Education and training : grants to bodies active at European level, 2004-2006 action programme

The Council considers that its common position constitutes a balanced text, which will provide the necessary support for the activities of bodies in the field of education and training over the period concerned, and thereby facilitate reflection on future Community action in this area. As regards amendments made by the Council to the Commission's proposal, these refer to the following: - Duration : the Council has set the duration of the programme at three years (2004-2006) to coincide with the current financial perspectives; - Budget : the budget has been set at EUR 77 million (an increase of EUR 1.888 million on the Commission's original proposal), by the budgetary authority, also taking into account the three-year duration of the programme; - Implementation : a standard article has been introduced to clarify the Commission's role in the implementation of the programme. In this connection a reference to annual reporting by the Commission to the Council and the Parliament has been added; - Monitoring and evaluation : this article has been modified in the interests of simplification and coherence, and also in the light of the shorter duration of the programme; Other questions : the Council has introduced other modifications or clarifications, as appropriate: - Reference to the Financial Regulation and its rules for implementation; - Participation of countries outside the Union. A revised provision for the participation of non-EU countries in the programme refers specificially to the different legal instruments under which such participation will take place. This is a technical legal drafting change; - Support for actions in relation to training of national judges. - A requirement is added that the Commission should report annually to the Parliament and to the Council on the implementation of the programme; and reference to a second evaluation report in 2009 is removed, reflecting the reduced duration of the programme.�