REPORT on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America renewing the co-operation programme in the field of higher education and vocational education and training

11.10.2006 - (COM(2006)0180 – C6‑0174/2006 – 2006/0061(CNS)) - *

Committee on Culture and Education
Rapporteur: Marie-Hélène Descamps

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America renewing the co-operation programme in the field of higher education and vocational education and training

(COM(2006)0180 – C6‑0174/2006 – 2006/0061(CNS))

(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the proposal for a Council decision (COM(2006)0180)[1],

–   having regard to Article 300(2), first subparagraph, and Articles 149 and 150 of the EC Treaty,

–   having regard to Article 300(3), first subparagraph, of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6‑0174/2006),

–   having regard to Rules 51 and 83(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A6‑0339/2006),

1.  Approves conclusion of the agreement;

2.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the government of the United States of America.

• [1]  Not yet published in OJ.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

There has been a joint EU-US cooperation programme in higher education and vocational since 1995.

This Agreement serves to renew, for the period 2006-2013, the cooperation programme in higher education and vocational education and training concluded in 2000 and originally established under the 1995 Agreement.

This new Agreement between the European Community and the United States signed on 21 June 2006 on the occasion of the bilateral summit in Vienna is in keeping with the Lisbon strategy which provided for education in the European Union to be made a world quality reference by 2010.

Having been specifically conceived to achieve the objectives of EU/US bilateral cooperation, this new programme perfectly complements the programmes provided for under other Community instruments (such as Socrates", "Leonardo da Vinci" or "Erasmus Mundus") and the bilateral programmes between the Member States and the USA.

Taking into account the evaluations made and the lessons drawn from past experience, it aims to promote mutual understanding between the peoples of the European Union and the USA, including a broader knowledge of their languages, cultures and institutions. The programme similarly seeks to improve the openness and competitiveness of our higher education systems and improve the quality of human resource development on both sides of the Atlantic.

The agreement would dispose of a budget of € 46 million over an eight year period and would establish innovative programmes leading to the creation of Transatlantic Degrees (double or joint degrees), step up exchanges and mobility of students, teaching staff and other professionals, strengthen the Schuman-Fulbright programme aimed at professionals, and encourage closer institutional cooperation in higher education.

In order to attain these objectives and to boost education cooperation, a number of actions are envisaged under the overall heading of ATLANTIS, notably projects involving joint consortia focusing on fields deemed to be essential to cooperation, 'excellence mobility projects' and policy-oriented measures.

Under the programme, it should be possible to provide support for some 274 projects benefiting 6000 European and American citizens.

PROCEDURE

Title	Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Community and the United States of America renewing the co-operation programme in the field of higher education and vocational education and training
References	COM(2006)0180 – C6‑0174/2006 – 2006/0061(CNS)
Date of consulting Parliament	9.6.2006
Committee responsible   Date announced in plenary	CULT 15.6.2006
Committee(s) asked for opinion(s)   Date announced in plenary	EMPL 15.6.2006		BUDG 15.6.2006	AFET 15.6.2006
Not delivering opinion(s)   Date of decision	EMPL 3.5.2006		BUDG 5.7.2006	AFET 30.5.2006
Enhanced cooperation   Date announced in plenary
Rapporteur(s)   Date appointed	Marie-Hélène Descamps 29.5.2006
Previous rapporteur(s)
Simplified procedure – date of decision  Date of decision
Legal basis disputed   Date of JURI opinion
Financial endowment amended   Date of BUDG opinion
Parliament to consult European Economic and Social Committee – date decided in plenary
Parliament to consult Committee of the Regions – date decided in plenary
Discussed in committee	11.9.2006		9.10.2006
Date adopted	9.10.2006
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	26 1 0
Members present for the final vote	Maria Badia I Cutchet, Christopher Beazley, Ivo Belet, Guy Bono, Marie-Hélène Descamps, Jolanta Dičkutė, Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, Milan Gaľa, Vasco Graça Moura, Lissy Gröner, Luis Herrero-Tejedor, Ruth Hieronymi, Manolis Mavrommatis, Ljudmila Novak, Doris Pack, Zdzisław Zbigniew Podkański, Pál Schmitt, Nikolaos Sifunakis, Hannu Takkula, Thomas Wise, Tomáš Zatloukal
Substitute(s) present for the final vote	Gyula Hegyi, Mary Honeyball, Reino Paasilinna, Sérgio Sousa Pinto, Grażyna Staniszewska
Substitute(s) under Rule 178(2) present for the final vote	Harald Ettl
Date tabled	11.10.2006
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