Tag Archives: ER

ERDF: European Regional Development Fund

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about ERDF: European Regional Development Fund

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Employment and social policy > Job creation measures

ERDF: European Regional Development Fund

This regulation defines the scope of assistance from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) during the period 2000-06. The Fund aims to promote economic and social cohesion by correcting the main regional imbalances and participating in the development and conversion of regions, while ensuring synergy with assistance from the other Structural Funds.

Document or Iniciative

Council Regulation (EC) No 1783/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 June 1999 on the European Regional Development Fund [Official Journal L 213 of 13.08.1999].

3) Summary

Framework and tasks

Regulation (EC) No 1783/1999 comes under the overall framework established by Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds. It requires the ERDF to provide assistance under the new Objectives 1 and 2, the Community Initiatives for cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation (Interreg III) and economic and social regeneration of cities and urban neighbourhoods in crisis (Urban II), and innovative measures and technical assistance measures under the general Regulation.

In order to reduce the gap between the levels of development of the various regions and the extent to which the least-favoured regions and islands (including rural areas) are lagging behind, the ERDF contributes to the harmonious, balanced and sustainable development of economic activity, to a high degree of competitiveness, to high levels of employment and protection of the environment, and to equality between women and men.

Scope

As part of its task to promote regional development, the ERDF contributes towards financing the following measures:

Productive investment to create and safeguard sustainable jobs;
Investment in infrastructure which contributes, in regions covered by Objective 1, to development, structural adjustment and creation and maintenance of sustainable jobs, or, in all eligible regions, to diversification, revitalisation, improved access and regeneration of economic sites and industrial areas suffering from decline, depressed urban areas, rural areas and areas dependent on fisheries. Such investment may also target the development of trans-European networks in the areas of transport, telecommunications and energy in the regions covered by Objective 1;
Development of the endogenous potential by measures which support local development and employment initiatives and the activities of small and medium-sized enterprises; such assistance is aimed at services for enterprises, transfer of technology, development of financing instruments, direct aid to investment, provision of local infrastructure, and aid for structures providing neighbourhood services;
Investment in education and health (only in the context of Objective 1).

The areas in which these measures provide support include development of the productive environment, research and technological development, development of the information society, protection and improvement of the environment, equality between men and women in the field of employment, and cross-border transnational and inter-regional cooperation.

Pursuant to the general Regulation, the Community’s Interreg III Initiative and innovative measures (studies, pilot projects, exchanges of experience) in the field of regional or local development are financed exclusively by the ERDF. However, the scope of the ERDF may be extended to overlap with the other Structural Funds in order to cover the necessary measures for the implementation of the Initiative programmes or pilot projects concerned.

Implementing rules

Implementing rules for the ERDF Regulation may be adopted on the basis of the opinion of the Committee on the Development and Conversion of Regions.

Other provisions

This Regulation repeals Regulation (EEC) No 4254/88 with effect from 1 January 2000. It will, in turn, be reviewed by 31 December 2006 at the latest.

Act	Date of entry into force	Final date for implementation in the Member States
Regulation (EC) No. 1260/1999	16.08.1999	–

Related Acts

Proposal of 14 July 2004 for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the European Regional Development Fund [COM (2004) 495 final].

This document proposes the repeal of the present Regulation.

Proposal of 14 July 2004 for a Regulation of the Council laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund COM (2004) 492 final.

ERDF INNOVATIVE MEASURES

Commission communication of 31.01.2001, “The regions in the new economy : Guidelines for innovative measures under the ERDF, 2000–06″ [COM(2001) 60 final – Not published in the Official Journal]
Based on Article 22 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, this communication lays down that the aim of the innovative measures (studies, pilot projects and exchanges of experience) to which the ERDF contributes is to reinforce competitiveness in Europe by reducing the gaps between regions and supporting innovation, RTD and the use of new information and communication technologies. It therefore forms part of the strategy approved at the European Council in Lisbon on 23/24 March 2000, which aims at boosting employment, economic competitiveness and social cohesion in the framework of a knowledge-based economy.
In the period 2000-2006 the innovative measures must therefore concentrate on three priorities:

regional economy based on knowledge and technological innovation : helping the less-favoured regions to raise the level of their technology;
the information society at the service of regional development (e Europe-regio);
regional identity and sustainable development : promoting regional cohesion and competitiveness through an approach which integrates economic, environmental and social activity.

Implementing the innovative measures should also make it possible to:

improve the quality of assistance under the Objective 1 and 2 programmes to which the ERDF contributes;
enhance and strengthen the public-private partnership;
exploit the synergies between regional policy and the other Community policies;
have exchanges between regions and collective learning by means of the comparison and spread of best practice.

The innovative measures form part of regional programmes of innovative measures whose strategy is determined, in line with the regional partnership principle, by a steering committee. Programme proposals must be submitted to the Commission by 31 May each year at the latest from 2001 to 2005 so that the Commission can select those to be part-financed by the ERDF.
The innovative measures have an annual allocation of EUR 400 million, or 0.4 of the ERDF’s annual funding. Part-financing of their cost may amount to up to:

80 %, in Objective 1 regions;
50 %, or even 60 % where the Community relevance of the measures justifies it, in Objective 2 regions.

For reasons of consistency, it would be preferable if the bodies responsible for payment and monitoring were the same in the case of both the programmes of innovative measures and the Objective 1 and 2 programmes.

Programming in accordance with the general Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999.

Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Education training youth sport > Education and training: general framework

Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013

Document or Iniciative

Summary

The Erasmus Mundus programme is hereby established to promote the quality of higher education in Europe, improve the potential of students and encourage intercultural understanding. It also seeks to support the development of higher education in third countries. The programme runs from 1 January 2009 until 31 December 2013.

Specific objectives

The programme aims, in particular, to improve:

cooperation between European institutions of higher education;
the quality of higher education;
skills and qualifications of citizens (European and third-country) through mobility;
third-country institutions of higher education in terms of human resources and international cooperation;
the visibility of and access to European higher education, including for third-country nationals.

Actions

The Erasmus Mundus programme is implemented through three actions, which consist of:

high quality Erasmus Mundus joint programmes, including both Masters and Doctoral programmes;
Erasmus Mundus partnerships between European and third-country higher education institutions;
measures that promote European higher education.

These actions may be pursued through approaches that support the development of joint programmes and cooperation networks, mobility of people (especially towards Europe), language skills and intercultural understanding, pilot projects with external partners and evaluations of trends and developments in higher education in the international context.

Information on the activities and developments in the programme are to be diffused as widely as possible by the Commission, in particular through the programme website.

Participation

The following may participate in the Erasmus Mundus programme:

higher education institutions, research centres and enterprises;
students at all levels of higher education;
post-doctoral researchers, academics and higher education staff;
other bodies involved in higher education (both public and private).

The programme is open to the European Union (EU) Member States. It is also open to the European Free Trade Association countries that are members of the European Economic Area, the candidate countries for accession to the EU, as well as the countries of the western Balkans and the Swiss Confederation, provided that a specific agreement has been concluded to that end.

Implementation

The Commission is responsible for ensuring that the Community actions are implemented in an effective and transparent manner. It must give due consideration to the bilateral cooperation between Member States and third countries and to other Community programmes and actions relating to higher education and research. It should also consult relevant European organisations and associations and provide its delegations in third countries with relevant public information.

In implementing this programme, Member States must ensure that the relevant stakeholders are properly involved, efforts are made to remove barriers to exchange programmes with third countries and students and institutions are kept well informed about the programme. The Member States should also assign structures for cooperating with the Commission as well as to seek synergies with other Community programmes and any related national initiatives.

The programme should promote the Lisbon Strategy, diversity and intercultural education, equality and equal opportunities for all with particular provisions made for students with special needs, the combating of all forms of discrimination and the development of third countries.

The financial framework for the Erasmus Mundus programme 2009-13 is EUR 493.690.000 for Actions 1 and 3. EUR 460.000.000 are indicatively set aside to cover Action 2.

Monitoring and evaluation

The Commission must regularly monitor the programme in cooperation with Member States. It is also responsible for the regular evaluation of the programme and must submit an interim report to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions before March 31 of the second year following the launch of the programme’s courses. In addition, the Commission must issue a communication on the continuation of the programme before 30 January 2012 and an ex-post evaluation report before 31 December 2015.

References

Act	Entry into force – Date of expiry	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Decision No 1298/2008/EC	20.12.2008 – 31.12.2013	–	OJ L 340 of 19.12.2008

Erasmus Mundus

Outline of the Community (European Union) legislation about Erasmus Mundus

Topics

These categories group together and put in context the legislative and non-legislative initiatives which deal with the same topic.

Education training youth sport > Education and training: general framework

Erasmus Mundus (2004-08)

The aim of the Erasmus Mundus programme is to enhance the quality of higher education in Europe by promoting cooperation with third countries and to make higher education in Europe more attractive.

Document or Iniciative

Decision No 2317/2003/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 December 2003 establishing a programme for the enhancement of quality in higher education and the promotion of intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries (Erasmus Mundus) (2004 to 2008).

Summary

The Erasmus Mundus programme, which runs from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008, offers a manifestly “European” content in the field of higher education. First and foremost, it aims to improve the quality and attractiveness of higher education in Europe and to promote international mobility for students and scholars. Erasmus Mundus is a follow-up from the Commission communications on reinforcing cooperation with third countries and on the role of universities in the Europe of knowledge.

Aims

Erasmus Mundus aims to enhance the quality of European higher education by fostering cooperation with third countries in order to improve the development of human resources and promote dialogue and understanding between peoples and cultures. More specifically, the programme seeks to:

promote quality in higher education with a distinctly European added value;
encourage and enable highly qualified graduates and scholars from all over the world to obtain qualifications and/or acquire experience in the European Union (EU);
develop better-structured cooperation between EU and third-country institutions and increase outgoing mobility from the EU;
make European higher education more accessible and enhance its visibility throughout the world.

In pursuing the programme’s objectives, the Commission must adhere to the Community’s general policy on equal opportunities for men and women. It also ensures that no group of citizens or non-EU nationals is excluded or disadvantaged.

Actions

The Erasmus Mundus programme is being implemented through five actions.

Erasmus Mundus masters courses are advanced-level European diploma courses that are selected by the Commission on the basis of the quality of the training offered. They are characterised by:

cooperation between at least three higher education institutions in three different Member States;
a study programme including a period of study in at least two of the three institutions;
built-in mechanisms for the recognition of periods of study at partner institutions;
the awarding of joint, double or multiple degrees by the participating institutions that are recognised or approved by Member States;
a minimum number of reserved places for non-EU students;
transparent admission conditions that also ensure fairness and equality between men and women;
clear rules for awarding grants to students and scholars;
adequate facilities for non-EU students (information, accommodation, etc.);
the use of at least two European languages that are national languages of the Member States where the participating institutions are situated.

Erasmus Mundus masters courses are selected for a five-year period, with an annual renewal procedure.

Scholarships provide financial support for non-EU graduate students and scholars attending Erasmus Mundus masters courses. However, students and scholars must meet certain conditions in order to qualify for a scholarship.

Students must be nationals of a third country and hold a first higher education degree. They may not reside in a Member State or in the participating country, and they may not have carried out their main activity in a Member State or participating country for more than 12 months out of the last five years. They must also have been accepted to register or be registered for an Erasmus Mundus masters course.

Scholars must be nationals of a third country and may not reside in a Member State or participating country. They may not have carried out their main activity in a Member State or participating country for more than a total of 12 months out of the last five years. They must also offer outstanding academic and/or professional experience.

Partnerships with non-EU higher education institutions (maximum duration of three years) involve an Erasmus Mundus masters course and a higher education institution in at least one non-EU country, in order to create a framework for mobility towards the third country. Recognition of study periods at the host (non-EU) institution must be guaranteed.

Students and scholars from Member States and third-country nationals who have been legally resident in the EU for at least three years before the start of the mobility programme (for purposes other than study) are eligible for mobility grants.

Partnership projects may also include:

teaching assignments at a partner institution with a view to developing the project curriculum;
exchanges of teachers, trainers, administrators and other relevant specialists;
development and dissemination of new methods for use in higher education, including information and communication technologies, e-learning, and open and distance learning;
developing cooperation schemes with third-country higher education institutions with a view to offering courses there.

Erasmus Mundus supports activities and measures to make higher education in Europe more attractive as a venue for study, for example by enhancing the profile and visibility of, and accessibility to, European education. The measures may also aim at achieving the objectives of the Erasmus Mundus programme, such as the international dimension of quality assurance, mobility, credit recognition, recognition of European qualifications abroad and mutual recognition of qualifications with third countries. They may also consist of establishing links between higher education and research.

Activities must take place within networks involving at least three public or private organisations (in three different Member States) that are active in higher education at national or international level. Networks may also involve third-country organisations. These activities (such as seminars, conferences, workshops, ICT tools or publications) may take place in Member States or third countries.

Technical support measures during the implementation of the programme may involve experts, executive or other competent agencies in Member States on the Commission’s initiative, or any other form of technical assistance.

Beneficiaries

Erasmus Mundus is aimed in particular at:

higher education institutions;
students holding a first degree from a higher education institution;
scholars or researchers;
staff directly involved in higher education;
other public or private bodies active in the field of higher education.

Participating countries

The programme is open to the EU Member States, the European Free Trade Association countries that are part of the European Economic Area (EEA-EFTA) and candidate countries for accession to the EU.

Implementation of the programme

The Commission is responsible for the practical implementation of the programme. A selection board, composed of eminent personalities from the academic world who are representative of the diversity of higher education in the EU, selects the Erasmus Mundus masters courses and partnerships of higher education institutions. Erasmus Mundus masters courses are allocated a specific number of grants. The institutions offering Erasmus Mundus masters courses are responsible for selecting students from third countries, while the Commission selects promotional activities.

Selection procedures include a clearing mechanism at European level in order to prevent serious imbalances across fields of study, students’ and scholars’ nationalities and Member States of destination.

In cooperation with Member States, the Commission ensures overall consistency and complementarity with other relevant Community policies, instruments and actions, in particular with the framework research programmes and external cooperation programmes in the field of higher education.

Member States must ensure the efficient management of the programme at national level (including the designation of appropriate structures to cooperate closely with the Commission), involving all parties concerned. They must endeavour to remove legal and administrative barriers.

Budget

The financial framework for the 2004-08 period was initially set at EUR 230 million, but was boosted by allocations from the ‘external aid’ budget and now stands at EUR 296.1 million. The annual appropriations are approved by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspectives.

Monitoring and evaluation

The Commission regularly monitors the programme in cooperation with Member States. It also constantly evaluates the programme’s overall impact and the complementarity between the programme and other relevant Community policies, instruments and actions.

The Commission must submit the following to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions:

a report on the financial repercussions of an accession of a new Member State on the programme and proposals to counteract them;
an interim evaluation report by 30 June 2007 on the results achieved and on the qualitative aspects of programme implementation;
a communication on the continuation of the programme by 31 December 2007;
an ex-post evaluation report by 31 December 2009.

Background

The Erasmus Mundus programme responds to the challenges of the Bologna process initiated in 1999 and the Lisbon strategy launched in 2000, which respectively ensure that the European higher education system acquires a worldwide degree of attractiveness appropriate to Europe’s cultural and scientific traditions and adapt European education and training systems to the needs of the knowledge society.

References

Act	Entry into force – Date of expiry	Deadline for transposition in the Member States	Official Journal
Decision 2317/2003/EC	20.1.2004 – 31.12.2008	–	OJ L 345 of 31.12.2003

Related Acts

Decision No 1298/2008/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 establishing the Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013 action programme for the enhancement of quality in higher education and the promotion of intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries [Official Journal L 340 of 19.12.2008].
The Erasmus Mundus 2009-13 action programme is based on its predecessor for the period 2004-08. This new programme is consistent with the objectives of excellence of the previous one, but introduces certain adaptations to the scope. Among others, the programme is now extended to the doctoral level, it more effectively integrates third country higher education institutions and their needs and provides more funding to European participants. Furthermore, instead of the previous five actions, the programme is now implemented through joint programmes, partnerships and measures promoting European higher education.

EVALUATION

Report from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions of 2 July 2007 – Report on the Interim Evaluation of the Erasmus Mundus Programme 2004-2008 [COM(2007) 375 final – Not published in the Official Journal].
During the period of 2004-06, the Erasmus Mundus programme led to the creation of 80 Erasmus Mundus masters courses, 2325 scholarships for non-EU students, 19 partnerships and 23 projects designed to make European higher education more attractive. The Commission presents its conclusions and recommendations on the implementation of the programme based on the external evaluation undertaken during the period 2004-06. The programme’s added value, relevance, utility, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability have been assessed. It responds to the objectives of the Bologna process and the Lisbon strategy in terms of mobility, cooperation, excellence and intercultural understanding. It thus allows European higher education to compete at world level. The programme has also led to better-structured cooperation. Furthermore, it has encouraged certain Member States to establish a legal framework for the accreditation of joint, double or multiple degrees in connection with partnerships. However, additional funding from the ‘external aid’ budget proved necessary in order to contend with the increase in demand for masters courses and scholarships. Non-EU students also benefited more from the programme than EU students.
With a view to preparing the next programme, recommendations have been drafted in order to improve, strengthen and extend the programme. These recommendations relate to the design of the programme, including the extension of scholarships to EU students, extension of the programme to doctorates, encouraging cooperation and partnerships with third-country higher education establishments, and so on. Recommendations on programme management refer in particular to scholarships, the reinforced role of national information sources, the promotion, dissemination and follow-up of projects, as well as the preparation of guidelines on good practice in order to ensure the quality of masters courses. Concerning programme funding, Erasmus Mundus scholarships and tuition fees for masters courses will be maintained at a level that is competitive internationally. The Commission plans to increase the financing allocated to universities that are members of an Erasmus Mundus Master Consortium in order to reflect the true cost of programmes.