The Directorate General for Education and Culture recently invited all stakeholders in adult education to the 2008 INFO DAYS on the Lifelong Learning Program.
The days were organized in Brussels on January 18 and 21, 2008.

Last year The Lifelong Learning Programme in the Executive Agency received a total of 1393 applications of which 415 projects were selected. The general comment at the Info Days was that the high interest has produced quite high quality applications.

The event was divided into two sessions.
In the first session the general political context in which the Lifelong Learning Program operates was presented by Michael Graham. He described the General Call for Proposals 2008-2010 of the program. This call sets the priority topics on which applications are invited under the different actions of the program. Mr. Graham focused on the Education and Training 2010 work program, and the Adult learning and Transversal programs.

Key Activity 1: policy cooperation and innovation (e.g. study visits)
Key Activity 2: Languages
Key Activity 3: ICT- innovative uses of ICT, linking learning communities, ICT and innovation and creativity

A new procedure is that applications for selected parts of the programme must be submitted using the official electronic application form (eForm). Gradually all applications will be electronic, but for the time being most applications must still be submitted on paper. More details is available at the web site of the Executive Agency.

The second Session dealt with submission and selection procedures. The General Call sets out the financial and administrative arrangements applying to all the actions covered by this call. It should be noted that, in the framework of mobility actions, partnerships and 'transfer of innovation' projects under Leonardo da Vinci, national authorities may decide on certain additional priorities such as subject areas, destination countries, etc. These priorities must be coherent with those European priorities set out in this document, and agreed with the Commission. They will be made known either via specific national calls or via the national agency. Ms. McLaughlin kept reminding the audience to sign all papers - this is a lesson from the 2007 Call. Without signature the application form will not be processed.

If you are interested in knowing more about the presentations - all materials are available for download on the EACEA website: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/infoday08/downloads/index.htm

Deadline for the submission of applications

The main deadlines are:

• Comenius, Grundtvig: Mobility 31 January 2008
• Leonardo da Vinci: Mobility 8 February 2008
• Comenius, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig: Partnerships 15 February 2008
• Jean Monnet program 15 February 2008
• Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Grundtvig: Multilateral projects, Networks and Accompanying Measures 29 February 2008
• Erasmus: Mobility 14 March 2008
• Leonardo da Vinci: Transfer of Innovation multilateral projects 14 March 2008
• Transversal program 31 March 2008