The Commission presents a report pursuant to Article 7 of the Agreements between the European Community and the United States of America signed on 4 December 2006 and between the European Community and the Government of Canada signed on 18 December 2006 in the areas of higher education, training and youth. The report puts forward the Commission position on the main conclusions and recommendations of the interim evaluation of these two Agreements.

The Commission notes that unfortunately, due to budget constraints, both the U.S. and Canadian authorities decided to cancel all current and future calls for bilateral projects between now and 2013 when both Agreements will come to an end.

Actions specifically undertaken in the framework of the EU-US Agreement are:

the ATLANTIS programme with three sub-actions: (i) Transatlantic Degree Projects; (ii) Excellence in Mobility Projects (EIM); and (iii) Policyoriented Measures (POM); the Schuman-Fulbright grant scheme; the OCEANS alumni association; technical support measures, including annual Policy Forums and studies.

Actions specifically carried out under the EU-Canada Agreement are:

the EU-Canada programme consisting of higher education and training actions, notably Transatlantic Exchange Partnerships (TEP) and Transatlantic Degree Partnerships (TDP); youth actions, in particular youth roundtables; and complementary actions, notably the EU-Canada Study Tour and Internship Programmes and the OCEANS alumni association.

Funding and outputs : as a general rule, the EU provides funding for the direct use of EU institutions, scholars and students while the USA and Canada provide funding for the direct use of institutions, scholars and students from their respective countries. The EU's budget allocation for the ATLANTIS programme was EUR 23.2 million for the 2006-10 period and for the EU-Canada programme was EUR 5.1 million for the 2007-10 period. Programme financing is done on the basis of a matching-funds principle between the parties to each Agreement, meaning that the EU budgets are in the end doubled by matching funds provided by the respective US and Canadian authorities. The ATLANTIS programme has permitted so far a total of 5 034 individuals and 317 institutions to participate in 67 mobility projects.

The EU-Canada programme has permitted so far a total of 2 804 individuals and 195 institutions to participate in 37 mobility projects.

The Schuman-Fulbright grant scheme is co-funded by the EU with an amount of EUR 320 000 per year and has had so far a total of 83 participants.

The evaluators found that while more data is needed to make a full assessment of the efficiency of the programmes, in comparison to e.g. the Erasmus Mundus programme and as a result of the matching funds principle, the average EU budget per exchanged student was significantly lower under the Agreements, speaking for the cost-efficiency of the Agreements. However, the extremely small budget available in the EU-Canada case presents a significant handicap in fulfilling all of the Agreements' objectives.

Results of the evaluation : the results are generally very positive , the evaluation having analysed the degree of relevance of the Agreements to needs; the extent to which they overlap, complement or conflict with other policies and actions; the effectiveness of the Agreements in meeting their intended objectives and their added value; their efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and the effectiveness of management arrangements and other operational issues such as dissemination and exploitation of project results; and the extent to which the activities that have been supported are sustainable. While the activities supported by the Agreements are comparatively small in size in the context of the volume of international cooperation routinely undertaken in this sector between the EU, the US and Canada, they are notwithstanding offering a wide range of opportunities. Only when it comes to the field of youth (Canada only), the evaluators concluded a lack of implementation which made it difficult to assess complementarity.

With regard to effectiveness , the evaluators found that the Agreements have made contributions in respect of all their intended objectives, but have made less progress than anticipated in respect of providing opportunities for policy discussion, and in Canada, in the youth field. They recommended that both these areas should be made a strategic priority in the latter half of the life of the Agreements. In Canada, a swift decision should be taken as to what extent the youth field is a strategic priority which deserves to be implemented during the last years of the current Agreement. In the event of continuing inactivity, EU budget allocated to this area should be re-allocated to other parts of the programme in order to prevent waste of resources. In response, the Commission and its Canadian interlocutors have taken steps to implement a series of actions. In light of this recent development, a re-allocation of funds seems no longer necessary, and in addition, the Commission will continue its efforts targeting in particular the federal and provincial levels in Canada.

On promotion and dissemination , the evaluators noted the importance of achieving wider effects beyond the immediate projects themselves.

However, certain obstacles in achieving this result were identified, most notably as to what concerns a presumed lack of visibility and/or renown of the programmes (with the exception of the Schuman-Fulbright grant scheme), as well as a clear brand name (Canada only). The evaluators further concluded that the publicity for the Agreements and the dissemination of the results could be improved.

The Commission shares the overall assessment of the evaluators that the Agreements are highly relevant and fulfil their broader and more specific goals, especially so in the context of the EU developing its wider role in the world. The Agreements do not overlap nor conflict in significant ways with a wide range of relevant EU initiatives and offer substantial and tangible benefits for students, faculty and institutions.

The interest from stakeholders in the Agreements is increasing steadily, with the numbers of applications substantially going up in both 2009 and 2010. Most of the activities would not have occurred without funding from both the EU and the US or Canada . As the Agreements are comparatively cost-efficient due to their bilateral funding aspect which has a significant added value at a strategic level, they stand as a model to follow for other industrialised and high-income countries, not the least due to the fact that they champion high-quality student mobility, promote the use of innovative approaches to curriculum development, transparency and portability and that they provide a means to shape the nature of international cooperation.

In view of these considerations, the Commission deplores the sudden end of the main cooperation activities implemented under both Agreements. The evaluators have made a number of suggestions to improve certain aspects of the programmes but found no major shortcomings. The Commission has already taken action with regard to some of the suggestions and will take others of them into consideration.

COM(2011)0653
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE: approval of an Agreement to promote EU-US ties in the field of higher education and vocational training.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision concerning the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America renewing the cooperation programme in higher education and vocational education and training.

BACKGROUND: in 2000, the EU and US signed an Agreement on cooperation in the field of higher education, vocational education and training. (See: CNS/2000/0263 ). In 2005 the Council authorised the Commission to re-negotiate the Agreement.

CONTENT: the purpose of this Decision is to approve a new Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America renewing a programme of cooperation in higher education and vocational education. The Agreement will remain in force for eight years and may be extended or amended by mutual written agreement.

In brief, the terms and conditions of the Agreement are as follows:

The Agreement renews the 2000 Cooperation Programme in Higher Education and Vocational Training originally established in 1995. The general objectives of the programme will be to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the EU and the US (including languages, cultures and institutions) and to improve the quality of human resources development in both the Community and the United States (including the acquisition of skills required for the global knowledge-based economy). The specific objectives of the programme will be to: enhance higher education and vocational training collaboration; contribute to the development of higher education and vocational training institutions; contribute to individual participants’ personal development and to contribute to transatlantic exchanges between the EU and US citizens. The operational objective of the programme will be to: support collaboration; improve the quality of transatlantic student mobility; support collaboration between public and private organisations active in the field of higher education and vocational training and to support the transatlantic mobility of professionals with a view to improving mutual understanding of issues relevant to EU/US relations. The principles underlying the Agreement are based on full respect for the responsibilities of the Member States and the US and the autonomy of higher education and vocational education; mutual benefit from activities, broad participation and the recognition of the full cultural, social and economic diversity of both the EU and the USA.

The programme will be pursued by means of actions including:

Joint EC/US consortia projects: The purpose of which will be to support joint projects in the area of higher education and vocational education and training. Each joint consortium must be formed by a multilateral partnership of EC and US higher education and vocational training institutions and should, generally, involve the transatlantic mobility of students.

Excellence mobility projects: The purpose of which is to offer financial support to higher education or vocational consortia that have a proven track record of excellence in the implementation of joint projects. Funding will go toward student mobility.

Policy oriented measures: The purpose of which is to offer financial support to multilateral projects involving organisation that are active in the field of higher education or vocational training. Policy oriented measures may include studies, conferences, seminars, working groups, benchmarking exercises and horizontal issues such as the recognition of qualifications.

“Schuman-Fulbright” grants: The purpose of which is to provide scholarships to highly qualified professionals who want to undertake studies or training in areas of specific relevance to the EU/US relationship.

Alumni associations: The purpose of which is to support alumni associations involving students who have participated in exchanges supported by the EU/US cooperation programme in higher education and vocational training.

As far as funding is concerned, the Agreement specifies that the activities will be subject to the availability of funds. Financing will be based on an overall matching of funds between the Parties and both parties will attempt to offer Programme activities of comparable benefit and scope

ENTRY INTO FORCE: On the first day of the month following the date on which the Parties have notified each other in writing that their legal requirements have been fulfilled. The Agreement replaces the 2000 Agreement.

Decision 2006/910
OJ L 346 09.12.2006, p. 0033-0033

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Marie-Hélène DESCAMPS (EPP-ED, FR) and approved the conclusion of the Agreement.

T6-0470/2006

A6-0339/2006

A6-0339/2006

The committee adopted the report by Marie-Hélène DESCAMPS (EPP-ED, FR) approving the conclusion of the Agreement under the consultation procedure.

PE376.786

PURPOSE: to promote EU-US ties in the field of higher education and vocational auctioning/training, through the signing and conclusion of an Agreement.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

CONTENT: the proposed Agreement seeks to extend an existing EU-US Agreement on higher and vocational education, which ran out at the end of 2005 (refer to CNS/2000/0263 ). In 2005, the Council authorised the Commission to re-negotiate an Agreement, based partly on positive responses from independent evaluators. EU-US experts and government representatives agree that the Agreement is of strategic importance for improved people-to-people relations.

The Agreement sets out general, specific and operational objectives.

The general objective of the agreement is firstly to promote mutual understanding between the EU and US in the field of language, culture and institutions and secondly to improve the acquisition of skills needed in a global, knowledge-based economy.

The specific objectives are four-fold:

1) Enhance collaboration between the EU and US in the field of higher education and vocational training.

2) Contribute to the development of higher education and vocational training organisations.

3) Contribute to the development of individuals for their own sake and as a means to achieve the programme’s objective.

4) Contribute towards transatlantic exchanges.

The operational objectives are more specific and include higher education and vocational institute collaboration through the promotion of joint study and mobility programmes; encouraging mutual recognition of qualifications, study and training and where appropriate the system of credits; to support public/private collaboration and to support the mobility of professionals between the EU and US.

Put concretely, the actions pursued by the Agreement would include consortia projects with an emphasis on staff, student and the mobility of trainees. Further mobility projects would focus on promoting student mobility to institutions with a proven record of excellence, including those funded under the previous EU-US Agreement. Under this heading particular attention is given to excellence. Other actions consist of the “Schuman-Fulbright” Individual Mobility grants and support for an Alumni Association. The programme, in particular, will complement the Erasmus Mundus programme in that it will focus on undergraduate mobility and include transatlantic exchanges in the field of vocational training.

For further information concerning the financial implications of this measure, please refer to the financial statement.

COM(2006)0180
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE: to promote EU-US ties in the field of higher education and vocational auctioning/training, through the signing and conclusion of an Agreement.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

CONTENT: the proposed Agreement seeks to extend an existing EU-US Agreement on higher and vocational education, which ran out at the end of 2005 (refer to CNS/2000/0263 ). In 2005, the Council authorised the Commission to re-negotiate an Agreement, based partly on positive responses from independent evaluators. EU-US experts and government representatives agree that the Agreement is of strategic importance for improved people-to-people relations.

The Agreement sets out general, specific and operational objectives.

The general objective of the agreement is firstly to promote mutual understanding between the EU and US in the field of language, culture and institutions and secondly to improve the acquisition of skills needed in a global, knowledge-based economy.

The specific objectives are four-fold:

1) Enhance collaboration between the EU and US in the field of higher education and vocational training.

2) Contribute to the development of higher education and vocational training organisations.

3) Contribute to the development of individuals for their own sake and as a means to achieve the programme’s objective.

4) Contribute towards transatlantic exchanges.

The operational objectives are more specific and include higher education and vocational institute collaboration through the promotion of joint study and mobility programmes; encouraging mutual recognition of qualifications, study and training and where appropriate the system of credits; to support public/private collaboration and to support the mobility of professionals between the EU and US.

Put concretely, the actions pursued by the Agreement would include consortia projects with an emphasis on staff, student and the mobility of trainees. Further mobility projects would focus on promoting student mobility to institutions with a proven record of excellence, including those funded under the previous EU-US Agreement. Under this heading particular attention is given to excellence. Other actions consist of the “Schuman-Fulbright” Individual Mobility grants and support for an Alumni Association. The programme, in particular, will complement the Erasmus Mundus programme in that it will focus on undergraduate mobility and include transatlantic exchanges in the field of vocational training.

For further information concerning the financial implications of this measure, please refer to the financial statement.

COM(2006)0180
EUR-Lex