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

OBJECTIVE: participation of Lithuania in Community programmes in the fields of training, youth and education (SOCRATES, LEONARDO, Youth for Europe) for 1998 and 1999 as part of preaccession policy. SUBSTANCE: the proposal for an EC-Lithuania Association Council Decision lays down the terms and conditions for the participation of this country in the three Community programmes in the fields of training, youth and education. In particular, Lithuania: - shall participate in all actions under these programmes on the same footing as the Member States and according to the objective's criteria and procedures established by these programmes; - shall apply the same terms and conditions for submission, assessment and selection of applications as those applicable to the Member States; - shall select a minimum number of partners from EC Member States for all transnational actions and projects proposed; - shall set up the national structures necessary in order to implement their participation; - shall pay a financial contribution to the Community budget for their participation in the three programmes; This contribution shall cover subsidies or any other financial support from the three programmes to Lithuanian participants, supplementary administrative costs relating to the management of the programmes by the Commission and financial support from the programmes to the functioning of the national agencies. This contribution shall vary in accordance with the programme and shall be paid annually. The Community contribution shall be drawn from the annual PHARE allocation for Lithuania. This contribution shall not however be used to meet administrative costs related to the management of the programmes by the Commission which must be met in full on the Lithuanian national budget. For the two years under consideration, the total contribution shall be ECU 5 141 600 (of which ECU 3 753 100 shall be drawn from the PHARE). Lithuania shall be involved in the monitoring of participation in the programmes concerned in preparation for the Community decision making process with a view to accession (in particular by attending coordination meetings prior to programme management committee meetings and by being informed of the outcome of these meetings). Provisions concerning the participation of Lithuania shall be valid for the period 1998-1999.�