The European Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union, OJEU, on February 12th 2009, an addendum to the Call for proposals for the Lifelong Learning Programme 2009 EAC/31/08 published in the OJEU C 255 on October 10th 2008, which opens for the participation of the Republic of Croatia and of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in the Lifelong Learning Programme.

This decision to open the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) to the Republic of Croatia and of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is based both in the Decision Nº 1720/2006/EC establishing the LLP action programme adopted by the European Parliament and the Council on November 15th 2006, and on the Financing Agreements signed between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Commission of the European Communities, on one side; and the Government of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and the Commission of the European Communities, on the other.

This addendum to the Call for Proposals EAC/31/08 is exclusively dedicated to setting the conditions applicable to applicants established in the Republic of Croatia and in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Budget and Deadlines

The total budget earmarked for the Republic of Croatia is estimated at 643,115€ and 650,000€ for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The level of grants awarded as well as the duration of projects vary depending on factors such as the type of project and the number of countries involved.

The deadlines for each action are:

• Erasmus University Charter: March 16th 2009
• Comenius, Grundtvig: In-service Training: 1st deadline: April 30th 2009; and 2nd deadline: September 15th 2009
• Erasmus: Students mobility for studies and Staff mobility (teaching assignments and staff training): March 30th 2009
• Transversal Programme: Key activity 1 — Study visits: April 9th 2009
• Preparatory visits: Deadline set by the National Agency

Those deadlines apply to both countries, as for the Leonardo da Vinci Mobility action, in only applies to the Republic of Croatia, being open until March 16th 2009.

Under the present call, mobility from other countries participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme to the Republic of Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia cannot be funded from the programme funds.

Full details for these actions as included in the national work programme reference should be made to the full text of the ‘LLP General Call for proposals 2008-2010: update 2009 — Strategic Priorities’, as well as with the ‘LLP Programme Guide’, which can be found at the  LLP page in the Commission's Education & Training website.