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: 2006-06-21
Institutions: European Community, United States
Subjects: United States, cooperation agreement (EU), cooperation policy, higher education, vocational 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 (hereinafter
referred to as the European Community) and the Government of the United States of America (hereinafter referred to as
the United States) in November 1990 makes specific reference to strengthening mutual cooperation in various fields
which directly affect the present and future well-being of their citizens, such as exchanges and joint projects in education
and culture, including academic and youth exchanges;

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 with those in the European Union and encouraging the teaching of
each other's languages, history and culture;

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;

NOTING that at the EU-US Summit in June 2005, leaders agreed on an initiative to enhance transatlantic economic
integration and growth which identified education cooperation as one of the tools ‘to increase synergies across the
Atlantic as we become more knowledge-based economies’ and committed to work to ‘renew and reinforce the US-EU
Agreement on Higher Education and Vocational Training, which includes the Fulbright/European Union Programme, to
boost education cooperation and transatlantic exchanges between our citizens;’

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 and the 2000 Agreement Between the European Community and the United States Renewing a Programme
of Cooperation 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;

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;

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;

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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 2000 Cooperation Programme in
Higher Education and Vocational Education and Training (here-
inafter referred to as the Programme), originally established
under
European
Community and the United States of America establishing a
Cooperation Programme in Higher Education and Vocational
Education and Training.

1995 Agreement

Between

the

the

Article 2

Definitions

For the purpose of this Agreement:

1.

2.

‘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;

‘vocational education and training institutions’ means any
irre-
type of public, semi-public or private body, which,
spective 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.

‘students’ means all those persons participating in 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

1.

The general objectives of the Programme shall be to:

(b) improve the quality of human resource development

in
both the European Community and the United States,
including the acquisition of skills required to meet the chal-
lenges of the global knowledge-based economy.

2.

The specific objectives of the Programme shall be to:

(a) enhance collaboration between the European Community
and the United States in the domains of higher education
and vocational training;

(b) contribute to the development of higher education and

vocational training institutions;

(c) contribute to individual participants' personal development
for their own sake and as a way to achieve the general
objectives of the Programme; and

(d) contribute to transatlantic exchanges between EU and US

citizens.

3.

The operational objectives of the Programme shall be to:

(a) support collaboration between higher education and voca-
tional training institutions with a view to promoting joint
study programmes and mobility;

(b) improve the quality of

transatlantic student mobility by
promoting transparency, mutual
recognition of qualifi-
cations and periods of study and training, and, where appro-
priate, portability of credits;

(c) support collaboration between public and private organi-
sations active in the field of higher education and vocational
training with a view to encouraging discussion and
exchange of experience on policy issues; and

(a) promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the
European Community and the United States
including
broader knowledge of their languages, cultures and insti-
tutions; and

(d) support transatlantic mobility of professionals with a view
to improving mutual understanding of issues relevant to
EC/US relations.

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Article 4

Principles

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

1. full respect for the responsibilities of the Member States of
the European Community and 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. broad participation across the different Member States of the
European Community and the United States of America; and

4. recognition of the full cultural, social, and economic diversity
the European Community and the United States of

of
America.

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

1.
A Joint Committee is hereby established. It shall comprise
an equal number of representatives from each of the Parties.

2.

The functions of the Joint Committee shall be to:

shall be approved by those persons selected from each side to
chair jointly the meeting, and shall, together with the biannual
report, be made available to appropriate Minister-level officials
of each Party.

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 light of any needs or opportu-
nities 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
United States. Financing will be, to the extent possible, on the
basis of an overall matching of funds between the Parties. The
Parties
activities of
comparable benefit and scope.

Programme

to offer

attempt

shall

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 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 equipment
of the other Party engaged in or used in cooperative activities
under this Agreement.

(a) review the

cooperative activities

envisaged under

this

Agreement; and

Article 10

Other agreements

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

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.

3.
The Joint Committee shall meet every second year or as
agreed upon by the Parties, with such meetings being held
alternately in the European Community and the United States.

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

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 United States.

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Article 12

Entry into force and termination

1.
This Agreement 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 legal requirements for
the entry into force of
this Agreement have been fulfilled,
whichever is the later date. This Agreement replaces the 2000
Agreement Between the European Community and the United
States Renewing a Programme of Cooperation in Higher
Education and Vocational Education and Training in its entirety.

This Agreement shall remain in force for eight years and

2.
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.

This Agreement may be terminated at any time by either
3.
Party by providing 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

Done at Vienna this twenty-first day of June 2006, in duplicate
in the English, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, French,
German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese,
Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish
languages, all texts being equally authentic.
In the event of
discrepancies, the English language shall prevail.

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

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Por la Comunidad Europea
Za Evropské společenství
For Det Europæiske Fællesskab
Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft
Euroopa Ühenduse nimel
Για την Ευρωπαϊκή Κοινότητα

For the European Community
Pour la Communauté européenne
Per la Comunità europea
Eiropas Kopienas vārdā
Europos bendrijos vardu
Az Európai Közösség részéről
Għall-Komunitá Ewropea
Voor de Europese Gemeenschap
W imieniu Wspólnoty Europejskiej
Pela Comunidade Europeia
Za Európske spoločenstvo
Za Evropsko skupnost
Euroopan yhteisön puolesta
För Europeiska gemenskapen

Por los Estados Unidos de América
Za Spojené státy americké
For Amerikas Forenede Stater
Für die Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika
Ameerika Ühendriikide nimel
Για τις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες της Αμερικής

For the United States of America
Pour les États-Unis d'Amérique
Per gli Stati Uniti d'America
Amerikas Savienoto Valstu vārdā
Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų vardu
az Amerikai Egyesült Államok részéről
Għall-Istati Uniti ta'l-Amerika
Voor de Verenigde Staten van Amerika
W imieniu Stanów Zjednoczonych Ameryki
Pelos Estados Unidos da América
Za Spojené štáty americké
Za Združene države Amerike
Amerikan yhdysvaltojen puolesta
På Amerikas förenta staters vägnar

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ACTIONS

ANNEX

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.

2. Each joint consortium must be formed by a multilateral partnership of EC and US higher education and vocational

training institutions.

3. Joint consortia projects should normally involve transatlantic mobility of students in the framework of joint study
programmes, with a goal of parity in the flows in each direction, and should foresee adequate language and cultural
preparation.

4. Appropriate authorities on each side will jointly agree upon the eligible subject areas for joint EC/US consortia based

on priority fields which are key to EC/US cooperation.

Action 2 — Excellence (follow-up) mobility projects

The Parties may provide financial support for student mobility to joint consortia of higher education and vocational
training institutions that have a proven track record of excellence in the implementation of joint projects funded by the
Parties.

Action 3 — Policy-oriented measures

The Parties may provide financial support to multilateral projects involving organisations active in the field of higher
education and vocational training with a view to enhancing collaboration between the European Community and the
United States as regards the development of higher education and vocational training. Policy-oriented measures may
include studies, conferences, seminars, working groups, benchmarking exercises and address horizontal higher education
and vocational training issues, including recognition of qualifications.

Action 4 — ‘Schuman-Fulbright’ grants

The Parties intend to provide scholarships to highly qualified professionals (including professionals-in-training, who may
be engaged in advanced studies at universities and professional schools) who want to undertake studies or training, in
areas of specific relevance to the EU/US relationship, which would be jointly identified by the Parties. For the purpose of
promoting ‘Schuman-Fulbright’ grants and supporting grantees,
to an
organisation that they shall jointly designate.

the Parties may provide financial support

Action 5 — Alumni association

The Parties may provide financial support to alumni associations involving students who have participated in exchanges
supported by the EC/US cooperation programme in higher education and vocational training. Alumni associations may be
run by organisations that the Parties shall jointly designate.

PROGRAMME ADMINISTRATION

Administration of these 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;

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6. providing financial management; and

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

As a rule, the European Community will provide support for the use of the European Community project partners; the
United States will provide support for United States project partners. In providing support, the Parties may have recourse
to flat-rate grants, scales of unit costs and/or scholarships.

TECHNICAL SUPPORT MEASURES

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.