

by 
age/sex/(educational,  social-economic,  etc.)  profile  and  origin 
(urban/rural, nationality, region of origin, etc.); 

participants 

distribution 

of 

• 

for the transnational  projects: 

-  number  of  projects  received/eligible/financed  by  country  and 

by sector-typology; 

-  number  of  projects  by  type  of  contractor  (SMEs,  big 

companies, training organisations, etc.); 

- 

average duration, unit  cost  of projects  and rate of  cofinancing 
by category. 

9.3.1.2.  Qualitative: 

•  Mobility actions: 

- 

- 

trainees'  level  of  satisfaction  with  grants,  and  origin  of 
top-up resources; 

relative  perception  of  Leonardo  mobility  in  relation  to 
existing national programmes; 

•  Transnational  projects:  in  particular,  innovatory  character  based 

on the following  criteria: 

-  overall  quality  of  integration  between  the  measures  of 

the programme; 

- 

consideration  of  experience,  achievements  of  projects 
completed under Leonardo I. 

50 

9.3.2. 

Impact indicators 

9.3.2.1.  Quantitative : 

• 

for mobility actions: 

- 

- 

increase 
in  demand 
organisations/companies; 

from  young  people 

and 

from 

rate  of 

the  vocational  qualification  prepared; 
success 
recruitment  rate  in  the  six  months  after  finishing  school 
(or completing the traineeship, after  schooling); 

• 

transnational  projects: 

for 
durability  of  dissemination,  which 
Community added value: 

in  particular,  extensiveness  and 
integral  part  of 

is  an 

- 

- 

number of transferable  products from pilot projects/number of 
products subsequently  marketed; 

number  of  beneficiaries/final  users  actually  reached,  broken 
down  by  category  of  users  and/or  by  category  of  medium 
(CD-ROM, Internet, etc.); 

9.3.2.2.  Qualitative: 

•  mobility actions: 

- 

actual participation by the SMEs in this process; 

-  perceptible  knock-on  effect  on  training  policies,  on  mobility, 

particularly beyond border areas; 

- 

group of Leonardo  trainees: verdict  of the players  involved  in 
occupational  placement 
interim 
agencies, etc.) on what the training period has brought  in terms 
of profile  and employability; 

(employment 

agencies, 

- 

impact  in  the  contexts  of  school/pre-school  guidance  and  of 
occupational  (re)integration; 

• 

transnational  projects: 

- 

- 

- 

integration  of  a  genuine  European  dimension  in  national 
arrangements; 

application  of  vocational  training  criteria  in  connection  with 
the  policy  on  competitiveness  at  the  Community 
level, 
particularly with a view to developing a benchmarking  system; 

of 

profile 
definition 
("EUROPASS/training"), particularly  at sectoral  level, and use 
of Community references  in actual practice. 

transnational 

qualification 

a 

51 

All these indicators will serve as a basis for the continuing evaluation to 
be  carried  out  in  cooperation  between  the  Commission  and  each 
Member State. 

10. 

ADMINISTRATIVE  EXPENDITURE 

The  real  allocation  of  the  administrative  resources  needed  will  depend  on 
the Commission's  annual  decision  on  the  allocation  of  resources,  considering 
the 
in particular 
budget  authority. 

the  additional  staffing  and  financing 

levels  agreed  by 

10.1.  Will  the  proposed  operation 

involve  an 

increase 

in  the  number  of 

Commission staff? If so, how many? 

Type of posts 

Staffing  to be allocated  to 
managing the operation 

of whom 

Duration 

Permanent 
posts 

Temporary 
posts 

Through  use  of 
existing  resources 
in  the  DG  or  the 
department 
concerned 

through  use 
of  additional 
resources 

Officials  or 
temporary 
agents 

A 
B 
C 

15 
7 
8 

resources 

Other 
(NES - A7003) 

1 

1 

Total 

32 

16 
7 
8 

1 

32 

10.2.  Overall financial  impact of human  resources 

Officials  (*) 
Temporary agents 
Other resources (NES - A7003) 

Total 

Amounts 

16 200 000 
540 000 
185 000 

16 925 000 

2 000 - 2 004 

(ECU) 

Method of calculation 

''  108 kECU x 30 h/yr x 5 yrs 
108 kECU x  lh/yr x 5 yrs 
1  NES x 5 years 

(*) Through the use of existing resources allocated to managing the operation  (calculation 
based on headings A-l, A-2, A-4, A-5 and A-7) - annual cost. 

52 

10.3.  Financial  impact of other operational  expenditure arising from the operation 

Budget  heading 
(number and  title) 
Mission  costs 

A-7010 

975 000 

Amounts 

Method  of calculation 

(ECU) 

A-7030 

Costs of meetings, 

etc. 

1 365 000 

A-7031 

Total 

Costs of organising 
Meetings of Committees 
Whose consultation  is a 
Compulsory part of the 
Preparatory procedure  for 
Community  instruments 

485  100 

2 825  100 

15 Member States 
x 20 missions 
x ECU 650/mission 
(see  1 below) 
(4 +  10) meetings 
x 2 participants 
x  15 Member  States 
x ECU 650 x 5 years 
(see 2 below) 
3 meetings x 4 participants 
x  15 Member States 
x  ECU  650  (ECU  753  for 
both  sides  of 
industry)  x 
5 years 
(see 3 below) 

The appropriations will be taken from  DGXXII's existing budget. 

1. 
On  the  basis  of  the  missions judged  necessary  under  the  current  programme  and 
taking  account  of  the  fact  that  more  use  will  be  made  of  decentralised  management 
arrangements  involving in particular a higher degree of in situ monitoring, the theoretical 
estimate  of  around  20  days  of  missions  per  Member  State  per  year  seems  to  be 
a minimum. 

The  administrative  appropriations  needed  on heading  A-7030  (costs  of  meetings, 

2. 
etc.) are intended to cover the following  expenditure: 

• 

• 

four  annual  meetings  of  the  programme's 
involving two participants,per Member State; 

integrated  management  structures, 

ten  annual  meetings  on  specific  themes  connected  with  programme  implementation, 
each bringing together two participants per Member State. 

Coverage  of  the  following  expenditure:  three  annual  meetings  of  the  programme 
three  representatives  per  Member  State  (one  government 

3. 
committee, 
representative and two representatives  for both sides of industry)-

involving 

SME IMPACT  ASSESSMENT 

Impact of the proposal on the business community, with particular emphasis on 
small and medium-sized  enterprises  (SMEs) 

Title of the proposal 

Proposal  for  a  Council  Decision  establishing  the  second  phase  of  the  Community 
vocational training action programme  "Leonardo da Vinci" 

Document reference number: XXXX 

The proposal 

1. 

In  the  light  of  the  principle  of  subsidiarity,  why  is  Community  legislation 
necessary in this field  and what are its main objectives! 

The  proposal  for  a  Decision  presented  by  the  Commission  follows  on  from  the 
Commission's  Communication  "Towards a Europe of knowledge" (COM(97) 563 final), 
backed  up  by the  provisions  of  Articles  126 and  127  of  the  Treaty  aimed  at  promoting 
European  cooperation  in the  fields  of  education,  youth  and  vocational  training.  It  builds 
on the experience gained from  the first phase of implementation  of the Leonardo da Vinci 
programme  (1994-99),  as  per  the  interim  evaluation  carried  out  by  the  Commission 
(COM(97) 399 final). Through  greater  European-level  cooperation  between  the  different 
parties  involved  in  vocational  training,  the  aim  is  to  create  a  European  education  area 
fostering  the lifelong  development of vocational training and skills  enhancement. 

The  approach  proposed  by  the  Commission,  respecting  fully  the  responsibility  of  the 
Member  States for the content  and organisation  of vocational  training  systems, and being 
in  no  way  designed  to  harmonise  the  applicable  laws,  regulations  or  administrative 
provisions,  places  the  emphasis  on  three  key policy  elements  reflecting  priorities  shared 
by all the Member States: 

* 

* 

* 

access to training resources for workers and other individuals undergoing training; 

promotion  of  innovation  in  the  field  of  vocational  training,  exploring  new  avenues 
through  the  pooling  of  experience  in  the  different  Member  States  and  through  the 
exchange and wide dissemination  of good practice; 

better  mutual  awareness  of  vocational  training  systems,  arrangements  and  activities 
in the different  Member  States. 

The  operational  dimension  of 
transnational 
measures described  in  Article  3  and  in  the  Annex  to  the  Decision)  ties  in  with  the 
relevant  provisions  of the  Treat)  and  with the implementing  powers  thereby  conferred  on 
the  Commission. 

the  proposal  (in  particular,  the  six 

Bearing  in  mind  the  programme's  three  objectives  (improving  and  strengthening  the 
social  and  occupational  integration  of  young  people,  in  particular  through  work-linked 
training and apprenticeship; broadening  and developing  access to high-quality  continuing 
training  and  lifelong  access  to  skills; and  consolidating  the  process  of  getting  people  in 
insecure circumstances  back to work), the transnational  nature  of the programme  ensures 
that the overall  added value provided  by exchanges  of experience  and good practice, and 
the  emergence  of joint  training  approaches  and  products,  can  only  be  beneficial  for  the 
development  of  a  Community  vocational 
the 
responsibilities of the Member  States. 

training  policy  dovetailing  with 

2. 

Who will be affected by the proposal? 

The  Commission's  proposal  targets  a  large  number  of  participants:  people  undergoing 
training  (in  particular,  young  people  in  initial  training  at  all  levels,  including  higher 
education), trainers  and bodies  involved  in training, both  sides of industry  and  organised 
groups  at  different  levels  (including  Community  level), public  authorities  (in  particular, 
local  and  regional  partners),  companies  (especially  small  and  medium-sized  enterprises 
(see below)) and bodies such as chambers of commerce. 

The Decision  stresses the key role of companies.  With the exception  of certain  measures 
designed  to boost  European  mobility  through  work-linked  training  and  apprenticeship  in 
SMEs  (see below), the  Decision  does  not  discriminate  in any way between  sectors  or  in 
terms of the size of companies. 

Since  the  size  of  companies  (as  beneficiaries  and  providers  of  initial  and  continuing 
training)  is  not  a  criterion  in  itself,  SMEs  are  placed  on  the  same  footing  as  large 
companies.  It is, however,  likely  that  a  considerable  number  of  SMEs  will  be  involved, 
given  the  goal  of  developing  a  European  skills  and  qualifications  area,  all  the  more  so 
from  the  point  of  view  of  devising  a  coordinated  strategy  for  employment  (as  decided 
by the  Luxembourg  European  Council  in  November  1997),  for  which  they  are  the 
main players. 

3. 

What  measures  will  companies  be  required  to  take  in  order  to  comply  with 
the proposal? 

The participation  of companies  and/or  organisations  representing  them at different  levels 
(including  European  level)  entails  the  setting-up  of  transnational  partnerships  in  the 
training  sphere,  for  which  they  are  one  of  the  main  vehicles.  SMEs  (and  their 
representative  organisations)  will  be  an  important  component  of  these  partnerships, 
whether  in  terms  of  the  transnational  mobility  of  people  undergoing  training,  the 
development  of  innovative  pilot  projects  or  the  setting-up  of  "multi-player  training 
consortia" at both regional and sectoral levels. 

The actions implemented  in the field by means of transnational  training partnerships  will 
greatly  encourage  companies  to  comply  with  the  general  common  principles  of  quality 
underlying  the  programme,  as  regards  objectives  and  methods  of  implementation 
(with particular  reference  to  the  procedures  for  educational  follow-up  and  evaluation  of 
the training products and methods developed within the project partnerships). 

55 

4. 

What economic effects is the proposal  likely to have? 

(a) 

on  employment 

The  development  of  skills  throughout  working  life,  involving  cooperation  between 
training  bodies/centres  and  companies,  is  highly  likely  to  enhance  the  employability  of 
the  workers  concerned,  also  at  the  initial  training  level.  The  transnational  partnerships 
(under  the  programme's  various  measures)  are  intended  to  give  rise  to  training 
products/methods  enabling the workers concerned to acquire a wider range of skills more 
suited  to  the  new  forms  of work  organisation  and  production.  The  European  experience 
underpinning  these  partnerships  is  designed  to  make  it  easier  to  identify  training-based 
to  the  skills  requirements  of  workers  and  companies.  Consequently, 
responses 
employment opportunities will be boosted. 

(b) 

on investment, creation of new businesses  and enterprise culture 

Intangible  investment,  especially  in human  resources, is one of the keys to  strengthening 
the competitiveness  of companies. In a world where the nature of production  and work is 
rapidly  evolving,  the  development  of  transnational  project  partnerships  focused  on 
training-related  objectives  in  line  with  the  changing  skills  requirements  is  such  as  to 
promote  the  development  of new businesses  (both  in the private  sector  and  in the  social 
economy),  particularly  in  the  emerging  job-creating  sectors.  Fostering  entreprëneurship 
with  the  aid  of training  is  a major  strand  in the  second  phase  of  the  Leonardo  da  Vinci 
programme,  in  conjunction  with  the  three  other  objectives  identified  by  the  European 
Council in the "Guidelines for Member  States' employment policies". 

(c) 

on the competitiveness  of businesses 

The competitiveness of businesses stems as much from  the skills mobilised by workers as 
from  the  methods  of  work  organisation  and  production.  The  discovery  of  different 
systems,  along  with  the  development  of  innovative  approaches  to  training  and  of 
validated  training  products and methods, is likely to boost the expertise  of the  workforce 
and companies  in the wider European  context. 

5. 

Does  the proposal  contain  measures  to  take  account  of  the specific  situation  of 
small and medium-sized enterprises (reduced or different requirements, etc.)? 

As  stated  above,  specific  provision  has  been  made  in  the  proposal  to  promote  the 
participation  of  SMEs  (and their  representative  organisations)  in the second  phase  of the 
Leonardo da Vinci programme. This applies particularly to the "physical mobility" action 
for  work-linked  training  and  apprenticeship  (one  of  the  main  strands  of Leonardo),  with 
provision being made for  incentives to facilitate  the placement  and educational  support of 
people  undergoing  training  in  SMEs.  Moreover,  the  proposed  approach  geared  to 
concentration  of  objectives,  visibility  and  transparency,  particularly  by  means  of 
decentralised  selection  closer  to  the  operational  arena,  is  again  designed  to  support  the 
necessary  involvement  of SMEs in the  implementation  of the programme. 

Consultation 

6. 

List of organisations which have been consulted about the proposal  and summary 
of their main viewpoints 

The  Advisory  Committee  on  Vocational  Training  (ACVT)  -  a  statutory  tripartite  body 
created by a Council Decision  - was formally  consulted  on 4 and  5 May  1998 and gave a 
favourable  opinion  (attached).  Moreover,  the  Directors-General  in  charge  of  vocational 
training  in  the  Member  States  will  have  an  opportunity  to  examine  the  Commission's 
proposal  at  their  informal  meeting  on  27  and  28  April  1998.  Finally,  the  interim 
evaluation  report  on  the  first  phase  of  the  Leonardo  programme  (COM(97)  399  final) 
has been  examined  in  detail  by  the  Leonardo  Committee  (containing  representatives  of 
the  European  organisations 
both  sides  of 
representing SMEs). 

industry  at  Community 

level  and 

57 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(98) 330 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

04  05  16 

Catalogue  number  :  CB-C0-98-364-EN-C 

ISBN  92-78-36950-0 

Office  for  Official  Publications  of the European  Communities 

L-2985 Luxembourg