Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America renewing a programme of cooperation in higher education and vocational education and training
Date: 2000-12-18
Institutions: European Community, United States
Subjects: United States, cooperation agreement (EU), cooperation policy, higher education, vocational training

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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
Government of the United States of America in November 1990 makes specific reference to strengthening mutual
cooperation in various fields which directly affect the present and future 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 - Building bridges across the Atlantic - to the EC/US Agreement establishing a cooperation programme in
education and vocational training as a potential catalyst for a broad spectrum of innovative cooperative 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 ‘Bridging the Atlantic: people to people links’ 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 cooperative activities in higher education and vocational education and
training;

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 ‘the Programme’), originally established under the
1995 Agreement Between the European Community and the
United
cooperation
programme in higher education and vocational education and
training.

of America

establishing

States

a

Article 2

Definitions

For the purpose of this Agreement:

1.

‘higher education institution’ 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;

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2.

‘vocational education and training institutions’ means any
type of public, semi-public or private body, which, irrespec-
tive of the designation given to it, in accordance with the
applicable laws and practices, designs or undertakes voca-
tional education or training,
training,
refresher vocational training or retraining; and

further vocational

3.

‘students’ 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.

Article 3

Objectives

The objectives of the Programme shall be to:

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;

2.

improve the quality of human resource development in
both the European Community and the United States of
America, including the acquisition of skills required to meet
the challenges of the global knowledge-based economy;

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;

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

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. mutual benefit
Agreement;

from activities undertaken through this

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 the full cultural, social, and economic diver-
sity of the European Community and the United States of
America; and

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

of the foregoing principles.

Article 5

Programme actions

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

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 cooperative activities envisaged under

this

Agreement; and

7. reinforce a European Community and United States dimen-
sion to transatlantic cooperation in higher education and
vocational education and training; and

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

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

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.

Article 4

Principles

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

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.

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Article 7

Article 11

Monitoring and evaluation

Territorial application of this Agreement

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.

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.

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
United States of America. Financing will be, to the extent
possible, on the basis of an overall matching of funds between
the Parties. The Parties shall attempt to offer Programme activi-
ties of comparable benefit and scope.

Costs incurred by or on behalf of the Joint Committee
2.
shall be met by the Party to whom the members are respon-
sible. 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 9

Entry of personnel

Each Party shall use its best efforts to facilitate entry to and exit
from its territory of personnel, students, material and equip-
ment of the other Party engaged in or used in cooperative
activities under this Agreement.

Article 10

Other agreements

Article 12

Entry into force and termination

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
replaces
European
the 1995 Agreement Between the
Community and the United States of America establishing a
cooperation programme in higher education and Vocational
education and training in its entirety.

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

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 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.

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

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EN FE DE LO CUAL,

los abajo firmantes, debidamente autorizados, suscriben el presente Acuerdo.

TIL BEKRÆFTELSE HERAF har undertegnede behørigt befuldmægtigede underskrevet denne aftale.

ZU URKUND DESSEN haben die Unterzeichneten, hierzu gehörig befugten Bevollmächtigten dieses Abkommen unter-
schrieben.

ΕΙΣ ΠΙΣΤΩΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΑΝΩΤΕΡΩ, οι υπογράφοντες πληρεξούσιοι, δεόντως εξουσιοδοτηµένοι προς τούτο, έθεσαν την υπογραφή
τους κάτω από την παρούσα συµφωνία.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorised, have signed the present Agreement.

EN FOI DE QUOI,

les soussignés, dûment mandatés, ont apposé leur signature au bas du présent accord.

IN FEDE DI CHE i sottoscritti, muniti di regolari poteri, hanno firmato il presente accordo.

TEN BLĲKE WAARVAN de ondergetekenden, naar behoren gemachtigd, hun handtekening onder deze overeenkomst
hebben geplaatst.

EM FÉ DO QUE os abaixo assinados, com os devidos poderes para o efeito, apuseram as suas assinaturas no presente
Acordo.

TÄMÄN VAKUUDEKSI jäljempänä mainitut täysivaltaiset edustajat ovat allekirjoittaneet tämän sopimuksen.

TILL BEVIS HÄRPÅ har undertecknade befullmäktigade undertecknat detta avtal.

Hecho en Washington D.C., el dieciocho de diciembre del año dos mil.

Udfærdiget i Washington D.C. den attende december to tusind.

Geschehen zu Washington D.C. am achtzehnten Dezember zweitausend.

Έγινε στην Ουάσιγκτον D.C., στις δέκα οκτώ ∆εκεµβρίου δύο χιλιάδες.

Done at Washington D.C. on the eighteenth day of December in the year two thousand.

Fait à Washington D.C.,

le dix-huit décembre deux mille.

Fatto a Washington D.C., addì diciotto dicembre duemila.

Gedaan te Washington D.C., de achttiende december tweeduizend.

Feito em Washington D.C., em dezoito de Dezembro de dois mil.

Tehty Washington D.C.:ssä kahdeksantenatoista päivänä joulukuuta vuonna kaksituhatta.

Som skedde i Washington D.C. den artonde december tjugohundra.

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Por la Comunidad Europea
For Det Europæiske Fællesskab
Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft
Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα
For the European Community
Pour la Communauté européenne
Per la Comunità europea
Voor de Europese Gemeenschap
Pela Comunidade Europeia
Euroopan yhteisön puolesta
På Europeiska gemenskapens vägnar

Por los Estados Unidos de América
For Amerikas Forenede Stater
Für die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika
Για τις Ηνωµένες Πολιτείες της Αµερικής
For the United States of America
Pour les États-Unis d'Amérique
Per gli Stati Uniti d'America
Voor de Verenigde Staten van Amerika
Pelos Estados Unidos da América
Amerikan yhdysvaltojen puolesta
På Amerikas förenta staters vägnar

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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.

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.

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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 advisors 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.