Communication from the Commission - The new generation of community education and training programmes after 2006
Date: 2004-03-10
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, education, vocational training

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 9.3.2004 
COM(2004) 156 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION  

THE NEW GENERATION OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING 
PROGRAMMES AFTER 2006 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 

THE NEW GENERATION OF COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND TRAINING 
PROGRAMMES AFTER 2006 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

This Communication follows up the Commission’s proposal for the budgetary means 
and  policy  priorities  for  the  period  2007-2013.  It  describes  the  Commission’s 
intentions  for  a  new  generation  of  Community  programmes  for  mobility  and  co-
operation  in  education  and  training  to  replace  the  Socrates,  Leonardo  da  Vinci  and 
Tempus III programmes when they expire at the end of 2006. It shows how the new 
generation  will  contribute  to  the  Commission’s  priorities  for  the  period  to  2013,  in 
particular  to  achieving  sustainable  development  within  the  European  Union  and 
stability and prosperity in the neighbouring countries. 

The new generation will consist of:  

– 

– 

a new Integrated Programme for mobility and co-operation in lifelong learning 
for  the  EU  Member  States,  the  EEA/EFTA  countries  and  the  candidate 
countries, covering education and training together; and  

a  new  Tempus  Plus  programme  for  cooperation  between  Member  States  and 
countries bordering the Union and the existing Tempus countries, covering the 
whole spectrum of education and training. 

The new programmes will respond to important policy developments in the field at 
European  level  that  have  taken  place  since  the  existing  programme  generation  was 
created in the late 1990s. The Lisbon European Council of 2000 set the core goal of 
making  Europe  the  most  competitive  knowledge-based  economy  in  the  world  by 
2010,  while  nonetheless strengthening social cohesion, and accorded education and 
training  a  central  role  in  reaching  this  aim.  The  intergovernmental  processes 
launched  at  Bologna  and  Copenhagen  seek  to  improve  coherence,  quality  and 
transferability  in  higher  education  and  in  vocational  training,  and  explicitly 
acknowledge  the  important  role  the  Community  programmes  will  play  in  making 
them a success. In 2003, the Commission launched a “New Neighbourhood” strategy 
to  reinforce  the  prosperity,  stability  and  security  of  the  countries  bordering  the 
enlarged European Union. All these major policy developments, and the other factors 
set out in the body of the Communication, need to be reflected in the design of the 
new programmes. 

In line with the growing importance of cooperation in education and training, and in 
response to massive unfulfilled demand, the new generation of internal and external 
programmes  will  be  significantly  more  ambitious 
the 
Commission’s  new  financial  perspectives  proposal  makes  clear.  The  Integrated 
Programme  for  lifelong  learning  would  see  a  very  significant  increase  in 
decentralised  mobility  actions  for  individual  citizens  and  in  partnerships  between 
institutions. Its targets would include: 

than  at  present,  as 

2 

 
 
  
 
– 

– 

– 

– 

At least 10% of school pupils and teachers involved in Comenius 2007-13. 

At least 3 million Erasmus students by 2010. 

At least 150,000 Leonardo trainee placements per year by 2013. 

At least 50,000 adults learning and teaching abroad per year by 2013 and the 
participation  of  at  least  one  in  five  structured  adult  education  providers  in 
European cooperation by the end of the programme. 

The Integrated Programme will be divided into four sectoral programmes: Comenius 
for school education; Erasmus for all forms of learning at university level; Leonardo 
da Vinci for initial and continuing vocational education and training; and Grundtvig 
for adult education. In order to reinforce synergies between  education and training, 
and  to  address  policy  priorities  and  dissemination  needs  better,  the  Integrated 
Programme  will  contain  a  transversal  programme,  focusing  on  policy  development 
(including  data  collection  and  analysis),  language  learning,  new  information  and 
communication  technologies  (ICT),  and  dissemination.  This  will  permit  a  more 
strategic and coordinated approach than in the current programmes.  

The  Integrated  Programme  will  also  include  a  new  Jean  Monnet  programme, 
focusing on European integration. It will encompass the current Jean Monnet Action, 
to promote university teaching of and research into European integration, as well as 
support  to  important  European  organisations  and  associations  in  the  field  of 
education and training.  

The  new  Tempus  Plus  programme  will  build  on  the  successful  Tempus  approach, 
which  has  hitherto  been  limited  to  higher  education  and  has  led  to  system 
development  and  reinforced  cooperation  between  Member  States  and  partner 
countries.  Tempus  Plus  would  extend  such  action  across  the  spectrum  of  lifelong 
learning: to schools, to vocational education and training, and to adult education. The 
programme  will  consist  of  measures  to  support  system  modernisation,  to  fund  the 
mobility  of  individuals,  and  to  support  multilateral  projects.  The  programme  target 
would be: 

– 

To support the mobility of at least 100,000 individuals by 2013. 

The Commission’s detailed legislative proposal for the new programmes outlined in 
this  Communication  will  be  published  in  summer  2004,  as  part  of  a  wide-ranging 
package of draft legislation for the next programming period. 

3 

 
 
  
 
INTRODUCTION 

the  rationale  behind 

The  existing  Community  programmes  in  the  field  of  mobility  and  co-operation  in 
education and training all come to an end in 20061. The Commission will later this 
year adopt its detailed legislative proposals for a new generation of programmes to 
run concurrently with the new financial perspective. This Communication sets out, in 
the  light  of  the  Commission’s  recently-published  Communication  Building  our 
Common  Future:  Policy  challenges  and  Budgetary  Means  of  the  Enlarged  Union 
2007-20132, 
legislative 
proposals, how they build on the experience of the past, their main features, and the 
broad use of the funds proposed in that Communication. This paper outlines the key 
contribution  that  organised  European  cooperation  in  education  and  training  will 
make  to  achieving  the  Commission’s  priorities  for  the  new  expenditure  period,  in 
particular  to  sustainable  development  to  bring  the  European  Union  to  the  leading 
edge  in  the  knowledge  economy  and  society,  and  to  help  reinforce  stable  and 
prosperous 
this 
Communication prejudges the final content of the legislative proposals to be adopted 
by the Commission, including their financial aspects. 

relations  with  our  neighbouring  countries.  Nothing 

the  Commission’s  forthcoming 

in 

This Communication covers activities both within the European Union and candidate 
countries, and external activities involving the “New Neighbourhood” countries and 
other third countries currently covered by Tempus III. It is divided into six parts.  

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

The  first  part  sets  out  the  main  political  and  policy  developments  that  have 
taken place in co-operation in education and training since the adoption of the 
current generation of Community programmes in 1999/2000, which affect the 
design of the new generation of programmes.  

The  second  part  outlines  the  continuing  and  growing  need  for  Community 
action in the fields of education and training, both within and outside the EU. 

The  third  part  covers  the  experience  of  the  programmes  as  such,  focusing  on 
the interim evaluations of the current programmes and the public consultation 
on their future development. 

The fourth part describes the new internal programme proposal - an “Integrated 
Programme”  for  mobility  and  co-operation  in  lifelong  learning  bringing 
education  and  training  activities  together  -  and  details  its  main  features  and 
planned outputs. 

The  fifth  part  explains  the  new  external  programme  proposal,  the  main 
orientations  adopted  by  the  Commission,  and  the  key  features  of  the  new 
Tempus Plus programme and its planned outputs.  

The  sixth  part  outlines  how  the  new  programme  proposals  contribute  to  the 
Commission’s aim of simplifying instruments to improve delivery. 

1 

2 

Decision  No  382/1999/EC  of  the  Council  (OJ  L  146  of  11.6.1999)  (Leonardo  da  Vinci);  Decision  
No  253/2000/EC  of  the  Parliament  and  the  Council  (OJ  L  28  of  3.2.2000)  (Socrates);  Decision  
No 1999/311/EC of the Council (OJ L 120 of 8.5.1999) (Tempus). 
COM(2004) 101. 

4 

 
 
  
 
 
                                                 
PART I – THE POLITICAL CONTEXT 

The Lisbon process 

1.1 

1.2 

Europe has accepted the challenges of the knowledge society. High-quality education 
and  training  systems  are  an  essential  and  indispensable  pre-requisite  for  a 
competitive  knowledge-based  society.  Globalisation  and 
technological  and 
demographic change mean that skills must be constantly updated if the Community 
is  to  remain  competitive  on  a  world-wide  level,  and  if  citizens  are  to  avoid 
unemployment and ensuing social exclusion. The modernisation of the Community's 
education  and  training  systems  has  consequently  been  identified  by  the  Lisbon 
European  Council,  and  by  subsequent  European  Councils,  as  a  centrepiece  of  the 
Community  strategy,  most  recently  in  Brussels  in  October  2003.  From  Lisbon 
onwards,  Community  education  and  training  policy  has  gained  a  dynamic  hitherto 
unknown:  it  has  an  essential  contribution  to  make  to  achieving  the  goal  of  making 
Europe the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010 with 
more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. 

The  European  Employment  Strategy  (EES)  has  a  key  role  to  play  in  this  process, 
alongside research and innovation and the development of a more inclusive society 
and policies for sustainable growth. The contribution of the EES to the development 
of active labour market policies and to the employment-related aspects of education 
and training has been considerable. It is sustained in particular through the European 
Social Fund (ESF) which, as the third Cohesion Report3 points out, represented one 
third  of  Structural  Fund  expenditure  during  the  period  1994-1999.  During  the 
2000-2006  programming  period,  the  link  between  the  EES  and  the  ESF  has  been 
strengthened,  and  the  ESF,  with  a  budget  of  EUR  60  billion,  is  the  main  means  of 
supporting the policy framework which the EES provides. 

The Objectives Process – improving European education and training systems 

1.3 

1.4 

The  period  since  the  decisive  Lisbon  summit  has  seen  a  number  of  significant 
developments  in  education  and  training  at  EU  level.  For  the  first  time,  substantial 
political cooperation is taking place at European level in these areas, and there is an 
effort  to  integrate  all  initiatives  into  coherent  education  and  training  policies  at 
European  and  national  levels.  Reforms  are  being  made  to  policies  and  structures, 
leading  to  their  convergence  on  the  main  EU  goals.  Serious  attention  is  being  paid 
not only to intra-European aspects of these policies, but also to the place of European 
education and training in the world.  

The  Council  submitted  a  report  in  Spring  2001  on  the  concrete  objectives  of 
education  and  training  systems,  which  identified  three  main  goals  for  2010: 
increasing  the  quality  of  education  and  training  provided  in  Europe;  improving 
access  to  education  and  training  at  all  stages  of  life;  and  opening  up  the  education 
and training systems to the wider world, so as to enable them better to prepare people 
for future life. These three main goals have been sub-divided into 13 more detailed 
objectives - ranging from improving teacher and trainer education to increasing the 
attractiveness  of  learning,  and  from  making  best  use  of  resources  to  promoting 
cooperation  and  mobility.  Linked  to  this  is  a  new  process  to  identify  and  collect 

3 

A new partnership for cohesion: convergence, competitiveness, cooperation, COM(2004) 107. 

5 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
indicators  in  order  to  measure  progress  towards  the  various  agreed  objectives.  The 
Commission has identified 29 such indicators, and the Council in May 2003 agreed 
five European benchmarks for progress towards the 2010 goals.  

Lifelong learning 

1.5 

1.6 

At  the  same  time,  the  concept  of  lifelong  learning  itself  has  been  highlighted  and 
developed at European level, notably at the European Councils in Lisbon and Feira. 
Following extensive consultation on a Commission Memorandum, strong consensus 
was reached on a new paradigm of learning which places the learner at the centre of 
the  learning  process  and  emphasises  the  importance  of  equal  opportunities  and  the 
quality and relevance of available learning. The definition extends from pre-school to 
post-retirement,  and  encompasses  the  spectrum  of  formal,  non-formal  and  informal 
learning. Active citizenship, personal fulfilment and social inclusion, as well as the 
employment-related  aspects  of  employability  and  adaptability,  are  mutually 
supporting aims. 

The Joint Interim Report to the Spring 2004 European Council, which was agreed at 
the Education Council on 26 February 2004, invites all Member States to put in place 
coherent  and  comprehensive  national  lifelong  learning  strategies  by  2006.  These 
strategies should promote more effective partnerships between key actors including 
business,  the  social  partners  and  education  institutions  at  all  levels;  validation  of 
prior  learning  in  order  to  motivate  people  to  learn;  and  the  creation  of  learning 
environments  that  are  open,  attractive  and  accessible  to  everyone,  especially  to 
disadvantaged groups.  

A changing world of higher education – the Bologna process 

1.7 

1.8 

The  university  world  is  changing  rapidly  under  the  combined  pressures  of  the  new 
demands  of  the  knowledge  society  in  current  and  new  Member  States,  an 
increasingly  global  research  community  and  ever-rising  national  targets  for 
participation  in  higher  education.  These  targets  are  not  generally  matched  by 
proportionate increases in resources for teaching or for research, and therefore imply 
changes  in  the  organisation  and  balance  of  work  done  within  universities.  At  the 
same time, Member States are increasingly concerned about ways of improving the 
quality and relevance of teaching and research within higher education, and with its 
efficiency  and  governance.  Higher  education  systems  and  institutions  are  less  and 
less  “protected”  behind  national  borders  and  increasingly  open  to  competition  and 
pressures from beyond them.4 

The creation of a coherent, compatible and attractive European higher education area 
in accordance with the Bologna declaration of 1999 is the main structural means of 
meeting  these  challenges  and  has  increasingly  involved  the  Community  in  recent 
years.  The  goals  of  the  Bologna  declaration  mirror  in  many  ways  the  objectives  of 
the Union’s own programmes in the field of higher education, including at doctoral 
level, so a closer association is natural and necessary. This is evident in fields such as 
quality  assurance,  the  European  Credit  Transfer  System  (ECTS),  the  promotion  of 
mobility and the European dimension of education.  

4 

For  a  fuller  analysis  see  the  Communication  from  the  Commission,  The  role  of  universities  in  the 
Europe of Knowledge, COM(2003) 58 final.  

6 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
Enhancing  the  quality  and  attractiveness  of  vocational  education  and  training  -  the 

Copenhagen process 

1.9 

1.10 

In response to a request from the Barcelona European Council for action in the field 
of  vocational  training  similar  to  that  under  the  Bologna  declaration,  the  Council  in 
November  2002  published  a  resolution  on  increased  cooperation  on  vocational 
training. This led to the adoption by Ministers from 31 countries, the European social 
partners  and  the  Commission,  of  the  “Copenhagen  Declaration”,  an  agreement  to 
develop  enhanced  European  cooperation  in  a  number  of  areas  of  vocational 
education  and 
transparency  of  qualifications  and 
competences, quality assurance, credit transfer, common principles for the validation 
of non-formal and informal learning and lifelong guidance.  

training.  These 

include 

Significant  progress  has  been  made  at  European  level  in  implementing  the 
Copenhagen  declaration.  The  Commission  adopted  a  proposal  for  a  new  Europass 
single  framework  for  transparency  of  qualifications  and  competences  in  December 
20035.  A  Common  Quality  Assurance  Framework,  including  a  common  core  of 
quality criteria and a coherent set of indicators has been developed. In addition, the 
foundations  of  a  credit  transfer  system  for  vocational  education  and  training  have 
been laid.  

A changing Union with new borders 

1.11 

Education and training policies do not operate in isolation. They also have a role to 
play in developing links with our neighbours. Relations with the countries bordering 
the  enlarged  Europe  are  crucial.  In  its  Communication  on  Wider  Europe  the 
Commission stated, “The EU  has a duty, not only towards its citizens and those of 
the new member states, but also towards its present and future neighbours to ensure 
continuing social cohesion and economic dynamism. The EU must act to promote the 
regional  and  sub-regional  cooperation  and  integration  that  are  preconditions  for 
political  stability,  economic  development  and  the  reduction  of  poverty  and  social 
divisions  in  our  shared  environment”6.  Deepening  and  widening  cooperation  in  the 
fields of education and training are an essential part of that duty.  

PART II – THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY ACTION 

2.1 

It is in the light of these major policy ambitions and advances that the future need for 
Community  action  must  be  assessed.  The  largest  single  market  in  the  world  will 
never become the basis for the most competitive knowledge-based society if serious 
further  efforts  are  not  made  to  remove  incompatibilities  and  incoherence  between 
what, following enlargement, are 25 different education and training systems, where 
qualifications and skills are not recognised across borders and where methodological 
excellence in one country remains unknown in others. The necessary complement to 
the single market and the common currency is a workforce empowered to make use 
of  professional  and  geographical  mobility.  What  is  needed  is  a  coherent  strategy, 
whereby Member States  learn  from each other. This does not imply that the Union 

5 
6 

COM(2003) 796 final. 
COM(2003) 104 final, p. 3. The countries covered by this policy are: in the Southern Mediterranean: 
Algeria,  Egypt,  Israel,  Jordan,  Lebanon,  Libya,  Morocco,  Palestinian  Authority,  Syria,  Tunisia;  and 
Russia and the Western Newly Independent States (Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus). 

7 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
needs  to  take  responsibility  for  running  education  and  training  systems;  on  the 
contrary, full responsibility for the organisation, content and financing of education 
and training must remain within the Member States. In this, they will have the full 
support of the Structural Funds, particularly in less-developed regions, which are the 
main  Community  financial  instruments  in  this  field.  In  this  context,  the  ESF  will 
provide  support  for  improving  the  quality  and  responsiveness  of  education  and 
training systems, as well as for investing in human capital. Member States will also 
be able to take advantage of the next generation of Community Initiatives. 

The  Structural  Funds  operate  through  authorities  designated  by  Member  States. 
However, action more directly supported by the EU can also complement activities 
throughout  Member  States  in  the  field  of  education  and  training,  and  can  achieve 
results only available though Community action and at Community  level. Enabling 
the  mobility  not  only  of  students,  trainees,  adult  learners,  teachers,  trainers,  and 
academics,  but  also  of  practices  and  ideas,  is  an  important  area  where  Member 
States’  own  actions  will  not  produce  the  necessary  results;  and  it  is  crucial  to  the 
development  of  the  knowledge  society,  since  it  entails  the  direct  transmission  and 
experience  of  new  approaches  and  skills  and,  equally  importantly,  promotes 
networks of institutions that co-operate at a European level.  

The  importance  of  mobility  and  of  partnerships  in  this  context  is  sometimes 
underestimated.  Trans-national  comparison  at  system  level  is  a  highly  effective 
means  of  promoting  change;  the  debate  around  the  PISA  results  is  a  case  in  point. 
Exchange and mobility actions have a similar effect, but on individuals, and from the 
grass-roots  upwards.  Exchanges,  mobility  and  trans-national  partnerships  bring 
participants  to  confront  what  others  do,  and  can  do,  and  to  look  at  their  own 
performance in a new light. In this respect, exchange and mobility provide a response 
to one of the key challenges facing education and training systems: how to motivate 
learning  facilitators  to  review  and  up-grade  their  professional  practice  and  to  cope 
with the increasing demands made of them.  

It is this trans-national and individual element which distinguishes the impact of the 
education and training programmes from the many actions to improve quality in the 
field undertaken nationally, some of which are also supported by the Union through 
the  Structural  Funds.  These  actions,  often  excellent  in  their  design  and  delivery, 
generally remain within a national or regional context; so the element of outside and 
individual  comparison  often  does  not  arise  in  the  same  way7.  Research  into  the 
impact  of  transnational  exchanges  confirms  this.  Indeed,  Erasmus  students  say 
overall that their exchange experience has been the most significant new experience 
in  their  lives.  In  this  sense,  the  education  and  training  programmes  are  agents  of 
change and modernisation within the education and training systems of the Union. 

Education  and  training  cooperation  is  not  just  an  internal  matter  for  the  EU.  The 
external  dimension,  famously  encapsulated  in  the  Tempus  programme  and  recently 
extended through Erasmus Mundus, addresses an equally important and distinct set 
of needs. Cooperation in education and training is a very powerful instrument at the 

The  Interreg  Community  initiative  is  a  notable  exception.  It  aims  to  strengthen  economic  and  social 
cohesion throughout the Union by fostering the balanced development of the continent through cross-
border, transnational and inter-regional cooperation. This cooperation can be in education and training, 
depending on the needs expressed by the regions concerned.  

8 

2.2 

2.3 

2.4 

2.5 

7 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
service  of  strengthening  relations  with  third  countries  and  for  fostering  mutual 
understanding between EU countries and those beyond our borders, particularly but 
not  exclusively  those  forming  the  “new  neighbourhood”  countries  adjoining  the 
enlarged Union. For this reason alone it is essential to reinforce our activities in this 
sphere in the future. But the benefits extend further. The evaluations of Tempus have 
shown that cooperation in education and training is key for the transition of countries 
that may become candidate countries in the short term. And the benefits do not flow 
all in one direction. It is essential that our systems become more and more open to 
the  rest  of  the  world,  that  we  are  able  to  learn  from  and  absorb  excellent  practice 
wherever  it  is  found,  if  the  EU  is  to  achieve  the  goal  set  at  the  2002  Barcelona 
European Council of becoming a world quality reference in education and training.  

It is for these reasons that the Commission believes it is essential to continue with the 
internal and external Community cooperation programmes in education and training 
in  the  coming  years,  to  integrate  them  under  the  unifying  principle  of  lifelong 
learning, and indeed to expand their volume and scope significantly, as explained in 
Parts Four and Five of this Communication. 

The  new  programme  framework  for  Community  action  in  education  and  training 
must also respond to a range of political, social, economic and cultural factors. These 
challenges  are  not  specific  to  education  and  training;  and  in  some  cases  other 
instruments  –  in  particular  those  of  the  Employment  and  Cohesion  policies  –  have 
the financial leadership. However, cooperation in the field of education and training 
at European level has a unique and valuable contribution to make. 

2.6 

2.7 

Mobility 

2.8 

The transnational mobility of people is beneficial to Europe as a whole. It enriches 
national cultures, and enhances the cultural, educational and professional experience 
of those taking part. Such experience is increasingly necessary given current limited 
employment  prospects  and  a  labour  market  which  requires  more  flexibility  and 
greater adaptability to change. And, as outlined above, mobility is a significant factor 
leading  to  system  change  through  direct  shared  experience.  In  recognition  of  its 
growing importance, the Parliament and Council adopted in 2001 a Recommendation 
on facilitating the mobility of all those in education and training8. The Commission 
considers  that  the  new  programme  generation  will  be  one  of  the  most  important 
instruments  for  enhancing  the  volume  and  quality  of  transnational  mobility,  and 
therefore will make the action a strong part of its legislative proposals.  

Language Learning 

2.9 

Following  the  European  Year  of  Languages  in  2001,  the  Commission  organised  a 
public  consultation  “Promoting  language  learning  and  linguistic  diversity”,  on  the 
basis  of  which  it  presented  an  action  plan  on  language  learning9.  This  concentrates 
on  three  main  areas:  extending  the  benefits  of  life-long  language  learning  to  all 
citizens,  improving  language  teaching,  and  creating  a  more  language-friendly 
environment. The Union, by its trans-national and multi-lingual nature, is looked to 
by its citizens as a promoter (and indeed guarantor) of linguistic diversity. 

8 
9 

OJ L 215 of 9.8.2001. 
COM(2003) 449 final.  

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Information and Communication Technologies 

2.10 

The  Community  has  supported  the  development  of  pedagogy  linked  to  information 
and  communication  technologies  over  many  years  and  in  a  number  of  ways,  most 
recently  through  the  Minerva  action  of  Socrates  and  the  adoption  of  the  eLearning 
programme10. As the effect of the information and communication revolution spreads 
across  society,  it  will  become  increasingly  important  for  all  citizens,  without 
exception, to be comfortable with the use of these technologies. 

Social changes 

The Commission's Third Cohesion Report has identified a number of challenges for 
the  enlarged  Union.  As  concerns  investment  in  people  and  human  capital  in 
particular, the Report highlights the need to concentrate Cohesion interventions and 
other  Community  instruments  -  such  as  Community  programmes  for  co-operation 
and mobility in the field of education and training - on the four main areas below 

An ageing society means longer to learn 

2.11 

The ageing of society continues. The demographic pyramid of the European Union is 
increasingly  top-heavy,  as  survival  rates  rise  and  pension  and  health-care  burdens 
grow  accordingly.  This  issue  has  been  addressed  in  the  2003  Employment 
Guidelines11,  which  invite  Member  States  to  develop  policies  for  active  ageing,  as 
well as setting a specific target for the employment rate of older workers.  

A rapidly evolving labour market 

2.12 

Globalisation and the new knowledge-driven economy have brought about dramatic 
and  rapid  changes  in  the  European  labour  market.  As  the  Employment  Guidelines 
and the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines12 recommend, our education and training 
systems  must  provide  the  European  labour  force  with  the  necessary  skills  to  cope 
with  changes.  European  programmes  can  significantly  contribute  to  this  process, 
both  by  providing  citizens  with  an  opportunity  to  upgrade  and  acquire  new  skills 
through  periods  of  study  and  training  abroad,  and  by  promoting  quality  and 
adaptation  to  the  new  requirements  of  education  and  training  systems  through  a 
process of cooperation and exchange of good practice.  

A more diverse society 

2.13 

Societies  within  the  EU  continue  to  become  more  culturally  diverse  and  more 
interlinked  with  others,  as  a  result  of  globalisation  and  new  communication 
technologies  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  impact  of  the  European  single  market  and 
migration  on  the  other.  This  puts  a  premium  on  the  development  of  intercultural 
understanding  and  respect,  and  on  the  inculcation  and  reinforcement  of  habits  of 
active  citizenship.  At  the  same  time,  there  is  an  increasing  need  to  deepen 
understanding among our citizens of the nature of European identity.  

10 
11 
12 

Decision No 2318/2003/EC of the Parliament and the Council, OJ L 345 of 31.12.2003. 
COM(2003) 170 final.  
Decision No 578/2003/EC of the Council, OJ L 197 of 5.8.2003. 

10 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
Contributing to social inclusion  

2.14 

Initial education is the gateway to future life chances. Special attention must be paid 
to  making  sure  that  negative  initial  experiences  with  formal  education  do  not  lead 
people  to  turn  their  backs  on  learning  for  the  rest  of  their  lives.  On  the  contrary, 
every  effort  must  be  made  to  provide  those  who  have  left  education  without  basic 
qualifications with alternative “second chance” opportunities for access to education 
and  training  suited  to  their  needs.  For  this  to  be  a  success,  innovative  pedagogical 
approaches will be needed, as well as specialised guidance facilities, links with local 
enterprises and other measures designed to create a motivating learning environment 
within which second chance education can develop its full potential.  

External developments in Education and Training 

Higher education – Tempus and Erasmus Mundus 

2.15 

2.16 

2.17 

2.18 

Community  policy  for  countries  outside  the  European  Union  has  focused  for  more 
than a decade through  the  Tempus  programme on higher education institutions and 
systems,  on  the  grounds  that  they  are  of  particular  importance  for  the  social  and 
economic transition process as well as for cultural development. They are also pools 
of expertise and of human resources and provide for the training of new generations 
of  political,  administrative  and  business  leaders.  Initially  designed  for  countries 
emerging from Communism (including most of the current accession countries), the 
programme  has  been  extended  at  various  stages  to  include  the  ex-Soviet  Union 
countries,  the  Western  Balkan  countries,  and  the  Mediterranean  countries.  It 
currently operates in 27 countries, stretching from Mongolia to Morocco.  

Although  the  Tempus  programme  is  fundamentally  geared  toward  assisting  partner 
countries,  the  programme  also  gives  Member  States  better  access  to  areas  of 
knowledge  where  the  highest  level  of  development  has  been  reached  outside  the 
Union and creates enduring and mutually-beneficial partnerships. 

Tempus  has  been  the  flagship  education  programme  for  exchanges  with  countries 
outside  the  EU  and  its  EFTA/EEA  and  candidate  country  partners.  But  it  has  not 
been  the  only  one.  In  1995,  specific  agreements  for  exchanges  in  higher  education 
were made with the United States of America and with Canada, and the Commission 
itself has launched other programmes, based on the experience of the major internal 
programmes,  with  Latin  America  (ALFA  and  AlBan),  and  with  Asian  countries 
(Asia-Link), as well as pilots with Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.  

There has recently been increasing recognition of the importance of higher education 
as a vector of internationalisation, and thereby of economic growth and development. 
Universities  have  found  themselves  in  tougher  competition  for  the  best  talent, 
particularly in research; and this competition is not limited to the EU but is world-
wide. The Erasmus Mundus programme13 will promote European Masters’ courses, 
operated by multinational consortia of universities, with an associated programme of 
student  scholarships  aimed  at  the  best  students  from  the  rest  of  the  world.  It 
represents a first response from the Union to this phenomenon.  

13 

Decision No 2317/2003/EC of the Parliament and the Council, OJ L 345 of 31.12.2003. 

11 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
Future needs 

2.19 

The  complex  of  factors  underlying  the  Union’s  cooperation  policy  with  its  near 
neighbours  (and  the  other  countries  associated  in  the  Tempus  programme)  may  be 
summarised as follows: 

– 

– 

– 

Education and training are key developmental factors for our near neighbours 
and our partners. It is in Europe’s interest to promote the democracy, prosperity 
and  stability  which  growth  alone  can  ensure.  In  this  respect,  cooperation  in 
education  and  training  has  an  important  part  to  play  in  the  Union’s 
development assistance. 

The  “people-to-people”  contacts  forming  part  of  the  external  dimension  of 
education  and  training  are  increasingly  understood  as  contributing  to 
intercultural dialogue, and, through their influence on systems, have a greater 
impact  than  a  simple  head-count  might suggest.  They  also  provide  the  Union 
with  a  valuable  instrument  of  cultural  diplomacy  which  creates  a  wider 
understanding of the specificities of our own culture and heritage and is sought 
after  by  partner  countries  as  a  means  of  enriching  their  own  education  and 
training provision. 

Contacts  with  education  and  training  systems  in  partner  countries  through 
exchange  and  cooperation  programmes  develop  synergies  and  convergence 
with systems within the Union, and thus increase their attractiveness to partner 
countries.  

The Tempus programme has proved its value in contributing to the modernisation of 
the  higher  education  systems  in  partner  countries,  in  fostering  closer  links  between 
EU countries and those outside the Union, and in preparing countries for candidate 
status. It is a powerful instrument that has great potential for expansion. It has shown 
that education systems in the EU (and those who run them) have both the capacity 
and the willingness to help their counterparts develop their own systems.  

However,  although  the  contribution  of  higher  education  to  growth  is  significant,  in 
countries  with  a  lower  overall  level  of  economic  development,  improving  basic 
education and vocational education and training are necessary complements. Higher 
education alone will not affect all citizens, and can only play a limited part in helping 
the overall development of a country and its people and in nurturing its constructive 
relationship  with  the  Union.  The  enlargement  of  the  EU  fundamentally  alters  the 
political,  geographic  and  economic  weight  of  the  EU  in  the  world  and  in  the 
surrounding  regions,  and  correspondingly  demands  a  policy  towards  Europe’s  new 
neighbours which deepens and widens cooperation in education and training. If the 
Union’s  ambitions  are  high,  as  the  Commission  believes  they  should  be,  then  the 
Union  must  be  prepared  to  go  beyond  higher  education,  and  to  reach  out  to  the 
education  and  training  systems  overall,  since  it  is  only  in  this  way  that  maximum 
impact can be achieved. This implies that we should develop Tempus beyond higher 
education so that it contributes to improving all the elements in the lifelong learning 
process  –  from  schools  through  vocational  education  and  training  to  university  and 
adult education.  

2.20 

2.21 

12 

 
 
  
 
PART III – THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PROGRAMMES 

Experience of Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci – Interim evaluations 

3.1 

The  Commission  has  drawn  on  a  substantial  bank  of  experience  of  programmes  in 
education  and  training.  The  most  recent  and  most  significant  input  is  the  interim 
evaluation  reports  on  the  current  phases  of  Socrates  and  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  which 
were published in March 200414. The main messages are:  

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

The  coverage  and  focus  of  the  programme  actions  are  generally  regarded  as 
valuable and appropriate.  

The  administrative  and  financial  procedures  have  improved  since  the  first 
phase,  but  are  still  perceived  as  disproportionately  burdensome  and  slow. 
Similarly, some selection procedures15 need an overhaul. 

There  is  a  need  for  more  synergy  and  coherence  between  actions  and 
programmes.  

Good results under the programmes are not well disseminated.  

There  is  a  need  for  stronger  links  between  the  programmes  and  policy 
developments.  

Excessive  detail  in  the  current  programme  legislations  causes  problems  of 
implementation. 

Experience of Tempus III – Interim evaluation 

3.2 

The  main  messages  to  emerge  from  the  Tempus  interim  evaluation  report16  are  the 
following: 

– 

– 

Tempus  has  been  adapted  well  to  changing  geo-political  and  socio-economic 
conditions  in  Europe  and  in  the  Tempus  partner  countries  over  the  past  ten 
years.  

Formidable  socio-economic  development  challenges  remain  and  reinforce  the 
case for giving priority to training and higher education reforms. 

–  More emphasis is needed on mobility, dissemination of outputs and outcomes, 
dialogue with national authorities, and more effective structural intervention in 
the field of higher education.  

– 

The  programme’s  re-orientation  towards  a  more  strategic  approach  increased 
its  impact  on  legislation  in  the  partner  countries  and  led  to  greater  openness 
and preparedness for international cooperation in these countries.  

14 
15 
16 

COM(2004) 153 and COM(2004) 152.  
In particular, the Leonardo da Vinci “B” procedure. 
COM(2004) 157. 

13 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
Public consultation on the future development of the programmes 

3.3 

In  the  light  of  the  policy  developments  set  out  above,  the  Commission  conducted 
between November 2002 and March 2003 a wide consultation of all those involved 
in  or  with  an  interest  in  the  education,  training  and  youth  programmes.  A  detailed 
report  has  been  compiled  for  the  Commission  by  the  Pôle  Universitaire  de  Nancy-
Metz and can be read on-line17. The main outcomes are: 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Great enthusiasm for the programmes, in particular for mobility measures. 

A  belief  that  the  programmes  should  contribute  to  the  development  of  the 
European  dimension  and  European  citizenship  and  to  the  teaching  of 
languages, and strong expressions of interest in the regional dimension of the 
actions of the programmes.  

A  very  strong  feeling  that  the  programmes  are  bureaucratic,  inflexible,  and 
over-complicated,  particularly  in  regard  to  the  very  small  amount  of  most 
grants.  

A  view  that  decentralised  procedures  (those  handled  via  National  Agencies 
within  the  participating  countries)  are  simpler  and  more  user-friendly  than 
those handled directly by the Commission.  

PART  IV  –  INTERNAL  POLICY:  THE  INTEGRATED  PROGRAMME  FOR  MOBILITY  AND  CO-

OPERATION IN LIFELONG LEARNING 

Orientations for the new generation of programmes 

4.1 

The Commission has considered the various  elements set out above, in the  light of 
the  policy  mandate  given  by  successive  European  Councils,  of  its  own  policy 
reflections and of its experience of current and previous programmes, and proposes:  

– 

– 

To retain at this stage separate programmes targeting the EU18 on the one hand, 
and  neighbouring  countries  on  the  other.  This  architecture  is  judged  to  take 
best account of the fact that the type and purpose of activities in education and 
training  cooperation  are,  as  analysed  above,  different  in  nature  in  these 
different contexts.  

In  the  light  of  the  ever-increasing  integration  between  education  and  training 
actions  and  institutions  across  the  EU,  and  of  the  emergence  of  the  lifelong 
learning paradigm, there are major benefits to be gained from bringing together 
the  fields  covered  by  the  Socrates  and  Leonardo  da  Vinci  programmes  into  a 
single  structure.  Such  a  combined  programme  could  better  support  policy 
developments  in  the  participating  countries,  respond  more  effectively  to  the 
needs of its users, and permit simplification and efficiency gains at the level of 
programme implementation, particularly in areas that currently cross the divide 
between  education  and  training.  The  Commission  will  therefore  propose  an 
“Integrated Programme”, covering both education and training within the EU.  

17 
18 

Available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture. 
Including EEA/EFTA and candidate countries once the appropriate agreements are concluded. 

14 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
–  Within this Integrated Programme, the importance of education and training to 
the  achievement  of  the  Lisbon  goal,  the  emergence  of  the  Bologna  and 
Copenhagen  processes,  the  objectives  process,  and  the  related  policy 
developments outlined earlier, all demonstrate the need for clearer instruments 
to  support  policy  development.  Other  related  policy  initiatives  at  Community 
level (eg, the eLearning programme or the Europass initiative) should also be 
incorporated.  Finally,  the  Commission  sees  advantage  in  bringing  the  Jean 
Monnet Action into the broad structure offered by the Integrated Programme, 
together  with  support  for  key  European-level  institutions  in  the  field  such  as 
the European University Institute (Florence) and the College of Europe (Bruges 
and Natolin), in order to place the funding of these activities and institutions on 
a  firmer  and  more  strategic  footing  than  hitherto,  and  to  permit  synergies 
between  these  actions  in  the  field  of  European  integration  and  cooperation  in 
education and training more generally.  

– 

– 

– 

– 

In order for European cooperation in education and training to play its full part, 
and to respond to the increasing importance of the field in every Member State 
and at European level, the Commission will propose a much more substantial 
programme for the next programming period. The bulk of the increase occurs 
in  the  decentralised  actions  of  the  programme,  principally  in  the  area  of 
transnational  mobility  for  individual  citizens,  where  applications  are  made 
directly  to  designated  National  Agencies  in  each  country,  which  have  the 
detailed  knowledge  of  the  national  circumstances  and  how  best  to  meet  the 
needs of the individual programme users.  

Over  the  next  programming  period,  the  annual  budget  for  the  proposed 
Integrated  Programme  could  increase  by  four  times  compared  to  the  current 
level. Funding at this level would permit the achievement of a set of ambitious 
but  realistic  targets,  commensurate  with  the  political  importance  of  the  new 
programme. These are explained in paragraphs 4.4 to 4.7 below.  

The  programme  should  be  simplified  and  made  more  flexible.  The  new 
programme  legislation  should  limit  itself  to  the  fields  of  activity  and  the 
generic  types  of  action  to  be  supported,  with  much  of  the  detailed 
implementation arrangements to be set out in the programme guidelines agreed 
with the programme Committee.  

There should also be as much commonality as possible between the constituent 
programmes.  Every  programme  within  the  integrated  framework  will  draw 
from the same set of generic actions (mobility, projects, networks, etc), which 
should  allow  for  more  consistency  and  transferability  between  them.  In  place 
of  the  current  complex  of  programme  committees  and  sub-committees,  there 
will be a single programme Committee, which will meet in different formations 
(eg, schools, VET) as appropriate. Each formation will wield the full range of 
powers,  which  will  eliminate  the  delay  currently  caused  by  the  obligation  to 
refer some matters to several committees successively.  

– 

The  Integrated  Programme  will  be  open  to  the  participation  of  all  those 
countries currently involved in Socrates and Leonardo, and may be extended to 

15 

 
 
  
 
Switzerland  and  the  Western  Balkans19.  Further  important  flexibility  will  be 
the  use  of  up  to  1%  of  the  programme  budget  to  fund  the  involvement  of 
institutions  from  non-participating  countries,  where  this  adds  value  to  the 
activity in question. This is a major advance on the current generation, where a 
feeble EUR 250,000 is available in each programme to fund such action, and 
the  procedures  for  implementing  it  are  so  burdensome  that  it  has  never  been 
used in Leonardo.  

The design of the programme 

4.2 

The  Integrated  Programme  will  contain  four  separate  sectoral  programmes:  for 
school  education  (Comenius),  for  higher  education  (Erasmus),  for  initial  and 
continuing  vocational  education  and  training  (Leonardo  da  Vinci),  and  for  adult 
education (Grundtvig). Their coverage will be based on the existing programmes, but 
with  some  adjustments.  In  addition  to  the  four  sectoral  programmes,  there  will  be 
two  horizontal  programmes.  The  “transversal  programme”  will  cover  the  cross-
cutting issues: support for policy development;  language learning; new information 
and communication technologies; and dissemination and exploitation of results. The 
Jean Monnet Programme will support a range of institutions and activities focused on 
European  integration:  the  Jean  Monnet  Action  itself,  provision  of  operating  grants 
for a set of key institutions, and operating grants for European associations active in 
the fields of education and training. 

Integrated Programme 

Comenius 

Erasmus 

Leonardo da Vinci 

Grundtvig 

School education 

Higher education & 
advanced training 

Initial and continuing 
vocational education and 
training 

Adult education 

Transversal programme 

4 key activities – Policy development; Language learning; ICT; Dissemination 

Jean Monnet programme 

3 key activities – Jean Monnet Action; European Institutions; European Associations 

4.3 

19 

20 

A  major  difference  between  the  current  generation  and  the  Integrated  Programme 
would be the scale of the activity. The Commission would propose a very substantial 
increase in the decentralised actions, particularly mobility and partnerships, in order 
to  reach  a  number  of  numerical  objectives  set  out  below.  In  all  programmes  this 
would  represent  a  step-change  from  the  current  level  of  activity.  Such  a  proposal 
would  attribute  a  level  of  resource  that  is  appropriate  to  the  stated  ambitions20  and 
growing  political  importance  of  this  type  of  action,  and  responds  to  massive 

The  Tempus  Plus  programme  will  contribute  to  preparing  the  countries  of  the  Western  Balkans  for 
subsequent participation in the Integrated Programme. 
The existing Socrates Decision already includes the target of reaching 10% of university students and 
10%  of  school  pupils,  but  the  resources  allocated  to  the  programme  are  far  too  low  to  permit  these 
objectives  to  be  achieved.  The  current  level  of  activity  represents  some  2-3%  of  the  school  pupil 
population and 3-4% of the university student population.  

16 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
unfulfilled  demand  among  European  citizens.  It  is  clear  that  such  a  substantial 
increase in the decentralised actions would require reinforcement of the network of 
National  Agencies  charged  with  implementing  them.  The  Commission  would 
therefore plan to increase the level of support it grants to these agencies.  

The four sectoral programmes – Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig 

4.4 

4.5 

4.6 

4.7 

As  far  as  the  Comenius  programme  is  concerned,  the  proposal  is  for  the  existing 
range  of  action  to  continue  largely  as  at  present.  It  will  encompass  individual 
mobility,  school  partnerships,  multilateral  projects,  Comenius  networks  and 
accompanying  measures.  The  decentralised  mobility  and  partnership  actions  would 
increase in volume by a factor of four, so as to achieve the participation of 10% of 
pupils  in  joint  educational  activities  (partnerships  and  mobility)  and  of  10%  of 
teachers  in  mobility  activities  over  the  seven-year  lifespan  of  the  Integrated 
Programme.  

The most visible proposed change to the Erasmus programme is a very substantial 
increase  in  student  and  teacher  mobility.  Currently  just  over  120,000  students 
participate in Erasmus mobility annually. Under the new programme, that rate would 
need  to  increase  to  some  375,000  per  year,  in  order  to  reach  the  target  of  three 
million Erasmus students by 2010. At the same time, the average student grant has 
remained unchanged since 1993 at EUR 150 per month. This represents a 25% cut in 
value  in  real  terms.  Clearly  the  target  cannot  be  achieved  without  a  substantial 
increase  in  the  level  of  the  grant;  under  the  Commission’s  proposal  the  monthly 
average  would  increase  to  EUR  250.  Teacher  mobility  is  planned  to  increase  to 
40,000 per year, from a level at present of some 18,000, with a similar boost in the 
grant  level.  Work  placements  for  university  students  and  staff  will  also  be 
incorporated.  

The new programme proposal envisages a number of changes to Leonardo da Vinci. 
Placements for trainees would see a substantial increase to 150,000 per year by the 
end of the programme, from their current level of some 45,000. A similar increase is 
envisaged  for  trainer  mobility.  The  current  pilot  projects  action  will  be  re-cast  to 
focus  on  the  transfer  of  innovation  from  one  or  more  countries  to  another,  and  the 
administration  of  these  projects  will  be  entirely  decentralised  to  the  National 
Agencies, rather than shared with the Commission as at present. Leonardo networks 
will be introduced in the new programme, to focus on issues of common European 
interest in a similar fashion to the Erasmus thematic networks. There will be a new 
Leonardo  “Partnerships”  action  to  promote  exchange  of  expertise  between  training 
providers. Project activities and accompanying measures will also continue.  

Under Grundtvig, new mobility actions are proposed to support the mobility of adult 
learners, staff exchanges,  European assistantships, and  an  expansion  of the training 
opportunities  for  adult  educators  addressed  by  the  current  Grundtvig  action.  Given 
the  demographic  changes  forecast  for  the  next  decade,  it  is  essential  to  make  the 
European dimension of mobility available not only to younger citizens and those that 
teach or train them, but also to adults in lifelong learning more generally. The aim is 
that at least 50,000 adults should benefit from such mobility per year, and that by the 
end of the programme at least one in five structured adult education providers should 
have participated in European cooperation. The instruments to achieve these targets 
will be mobility grants and European learning partnerships. The centralised activities 

17 

 
 
  
 
of  Grundtvig  will  include  strategic  as  well  as  smaller-scale  cooperation  projects, 
networks, training courses and accompanying measures.  

The transversal programme 

4.8 

4.9 

4.10 

4.11 

The  transversal  programme  represents  one  of  the  innovations  of  the  Integrated 
Programme. It is designed to provide better support than has been possible up to now 
for cooperation on issues that do not fit easily into one of the sectoral programmes, 
or that have a potential interest and impact across the entire programme.  

The policy development key activity will provide a more stable and comprehensive 
source  of  support  for  work  at  European  level  that  is  directly  related  to  key  policy 
priorities. This key activity will permit the Community to sustain the follow-up to the 
objectives process and the lifelong learning resolution at European level, to invest in 
an  appropriate  way  in  the  collection  and  analysis  of  statistics  and  indicators,  to 
support  experimental  projects  to  test  cutting-edge  policy  ideas  (in  a  similar  way  to 
the  “Tuning”  project),  and  to  support  the  appropriate  reference  and  analytical 
structures that underpin the actions of the programme at European level.  

The  language  learning  key  activity  is  conceived  as  a  complement  to  the  high-
volume language activity integrated into the sectoral programmes, such as some 30% 
of  Comenius  mobility  and  partnerships.  It  responds  to  a  clear  message  from  the 
public consultations on the future programmes and on the language action plan, that 
languages should be a high priority for visible, substantial and exemplary support at 
European  level.  The  language  learning  key  activity  focuses  on  aspects  of  language 
learning that span more than one sector, such as the development of generic language 
learning  materials,  networks  in  the  fields  of  language  learning  and  linguistic 
diversity,  and  marketing,  publicity  and  information.  Similarly,  the  key  action  on 
information  and  communication  technologies  (ICT)  will  focus  on  cross-cutting 
activities  aimed  at  the  development  of  innovative  ICT-based  content,  services, 
pedagogies  and  practice  for  lifelong  learning.  It  will  be  implemented  through 
multilateral  projects  and  networks,  and  through  other  action  such  as  observation, 
benchmarking, and quality analysis.  

the  public  consultation  and 

The  dissemination  and  exploitation  of  results  key  activity  is  entirely  new  as  a 
dedicated part of the programme, and is designed to make the process of spreading 
and capitalising on the results and products of the programme more systematic and 
effective than before, building on experience gained in particular under Leonardo da 
to 
Vinci.  Both 
dissemination/exploitation as a major weakness in the implementation of the existing 
programmes. To address this, the Commission will create a dedicated activity, with 
earmarked  resources  and  clear  objectives,  which  will  permit  the  building-up  of  a 
solid  body  of  expertise  in  the  field  and  will  provide  the  necessary  continuity  of 
funding  to  make  the  action  effective  in  the  longer  term.  The  action  will  be 
implemented through multilateral projects and the collection and study of data, good 
practice and products resulting from the programme.  

the  evaluation  reports  point 

The Jean Monnet programme 

4.12 

The  Jean  Monnet  programme  will  consist  of  three  key  activities,  all  focusing  on 
aspects of European integration: the Jean Monnet Action itself, support for specific 

18 

 
 
  
 
4.13 

4.14 

European  institutions,  and  support  for  European  associations  in  education  and 
training. 

The  Jean  Monnet  Action  will  carry  forward  the  valuable  work  it  has  so  far 
undertaken,  and  will  encompass  the  support  for  research  into  European  integration 
hitherto  funded  under  budget  line  A-3022.  It  will  continue  to  support  Jean  Monnet 
Chairs,  associations  of  professors,  other  higher  education  teachers  and  researchers 
specialising  in  European  integration,  support  for  young  researchers  in  the  field, 
information activities, and the establishment of multilateral research groups.  

The  key  activity  to  support  European  institutions  will  consist  of  the  allocation  of 
operating grants to organisations at European level. These should include the College 
of  Europe  (Bruges  and  Natolin  campuses);  the  European  University  Institute, 
Florence;  the  European  Law  Academy,  Trier;  and  the  European  Institute  of  Public 
Administration,  Maastricht.  In  particular,  the  Commission  will  propose  funding  for 
the  establishment  of  a  European  post-doctoral  college  at  the  European  University 
Institute,  to  focus  on  advanced  research  in  its  fields  of  specialisation.  Further 
operating  grants  for  institutions  will  be  awarded  on  a  competitive  basis  following 
calls for proposals.  

4.15 

Under the third key activity, operating grants will be allocated to support the running 
costs of European associations active in the fields of education and training, which 
act  as  European  groupings  of  national  and  regional  associations,  selected  on  a 
competitive basis following calls for proposals.  

PART V – EXTERNAL POLICY: TEMPUS PLUS 

5.1 

5.2 

The Commission believes that the Union should offer the current Tempus countries a 
programme with coverage parallel to the Integrated Programme for lifelong learning, 
even if its instruments and structure must be significantly different. The Commission 
therefore  proposes  not  simply  to  renew  the  Tempus  programme  but  to  create 
“Tempus Plus” – a programme addressing these wider needs in a structured context 
which  builds  on  the  successes  of  Tempus,  but  adds  the  new  dimensions  which  the 
evaluations and the new content require. It would therefore cover, in addition to the 
traditional  Tempus  area  of  higher  education,  the  areas  of  school,  vocational 
education  and  training  and  adult  education.  To  resource  such  a  major  increase  in 
scope would require a significant budgetary increase. 

As  regards  geographical  scope,  the  Commission  believes  that  the  ensemble  of 
Tempus countries should continue to benefit from the cooperation and assistance that 
Tempus has provided. However, it may no longer be appropriate to treat them all on 
the same basis. Tempus Plus should enable sectors of cooperation to be chosen in the 
light of the needs and priorities of each of the partner countries. Thus, the full range 
of  cooperation  across  all  sectors  might  be  appropriate  for  some,  while  for  others 
vocational  education  and  training  might  represent  the  highest  priority.  Using  this 
modulated  approach,  it  is  envisaged  that  Tempus  Plus  should  become  a  privileged 
instrument  to  develop  the  “New  Neighbourhood”  policy  set  out  in  the  2003 
Commission Communication21. 

21 

COM(2003) 104 final. 

19 

 
 
  
 
                                                 
5.3 

Tempus Plus should also be open to the Western Balkan countries, whose prospect of 
eventual  membership  of  the  Union  was  confirmed  by  the  Copenhagen  Council  in 
December  2002  and  most  recently  at  the  Western  Balkans  summit  in  June  2003. 
Here,  too,  closer  cooperation  in  the  field  of  education  and  training  is  an  important 
component  of  the  overall  development  strategy.  Just  as  the  Tempus  programme 
facilitated  the  transition  of  the  current  acceding  countries  into  the  mainstream 
Community  education  and  training  programmes,  so  the  Western  Balkans,  which 
joined the current phase of Tempus only recently, should retain access to this type of 
support.  Obviously,  when  individual  countries  transfer  to  the  internal  Integrated 
Programme, they would withdraw from Tempus Plus. 

Tempus Plus – an assistance programme for Lifelong Learning 

5.4 

The proposed Tempus Plus programme should therefore be based, like Tempus, on 
cooperation between systems and institutions in the EU and their counterparts in the 
eligible countries. Its objectives will be: 

– 

– 

to  foster  the  development  of  human  resources  and  human  capital,  and  in 
particular to promote the reform and development of lifelong learning systems 
in the partner countries; 

to  enhance  the  quality  and  the  capacity  of  lifelong  learning  institutions  and 
organisations in the partner countries. 

The aim would be to support the mobility of 100,000 individuals over the lifetime of 
the Tempus Plus programme.  

5.5 

It  would  be  divided  into  four  strands,  each  of  which  would  build  on  work  already 
done in partner countries, and would seek to support them in development work as 
follows: 

– 

– 

– 

A Systems strand. This would support partner countries' work in areas which 
affect the effectiveness of education and training systems as a whole, such as 
qualifications  issues  and  frameworks;  management  and  policy  development; 
forecasting  of  needs  and  possible  responses;  promoting  flexibility  and 
permeability  between  different  parts  of  the  education  and  training  systems.  It 
would  also  promote  convergence  between  the  lifelong  learning  systems  of 
partner countries and those within the European Union. 

A  Schools  strand.  This  would  support  partner  countries  in  areas  such  as 
content,  curricula  and  qualifications;  the  acquisition  of  the  basic  skills  - 
literacy,  numeracy,  languages  -  as  well  as  skills  in  information  technology, 
entrepreneurship,  social  and  intercultural  skills,  learning  skills;  and  teacher 
training.  

A Higher Education strand. This would build on existing Tempus activity to 
support  partner  countries  in  reforms  to  higher  education,  including  activities 
aimed  at  capacity  building  as  well  as  measures  leading  to  convergence, 
equality of access to higher education, better responsiveness to labour market 
needs;  and  enhancing  the  capacity  of  higher  education  to  contribute  to 
economic development generally 

20 

 
 
  
 
– 

A  Vocational  Education  and  Training  strand,  which  would  also  embrace 
adult  education.  This  would  support  partner  countries  in  areas  such  as 
providing learning opportunities to meet the needs of adult learners; the mutual 
recognition  and  transmission  of  qualifications  and  of  learning,  in  particular 
non-formal  and  informal  learning;  strengthening  VET  and  adult  education 
systems; the promotion of active citizenship, active ageing and social cohesion 
and inclusion; or improving occupational guidance and counselling. 

5.6 

The instruments available to support this will be of four types: 

– 

– 

System  measures:  these  will  contribute  to  the  development  and  reform  of 
education and training systems in partner countries, as well as to enhance their 
quality and increase their convergence with those of the European Union. They 
will  operate  on  themes  agreed  with  partner  countries,  and  will  cover  issues 
such  as  support  for  policy  development  and  reform,  systems  and  capacity 
development  (including  through  mobility),  studies  and  research,  provision  of 
expert advice, conferences, seminars and training and development activities. 

Joint  Projects:  these  will  resemble  the  classic  Tempus  projects.  They  will 
enable institutions in the EU and in partner countries to join forces and work 
together on all areas of education and training. These include the joint teaching 
projects,  but  also  other  areas  such  as  curriculum,  teaching  and  learning 
materials, management issues, and in-service training. This type of action will 
also include student and staff mobility, which the Commission believes (and as 
the evaluations suggest) should be considerably increased. It will also include a 
network action, which could operate either independently or in association with 
networks supported under the Integrated Programme. 

–  Mobility: In addition to the mobility supported under Joint Projects, this action 
will provide further opportunities to improve cooperation and enhance mutual 
understanding  between  Europe  and  its  neighbours.  Mobility  will  take  place 
between  EU  Member  States  and  partner  countries  at  every  level  of  the 
programme.  It  will  include  individual  mobility  (along  the  lines  of  the  current 
Tempus Individual Mobility Grants) as well as group mobility. 

– 

Accompanying  Measures:  these  will  contribute  to  the  development  of 
common understanding and cooperation in lifelong learning. They may include 
exchanges of experience on policy issues; observation and analysis of policies 
and  systems;  the  development  of  indicators  and  benchmarks  and  statistical 
surveys; and information and dissemination activities. 

These  four  types  of  instrument  form  a  package  which  offers  both  partner  countries 
and  the  EU  a  variety  of  ways  to  interact  and  to  effect  reform.  Their  operation  will 
require considerable expertise, and where appropriate, the Commission will draw on 
the experience of the European Training Foundation. 

PART VI - SIMPLIFICATION 

6.1 

In its Communication on the Financial Perspectives, the Commission underlined the 
importance of using the revision of programme legislation which occurs in 2007 to 
simplify  the  conception  and  in  the  operation  of  Community  instruments.  The  two 

21 

 
 
  
 
6.2 

new  programmes  mentioned  in  this  Communication  will  contribute  significantly  to 
this. From the formal perspective alone, they represent a reduction in the number of 
the  legal  bases  in  education  and  training  from  seven  at  present  to  three  –  the  two 
programmes here and the Erasmus Mundus Programme, which has been so recently 
adopted  that  it  would  be  inappropriate  at  this  stage  to  amend  it.  Similarly,  it 
represents a reduction from fifteen budget lines to three. 

More  importantly,  however,  the  new  programmes  –  particularly  the  integrated 
Lifelong  Learning  Programme  –  will  be  simpler  for  the  user,  for  a  number  of 
reasons. First, a greater proportion of the actions will be managed in a decentralised 
manner through National Agencies – over 80% of the programme budget. The public 
consultation22  showed  that  users  regard  this  management  method  as  more  user-
friendly than direct management at Community level, since the Agencies are familiar 
with the circumstances in their country, and can respond at once with the appropriate 
knowledge and in the national language.  Secondly,  the  legislative decisions will be 
written  in  a  much  less  detailed  manner,  making  it  easier  both  to  understand  their 
content and to adapt it to future developments in the field. Thirdly, the Commission 
will  include  in  the  draft  legislation  a  provision  that  beneficiaries’  financial  and 
administrative obligations must be proportionate to the size of the grant, for example 
through  an  increased  use  of  lump  sums  and  flat-rate  grants,  with  the  intention  that 
this should lead to significant procedural simplification. The aim here is to respond 
to  the  demand  in  the  public  consultation  to  reduce  the  complexity  which  is  widely 
seen as the most negative aspect of these programmes. 

6.3 

The  Commission  regards  these  measures  as  an  important  step  towards  simpler 
programmes, but certainly not the end of the road. The Commission is interested to 
receive suggestions how the programmes and their operation could be simplified, and 
will seek to include these in its draft proposals. These may indeed imply amendments 
to  the  Community’s  Financial  Regulation  or  its  Implementing  Rules,  for  example; 
but no possible avenue should be excluded at this stage. 

NEXT STEPS AND TIMETABLE FOR ADOPTION 

The  Commission  is  putting  forward  this  paper  in  order  to  put  its  intentions  for  the 
next generation of programmes in the fields of education and training into the public 
arena  as  early  as  possible.  Given  the  necessary  length  of  debate  around  such 
proposals,  which  is  mirrored  by  the  time  needed  for  completion  of  the  co-decision 
process  between  the  European  Parliament  and  Council,  it  is  necessary  to  start  this 
discussion as soon as possible  if there is to be a reasonable chance of adopting the 
final  texts  in  early  2006,  to  leave  as  near  a  full  year  as  possible  before  the 
implementation  of  the  new  programmes.  The  Commission  expects  to  present  its 
formal legislative proposals before the summer break 2004. 

22 

See paragraph 3.3 of this Communication. 

22