CELEX: 51989PC0392
Language: en
Date: 1989-07-28
Title: REVISED PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION AMENDING THE COUNCIL DECISION OF 15 JUNE 1987 ( 87/327/EEC ) ADOPTING THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY ACTION SCHEME FOR THE MOBILITY OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ( ERASMUS )

9. 9. 89                                Official Journal of the European Communities                               No C 232/9
               Revised proposal for a Council Decision amending the Council Decision of 15 June 1987
               (87/327/EEC) adopting the European Community action scheme for the mobility of university
                                                     students (') (Erasmus)
                                                       COM(89) 392 final
                                       (Submitted by the Commission on 3 August 1989)
                                                         (89/C 232/12)
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,                            resources for this purpose, notably through Council
                                                                     Decision 89/27/EEC of 16 December 1988 for the
                                                                     second phase of the programme on cooperation between
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European                universities and industry regarding training in the field of
Economic Community, and in particular Article 128                   technology (Comett II 1990 to 1994) (4);
thereof,
                                                                    Whereas the Council has adopted measures to stimulate
                                                                     cooperation and interchange between European research
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,                   scientists, notably through Decision 88/419/EEC of 29
                                                                    June 1988 establishing the Science programme (5) and
                                                                     Decision 89/118/EEC of 13 February 1989 establishing
Having regard       to   the  opinion    of   the   European         the SPES programme (6), whereas it is therefore not
Parliament,                                                          appropriate that such activities should also by covered by
                                                                     the Erasmus Programme.
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
                                                                      Whereas on the basis of the judgment of the Court of the
Social Committee,
                                                                     European Communities of 30 May 1989 the Erasmus
                                                                    programme as amended by this Decision falls within the
                                                                     scope of the common vocational training policy as provided
Whereas the fundamental objectives of the common                    for in Article 128;
vocational training policy set down in the second
principle of Decision 63/266/EEC of 2 April 1963 (2)
aim in particular at enabling every person to reach the             Whereas the Commission's aim, in following up the
highest possible level of vocational training which is               People's Europe initiative of the European Council, is
necessary for his professional activity, and refer also to           that by 1992 nearly 10 % of all students in the
broadening vocational training to meet requirements                  Community will be following a university course
arising from technical progress, linking the different               organized by universities in more than one Member
forms of vocational training to social and economic                  State;
developments;
                                                                    Whereas the Council at its meeting on ... adopted the
                                                                     Lingua programme to promote training in foreign
Whereas on the basis of the sixth principle of that                  languages as well as the teaching and learning of foreign
Decision it is the Commission's responsibility to                    languages in the European Community;
encourage direct exchanges of vocational training
specialists in order to enable them to acquaint themselves
with and study the achievements and new developments                Whereas the Council at its meeting on 21 December
in the other countries of the Community:                             1988 adopted a Directive on a general system for the
                                                                    recognition of higher education diplomas awarded on
                                                                    completion of professional education and training of at
                                                                    least three years' duration (7);
Whereas the Council established the European
Community action scheme for the mobility of university
students (Erasmus) by Decision 87/327/EEC of 15 June                Whereas the annual reports on the functioning of the
1987 (3) and whereas Article 7 of that Decision provides            Erasmus programme in 1987 and 1988 and the moni-
for the possibility of adapting that Decision;                      toring of the programme to date have shown that the
                                                                    programme is a successful means of increasing student
                                                                     mobility via effective inter-university cooperation within
Whereas the Council has adopted measures with a view                the Community;
to    strengthening      technological      cooperation    at
Community level and providing the necessary human
                                                                     (4) OJ  No  L 13, 17. 1. 1989, p. 28.
(') OJ No C 150, 17. 6. 1989, p. 10.                                 O   OJ  No  C 335, 30. 12. 1988, p. 3.
O OJ No 63, 20. 4. 1963, p. 1368/63.                                 (6) OJ  No  L 44, 16. 2. 1989, p. 44.
(3) OJ No L 166, 25. 6. 1987, p. 20.                                 O   OJ  No  L 19, 24. 1. 1989, p. 16.
 ---pagebreak---  No C 232/10                               Official Journal of the European Communities                                        9. 9. 89
  Whereas therefore the existing actions under Decision                   3. Article 4 of Council Decision 87/327/EEC is replaced
 87/327/EEC should be maintained up to the coming into                       by the following:
force of this Decision, and should be continued thereafter
 with adaptations, which experience has shown to be                           'Article 4
 necessary;                                                                  As from 1 January 1990 the annual credits necessary
                                                                             to cover the Community contribution to the actions
Whereas the estimated amount required to finance the                         provided for in the programme will be established in
 Erasmus programme in the first three years of the                           the annual budgetary procedure, taking into account
 five-year period is ECU 192 million,                                        the results of the programme as well as any new needs
                                                                             which may emerge during its operation. These credits
                                                                             are intended to finance the various actions set out in
 HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:                                                     the Annex, including appropriate measures taken to
                                                                             ensure the technical assistance at Community level,
                             Article 1                                       continuing monitoring and evaluation of the
                                                                             programme.
 1. In Article 1 of Council Decision 87/327/EEC:
                                                                             The appropriations deemed necessary for the first
    The following is added to paragraph 2:                                   three years of the programme will form part of future
                                                                             budgets within the framework of the present financial
    'All students studying in those establishments,                          forecasts 1988 to 1992 agreed jointly by the three
    regardless of the field of study and the level of study                  institutions in June 1988 and their development.'
    are eligible for support within the Erasmus
    programme, up to doctorate level, provided the studies                4. Article 5 of Council          Decision    87/327/EEC     is
    carries out in another Member State constitute voca-                     modified as follows:
    tional training.
                                                                             'the other actions already scheduled at Community
     The Erasmus programme does not cover research and                       level' is replaced by 'other actions at Community
    technological development activities.'                                   level'.
2. In Article 2 of Council Decision 87/327/EEC:                           5. In Article 7 of Council Decision 87/327/EEC, '31
                                                                             December 1989' in line 1 is replaced by '31 December
    (a) Paragraph (ii) is replaced by the following: 'to                     1993', and '30 June 1990' in line 5 is replaced by '30
        promote broad and intensive cooperation in voca-                     June 1994'.
        tional training between universities in all Member
         States;'                                                                                   Article 2
    (b) Paragraph (Hi) is modified as follows :                           This Decision comes into effect on 1 July 1990 in the case
         'education and' is deleted in line 4.                            of action 2 (2) and on 1 January 1991 in all other respects.
                                                                ANNEX
                                                              ACTION 1
                                     Establishment and operation of a European University Network
               Action 1 of the Annex to Council Decision 87/327/EEC is to read as follows:
               '1. The Community will further develop the European University Network established within the Erasmus
                   programme and designed to stimulate Community-wide exchange of students.
                   The European University Network will be composed of those universities which, in the framework of
                   the Erasmus programme, have concluded agreements and organized programmes providing for
                   exchanges of students and teachers with universities of other Member States and which recognize study
                   periods thus accomplished outside the home university.
                   The main aim of inter-university agreements is to give the students of one university the opportunity to
                   undertake a fully recognized period of study in at least one other Member State, as an integral part of
 ---pagebreak--- 9. 9. 89                                Official Journal of the European Communities                                 No C 232/11
             their diploma or academic qualification. These joint programmes should include as necessary an inte-
             grated period of foreign language preparation as well as cooperation among teachers and administrative
             staff in order to prepare the conditions necessary for the exchange of students and for the mutual
             recognition of periods of study accomplished abroad.
             Priority will be given to programmes involving an integrated and fully recognized period of study in
             another Member State. For each joint programme, each participating university will receive support of
             up to an annual ceiling of ECU 25 000 normally for a period of three years in the first instance subject
             to periodic review.
          2. Support will also be provided for exchanges of teaching staff for the purpose of carrying out integrated
             teaching assignments in other Member States.
          3. Support will also be provided for joint curriculum development projects between universities in different
             Member States as a means of facilitating academic recognition and of contributing by means of an
             exchange of experience and expertise to the process of innovation and improvement of courses on a
             Community-wide basis.
          4. In addition, support will be provided to universities organizing intensive teaching programmes of short
             duration involving students from several different Member States.
          5. The Community will also provide support for teaching staff and university administrators to carry out
             visits to other Member States, to enable them to prepare programmes of integrated study with univer-
             sities of these Member States and to increase their mutual understanding of the training aspects of the
             higher education systems of other Member States. Grants will also be provided to allow teaching staff to
             conduct a series of specialized lectures in several Member States.'
                                                             ACTION 2
                                                     Erasmus student grants scheme
         Action 2 of the Annex to Council Decision 87/327/EEC is to read as follows:
         '1. The Community will further develop a scheme for the direct financial support of students at universities
             as defined in Article 1 (2) of Council Decision 87/327/EEC carrying out a period of study in another
             Member State. In determining the total expenditure for actions 1 and 2 respectively, the Community
             will have regard to the number of students to be exchanged within the European University Network as
             it develops.
          2. The Erasmus student grants are administered normally through the competent authorities in the
             Member States. The allocation of the amount to each Member State will be based on the total number
             of students at universities as defined in Article 1 (2), as well as on the total number of
              18-to-25-year-olds in each Member State.
             Moreover, the Commission will take the necessary steps to ensure a balanced participation across
             Member States and disciplines and will therefore allocate a small proportion of the funds available for
             student grants, not to exceed 5 % of the total annual student grants budget. The funds for student
             grants in respect of certain exceptional programmes whose structure renders administration of the
             grants via national agencies impracticable will be allocated directly by the Commission.
          3. The national grant-awarding-authorities will issue grants up to a maximum of ECU 5 000 per student
             for a stay of one year, subject to the following conditions:
             (a) the grants are not normally intended to cover the full cost of study abroad, but as a means of
                  offsetting the additional costs of mobility, that is travel costs, foreign language preparation as
                  necessary and higher cost of living in the host country (including, where appropriate, the extra cost
                  of living away from the student's home country). Member States will provide, in cases of need, for
                  the complementary funding of students to whom mobility grants have been awarded;
             (b) priority will be given to students on courses which are part of the European University Network
                  under action 1 as well as to those students participating in the European Community Course Credit
                  Transfer System (ECTS) under action 3. Grants may also be provided for other students on courses
                  for whom special arrangements are made outside the network in another Member State provided
                  they fulfil the eligibility criteria;
             (c) normally, grants will be awarded only in cases where the period of study spent in another Member
                  State will be granted full recognition by the student's home university. However, grants may be
 ---pagebreak--- No C 232/12                             Official Journal of the European Communities                                      9. 9. 89
                   awarded exceptionally in cases where the period of study to be spent in another Member State will
                   be granted full recognition by the degree-awarding university in that Member State, provided that
                   this arrangement forms part of an inter-university agreement supported under action 1;
               (d) no tuition fees will be charged by the host university to incoming students, where appropriate, grant
                   holders will continue to pay tuition fees at their home university;
               (e) grants will be awarded for periods of study in another Member State of six months to a full
                   academic year; grants may be awarded exceptionally for periods of study of a minimum duration of
                   three months or for more than 12 months in the case of highly integrated programmes;
               (f) any grants or loans available to students in their own country will continue to be paid in full during
                   their period of study at the host university for which they are receiving an Erasmus grant.'
                                                             ACTION 3
               Measures to promote mobility through the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of study
          Within Action 3 of the Annex to Council Decision 87/327/EEC:
          1. Section 2 is to read as follows:
              'Measures to promote the Community-wide exchange of information on the academic recognition of
              diplomas acquired and periods of study spent in another Member State, notably by means of the further
              development of the European Community network of national academic recognition information
              centres; grants will be awarded to the centres to facilitate exchange of information, in particular by
              means of a computerized system for data exchange.'
          2. Section 3 is deleted.
                                                             ACTION 4
                             Complementary measures to promote student mobility in the Community
          Action 4 of the Annex to Council Decision 87/327/EEC is to read as follows:
          '1. To provide informational support for Erasmus and to increase mutual awareness of university systems
               in the Community, Erasmus will provide for:
               — support to associations and consortia of universities, teaching staff, administrators or students acting
                   on a European basis, in particular with a view to making initiatives in specific fields of training
                   better known throughout the Community,
               — publications designed to enhance awareness of study and teaching opportunities in the other
                   Member States or to draw attention to important developments and innovative models for university
                   cooperation throughout the Community,
               — other initiatives designed to promote inter-university cooperation in the field of vocational training
                   within the Community,
               — measures facilitating the dissemination of information on the Erasmus programme,
               — Erasmus prizes of the European Community to be awarded to students, staff members, universities
                   or Erasmus projects which have made an outstanding contribution to the development of inter-
                   university cooperation within the Community.
           2. The cost of measures under action 4 will not exceed 5 % of the annual appropriations for the Erasmus
               programme.'