Training, youth and education: participation of the Czech Republic on Community programmes

OBJECTIVE: to modify the distribution of costs needed for the participation of the Czech Republic in the Community Leonardo, Youth for Europe III and Socrates programmes. SUBSTANCE: Through Decision No 2/97 of the EC-Czech Republic Association Council (see file CNS97024) this country became the first of the applicant countries to participate in Community programmes in the field of training, youth and education. In accordance with this decision the Czech Republic participates in all the activities under the Leonardo, Youth for Europe and Socrates programmes under the same terms as the Member States and to this end makes a financial contribution corresponding to the costs involved in covering the subsidies or other financial aids granted to the Czech participants in the programmes and the operating and other additional administrative costs deriving from the management of these programmes by the Commission. In principle this contribution is covered entirely by the Czech national budget. However this country has had to deal with significant and unexpected costs associated with the floods in July 1997. The Czech Republic is not able as a result to meet its commitment to support fully its financial contribution from the national budget. This proposal therefore calls for a new distribution of the costs of Czech participation to the three programmes referred to, with 50% of the financial contribution to be financed by PHARE funds for the Czech Republic for the Leonardo programme and 33% for the Socrates and Youth for Europe programmes respectively (the remainder being paid from the Czech national budget). This new decision does not alter any other aspect of the first decision of the Association Council. It will apply to the financial contributions for 1998 and 1999. �