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European Commission > Your Europe  > Citizens > Services for Citizens: European General Guides > Studying in another EU country

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We are working on a new version of the portal that will make it easier for you to find the information you need to exercise your rights in the EU. At present, therefore, the information available in these pages may not be up-to-date. To find out about your rights during this transitory period you can send your question to Europe Direct.

Studying in another EU country (European Union)

European Union

European General Guides


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INTRODUCTION

As a citizen of the European Union you have rights which you may not always be familiar with. For example, you can go to any other EU country (1) to study, work, pursue a transnational youth activity or retire, while enjoying the same rights as nationals of that country. The European Commission is publishing a series of guides explaining your rights so that you can make the most of the opportunities available to you. The guides also point out the conditions attached to your rights. The scope and diversity of these rights are so great that a brief description of them cannot hope to take in every individual situation.

(1) In this guide, the terms ‘country’, ‘State’ and ‘Member State’ are used interchangeably to refer to the Member States of the European Union which are:  Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Other countries or States are referred to as ‘third countries’. In addition, as a result of the agreement on the European Economic Area, virtually all the rights mentioned in this guide also apply to you in Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein and to nationals of those three countries working in an EU Member State.

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THE RIGHT TO STUDY, TRAIN, DO RESEARCH AND TAKE PART IN YOUTH WORK OR VOLUNTARY WORK

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EQUAL TREATMENT

In practical terms, equal treatment means that the host establishment must accept you on the same conditions as nationals. For example, you cannot be required to pay higher course fees on the grounds of being a non-national. Similarly, if nationals of the host country where you wish to study are paid a grant to cover course fees (which can be very high in certain countries), you should be entitled to receive one too.

The equal treatment you are entitled to covers the payment of course fees, but the principle does not apply to support or maintenance grants intended to help students pay their daily living expenses. 

Of course, Member States may also provide grants or other forms of assistance to foreign students on their own initiative. You may also continue to benefit from some scholarships or financial support from your country of origin when you are studying in another country.  The national authorities in your country of origin take this decision, however, and you should contact them for any information in this regard.

On the other hand, if you are a migrant worker or a member of the family of a migrant worker, you have broader rights under Community law. For example, you are entitled to receive a maintenance grant on the same conditions as nationals of the Member State where you are studying. You should therefore find out about the grants and assistance that are available in the Member State where you intend to study.

Following a recent ruling by the European Court of Justice (ruling of 15 March 2005 in the Bidar case, C-209/03), the host country must extend equal treatment, including assistance covering maintenance costs, to students from another Member State who have been legally resident and have received a substantial part of their secondary education in the host country and have consequently established a genuine link to the society of that State. Given that this is a recent ruling, the details of how to implement the principle of equal treatment in this case are still being decided.

As the conditions of entry to educational establishments are laid down by individual Member States, they may differ significantly from one country to another. Knowledge of the language may also sometimes be a condition of access to education. In some Member States, you may be asked to take a language test. These matters are closely bound up with national education policy. While this field is one in which Member States retain extensive discretionary powers, access to training or education in another Member State may not be refused on grounds of nationality.  In order to avoid any unpleasant surprises you should find out about the education system in the country of the Member State you wish to go to before you leave your country of origin.

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RIGHT OF RESIDENCE

STUDENTS

To study in a Member State other than your Member State of origin for a period of less than three months (if you want to take a language course, for example), all you need is a valid identity card or passport. In some Member States you may also be required to register with the local authorities.

If, on the other hand, you want to study in a Member State other than your Member State of origin for more than three months, you are entitled to stay there if you meet the following conditions:

  • you are enrolled at an approved educational establishment; 
  • you are covered by adequate health insurance; 
  • you assure the relevant authorities by means of a declaration or by an equivalent means of your choosing, that you have adequate resources for yourself and for the members of your family to avoid becoming a burden on the social welfare system of the host Member State; you cannot be required to produce documentary evidence that your financial resources exceed a specific threshold.

Provided that you satisfy these conditions, the authorities in the host Member State will issue you with an EU residence permit which will be valid for the duration of your course. If your course lasts longer than a year, the permit will be renewable annually. You have become a resident.

The members of your family (i.e. your spouse and any dependent children) also have the right of residence in the Member State in which you choose to study, regardless of their nationality. However, to stay more than three months they must have health insurance. Moreover, the host Member State reserves the right to require an entry visa for family members who are not EU nationals. This visa should be granted free of charge and without undue formalities by the relevant consular authorities.

Regardless of their nationality, members of your family are also entitled to take up any form of work on an employed or self-employed basis in the host Member State.

FOR PEOPLE IN EMPLOYMENT, YOUNG PEOPLE TAKING PART IN TRANSNATIONAL YOUTH ACTIVITIES OR VOLUNTARY WORK, THE SELF-EMPLOYED AND THE UNEMPLOYED

Again, all you need to stay for less than three months is a valid identity card or passport. If you stay for between three months and one year for paid work experience or a temporary job, you will be issued with a residence permit for the period concerned. In all other cases involving a stay of more than three months, you must apply for a residence permit, to which you are entitled as a national of a Member State.

For further details on the formalities relating to the right of residence, please refer to the guide entitled ’Living in another country of the European Union’ and the fact sheet on residence rights.

NEW PROVISIONS ON FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT AND RESIDENCE

On 29 April 2004, the European Parliament and the Council adopted a Directive aiming to update existing legislation on freedom of movement and residence, to facilitate the mobility of citizens within the European Union1. Member States are required to bring into force the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the directive before 30 April 2006.

The Directive brings together the content of the existing nine Directives and one Regulation as well as the relevant case-law into one single legislative instrument which will give this right more transparency and make it easier to apply, both for our citizens and for national administrations.

In accordance with the new Directive, administrative formalities will be reduced. EU citizens will no longer need to obtain a residence permit in the Member State where they reside: a simple registration with the competent authorities will be enough, and even this will only be required if it is deemed necessary by the host Member State.

The Directive maintains the requirement that EU citizens need to exercise an economic activity or possess sufficient resources in order to take up residence in another Member State. However, after five years of uninterrupted residence, Union citizens and their family members will acquire a permanent right of residence, which will no longer be subject to any conditions. This permanent right will be a clear expression of a European citizenship, allowing EU citizens who have developed strong links with the Member State of residence to enjoy greater rights.

The Directive also seeks to facilitate the movement of family members. For instance, family members who are nationals of third countries will enjoy more extensive rights, for example in the event of the death of the Union citizen on whom they depend or the dissolution of the marriage.

The Directive significantly limits grounds for the expulsion of EU citizens and their family members who have acquired a right to permanent residence in the host Member State, as well as guaranteeing more extensive protection for EU citizens who have strong links in the host Member State and for minors.

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ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION OF DIPLOMAS AND STUDY PERIODS

Academic recognition means accepting that a diploma issued by one Member State is equivalent to that issued in another so that you may continue training (e.g. post-university training) in different countries without being disadvantaged.

Academic recognition is an important aspect of students’ mobility.  There are, however, no Community provisions which make the mutual recognition of qualifications compulsory because the Member States alone are responsible for the content and structure of their education systems.

For further information, you can contact the Network of National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARIC). These centres exist in every Member State, and cooperate and exchange information that is useful to students studying abroad. They aim to provide information and advice on questions concerning academic recognition of diplomas and study periods undertaken in different EU countries.

You can consult the NARIC website at:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/agenar_en.html

If you are a Socrates/Erasmus student, your university of origin must recognise that your period of study abroad is an integral part of its study programme and that it replaces a comparable period there, even if the content of the programme is different. Thus, the course you have followed and the examinations you have passed will be recognised.  Under Erasmus, a number of universities also operate the European credit transfer system (ECTS).  This aims to assist and facilitate the process of academic recognition between partner educational establishments by virtue of transparency in educational programmes and the use of transcripts. For more information on the  ECTS system, consult the web pages at:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/ects_en.html

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SOCIAL SECURITY

If you go to study in another Member State, Community rules give you some social security protection, particularly as regards health care, on certain conditions. Students must be nationals of a Member State2 and must be covered under a health care scheme in a Member State. This may be the home country or the country where they are studying, depending on the conditions set under national legislation.

  • They may be insured under a special social security scheme applicable to students.
  • They may be insured as workers (employee, self-employed or public official).
  • They may be a family member of someone in employment.

In other words, a student may be covered personally or as a family member.

Before you leave, check with your health insurance institution to see whether you meet these conditions.

If you live in the Member State where you are studying, you are entitled to all the sickness benefits in kind provided under the legislation of that Member State. You must, of course, complete certain formalities first. You will need Form E 106 if you personally are covered or Form E 109 if you are insured as a family member. The form will be provided by the social security office where you or your parents are insured, and must be presented to the health insurance institution where you are studying.

If you are only staying temporarily in the Member State where you are studying, you are entitled to all necessary sickness benefits in kind, taking into account the length of your stay. In this case, you will be asked for the European Health Insurance Card or some equivalent document.

The European Health Insurance Card is available on the spot from the institution with which you or your parents are insured. You must obtain the card before departure, therefore, so that you can present it to the sickness insurance institution in the country where you are studying or staying on holiday.

If the costs of your health care are no longer covered by your sickness-insurance institution during part of your stay abroad, you may be required to take out private health insurance. If you go to another country with the express intention of obtaining treatment there, your sickness insurance institution will only cover the costs if you get permission for the treatment in advance. The sickness insurance institution usually decides whether or not to give the permission required, and may not withhold it only because the treatment in question is one of the benefits provided for by law in your country but is not available when needed. In this case, the competent institution must issue you with form E 112, and you are entitled to the benefits available in the host country. In certain cases, you can also apply for reimbursement in your country of origin.

For further information on your social security rights and obligations when working or carrying out research in another Member State (on temporary secondment, for example), please refer to the guide entitled ‘Working in another European Union country’.

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WELFARE BENEFITS

As a student, you are entitled to the same social security benefits as nationals of the EU host country as soon as you begin to study in that country. You cannot be excluded from these benefits on grounds of nationality, for reasons of residence, or for any other discriminatory reason. You have the same rights as nationals of the EU host country with respect to accommodation (for example, access to local authority housing). Since social benefits are established by each individual Member State, they vary from one country to another. You should therefore apply to the national authorities of the country where you are studying for precise information on the social benefits granted in that country (see also the fact sheet on ‘Welfare benefits’).

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SPECIFIC CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO RESEARCHERS

Every researcher in the EU has the right to take up training and mobility opportunities funded by scholarships, grants, etc. under national and Community schemes.  Discrimination on the basis of nationality is prohibited in the country of origin and in the country where the research is pursued. The Training and Mobility of Researchers (TMR) programme provides these opportunities in Member States and other countries which have signed agreements with the European Union.

Depending on national legislation and researchers’ status (doctoral candidates, post-doctoral or established researchers), research contracts may take any of the following forms:

  • research grants (governed by the rules applicable to students);
  • fixed-term employment contracts (governed by the rules applicable to employed persons); 
  • service contracts (governed by the rules applicable to self-employed persons). 

In any case, financial support for researchers is regarded as income, and is subject to the tax and social security rules of the host or home country.
The Community Regulation 1408/71 on social security schemes applying to employed persons, to self-employed persons and to members of their families moving within the Union applies to certain categories of researcher (employees and self-employed persons).

However, given that different conditions for taxation and social security may apply depending on whether a researcher is considered to have a stipend or an actual work contract (offering comprehensive social security cover), it is important to find out which scheme will apply before going to another European country. Moreover, some areas (for example, supplementary pensions) are not covered by EU law.

The tax rules are set out in bilateral conventions which seek to avoid double taxation. It is recommended that researchers also inform themselves about this area before leaving in order to have a good idea of their rights and obligations in the other country, including the administrative steps to be taken (which often begin before moving to the other country).

Researchers are therefore strongly advised to find out about these topics in advance using the available information, including the national and European websites (Your social security rights when moving within the EU). (http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/publications/2003/ke4101696_en.pdf (PDF 0kb)) and the European Researcher’s Portal (http://europa.eu/eracareers). This portal has links to the mobility centres for researchers ERA-MORE which offer assistance tailored to the specific needs of every researcher.

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II. SUPPORT FROM COMMUNITY PROGRAMMES

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LEONARDO DA VINCI PROGRAMME

The Leonardo da Vinci programme covers initial, continuing and lifelong vocational training at European level. Support is available for pilot projects and placement and exchange programmes involving international partnerships between private and public training bodies. In exceptional cases, however, a project submitted by two partners, one of which is from a Member State, will be accepted.

The selection procedure for mobility proposals in the second phase of the programme is totally decentralised. The projects are selected by national agencies in the Member States (http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/leonardo/new/leonardo2/nalist2_en.html).

To participate in a placement or exchange, you will have to apply to a training organisation, a university or a firm taking part in a project supported by the Leonardo da Vinci programme. You can also consult the national agencies (http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/leonardo/new/leonardo2/nalist2_en.html).

WHAT IS A ‘PLACEMENT’ UNDER THE LEONARDO DA VINCI PROGRAMME? TO WHOM IS IT OPEN?

A ‘placement’ is a period of training and/or professional experience in a host organisation in another country which is arranged in cooperation between training bodies (including universities) and firms. The aim is to improve participants’skills and employability, and placements are open to:

People undergoing initial vocational training

The initial vocational training institute in which you are registered may allow you to take up a placement lasting from three weeks to nine months at most in a firm or another training institute in another European country.  A placement permits you to acquire an additional vocational qualification or experience leading to a qualification in another country, and is an integral part of your training.

Young workers and recent graduates

If you have recently come onto the job market after vocational training or university, you can follow a training course lasting from three to twelve months in a firm in another European country. This permits you to acquire an additional vocational qualification or experience leading to a qualification in another country, and is an integral part of your training.

Students

If you are a student (enrolled in a higher education course at university), you can follow a course lasting from three to twelve months in a firm in another country taking part in the programme. This training permits you to acquire one or more additional vocational qualifications and possibly to carry out a professional project.

Subject to certain conditions, the period of training abroad may be recorded in a Europass-training document, the contents and presentation of which are defined at Community level. It is issued by the body responsible for organising the training in the Member State of provenance, and it provides details of the person undergoing training, information on their ongoing vocational training (of which the European pathway is an integral part) and details of training periods abroad (host partner, etc.).

WHAT IS AN ‘EXCHANGE’ UNDER THE LEONARDO DA VINCI PROGRAMME? TO WHOM IS IT OPEN?

The term ‘exchange’ refers to the transfer of skills and practices and/or innovative vocational training methods in cooperation between training establishments (including universities) and firms. These exchanges permit training and career guidance professionals to update and improve their skills by drawing on their knowledge and experience in another country and a different institutional context.

An exchange project therefore differs from a placement project in terms of its content, target group and duration. Exchange periods may benefit the following in particular:

Human resources managers, vocational training programme planners and managers and career guidance specialists

If you work in one of these training activities in a firm or a training establishment, you may spend between one and six weeks in a training body or university in another European country.

Trainers and teaching staff in the field of language skills

The exchange period for people in this category also ranges from one to six weeks. The exchanges are organised between businesses, on the one hand, and institutions specialising in language training, including universities or vocational training bodies, on the other.

Important

Placement and exchange projects may be linked to other projects. Placements may serve to test the results of pilot projects, and pilot projects or transnational network projects may be developed as a result of exchanges.

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SOCRATES PROGRAMME

This Community programme is specifically designed for young people, students, adults and teaching staff. Socrates aims to develop the European dimension in education throughout life. If you are a student and you would like to get to know another European Union country while continuing your studies, you may take part in exchanges under Erasmus. If you are of school age, you may take part in partnerships between schools under the Comenius programme. Socrates offers a wide range of options for teachers or other education staff.

IF YOU ARE A STUDENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Before you can go on an Erasmus exchange (between three and 12 months), there must be an agreement between your home educational establishment and the one in the Member State you wish to go to providing for such exchanges under the Socrates/Erasmus programme. Find out from your home educational establishment (international relations office) if it takes part in such agreements, and with which colleges or universities in Europe. Erasmus is open to all university and similar-level students other than those enrolled in the first year.

While you have the right to academic recognition (see above), you do not have to pay any course fees to the host educational establishment: you cannot be charged for attending courses, sitting examinations, or for using laboratories and libraries. However, your home educational establishment may continue to charge you enrolment fees while you are away on an exchange.

The European Union also gives grants under the Erasmus programme. These are designed to cover part of the cost of moving from one country to another (travel, language training needed, higher cost of living in the country you are moving to). You are also entitled to continue to receive in full any grants or loans being paid to you in your home Member State.

Furthermore, as an Erasmus student in a country with a language which is less widely taught or used, you may receive appropriate language training (organisation of special courses, provision of language books, etc.) and guidance and supervision from your home and host establishments, including practical help with organising your stay and arranging accommodation. There are also specific support arr angements for disabled students.

If you are studying to become a language teacher, you could become a Comenius language assistant (see the detailed paragraph on prospective language teachers).

IF YOU ARE A PUPIL AT SCHOOL

Partnerships between schools (Comenius)

If you are a pupil at school and the European dimension of education attracts you, you may participate in partnerships between schools set up under the Comenius scheme.

School projects (Comenius)

Under Comenius school projects, partner schools or institutions work together for a p eriod of between one and three years on projects that have been jointly devised. These aim, in particular, to promote cooperation between schools and to build up contacts between pupils from different countries, including the mobility of a number of pupils who have been actively committed to developing their schools’ education projects. If your school participates in this kind of project, you will have the opportunity to exchange information with pupils abroad and learn about each other. You will also be able to explore the country, culture, lifestyle and way of thinking of your partners, thereby gaining a better understanding of them.

Language projects (Comenius)

If you are over 12, you are eligible for the language projects organised between your school and a school in another EU country under Comenius. You will learn to use a foreign language while working with the students at your partner school, and the two groups of students will each in turn pay a visit of at least 14 days to their respective partner schools.

PROSPECTIVE LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Language assistants (Comenius)

Prospective language teachers can obtain a grant to work as a Comenius language assistant in a school or training centre in another country for three to eight months. They may teach their native language and/or one of the languages they are studying.

IF YOU ARE A TEACHER

In higher education (Erasmus and Comenius)

If you are a teacher in higher education, you can transfer for a short period (one to eight weeks) to teach in an educational establishment in another country that participates in the programme, and you will also be eligible for a grant.

Under Erasmus, you can also develop new study programmes (including Masters), curricula, intensive programmes and European modules in partnership with colleagues from other countries. Your department or faculty can also introduce ECTS schemes for recognising studies, or take part in one of the Socrates thematic networks which provide important fora for the discussion, analysis and comparison of a given discipline or theme. Each of these activities must be integrated into the ‘Erasmus institutional contract’ which your university signs with the Commission every year.

Under Comenius, higher education establishments can take part in European teacher training cooperation projects. Together with colleagues from establishments abroad you can help to devise study programmes, courses, teaching materials, etc., with the aim of improving the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom.

In school (Comenius)

If you teach in a school which participates in a school exchange under Comenius, you will have the opportunity to work with teachers from the partner countries on jointly devised projects. Grants allocated to these projects allow the teachers involved to visit the partner  country for project meetings, exchanges or training courses for a period of one to four weeks.

Grants are also provided so that teachers, head teachers, inspectors, educational advisers and teacher trainers can take part in continuing training abroad for a period of one to four weeks.

Your school can also participate in a European teacher training cooperation project. Together with colleagues from establishments abroad, you can help to devise study programmes, courses, teaching materials, etc., with the aim of improving the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom.

Adult education and the other education pathways

Education is not confined to schools. It is a process which continues throughout life, at any age or in any place. Grundvtig targets adult education and other education pathways. It supplements Comenius (school education) and Erasmus (higher education), and forms the third link in a single education chain.

Adult education differs from country to country and situations vary enormously. Adults choose to resume education for different reasons. They may return to school or university in order to gain new qualifications and find a job more easily, for their own personal and social development or personal satisfaction or to commit to a role as active citizens in a democracy.

The players involved in adult education are both formal (schools, universities, adult education establishments and informal (associations, libraries, museums, parents’ organisations, etc).

Grundtvig targets all adults, while at the same time taking care to encourage those who experience special difficulties in meeting their educational needs, either because they live in disadvantaged or isolated areas, because they are hampered by precarious social circumstances or have an inadequate knowledge base. There is a compelling case for giving adults (irrespective of age) excluded from the school system a second chance by helping them to acquire a knowledge foundation, by restoring their confidence, and by recognising certain skills and competences obtained outside the school context.

The European Commission supports four types of activities through Grundvtig:

  • European cooperation projects concern adult education institutions and organisations which wish to undertake specific projects or create a joint product.
  • Education partnerships are intended for smaller organisations and provide for smallerscale cooperation. The emphasis is generally on preliminary contact between partners in different countries which can subsequently lead to more ambitious undertakings.
  • Continuing training grants make it possible for people working in adult education to undertake a course in another country participating in the Socrates programme.
  • Lastly, Grundvtig networks provide the players involved in adult education with a solid platform for discussion and permit very broad dissemination of innovative practices and ideas in this context.

OTHER ACTIVITES

Intensive programmes are short study programmes for higher education which bring together students and staff from several countries. The aim is to approach a specific theme from new angles, and to compare and test teaching methods in an international classroom environment.

For further details, see the explanatory guide on the Socrates programme published by the European Commission, apply to the organisations implementing measures supported by the programme or get in touch with the contact points mentioned at the end of the guide.

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YOUTH

The YOUTH programme offers young people scope for mobility and opportunities to take an active part in building the Europe of the third millennium. It aims to contribute to the achievement of a ‘knowledge-based Europe’ and to create a European arena for cooperation in the development of youth policy, based on informal education. It encourages the concept of lifelong learning and the development of skills and abilities that promote active citizenship.

The following objectives of the programme strive to achieve and maintain a balance between personal development and collective activity across all sectors of society:

  • facilitate the integration of young people into society at large and encourage their spirit of initiative;
  • assist young people to acquire knowledge, skills and abilities, and recognise the value of these experiences;
  • permit young people to give free expression to their sense of solidarity in Europe and the wider world and support the fight against racism and xenophobia;
  • promote a better understanding of the diversity of our common European culture and shared heritage;
  • help to eliminate all forms of discrimination and promote equality at all levels of society;
  • introduce a European element into projects, which will have a positive impact on youth work at local level.

The programme is based on the following five main actions:

Action 1 – Youth for Europe

Youth exchanges and discussions offer groups of young people ( aged 15-25) from different countries the opportunity to meet. They have a pedagogical value and a non-formal learning aim, in that the groups discuss issues of common interest and learn about each other’s cultures.

Action 2 - European Voluntary Service (EVS)

Under this Action, young people aged between 18 and 25 are able to spend up to 12 months abroad as European volunteers helping in local projects in a wide range of fields: social, ecological and environmental, arts and culture, new technologies, leisure and sports, etc.

Action 3 - Youth Initiatives

Through this Action, young people aged between 15/18 and 25 can obtain support to carry out a project at local level. The intention is to give them a chance to develop and express their creativity and spirit of initiative. It also aims at providing former EVS volunteers with a concrete opportunity to build upon the expertise and skills acquired during their voluntary service.

Action 4 -Joint Actions

This Action brings together the SOCRATES (education), LEONARDO DA VINCI (vocational training) and YOUTH (non-formal education) programmes.

Action 5 - Support Measures

Action 5 encourages innovation and the enhancement of specific skills in the field of international youth work, provides a platform to create and strengthen partnerships between youth organisations and fosters exchanges of good practice. It also, more specifically, assists in the planning, preparation and implementation of projects carried out within the framework of the YOUTH Actions 1, 2, 3 and 4 by supporting training, cooperation and information activities.

Call for innovative projects

In addition to the Action 5 activities, the European Commission launches annual calls for innovative cooperation, training and information projects targeted at specific YOUTH priorities. The annual call is published in the Official Journal of the European Communities  at the following website: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/call/index_en.html.

For further information on the YOUTH programme you may consult the internet site at the following address: http://ec.europa.eu/youth.

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TRAINING AND MOBILITY OF RESEARCHERS

The Human Resources and Mobility (HRM) activity consists of a coherent set of actions that finance training and other career development opportunities for researchers. These are known as Marie Curie Actions and aim at the development and transfer of research competencies, the consolidation and widening of researchers’ career prospects, and the promotion of excellence in European research. Each Marie Curie Action is open to all fields of research that contribute to the European Community’s scientific and technological objectives. Researchers are invited to submit proposals on any area of research (including social sciences, humanities etc).

Marie Curie actions comprise 4 main categories. Host-driven actions provide structured training to researchers in the early stages of their career and enable the development and transfer of competencies in research. The aim of individual-driven actions  is to help experienced researchers to develop specialised or complementary knowledge and expertise to achieve independence. The actions for promoting and recognising excellence are concerned with increasing the visibility and attractiveness of European research. The aim is to highlight personal achievements of European researchers with a view to supporting their further development and international recognition.

Lastly, there are two actions aimed at supporting researchers’ return to their careers in Europe (either in their home country or elsewhere within the EU and the associated countries) after a period of mobility.

In order to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by mobility, the overall environment for researchers in Europe must be improved. In particular, many researchers encounter practical difficulties when they decide to move country and it is often difficult to find out about all the available opportunities.These issues were highlighted in the Commission Communication "A Mobility Strategy for the European Research Area". Several of the proposed initiatives include the exchange of information and good practices on topics that influence mobility (e.g. social security, taxation, visas, etc.).

The creation of the Researcher’s Mobility Portal will provide researchers with information and assistance concerning career opportunities in Europe.

For further information on the Marie Curie actions and the Researcher’s Mobility Portal, please visit the following websites: http://europa.eu/mariecurie-actions and http://europa.eu/eracareers. 

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III. HOW TO HAVE YOUR RIGHTS RECOGNISED AND EXERCISE THEM

If you think that an educational programme or training centre has wrongly interpreted or applied your rights or has discriminated against you, and if you have been unable to obtain redress, you are not defenceless.
Generally, if you think that national, regional or local authorities have wrongly interpreted or applied your rights under Community law, or that they have discriminated against you or members of your family, you should assert your rights by complaining to the administration concerned. If you are not satisfied with the response, there are ways to enforce your rights.

You may first need personalised advice on your European Union rights. For this, you can contact the Citizens Signpost Service, a fast and effective advice service which is provided free of charge in all official languages of the European Union. The legal experts of this service will provide practical information and advice on your rights and direct you to the most appropriate body at European or national level which can assist you in solving the problem.

For more information on Citizens Signpost Service, please consult the following pages:  http://europa.eu/citizensrights/signpost/front_end/index_en.htm

If your case has a cross-border element, you can submit it to your national SOLVIT Centre. SOLVIT is a network of national problem solving centres created and supervised by the European Commission. SOLVIT deals with cross-border problems arising from the incorrect application of EU rules by public authorities. It aims to find practical solutions within ten weeks and is free of charge. For further information on how to submit a case, see http://europa.eu/solvit.

You may also decide to start a more formal procedure at national level. National courts are fully competent to ensure that rights based on Community law are respected and, where necessary, to set aside any measure which infringes it. They may also award you compensation.

Furthermore, there are also ways of raising your case more formally at Community level.

You can complain to the European Commission:

If the Commission considers your complaint well-founded, it can contact the national authorities concerned to seek an explanation and to put an end to any breach of Community law.  If the Commission is not satisfied with the response it receives, it can start infringement proceedings against the EU country concerned. This may lead to the case being referred to the European Court of Justice. Be aware that such procedures may take a very long time and that SOLVIT may be able to help you a lot faster.

As a citizen of the European Union you may also petition the European Parliament or raise your case with a Member of the European Parliament, who can put questions to the Commission and the Council. Their replies to questions must be made public.

You may submit your petition to the European Parliament :

Lastly, you can also contact the European Ombudsman, but only if your complaint concerns maladministration (for example, administrative irregularities or omissions) by one of the Community institutions (for example, the European Parliament, the Council or the European Commission), or any decentralised Community agency (for example, the European Training Foundation). However, the European Ombudsman is not empowered to deal with complaints concerning national or local administrations.

You may contact the European Ombudsman:

  • by mail : The European Ombudsman, 1, avenue du Président Robert Schuman, BP 403, F- 67001 Strasbourg Cedex
  • by telephone: (33) 388.17.23.13, by fax: (33) 388. 17. 90. 62
  • through the website : www.ombudsman.europa.eu

This website has links to the websites of ombudsmen and similar bodies in the Member States.

 

1Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of the citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States, amending Regulation (EEC) n° 1612/68 and repealing Directives 64/221/EEC, 68/360/EEC, 72/194/EEC, 73/148/EEC, 75/34/EEC, 75/35/EEC, 90/364/EEC, 90/365/EEC and 93/96/EEC. Official Journal L 158 of 30 April 2004 (corrigendum published in the Official Journal L 229 of 29 June 2004).

2On the 1st of June 2003, Regulation 859/2003 entered into force. Since then, third-country nationals who previously could not rely on Regulation 1408/71 may also do so, provided they are legally resident in the territory of an EU Member State and are in a situation which is not limited in all respects to a single Member State. Regarding family benefits, specific rules apply with respect to Austria and Germany.

 

Last update: 2005
Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use which might be made of the following information.
Reproduction authorised provided the source is mentioned.

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