92002E3726

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3726/02

by Glenys Kinnock (PSE) to the Commission

(19 December 2002)

Subject: Comenius programme

Is the Commission aware that schools wishing to participate in the Comenius programme are experiencing serious difficulties in finding partners from other EU countries?

Does the Commission intend to take steps to coordinate the exchanges between schools more effectively?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(27 January 2003)

The Commission is not aware of serious difficulties of this nature arising out of the systems in place. The feedback received by the Commission so far would indicate that the systems generally operate in a satisfactory manner.

Comenius 1, the Comenius action relating to school partnerships, has been defined as a decentralised action in the Decision No 253/2000/EC of the Parliament and the Council of 24 January 2000 establishing the second phase of the Community action programme in the field of education Socrates(1). Thus, the implementation of decentralised actions is devolved to National Agencies, designated by the national authorities in the participating countries(2).

These National Agencies have the responsibility to inform the target public about the programme and to advise institutions on how to find partners abroad. It is the role of the national authorities to see to it that their National Agency provides the necessary support to interested parties in their country.

Nevertheless, the Commission is co-financing a number of tools aimed at helping schools to find partner institutions abroad, such as the Internet database PartBase, as well as the partner search tool in Comenius Space.

(1) OJ L 28, 3.2.2000.

(2) Address of the National Agency in the United Kingdom:Central Bureau for International Education and TrainingBritish CouncilUK London SW1A 2BN.