Training, youth and education: participation of Estonia in Community programmes Leonardo, Socrates

OBJECTIVE: participation of Estonia in Community programmes in the fields of training youth and education (SOCRATES, LEONARDO, Youth for Europe) for the years 1998 and 1999 as part of the preaccession policy. SUBSTANCE: The proposal for an EC-Estonia Association Council Decision is based on the conditions and provisions for participation of this country in the three Community programmes in the field of education and youth. In particular, Estonia: - shall participate in all activities under these programmes on the same footing as the Member States and in conformity with the objectives, criteria and procedures established by the programme; - it shall apply the same terms and conditions for the submission, assessment and selection of applications as those applicable in the Member States; - shall lay down a minimum number of partners from the Member States for all transnational projects and activities proposed; - it shall up the necessary national structures for its participation; - it shall pay a contribution to the general budget of the European Union to cover the costs resulting from its participation in the three programmes. This contribution will cover subsidies or other financial support from the programmes to Estonian participants for their participation in the three programmes, supplementary administrative costs relating to the management of the programmes by the Commission and financial support to the functioning of the national agencies for administering the programme. The contribution shall vary in accordance with the programme and be paid annually. The Community shall help to meet some of the costs of this contribution from the annual PHARE programme for Estonia. The PHARE contribution shall not, however, be used to meet the costs relating to the management of the programme by the Commission but shall be met entirely by the Estonian national budget. For the two years under consideration, the contribution shall amount to a total of ECU 2 961 000 (of which 1 260 000 will be paid from the PHARE programme). Estonia will be associating in the monitoring of its participation in the programme with a view to accession (particularly by participating in the coordination meetings preceding the programme management committee meetings and being informed of the outcome of these meetings). Provisions regarding Estonia's participation are valid for the period 1998-1999.�