Budgets for Socrates and Leonardo agreed

Citation

(1999), "Budgets for Socrates and Leonardo agreed", Education + Training, Vol. 41 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.1999.00441eab.012

Budgets for Socrates and Leonardo agreed

Keywords: Education, Language, Money supply, Innovation, Open learning, Distance learning

European education ministers have agreed the budgets for EU education and training programmes for 2000-2006. The Socrates education programme will have a budget of 1.55 billion euros, or £1.08 billion. This is 8 per cent higher than the current Socrates programme. At least 27 per cent will be spent on teaching in schools (Comenius), 51 per cent on higher education (Erasmus) and 7 per cent on adult education and education pathways. The balance will be divided between aid to language learning (Lingua), open and distance learning (Minerva), observation and innovation projects, joint actions and "accompanying measures".

The Leonardo programme for vocational training will have a budget of 1.15 billion euros, or £0.8 billion. This is a rise of 3 per cent. The European Commission had suggested that Socrates should have 1.4 billion euros and Leonardo should have 1.1 billion euros, but over five years. The council has opted for seven-year programmes, to ensure that they coincide with the EU's next medium-term financial perspective, covering 2000-2006. The commission nevertheless welcomed the agreement. Commissioner Edith Cresson commented: "Psychologically, it was very important to come to agreement at this stage to avoid interruption in financing." But she said it would not be easy to finance seven-year programmes in an area like education, which evolves constantly. Ministers settled the issue by qualified majority. The Netherlands voted against the proposals, favouring zero growth in real terms in relation to current spending.

The council agreement on Socrates represents a negotiating position, given that the European Parliament has the power of co-decision in the field of education. For vocational training, in contrast, Parliament can only give an opinion.

The council also approved the Tempus III programme, which supports the reform of higher education and training in central and eastern European countries which do not enjoy access to the Socrates, Leonardo and Youth for Europe programmes. Tempus III will be formally adopted once the European Parliament has given its opinion.