Activites

• 1998/03/14 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Decision 1998/576
  • OJ L 077 14.03.1998, p. 0001
• 1998/02/23 Final act signed
• 1998/02/23 End of procedure in Parliament
• #2067
• 1998/02/12 Council Meeting
• 1998/01/29 Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading
  • T4-0050/1998 summary

    The European Parliament approved the joint text concerning the Socrates programme, allocating an overall amount of ECU 70 million to the programme for the period 1998-1999.�

• 1998/01/28 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The rapporteur considered that the additional ECU 70 million was not enough to respond to the programme’s requirements. However, as this amount exceeded that initially offered by the Council and even the amount proposed by the Commission (ECU 50 million), Mrs Pack urged Parliament to accept this. While sharing the rapporteur’s view that this increase was insufficient, Commissioner Bjerregaard stressed that the Socrates programme provided a solid basis which would allow the European Union to create an even closer relationship with its citizens.

• 1998/01/15 Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading
  • A4-0012/1998
• 1998/01/14 Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs
  • 3634/1997
• 1997/12/10 Formal meeting of Conciliation Committee
• 1997/12/03 Parliament's amendments rejected by Council
• 1997/10/23 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T4-0504/1997 summary

    In adopting the recommendation for second reading by Mrs Doris PACK (PPE, D) regarding an increase in budgetary appropriations for the SOCRATES Programme, Parliament once more called for a SOCRATES financial framework of ECU 950 m, increasing the appropriations for the programme by ECU 100 m instead of ECU 25 m proposed by the Council.�

• 1997/10/22 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    The rapporteur heavily criticised the Council. Commissioner Cresson commented that the sums proposed by Council would not even cover the rate of year-on-year inflation. She undertook to redouble the Commission’s efforts to convince the Council to soften its position before the Education Council on 20 November. She added that a conciliation procedure seemed highly likely and, in this case, the Commission and Parliament would act in close collaboration to ensure the best possible result.

• 1997/10/13 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A4-0320/1997
• 1997/10/02 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2028
• 1997/09/22 Council Meeting
  • 10277/2/1997 summary

    In its common position on the modification of the Socrates programme, the Council has not accepted the proposal of the European Commission for allocating this programme an additional ECU 50 million for the period 1998-1999. It has merely agreed to a limited financial supplement of ECU 25 million, thereby providing the programme with a total budget of ECU 875 million. The Council considers that this allocation represents an equitable compromise between two contradictory demands: -on one hand, the need to increase the budget allocation for Socrates in order to make this programme more accessible to new users, - on the other, the need to pursue the objective of budgetary stringency, which is felt by a majority of the Member States. The Council accepts 5 of the 6 amendments approved by the European Parliament in first reading (in particular, a financial package sufficient to meet the needs of the Central and Eastern European countries and Cyprus, the maintenance of a critical mass of funding, incorporation of the additional Socrates funding under heading 3 of the financial perspectives, etc.). However, it does not accept the major amendment put forward by the European Parliament, namely the increased budget allocation of ECU 100 million instead of the 50 million proposed by the European Commission. �

• #2020
• 1997/06/26 Council Meeting
• 1997/06/26 Modified legislative proposal published
  • COM(1997)0338 summary

    In its amended proposal, the Commission did not accept the main amendment made by Parliament at first reading, which concerned increasing the budget allocation to ECU 100 m rather than the ECU 50 m originally proposed by the Commission. However, it accepted other amendments whose purpose was: -to stress that the success of the programme would be compromised if the percentage of projects supported were to be reduced and if the annual average amount of support granted fell below a critical threshold, which would disadvantage those from less favoured backgrounds, -to provide for adequate funding to enable the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus to participate in the programme from 1998. It also incorporated an amendment stating that additional Socrates funding could be incorporated within the overall allocation for heading 3 of the financial perspective and within the limit of the appropriations available during the two financial years concerned.�

• 1997/06/12 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament summary

    While favourable to a budget increase, Commissioner Cresson said that the Commission could not, given the current budgetary context, accept the amendment on an increase in the additional amount, particularly as the Commission had proposed an 11% increase for Socrates over 1997 which was already a considerable step forward.

  • T4-0313/1997 summary

    In adopting the report by Mrs Doris PACK (EPP, D) on the increase in the budget for the Socrates programme, Parliament calls for that increase to be ECU 100 m, rather than the ECU 50 m proposed by the European Commission, bringing the overall budget to ECU 950 m. Parliament takes the view that the success of the programme would be seriously jeopardized if the percentage of projects supported had to be reduced and if the average annual support granted were to fall below a critical threshold, to the detriment of the least-favoured groups. Moreover, given that the associated countries from Central and Eastern Europe and Cyprus will take full part in the programme as from 1998, it is essential to provide for an adequate financial framework in order not to reduce in real terms the overall financial contribution earmarked for Socrates. �

• 1997/05/22 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A4-0188/1997
• 1997/04/07 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 1997/03/14 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(1997)0099 summary

    OBJECTIVE: to increase the financial framework for the SOCRATES programme by ECU 50 million for the period up to 31 December 1999. SUBSTANCE: Since its entry into force on 1 January 1995 the SOCRATES programme has been very successful and in the two years of its existence has produced significant results (as indicated in the assessment report attached to the proposal). Pursuant to the joint European Parliament and Council declaration of 6 March 1995 attached to decision 819/95/EC establishing the SOCRATES programme, the Commission has submitted in addition to the assessment report the proposals it considers appropriate for the modification of the programme, in this case restricted to the increase of the financial framework from the initial ECU 850 million to ECU 900 million. The reasons for this increase of ECU 50 million are given by the Commission in its assessment report which states that after 1997 the resources allocated to SOCRATES will no longer permit achievement of the objectives listed in the decision (for certain parts of the programme the amount requested by applicants is around nine times the annual budget available, etc.). As the inadequacy of budgetary resources is increasing all the time, the Commission calls for a limited increase of ECU 50 million (an increase in the financial framework of some 6%) for 1998 and 1999. �

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(1997)0099
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A4-0188/1997
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T4-0313/1997
• Modified legislative proposal published: COM(1997)0338
• Council position published: 10277/2/1997
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A4-0320/1997
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T4-0504/1997
• Joint text approved by Conciliation Committee co-chairs: 3634/1997
• Report tabled for plenary, 3rd reading: A4-0012/1998
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 3rd reading: T4-0050/1998
• : Decision 1998/576
• : OJ L 077 14.03.1998, p. 0001

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)