Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America renewing the co-operation programme in higher education and vocational education and training
Date: 2000-10-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, United States, higher education, international cooperation, vocational training

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Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the conclusion of the Agreement between the
European Community and the United States of America renewing the co-operation programme
in higher education and vocational education and training

(2001/C 240 E/10)

COM(2000) 656 final (cid:151) 2000/0263(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 18 October 2000)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles 149 and 150
in conjunction with Article 300(3) first subparagraph thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

(1) By its Decision of 22 May 2000 the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate agreements for
cooperation in higher education and vocational training between the European Community, Canada
and the United States of America.

(2) The Community and the United States of America expect

from such
co-operation, which must, on the Community’s side, be complementary to the bilateral programmes
between the Member States and the United States of America and provide a European added value.

to obtain mutual benefit

(3) The Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America renewing a
co-operation programme in higher education and vocational education and training should be
approved,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America renewing the
co-operation programme in higher education and vocational education and training is hereby approved
on behalf of the Community.

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The delegation of the European Community to the Joint Committee referred to in Article 6 of the
Agreement shall consist of a representative from the Commission assisted by a representative from each
Member State.

The President of the Council shall carry out the notifications provided for in Article 12 of the Agreement.

Article 3

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between the European Community and the United States of America renewing a Programme of
Cooperation in Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training

AGREEMENT

THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY,

of the one part, and

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

of the other part,

hereinafter collectively referred to as the Parties,

NOTING that the Transatlantic Declaration adopted by the European Community and its Member States and
the United States of America in November 1990 makes specific reference to
the Government of
the present and future
fields which directly affect
strengthening mutual cooperation in various
wellbeing of their citizens, such as exchanges and joint projects in education and culture,
including
academic and youth exchanges;

CONSIDERING that the adoption and the implementation of the 1995 Agreement Between the European
Community and the United States of America Establishing a Cooperation Programme in Higher Education
and Vocational Education and Training give effect to the commitments of the Transatlantic Declaration and
constitute examples of highly successful and cost-effective cooperation;

NOTING that the New Transatlantic Agenda adopted at the EU-US Summit in December 1995 in Madrid
refers under Action IV (cid:151) Building Bridges Across The Atlantic (cid:151) to the EC/US Agreement Establishing a
Cooperation Programme in Education and Vocational Training as a potential catalyst for a broad spectrum
of innovative co-operative activities of direct benefit to students and teachers and refers to the introduction
of new technologies into classrooms, linking educational establishments in the United States of America
with those in the European Union and encouraging teaching of each other’s languages, history and culture;

ACKNOWLEDGING the crucial contribution of education and training to the development of human
resources capable of participating in the global knowledge-based economy;

RECOGNISING that cooperation in education and vocational training should complement other relevant
cooperation initiatives between the European Community and the United States of America;

NOTING that the 1997 (cid:145)Bridging the Atlantic: People to People Links(cid:146) Transatlantic Conference underlined
the potential for cooperation between the European Community and the United States of America in the
field of non-formal education;

ACKNOWLEDGING the importance of ensuring complementarity with relevant initiatives carried out in the
field of higher education and vocational training by international organisations active in these fields such
as OECD, UNESCO and the Council of Europe;

RECOGNISING that the Parties have a common interest in cooperation in higher education and vocational
education and training between them;

EXPECTING to obtain mutual benefit from co-operative activities in higher education and vocational
education and training;

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RECOGNISING the need to widen access to the activities supported under this Agreement, in particular
those activities in the vocational education and training sector; and

DESIRING to establish a formal basis for continued cooperation in higher education and vocational
education and training,

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

Purpose

This Agreement renews the Cooperation Programme in Higher
Education and Vocational Education and Training (hereinafter
referred to as (cid:145)the Programme(cid:146)), originally established under the
1995 Agreement Between the the European Community and
the United States of America Establishing a Cooperation
Programme in Higher Education and Vocational Education
and Training.

Article 2

Definitions

For the purpose of this Agreement:

meet
the
economy;

challenges of

the

global

knowledge-based

3. encourage an innovative and sustainable range of student-
centered higher education and vocational education and
training cooperative activities between the different regions
in the European Community and in the United States of
America that have a durable impact;

4.

improve the quality of Transatlantic student mobility by
promoting transparency, mutual recognition of periods of
study and training, and, where appropriate, portability of
credits;

5. encourage the exchange of expertise in e-learning and open
and distance learning and their effective use to broaden
Programme impact;

1.

2.

(cid:145)higher education institution(cid:146) means any establishment
according to the applicable laws or practices which offers
qualifications or diplomas at
the higher education level,
whatever such establishment may be called;

(cid:145)vocational education and training institutions(cid:146) means any
type of public, semi-public or private body, which, irres-
pective of the designation given to it, in accordance with
the applicable laws and practices, designs or undertakes
vocational
vocational
training, refresher vocational training or retraining; and

education

training,

further

or

3.

(cid:145)students(cid:146) means all those persons following learning or
training courses or programmes which are run by higher
education or vocational education and training institutions
as defined in this Article.

vocational

6. promote or enhance partnerships among higher education
and
institutions,
professional associations, public authorities, private sector
and other
in both the
as
European Community and the United States of America;

associations

appropriate

education

training

and

7. reinforce an EC and a US dimension to transatlantic coop-
eration in higher education and vocational education and
training; and

8. complement

relevant bilateral programmes between the
the European Community and the
Member States of
United States of America as well as other EC and US
programmes and initiatives.

Article 3

Objectives

Article 4

Principles

The objectives of the Programme shall be to:

Cooperation under this Agreement shall be guided by the
following principles:

1. promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the
European Community and the United States of America
including broader knowledge of their languages, cultures
and institutions;

1. full respect for the responsibilities of the Member States of
the European Community and the states of the United States
of America and the autonomy of higher education and
vocational education and training institutions;

2.

improve the quality of human resource development
in
both the European Community and the United States of
including the acquisition of skills required to
America,

2. mutual benefit
Agreement;

from activities undertaken through this

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3. effective provision of seed funding for a diverse range of
innovative projects that build new structures and links, that
have a multiplying effect through consistent and effective
dissemination of results, that are sustainable over the longer
term without on-going Programme support and that, where
student mobility is involved, provide mutual recognition of
periods of study and training and, where appropriate, port-
ability of credits;

4. broad participation across the different Member States of
the European Community and the United States of America;

5. recognition of
diversity of
States of America; and

the full cultural,

social, and economic
the European Community and the United

6. selection of projects on a competitive basis, taking account

of the foregoing principles.

Article 7

Monitoring and evaluation

The Programme shall be monitored and evaluated as appro-
priate on a cooperative basis. This shall permit, as necessary,
the reorientation of activities in the light of any needs or
opportunities becoming apparent in the course of its operation.

Article 8

Funding

1.
Activities under this Agreement shall be subject to the
availability of funds and to the applicable laws and regulations,
policies and programmes of the European Community and the
to the extent
United States of America. Financing will be,
funds
possible, on the basis of an overall matching of
between the Parties. The Parties
to offer
programme activities of comparable benefit and scope.

shall attempt

Article 5

Programme actions

the actions
The Programme shall be pursued by means of
described in the Annex, which forms an integral part of this
Agreement.

2.
Costs incurred by or on behalf of the Joint Committee
shall be met by the Party to whom the members are
responsible. Costs, other than those of travel and subsistence,
which are directly associated with meetings of
the Joint
Committee, shall be met by the host Party.

Article 6

Joint Committee

A Joint Committee is hereby established. It shall comprise

1.
an equal number of representatives of each Party.

2.

The functions of the Joint Committee shall be to

(a) review the co-operative activities envisaged under

this

Agreement; and

(b) provide a report annually to the Parties on the level, status
and effectiveness of co-operative activities undertaken under
this Agreement.

3.
The Joint Committee shall meet at least every second
year, with such meetings being held alternately in the
European Community and the United States of America.
Other meetings may be held as mutually determined.

4.
Decisions of the Joint Committee shall be reached by
consensus. Minutes, comprising a record of the decisions and
principal points, shall be taken at each meeting. These Minutes
shall be approved by those persons selected from each side to
jointly chair the meeting, and shall, together with the annual
report, be made available to appropriate Minister-level officials
of each Party.

Article 9

Entry of personnel

Each Party shall use its best efforts to facilitate entry to and exit
from its
and
equipment of the other Party engaged in or used in cooperative
activities under this Agreement.

territory of personnel,

students, material

Article 10

Other agreements

This Agreement shall not replace or otherwise affect other
agreements or activities undertaken in the fields covered
between any Member State of the European Community and
the United States of America.

Article 11

Territorial application of this Agreement

This Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories
in which the Treaty establishing the European Community is
applied and under the conditions laid down in that Treaty and,
on the other hand, to the territory of the United States of
America.

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Article 12

Entry into force and termination

entry into force of the agreement providing for the amendment
or extension in question have been fulfilled.

1.
This Agreement shall enter into force on 1 January 2001
or on the first day of the month following the date on which
the Parties shall have notified each other in writing that their
legal requirements for the entry into force of this Agreement
have been fulfilled, whichever is the later date. This Agreement
European
replaces
Community and the United States of America Establishing a
Cooperation Programme in Higher Education and Vocational
Education and Training in its entirety.

the 1995 Agreement Between

the

2.
This Agreement shall remain in force for five years and
may be extended or amended by mutual written agreement.
Amendments or extensions shall enter into force on the first
day of the month following the date on which the Parties shall
have notified each other in writing that their requirements for

3.
This Agreement may be terminated at any time by either
Party by twelve months’ written notice. The expiration or
termination of this Agreement shall not affect the validity or
duration of any pre-existing arrangements made under it.

Article 13

This Agreement is drawn up in duplicate in the Danish, Dutch,
Italian, Portuguese,
English, Finnish, French, German, Greek,
these texts being
Spanish and Swedish languages, each of
equally authentic.

In witness whereof
have signed the present Agreement.

the undersigned, being duly authorised,

ANNEX

ACTIONS

ACTION 1

Joint European Community/United States Consortia Projects

1. The Parties shall provide support to higher education and vocational education and training institutions which form
joint EC/US consortia for the purpose of undertaking joint projects in the area of higher education and vocational
education and training. The European Community will provide support for the use of the European Community
consortia partners; the United States of America will provide support for United States consortia partners.

2. Each joint consortium must have a minimum of three active partners on each side from at least three different

Member States of the European Community and three different states of the United States of America.

3. Each joint consortium should, as a rule, involve transatlantic mobility of students, with a goal of parity in the flows

in each direction, and should foresee adequate language and cultural preparation.

4. The structural cooperative activities of a consortium will be supported by seed funding for a maximum period of

three years. Preparatory or project development activities may be supported for a period of up to one year.

5. Appropriate authorities on each side will mutually agree upon the eligible subject areas for joint EC/US consortia.

6. Project activities eligible for support may include:

(a) preparatory or project development activities;

(b) development of organisational frameworks for student mobility,

including work placements, which provide

adequate language preparation and full recognition by the partner institutions;

(c) structured exchanges of students, teachers, trainers, administrators, and other relevant specialists;

(d)

joint development and dissemination of innovative curricula, including teaching materials, methods and modules;

(e)

joint development and dissemination of new methodologies in higher education and vocational education and
training, including the use of information and communication technologies, e-learning, and open and distance
learning;

(f)

short intensive programmes of a minimum of three weeks, provided they are an integral part of the programme
of study or training;

(g) teaching assignments at a transatlantic partner institution that support the project’s curriculum development; and

(h) other innovative projects which aim to improve the quality of transatlantic cooperation in higher education and
vocational education and training and meet at least one of the objectives specified in Article 3 of this Agreement.

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ACTION 2

Fulbright/European Union Programme

The Parties shall provide scholarships for the study of, and research and lecturing on, European Community affairs and
EC/US relations. Grants will be provided under the Fulbright/European Union programme.

ACTION 3

Complementary activities

The Parties may support a limited number of complementary activities in accordance with the objectives of the
Agreement, including exchanges of experience or other forms of joint action in the fields of education and training.

PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATION

Administration of the Actions shall be implemented by the competent officials of each Party. These tasks may include:

1. deciding upon the rules and procedures for the presentation of proposals including the preparation of a common set

of guidelines for applicants;

2. establishing a timetable for publication of calls for proposals, submission and selection of proposals;

3. providing information on the Programme and its implementation;

4. appointing academic advisers and experts;

5. recommending to the appropriate authorities of each Party which projects to finance;

6. providing financial management; and

7. promoting a cooperative approach to programme monitoring and evaluation.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT MEASURES

Under the present Programme, funds may be used for the purchase of services necessary to the implementation of the
Programme. In particular, the Parties may have recourse to experts; may organise seminars, colloquia or other meetings
likely to facilitate the implementation of the Programme; and may undertake evaluation, information, publication and
dissemination activities.