Lifelong Learning Programme is the Programme for Community Action of the European Commission which covers all areas of education and professional training for the period starting from 1/1/2007 until 31/12/2013. Operational objectives of the programme: To contribute through lifelong learning to the development of the Community as an advanced knowledge society, with sustainable economic development, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion, while ensuring good protection of the environment for future generations. In particular, it aims to foster interchange, co-operation and mobility between education and training systems within the Community so that they become a world quality reference. Structure of the Programme:

LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME
Sectoral programmes
Comenius	Erasmus	Leonardo da Vinci	Grundtvig
School education	Higher education	Vocational education and training	Adult education
Transversal Programme
Policy cooperation and innovation (Study Visits – Naric – Eurydice – Ploteus) Promotion of language learning Development of innovative ICT-based content, services, pedagogies and practice Dissemination and use of results
Jean Monnet Programme
Jean Monnet Action Support of certain European institutions pursuing an aim of European interest Support of certain European institutions or associations active in the field of education and training

Within the afore-mentioned programmes, the decentralised actions are funded through the National Agencies of the participating countries and the centralized actions are funded through the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. Participating countries: The programme is open to the 27 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland (the EFTA countries, i.e. those countries which are members of the European Free Trade Association), and the candidate countries Turkey and Croatia. CENTRALISED ACTIONS Apart from the above-mentioned decentralised actions, the European Commission also funds centralised actions within Comenius, Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci και Grundtvig, through the Executive Agency (Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency) such as Multilateral Projects, Thematic Networks and Accompanying Measures. Information related with the Centralised Actions, their deadlines and their application forms is provided directly by the Executive Agency of the EC, to which the relevant applications must be submitted. Website of the European Commission for the Programme: http://ec.europa.eu/llp READ MORE>>