Introductory text
United Kingdom
Commission Decision
of 9 October 2008
amending Commission Decision 2005/56/EC setting up the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency for the management of Community action in the fields of education, audiovisual and culture in application of Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003
(2008/785/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 58/2003 of 19 December 2002 laying down the statute for executive agencies to be entrusted with certain tasks in the management of Community programmesf1, and in particular Article (3)(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (hereinafter referred to as the Agency) was set up by Commission Decision 2005/56/ECf2. It manages Community action in the fields of education, audiovisual and culture, including projects financed by European external assistance policy instruments, by the ninth European Development Fund and by certain agreements concluded by the Community with the United States of America and with Canada.
(2)
On 31 December 2006 the third phase of the trans-European cooperation scheme for higher education (Tempus III) (2000-06) came to an end. The Commission decided to extend this action over the period 2007-13 (Tempus IV) and to finance it through three European external assistance policy instruments, namely the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA), the European neighbourhood and partnership instrument and the financing instrument for development cooperation.
(3)
On the basis of the initiatives undertaken by the Community with the United States of America and Canada, the Commission additionally decided to strengthen cooperation in the fields of education and youth with industrialised and other high-income countries and territories.
(4)
An external evaluation finalised in April 2008 by the Commission showed that using the Agency was the best way to manage Tempus (the fourth phase and the winding up of the third phase) and the projects financed by the instrument of cooperation with industrialised and other high-income countries and territories. This evaluation therefore recommended that the Agency's tasks be extended to include the management of these programmes and projects.
(5)
Decision 2005/56/EC must be amended accordingly.
(6)
The provisions set out in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Regulatory Committee for Executive Agencies,
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: