Community action programme Socrates: financial framework 1995-1999

The Committee welcomed the proposal insofar as it sought to increase the programme’s budget. However, it reiterated its view that the proposed budget was insufficient for the ambitious objectives and measures pursued. The Committee asked the Commission to step up checks against fraud so as to avoid any possible diversion of funds. When granting aid, it would be helpful to establish a fine-tuning mechanism for distributing funds according to the real needs of recipients, so that those with fewer resources received more aid. This would be the best way to guarantee the principle of fair access to the EU Socrates Fund. The Committee thought that Community aid should be allocated in the most transparent manner possible. It therefore called on the Commission and MemberStates to introduce the requisite mechanisms to guarantee equal access opportunities for all persons interested in taking part in the programme and to ensure that Socrates reached the maximum number of students, teachers and institutions and that aid did not remain the preserve of certain persons or institutions.