Agency launched to manage EU education and training programmes

Citation

(2006), "Agency launched to manage EU education and training programmes", Education + Training, Vol. 48 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2006.00448eab.010

Agency launched to manage EU education and training programmes

A new agency, responsible for managing the EU’s education and training programmes, has begun work in Brussels. The education, audiovisual and culture executive agency has replaced the technical-assistance office for Leonardo, Socrates and Youth, and has taken over some tasks previously handled by the European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture. The move to an executive agency should allow the Commission more time to focus on policy issues.

The new agency is responsible for most areas of project management, including drawing up calls for proposals, project selection, signing project agreements, financial management, monitoring projects, communication with beneficiaries, and on-the-spot controls. However, the Commission retains responsibility for the management of certain programme strands, annual work programmes in the fields of education, audiovisual and culture, policy developments, programme evaluation and monitoring the agency. Moreover, the role of the committees managing the programmes remains unchanged and their meetings continue to be chaired by the Commission.

The education, audiovisual and culture executive agency covers the Socrates education programme, Leonardo (vocational training), Youth, Media-Plus and Media-Training, Culture 2000, Erasmus-Mundus (higher-education exchanges with non-EU countries), e-Learning, the Jean Monnet and Town Twinning programmes, and projects in the field of higher education in developing countries in Asia.