Lifelong Learning Programme

The European Commission’s Lifelong Learning Programme enables people at all stages of their lives to take part in stimulating learning experiences, as well as helping to develop the education and training sector across Europe.With a budget of nearly €7 billion for 2007 to 2013, the programme funds a range of actions including exchanges, study visits and networking activities. Projects are intended not only for individual students and learners, but also for teachers, trainers and all others involved in education and training.

It is an umbrella programme integrating various educational and training initiatives. LLP is divided in four sectorial sub programmes and four so called 'transversal' programmes.

Structure
The sectorial sub programmes focus on different stages of education and training and continuing previous programmes:
•    Comenius for schools
•    Erasmus for higher education
•    Leonardo da Vinci for vocational education and training
•    Grundtvig for adult education

The transversal programmes aim to complement the sectorial sub programmes and to ensure that they achieve the best results possible. They aim to promote European cooperation in fields covering two or more of the sub-programmes. In addition they seek to promote quality and transparency of Member States' education and training systems.

Four key activities focus on:
•    Policy cooperation and innovation (including study visits for education and training specialists)
•    Languages
•    Information and communication technologies - ICT
•    Dissemination and exploitation of results

The Jean Monnet programme also falls under the LLP umbrella, in addition to the sectorial and transversal programmes, The Jean Monnet programme stimulates teaching, reflection and debate on the European integration process at higher education institutions.

Reference
The Decision establishing the Lifelong Learning Programme was published in the Official Journal of the European Union L327/45 on 24 November 2006.