On December 6, 1994, the Council of Ministers
of the European Union adopted the Leonardo da Vinci programme for the
implementation of a Community vocational training policy (Official Journal
L 34O, 29 December 1994, pages 8 to 24).
This programme, adopted for a period of
five years (1995-1999) had a key objective of supporting the development
of policies and innovative action in the Member States, by promoting
projects in the context of transnational partnerships which involve
different organisations with an interest in training.
The programme had a total budget of 620
million ECU for the five years and was open to the 15 Member States,
the 3 States of the European Economic Space and progressively to Cyprus,
the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Poland
and the Slovak Republic.
The adoption of the Leonardo da Vinci programme
also represented a rationalisation of Community action in the area of
vocational training, providing the basis to enhance the value of the
acquis. Leonardo da Vinci facilitated the taking forward of initiatives
successfully developed under COMETT, PETRA, FORCE, LINGUA and EUROTECNET
and added new dimensions.
The programm came at a time when the White
Paper on "Growth, Competitiveness and Employment" forcefully
emphasised the crucial importance of vocational training as a key factor
in combatting unemployment and strengthening the competitiveness of
European enterprises.
The programme aimed at responding to the
demand for new skill needs which are generated by the evolution of our
societies and tackles concretely the problem of employment in Europe
which is also the priority target of the White Paper "Teaching
and Learning - Towards the Learning Society", approuved by the
Commission on November 29, 1995.
The Leonardo da Vinci Community vocational
training action programme, introduced in 1994, is now entering its second
phase, which will run from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2006
More information: http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/leonardo.html
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