EC/Cyprus relations: extension of the Community programmes Socrates, Leonardo and Youth for Europe III to Cyprus

OBJECTIVE: to open the LEONARDO, Youth for Europe III and SOCRATES programmes to Cyprus. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Decision 97/739/EC concerning the conclusion of bilateral agreements between the Community and Cyprus on Cyprus's participation in Community programmes in the fields of education, training and youth. CONTENT: this decision is the legal instrument for the conclusion of 3 bilateral agreements establishing cooperation between Cyprus and the Community in the framework of Community programmes concerning youth, education and training. In particular, these agreements set out the conditions and procedures for Cyprus's participation in the Community programmes Youth for Europe III, LEONARDO and SOCRATES. According to these agreements, Cyprus: - will participate in all activities conducted within the framework of LEONARDO, SOCRATES and Youth for Europe on the same basis, in principle, as the Member States of the Community; - in order to ensure the Community dimension of the Programme, will include in all transnational projects a minimum number of partners from the Member States; - will put in place the national structures and mechanisms required for its participation; - will make an annual financial contribution to the Community budget corresponding to the costs of its participation in each programme. This contribution is to be: . ECU 253 000 for the SOCRATES programme in 1997 (ERASMUS will not be open in that year), then ECU 575 000 per annum in 1998 and 1999 (including ERASMUS), . ECU 482 000 per annum for the LEONARDO programme, . ECU 139 000 in 1997 for participation in part of the programme, ECU 246 000 in 1998 and ECU 300 000 in 1999 for participation in the whole of the Youth for Europe programme. The implementation of each agreement will be entrusted to a joint committee. Cyprus will also be invited to attend coordination meetings prior to the formal sessions of the programme management committees. Cyprus's participation will continue for the full duration of the programmes (i.e. until 31 December 1999). ENTRY INTO FORCE: the agreements will enter into force on 1 November 1997.�