Brussels, 03/04/2003 (Agence Europe) - 120 regions of Europe, grouped together in 17 projects, will work together for 18 months to exchange knowledge and expertise in promoting education and life-long learning. In all, these projects receive Community support of 2,095,000 Euro. This initiative, called R3L (Regional Networks for Life-Long Learning), was launched on 3 April by Commissioner Viviane Reding. It is designed to fulfil the commitment undertaken by the Commission in its communication "Making a European Area of Life-long Learning a Reality", to lend its support to the creation of inter-regional networks and towns with advanced life-long education and training strategies.
The promoters of these 17 R3L networks hold their first meeting in Brussels on 3 and 4 April, on the initiative of DG Education and Culture, with the support of the EP and the Committee of the Regions, to promote the creation of networks of "learning regions", in order to establish lasting European co-operation in the area of life-long education and training. A press release by a Commission spokesperson specifies that the term "learning region" indicates a region, town or urban or rural area which seeks to break down all barriers to achieve genuine mobilisation and greater co-operation between all protagonists in education and training.