New procedures make EU funding in education, youth and culture more efficient

According to a report recently adopted by the Commission, new, simplified procedures have substantially reduced the waiting period for the beneficiaries of grants under the Lifelong Learning, Youth in Action, Culture, Citizenship and Erasmus Mundus programmes.

The advisory procedure - and the lengthy right of scrutiny it entailed - originally envisaged in the rules of the programmes has been replaced since December 2008 by a simpler and quicker information procedure whereby the Commission informs the Parliament and Council of the selection decisions that have been taken within the programmes.
The Commission's report to the European Parliament and the Council is a review of the new procedures to make sure that they work effectively. It shows that the implementation of the new procedure has been successful from all angles. The information required was transmitted to the Parliament and the Council in all cases as scheduled.
Substantially shorter delays under the new procedure have increased the efficiency of the programmes and have had positive effects on the sustainability of funding partnerships, resulting in a very positive impact on the quality of the projects themselves.
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