PARLIAMENT SUPPORTS ACTION PLANS FOR EDUCATION, YOUTH AND CULTURE.

The European Parliament has adopted three legislative Resolutions for action programmes for organisations in the fields of education and training, culture and youth. The Resolutions were adopted on November 6 in Parliament's first reading as part of the co-decision procedure.

Education and training

Parliament adopted a report by Doris Pack (EPP-ED, Germany) on the Commission's proposal for a Community action programme to promote bodies active at European level and support specific activities in the field of education and training (COM(2003)273). Parliament called for the programme's budget for 2004-2008 to be increased from Euro 129.62 million to Euro 149.92 million, to account for inflation, as well as for funds needed to account for Parliament's other requests. MEPs requested that the International Federation of Europe Houses (FIME) be added to the list of specified beneficiary organisations of grants under this budget, as its activities are mainly educational. The FIME currently receives funding under the press and communications budget. The report also said that grants should be awarded by means of a call for proposal for:

- European associations in the areas of education or training

- activities in higher education such as Jean Monnet Chairs

- activities contributing to future objectives of education and training systems in Europe

- the training of national judges in the field of European law, as well as for organisations for judicial co-operation.

To improve transparency, MEPs said that organisations that receive grants from the EU should state this in a place where it can be easily seen, such as their website homepage or an annual report.

Youth organisations

MEPs voted in favour of Austrian Socialist MEP Christa Prets' report on the Commission's proposal for an action programme to promote youth organisations (COM(2003)272). The report calls for the programme to last five years, rather than three, in order to be able to make a mid-term assessment of needs. Parliament wants the budget to be increased from Euro 11.52 million to Euro 13.17 to reflect the impact of enlargement. MEPs disagreed with the Commission's suggestion that grants awarded

to international youth organisations should be reduced from the third year, saying that this would be...