Education Council to adopt SOCRATES and LEONARDO DA VINCI programmes

On 5-6 December 1994, the Education Council is expected to adopt the SOCRATES and LEONARDO DA VINCI programmes, the Community action programmes in the field of education and training for the next five years (1995-1999). SOCRATES, proposed by the Commission on 4 January 1994, ...

On 5-6 December 1994, the Education Council is expected to adopt the SOCRATES and LEONARDO DA VINCI programmes, the Community action programmes in the field of education and training for the next five years (1995-1999).

SOCRATES, proposed by the Commission on 4 January 1994, aims to improve the quality of education in the Community, by means of measures to promote physical mobility, language learning, teaching methods and transnational cooperation. It will carry on the measures implemented by ERASMUS (mobility of students) and LINGUA (foreign languages) but it foresees, for the first time, measures aimed at all levels of education, including school-level education.

Although the Council and Parliament agree on the theory and content of the SOCRATES programme, disagreements exist regarding its management (committee procedures) and its financing. While the amount deemed necessary for the programme by the Council in its common position is ECU 760 million, the Commission's proposal foresees an allocation of ECU 1,005.6 million.

If the Council and Parliament are unable to reach agreement, adoption of the SOCRATES programme will be subject to the conciliation procedure.

LEONARDO DA VINCI, proposed by the Commission on 21 December 1993, aims to promote the quality of training systems, innovation in training procedures and the European dimension in training at all levels.

It will carry on the actions implemented by COMETT (university-enterprise cooperation on training), PETRA (initial training), FORCE (continuous training) and EUROTECNET (innovation). In addition, it will pay particular attention to continuous training and towards achieving a better balance between continuous and initial training.

While consensus exists on the content of the LEONARDO DA VINCI programme, the institutions disagree on the amount deemed necessary for its implementation and upkeep. In its common position, the Council proposed an allocation of ECU 620 million, whereas the Commission's proposal sets out an allocation of ECU 801.8 million.

Unlike SOCRATES, the LEONARDO DA VINCI programme is subject to the cooperation procedure with the result that, if the Council vote is unanimous, the programme will be definitively adopted on 6 December 1994.