EU education and training programme

EU Lifelong Learning Programme

The EU Lifelong Learning Programme makes it possible for pupils, students, teachers, headteachers and others to visit each other, cooperate, study and teach in other European countries. The programme also provides good opportunities for people working outside the world of education to take part in European cooperation for professional development.

Greater cooperation between people and organisations in the Member States has long been an objective of the programmes the European Commission has financed. The aim has been to raise the quality of education systems at various levels through cooperation and broadened horizons. With the ambition of making it clear and easy to understand how individuals and organisations can benefit from the opportunities available, a coherent programme has been created covering all forms of education and training, from pre-school to adult education and higher education. Professional development for people in the labour market is also covered by the programme.

The EU Lifelong Learning Programme is made up of four sub-programmes that each have different focuses and target groups:

• Comenius for pre-school up to and including upper secondary school;
• Erasmus for higher education;
• Grundtvig for adult education; and
• Leonardo da Vinci for vocational education and training.

In addition, there are transversal programmes for areas such as policy development, IT and language projects. The Lifelong Learning Programme applies for the period 2007-2013.

The International Programme Office for Education and Training is the Swedish agency responsible for information about and participation in the programme, and more detailed information is available on its website.

Erasmus Mundus

Erasmus Mundus is intended for students and teachers from countries outside the EU and the EEA, known as third countries'. The overall objective of the programme is to promote intercultural awareness through cooperation with third countries. The programme consists of four separate parts: joint Masters programmes, scholarships for students and teachers, scholarships for students and teachers from the EU, and promotion support.

The second round of the programme covers the period 2009-2013.

The International Programme Office for Education and Training is the Swedish agency responsible for information about and participation in the programme, and more detailed information is available on its website.

Eurydice Network

Eurydice is a network for information on education systems and education policy in Europe. The network includes the 27 EU Member States plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Turkey.

The task of the network is to support and develop the exchange of information on education systems and education policy. Eurydice's database, Eurybase, contains detailed information in English, and in some cases in the national language, on the different countries' education systems. It also has short descriptions of the key characteristics of each country's education system.

Eurydice produces studies, primarily comparative descriptions of different parts of the education systems, as well as reference material. All publications are available on the Eurydice website and can be used by anyone wanting to know more about other countries' education systems or to describe the Swedish education system.

Eurydice also has a question-and-answer system in which the Eurydice units can ask each other short questions about current education policy and other issues.

Every country has one or more national Eurydice units. The Eurydice European Unit in Brussels coordinates the work.

The Swedish Eurydice Unit is located within the International Programme Office for Education and Training. The Unit has two main tasks:

• to assist the Ministry by providing up-to-date information on education systems and education policy in Europe, and
• to meet the EU's and participating countries' need for information on the Swedish education system and education policy.