Report from the European Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Final Report on the implementation and impact of the second phase (2000-2006) of the Community action programmes in the field of education (Socrates) and vocational training (Leonardo da Vinci) and the multiannual programme (2004-2006) for the effective integration of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education and training systems in Europe (eLearning)
Date: 2009-04-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, Internet, continuing vocational training, education policy, information society, information technology, programmed learning, vocational training

EN 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 6.4.2009 
COM(2009) 159 final 

REPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Final report on the implementation and impact of the second phase (2000-2006) of 
the Community action programmes in the field of education (Socrates) and 
vocational training (Leonardo da Vinci) and the multiannual programme (2004-
2006) for the effective integration of information and communication technologies 
(ICT) in education and training systems in Europe (eLearning) 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
 
 
REPORT FROM THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL, THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL 
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 

Final report on the implementation and impact of the second phase (2000-2006) of 
the Community action programmes in the field of education (Socrates) and 
vocational training (Leonardo da Vinci) and the multiannual programme (2004-
2006) for the effective integration of information and communication technologies 
(ICT) in education and training systems in Europe (eLearning) 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

1.1. 

Presentation of the report 

This  report  was  written  to  fulfil  the  requirements  set  out  in  the  European 
Parliament  and  Council  decisions  establishing 
the  Community  action 
programmes  in  the  field  of  education  (Socrates  2000-2006)1,  vocational 
training  (Leonardo  da  Vinci  2000-2006)2  and  integration  of  information  and 
communication technologies (ICT) in education and training systems in Europe 
(eLearning 2004-2006)3. 

Together, these programmes received more than EUR 3 billion of Community 
funds.  They  complemented  each  other,  contributed  to  creating  the  Europe  of 
knowledge  and  gave  the  European  Commission  powerful  tools  to  help  to 
achieve the Lisbon goals on education and training4. 

For the period 2007-2013 the various initiatives under these three programmes 
have  been  integrated  under  a  single  umbrella,  the  new  Lifelong  Learning 
Programme (LLP)5. The decision to conduct a joint evaluation and to present 
this joint report follows the same line as this integration. 

1 

2 

3 
4 

5 

Decision No 253/2000/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, as last amended by 
Regulation (EC) No 885/2004; Article 14(4) requires an ex post evaluation report. 
Council Decision 1999/382/EC, as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 885/2004; Article 13(5) 
requires a final report on implementation. 
Decision No 2318/2003/EC; Article 12(2) requires an ex post evaluation report. 
See,  for  example,  the  report  from  the  Education  Council  on  The  concrete  future  objectives  of 
education and training systems: 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/2010/doc/rep_fut_obj_en.pdf. 
Decision  No  1720/2006/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  15  November 
2006 establishing an action programme in the field of lifelong learning. 

EN 

3 

   EN 

 
                                                 
 
This  report  is  based  on  an  external  joint  evaluation  of  the  three  programmes 
which included an analysis of national reports from the countries participating 
in them6. 

1.2. 

Description of the programmes  

1.2.1. 

Socrates 

The  Socrates  programme,  with  a  total  budget  of  EUR 2,093  billion,  had  four 
specific  objectives:  to  strengthen  the  European  dimension  in  education,  to 
promote knowledge of EU languages, to promote cooperation and mobility in 
the field of education and to encourage innovation in education. 

The  programme  consisted  of  three  main  schemes  –  Comenius,  Erasmus  and 
Grundtvig covering  schools, higher education and adult learning respectively. 
These  were  complemented  by  two  more  schemes  –  Lingua,  promoting 
languages,  and  Minerva,  promoting  distance  learning  and  use  of  information 
and communication technologies (ICT) for pedagogical purposes. Joint action 
with related programmes was also envisaged. 

1.2.2.  Leonardo da Vinci 

The  Leonardo  da  Vinci  programme  had  three  main  objectives:  to  improve 
skills, especially of young people in initial vocational training, to improve the 
quality of and access to continuous vocational training and lifelong acquisition 
of skills and qualifications and to promote and increase the contribution made 
by  vocational  training  to  the  process  of  innovation  with  a  view  to  improving 
competitiveness  and  entrepreneurship  and  creating  new  employment 
opportunities.  The  total  budget  for  the  Leonardo  da  Vinci  programme  was 
EUR 1,270 billion. 

The  programme  included  six  areas  of  activity:  mobility,  pilot  projects, 
language  skills,  transnational  networks,  reference  material  and  accompanying 
measures. Joint action with related programmes was also envisaged.  

1.2.3. 

eLearning 

The  eLearning  programme  aimed  to  supporting  and  further  developing 
effective use of ICT in education and training. The objective was to contribute 
to high-quality education and to put the needs of the knowledge society into a 
lifelong 
for  2004-2006  was 
EUR 44 million,  45%  of  which  was  for  twinning  and  networking  schools  via 
ICT (eTwinning). New organisational models were developed to create virtual 
campuses  to  add  a  virtual  dimension  to  European  cooperation  between 

learning  context.  The  budget  available 

6 

Documents available at: 
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/evalreports/index_en.htm#postsoc2. 

EN 

4 

   EN 

 
                                                 
universities.  Digital  literacy  was  also  promoted  by  encouraging  new  skills 
needed in an information-driven society.  

2. 

KEY DATA ON PROJECTS AND PARTICIPANTS

7 

The  programmes  evaluated  supported  a  variety  of  activities  and  did  not  all 
focus  on  the  same  aspects  and  target  groups.  Nonetheless,  mobility  schemes, 
cooperation  projects  between  partners  from  different  countries  and  the 
development  of  networks  and  tools  were  major  outputs  from  nearly  all  the 
programmes.  

Learning periods abroad featured in both the Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci 
programmes:  943 000  university  students  were  involved  in  study  mobility, 
135 000 university teachers went to teach abroad and around 2 500 institutions 
were involved in Erasmus. More than 311 000 trainees and students and 56 000 
trainers participated in more than 19 300 vocational training mobility projects. 
Mobility of staff and teachers was funded under both Comenius and Grundtvig 
(56 329 and 5 500 participants respectively). 

Organisations  cooperated  in  small  partnership  projects:  over  74 000  grants 
were awarded to enable schools to participate in Comenius and 7 800 schools 
were involved in eTwinnning. Another 20 000 grants enabled adult education 
institutions to cooperate in this area.  

Multilateral  projects  and  networks  supported  cooperation  between  a  large 
number  of  partners  from  different  Member  States  and  other  countries 
participating: 434 in Comenius and 455 in Grundtvig. Common curricula were 
developed  in  520  projects  under  Erasmus  and  more  than  2 000  Leonardo  da 
Vinci pilot projects brought innovations to vocational training.  

Lingua promoted 144 projects on language learning and development of tools 
to  widen  access  to  language  courses  and  Minerva  awarded  347  grants  to 
support use of ICT in education.  

3. 

IMPACT OF THE PROGRAMMES

8 

The  evaluation  demonstrated  that  these  EU  programmes  were  relevant  to  the 
needs of the sectors concerned and that many of the activities would not have 
taken place without their financial support. 

7 

8 

See the annex for an overview of outcomes of the three programmes. The figures mentioned in 
this report and in the table have been updated in line with the latest statistics from the European 
Commission. 
The  figures  provided  in  Section  3  are  based  on  responses  to  surveys  conducted  during  the 
external evaluation. 

EN 

5 

   EN 

 
                                                 
3.1. 

Impact on specific sectors 

3.1.1. 

School education 

The  key  schemes  with  an  impact  on  schools  were  Comenius  and  eTwinning. 
Partnerships  supported  under  the  Comenius  and  eLearning  programmes  gave 
schools  a  more  European  dimension  and  outlook  and  improved  the  school 
climate,  in  terms  of  cooperation  between  teachers  and  pupils  and  between 
different subjects in the schools participating9. They helped to create a clearer 
sense  of  European  identity  by  enabling  schools  to  cooperate  with  schools  in 
other  EU  countries.  School  partnerships  enabled  teachers  to  improve  their 
teaching  skills  and  gave  pupils  and  teachers  alike  a  chance  to  improve  their 
foreign language and ICT skills, to experience European cooperation projects 
and to create sustainable links with their peers in other countries. Some 85% of 
the respondents who had participated in Comenius felt that their activity would 
not  have  taken  place  without  funding  from  the  Commission.  Enhanced 
mobility within school education made the clearest impact out of the activities 
in the programme. 

The  direct  impact  on  school  curricula  in  general  and  on  school  policy  and 
development  of  school  education  was  more  limited.  However,  at  local  level 
curricula and teaching methods improved. Projects, partnerships and individual 
mobility  schemes  influenced  the  educational  practice  of  those  directly 
involved.  In  particular,  64%  of  all  beneficiaries  reported  increases  in 
knowledge and skills and half saw sharing good practice across Europe as the 
main benefit. School authorities and administrators had the potential to add to 
the  impact  of  the  programme  on  school  management.  However,  often  they 
were  unable  to  disseminate  their  results  and  experience  to  a  wider  audience 
and/or to the level of education policy.  

3.1.2.  Higher education10 

The  vast  majority  of  higher  education  institutions  participated  in  Erasmus, 
thereby  enabling  the  scheme  to  stimulate  the  European  dimension  and 
innovation  in  higher  education  and  make  an  impact  at  personal,  institutional 
and policy levels.  

The  largest  positive  impact  was  by  increasing  the  capacity  for  mobility.  This 
influenced participants’ personal and professional development and contributed 
to a more open attitude and a clearer and better informed perspective for their 
subsequent studies or professional life and to improving their understanding of 

9 

10 

Report on the impact of the Comenius School Partnerships on the participant schools, published 
on: http://ec.europa.eu/education/doc/reports/index_en.html. 
Information also based on the study “Impact of Erasmus on European higher education: quality, 
openness and internationalisation” by a consortium led by Cheps in partnership with INCHER – 
Kassel and Ecotec (2008). 

EN 

6 

   EN 

 
                                                 
Europe and of “belonging to a European family”. Knowledge of EU languages 
has  improved  and  stronger  contacts  have  been  established  with  European 
colleagues. Participants in mobility schemes became more employable11 thanks 
to  their  international  experience  and  better  language  skills,  as  89%  of  the 
respondents confirmed.  

Erasmus  has  also  had  a  considerable  effect  at  national  and  international 
institutional levels. 94% of the participants in the survey agreed that Erasmus 
had  increased  and  sustained  cooperation  between  institutions.  The  effect  on 
universities’  internationalisation  strategies  and  development  of  international 
support  services  is  significant,  whereas  the  effect  on  teaching  and  research  at 
departmental  level  seems  more  indirect,  e.g.  via  the  international  networks 
created.  

Erasmus has also acted as a driver for change in national and European higher 
education  policies.  It  inspired  five  of  the  six  lines  of  action  in  the  Bologna 
Declaration12 and provided support for the efforts to achieve the objectives set 
in the Bologna process. The Bologna process has led to convergence of course 
structures,  while  Erasmus  has  sought  to  provide  the  tools  and  support  their 
deployment (e.g. the European Credit Transfer System), stimulate development 
of joint degrees and develop collaborative approaches to teaching.  

Although the research activities of higher education institutions are not a main 
target  area  for  Erasmus,  the  programme  demonstrated  positive  effects  on 
research.  It  contributed  to  an  increase  of  higher  education  establishments' 
participation  in  joint  international  research  projects,  promoted  networking 
between institutions and initiated increasing attendance and/or organisation of 
international conferences by academic staff. 

3.1.3.  Adult education 

The strongest kinds of impact reported on adult learning were closer, sustained 
cooperation  between  institutions  (93%  of  participating  organisations),  greater 
opportunities  for  mobility  and  a  more  European  outlook  on  the  part  of 
individuals  and  institutions  (90%).  Grundtvig  has  thus  clearly  succeeded  in 
sowing the seeds of a European  dimension  in  adult  education  –  a  sector  with 
almost  no  tradition  of  European  cooperation  hitherto  and  marked  by  a 
relatively  weak  institutional  infrastructure,  a  high  proportion  of  part-time  and 
voluntary staff and strongly disparate profiles from one country to another.  

The evaluation reported a significant impact in terms of improving the quality 
of teaching and curricula and approaches to learning and management (74%). 

11 

12 

“Increased employability” was also a finding in the “Study on the Professional Value of Erasmus 
Mobility” by the International Centre for Higher Education Research (INCHER-Kassel) and the 
University of Kassel, Germany (November 2006). 
See the study referred to in footnote 10. 

EN 

7 

   EN 

 
                                                 
Enhanced professional skills and stronger networking between adult education 
staff in Europe were further benefits, and more than half the respondents (56%) 
felt that their participation in Grundtvig had made them more employable and 
adaptable.  

improving 
Finally,  Grundtvig  had  a  comparatively  strong 
educational  opportunities  for  disadvantaged  social  groups:  almost  half  the 
participants  reported  that  their  activities  had  made  an  impact  in  terms  of 
targeting people with low skills or special needs and “hard to reach” groups. 

impact  on 

3.1.4.  Vocational education and training (VET) 

The  Leonardo  da  Vinci  programme  responded  to  the  needs  for  vocational 
education  and  training,  fostered  further  cooperation  at  Community  level  and 
helped to achieve convergence between Member States by clearly aligning its 
multiannual priorities with the policy objectives addressed in the Copenhagen 
process. 

Significant  socio-economic  benefits  have  been  achieved  in  relation  to  young 
people  in  VET.  The  projects  contributed  to  improving  their  knowledge  and 
their  capacity  for  lifelong  acquisition  of  skills.  Improved  foreign  language 
skills were another major benefit for young people participating in the mobility 
part of the programme, making them more employable and adaptable to labour 
market developments. 

The  mobility  schemes  and  pilot  cooperation  projects  also  considerably 
influenced the development of high-quality curricula and teaching methods in 
the  institutions  participating,  as  63%  of  the  respondents  confirmed.  By 
the  programme 
organising 
contributed  to  further  opening  up  VET  systems  and,  thereby,  to  greater 
transparency in curricula and qualifications. 

transnational  cooperation  and  placements, 

The programme also made an impact on VET policy by developing standards, 
methods  and  tools  that  were  integrated  into  national  or  regional  policy  and 
practice.  The  policy  impact  was  strongest  at  local  (71%  of  respondents)  and 
regional (57%) levels, since many of the partners in projects are active at these 
levels.  Effects  were  also  seen  at  national  policy  level,  but  to  a  lesser  degree 
(46%).  Country-specific  analyses  showed  that  the  impact  was  stronger  in 
countries with underdeveloped VET systems, i.e. mainly the new participants. 

Overall,  the  programme  contributed  to  creating  a  European  VET  area  which 
otherwise  would  not  have  developed  at  all  or  at  best  at  a  much  slower  pace. 
The most significant contribution made by the programme to the Lisbon goals 
was  to  improve  the  skills  and,  thus,  labour  market  opportunities  of  young 
people. 

EN 

8 

   EN 

 
3.1.5. 

eLearning  

The  eLearning  programme  was  particularly  effective  at  producing  short-term 
results  for  organisations.  More  than  98%  of  the  eLearning  coordinators 
consulted  considered  that  their  project  had  made  a  positive  impact  on 
cooperation  between  institutions.  Especially  prominent  institutional  benefits 
included  involvement  in  transnational  cooperation,  establishment  of  contacts 
and exchanges of good practice.  

eLearning  was  also  effective  at  producing  significant  results  for  staff  and 
teachers.  75%  of  the  respondents  agreed  or  strongly  agreed  that  their  project 
had made a positive impact on the quality of teaching, learning and curricula. 

Overall, the eLearning programme contributed very positively to the objectives 
of  Education  and  Training  2010.  It  performed  especially  well  on  developing 
skills for the knowledge economy and ensuring access to ICTs. Between 67% 
and  75%  agreed  or  strongly  agreed  that  their  project  had  produced  higher 
standards of digital literacy. 

eTwinning was particularly effective at providing an innovative and interesting 
model  offering  schools  free  access  to  the  eTwinning  portal,  a  partner-finding 
service,  support  for  school-level  projects,  pedagogical  advice  and  good 
practice.  This  approach  proved  popular  with  the  target  audience  and  highly 
cost-effective. It exceeded stakeholders’ and participants’ expectations.  

The  eLearning  activities  have  now  been  mainstreamed  into  the  Lifelong 
Learning Programme, notably eTwinning in Comenius and virtual campuses in 
Erasmus. 

3.2. 

Common forms of impact of all three programmes 

3.2.1.  Creation of a European education area 

The creating of a “European education area” establishing a sustainable culture 
of  European  cooperation  is  acknowledged  as  the  most  significant  impact.  In 
particular,  Erasmus  has  created  infrastructure  in  which  almost  all  European 
universities  participate  and  the  Leonardo  da  Vinci  programme  helped  to 
establish a platform for transnational cooperation on VET. These programmes 
also contribute to the implementation of the "fifth freedom of knowledge".13 

13 

As requested by the European Council at its meeting on 13-14 March 2008. For more 
information see Presidency Conclusions, Council of the European Union, Brussels 7652/08, Rev. 
1, 20 May 2008, point 8, available at: 
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressData/en/ec/99410.pdf 

EN 

9 

   EN 

 
                                                 
3.2.2. 

Improvements in teaching practice and management 

Improvements  in  teaching,  learning  and  management  were  the  second  most 
common impact. Professionals have brought back their learning and applied it 
extensively  alongside  the  significant  contributions  made  by  dissemination 
networks and the impact on management. 

3.2.3. 

Impact on individuals and society: socio-economic impact 

The programmes enhanced the “professional social capital”14, i.e. the existing 
resources  and  assets  in  a  given  framework,  organisation  or  institution.  This 
added  value  had  significant  effects  on  both  individuals  and  organisations  via 
mobility schemes, networks and partnerships. As a general rule, improvements 
were  reported  in  individuals’  soft  skills  (such  as  communication  skills,  self-
confidence,  self-awareness  and  ability  to  work  with  others),  language  skills, 
cultural awareness and professional competence.  

The main socio-economic impact took the form of mobility, which played an 
especially prominent part in Erasmus and Leonardo. Erasmus was instrumental 
in  institutionalising  mobility  and  embedding  it  firmly  in  university  life.  In 
Leonardo,  mobility  schemes  were  the  most  successful  and  cost-effective 
measures in the programme. Enabling mobility for school staff was also one of 
the  clearest  kinds  of  impact  of  Comenius.  Erasmus  and  Leonardo  da  Vinci 
grants, however, were not always sufficient to enable people from lower socio-
economic backgrounds to participate. Grundtvig and the eLearning programme 
therefore had the strongest impact on tackling socio-economic disadvantage. 

3.2.4. 

Impact on policy and practice at EU and Member State levels  

Policy and practice were mainly influenced by the efforts of individual projects 
to  disseminate  results.  The  impact  on  policy  was  greatest  at  local  level, 
although Leonardo and Erasmus also made a significant impact at national and 
European levels, in particular by supporting implementation of European tools 
such  as  the  European  Credit  Transfer  System  (ECTS),  the  European 
Qualifications  Framework  (EQF)  and  the  European  Credits  in  Vocational 
Education and Training (ECVET). 

3.2.5. 

Increased proficiency in EU languages  

The  programmes  made  a  widespread  impact  on  language  learning  by 
developing and disseminating new methods and via participation in the project 
itself,  although  this  tended  to  involve  the  more  commonly  used  languages, 
especially English.  

14 

“Professional social capital” means the value derived from networks and networking activity by 
professionals (teachers and trainers) involved in the programmes. 

EN 

10 

   EN 

 
                                                 
3.2.6.  Contribution to objectives related to the Lisbon strategy 

Although  the  programmes  were  designed  before  the  Lisbon  strategy,  they 
contributed  to  achieving  its  objectives,  mainly  by  opening  up  education  and 
training  systems  to  the  wider  world  and  improving  their  quality  and 
effectiveness.  

3.2.7.  Tools for structural development 

In relation to the specific issues of convergence, transparency and recognition, 
the  programmes  supported  development  and  implementation  of  tools  that  can 
enhance  “structural”  developments  such  as  the  European  Credit  Transfer 
System (ECTS), the European Qualifications Framework (EQF), the European 
Credits in Vocational Education and Training (ECVET) and Europass. 

4. 

MAIN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME 

The  evaluators  made  a  range  of  strategic  recommendations  to  improve  the 
support for education and training policy in the Lifelong Learning Programme 
(LLP).  They  also  put  forward  operational  proposals  intended  to  improve  the 
content  and  management  of  the  LLP  and  assessment  of  its  impact.  The 
Commission will ensure that the recommendations are effectively addressed by 
means  of  an  action  plan.  Regular  progress  reports  will  be  made  on 
implementation  thereof.  Nonetheless,  some  answers  are  already  provided 
below. 

4.1. 

Design and priorities 

The  evaluation  pointed  out  that  the  Lifelong  Learning  Programme  should 
capitalise as much as possible on the achievements during the previous period 
and recommended improvements in the sectoral parts of the programmes.  

In  the  case  of  Erasmus,  the  quality  of  mobility  should  be  increased, 
qualifications gained in learning experience abroad should be better recognised 
and  business,  enterprises  and  civil  society  should  be  more  involved  to  link 
education and the labour market better. 

Steps  should  be  taken  to  ensure  that  the  Leonardo  da  Vinci  programme 
continues to give priority to the areas highlighted in the Copenhagen process, 
such  as  quality  and  attractiveness  in  VET  combined  with  recognition  and 
transparency. 

The priority for school and adult learning should be to develop measures that 
make a stronger contribution to the Lisbon strategy and to achieving relevant 
benchmarks  (reducing  early  school-leaving  and  increasing  participation  in 
lifelong learning). 

EN 

11 

   EN 

 
The European Commission is already committed to stronger quality monitoring 
and  recognition  of  mobility  periods  abroad  and  will  continue  to  work  closely 
with Member States on implementation of the ECTS and EQF.  

The Commission will also continue to tighten the links between the programme 
and  policy  developments.  Priority  topics  on  which  applicants  are  invited  to 
submit  proposals  under  the  programme  are  defined  in  the  yearly  calls  for 
proposals.  These  priorities  are  set  in  close  cooperation  with  the  national 
authorities in the countries participating. 

4.2.  Management and monitoring 

Although  some  progress  was  made  on  developing  information  tools  in  each 
programme, it was very difficult to obtain robust, accurate and timely data on 
outputs and results of the previous programmes. Development of an integrated 
management  information  system  to  collect  results  systematically  and  monitor 
them better is highly recommended.  

The  European  Commission  has  addressed  this  issue  already  by  introducing 
“LLP  Link”,  a  common  management  tool  to  be  used  by  all  LLP  national 
agencies  (NA).  This  system  will  allow  collection  of  up-to-date,  complete  and 
consistent  data  produced  in  the  course  of  the  NAs’  daily  management  of  the 
programme. 

4.3. 

Impact assessment 

The  evaluation  showed  that  SMART  –  i.e.  specific,  measurable,  achievable, 
realistic  and  time-bound  –  objectives,  indicators  and  targets  should  be 
developed, as almost all the programmes had very broad objectives which did 
not  measure  up  well  against  the  SMART  yardstick.  There  were  also 
shortcomings in indicators and targets. 

The Commission acknowledges the need for proper monitoring of the LLP and 
its  results  in  order  to  measure  and  assess  its  impact  and  has  already  taken 
action to develop an appropriate set of indicators to measure its impact.  

4.4. 

Dissemination and exploitation of results 

The  evaluation  called  for  improving  dissemination  and  exploitation  of  good 
practice and also the sustainability and mainstreaming of outcomes at all levels 
of  the  programmes  and  by  all  involved.  Projects  should  allocate  specific 
resources to dissemination and provide a sustainability plan. The Commission 
should  facilitate  sharing  of  good  practice  at  EU  level  and  provide  guidance. 
National authorities should adopt effective strategies to disseminate and apply 
results  in  their  countries,  ensure  liaison  between  the  results  of  the  Lifelong 
Learning  Programme  and  national  policies  and  monitor  its  potential  to  move 
the EU agenda forward. 

EN 

12 

   EN 

 
The  LLP  already  sets  specific  objectives  to  encourage  optimum  use  of  the 
results and exchange good practice in order to improve the quality of education 
and  training.  A  specific  key  activity  on  policy  development  has  also  been 
included in the transversal programme. 

LLP  national  agencies  are  required  by  contract  to  undertake  communication 
and  dissemination  activities.  European  Prizes  for  Lifelong  Learning  are 
awarded  for  outstanding  schemes.  Brochures  describing  “European  success 
stories” present good practice showing potential for adaptation for further use. 

Optimum  use  of  results,  products  and  processes  is  also  encouraged  and 
supported  by  a  series  of  existing  databases  or  platforms  under  development 
within the LLP and the Directorate-General for Education and Culture. 

5. 

CONCLUSIONS 

The evaluation of the Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and eLearning programmes 
shows that they have had a significant impact on education and training in the 
EU,  both  quantitative  and  qualitative.  This  can  be  seen  at  individual, 
institutional and policy-making levels. 

At individual level, a positive impact was observed on both staff and learners 
who  broadened  their  skills  (including  language  proficiency),  deepened  their 
knowledge, developed a strong sense of networking across national boundaries 
and  gained  a  stronger  feeling  of  being  European  citizens.  The  mobility 
schemes, i.e. learning periods abroad, were the most successful in this respect. 

Mobility schemes have not only enhanced individuals’ skills but also induced 
progress at institutional level. Erasmus in particular has embedded mobility in 
university  life  and  led  to  structural  changes  and  modernisation  in  higher 
education  in  Europe.  As  a  result  of  various  types  of  partnership  and  project, 
improvements in teaching, learning and management and structural changes in 
curricula or systems were also observed, in particular in the work environment 
of the participants and at local level. There is less evidence of a broader impact 
on  national  education  systems  and  the  countries  participating  failed  to  make 
sufficient  strategic  use  of  the  outcomes  of  the  programmes  to  adapt  their 
systems.  

At policy-making level, the impact of the Erasmus and Leonardo programmes 
is evident in the development of EU instruments to improve transparency and 
recognition  of  qualifications,  in  particular  tools  such  as  the  European  Credit 
Transfer  System  (ECTS),  the  European  Qualifications  Framework  (EQF)  and 
the  European  Credits  in  Vocational  Education  and  Training  (ECVET). 
However, the impact of Comenius and Grundtvig remained more local. 

EN 

13 

   EN 

 
Overall, the programmes clearly contributed to creating a European education 
area  and  embedded  a  culture  of  European  cooperation  amongst  educational 
institutions. 

The  Lifelong  Learning  Programme  (LLP)  adopted  for  2007-13  has  learned 
lessons  from  its  predecessors  by  building  on  their  strengths  on  the  one  hand 
and trying to remedy the weaknesses detected on the other. 

As an umbrella programme, it integrates action targeted on different groups in 
a  coherent  way,  with  simplified  management  procedures  and  streamlined 
sectoral sub-programmes, in order to harness synergies better. 

The  LLP  is  also  designed  to  support  more  effectively  the  EU  education  and 
training policies set out in the Lisbon strategy and the Education and Training 
2010 work programme. It does so not only under its sectoral strands on schools 
(Comenius),  higher  education  (Erasmus),  vocational  training  (Leonardo)  and 
adult  education  (Grundtvig),  but  also  under  a  new  cross-cutting  strand.  The 
Commission  has  the  flexibility  to  tailor  the  priorities  of  the  annual  LLP  calls 
for proposals to current policy developments, such as the New Skills for New 
Jobs agenda or the European Year of Creativity and Innovation, both in 2009. 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  improve  the  common  management  system 
(LLP  Link)  and  provide  tools  to  consolidate  data  collection  and  impact 
assessment  of  the  programme.  Progress  on  the  quality  of  outcomes,  e.g.  on 
mobility,  and  on  implementation  of  the  LLP  objectives  until  2013  will  be 
closely  monitored  in  cooperation  with  the  countries  represented  on  the  single 
Programme  Committee.  Attention  will  also  focus  on  better  application  and 
mainstreaming  of  the  results  of  the  LLP  in  order  to  support  modernisation  of 
education and training systems in Europe. 

EN 

14 

   EN 

 
Annex: Output of the Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and eLearning programmes – Key data on projects and participants 

N.B. 
Not all the programmes supported the same kinds of action. An empty cell means that this type of activity was not funded under the relevant programme. 
The figures for Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci are for 2000-2006 and the figures for eLearning for 2004-2006. The figures mentioned in the report and this table have been 
updated in line with the latest statistics from the European Commission. 

1 Study visits for educational experts and decision-makers. 

EN 

15 

EN