Brussels, 26/10/2005 (Agence Europe) - By 549 to 47 with 23 abstentions on Tuesday, the European Parliament adopted the co-decision report by Doris Pack (EPP-ED) on the integrated education and lifelong learning action plan (the Erasmus, Leonardo da Vinci, Comenius and Grundtvig programmes and two sub-programmes). MEPs recommend doubling the student grants under the Erasmus exchange programme by 2013. The basic grant has been EUR 150 a month since 1993, which is particularly worrying, notes Pack. To increase university mobility, school exchanges and teachers' cross-border mobility, the European Parliament also supported MEPs' calls for EUR 757 mil more funding for the implementation of the integrated programme, in addition to the EUR 13.62 bn proposed by the European Commission. MEPs also approved the suggestions in the Pack Report on slightly reducing the budget for the Leonardo programme's sub-programme on professional training. Doris Pack said the Commission's target of 150,000 trainees in 2013 was over-ambitious and the monthly charges of a Leonardo programme traineeship were too high (EUR 3644) compared with Erasmus (EUR 1775). The European Parliament also recommends increasing student and teacher involvement in the sub-programme for schools (Comenius), suggesting one student out of every 15 rather than 1 in 20 as suggested by the Commission. It also suggests establishing a Comenius-Regio sub-programme to boost the cross-border mobility of pupils and teachers between bordering areas. Other amendments suggest simplifying grant selection and authorisation procedures, promoting teaching and apprenticeships, language diversity, bigger grants for disabled people and support for sign language and Braille. The EP wants more backing for various universities in the Jean Monnet sub-programme. After the vote, Commissioner Jan Figel said he backed the idea of increasing the budget earmarked for the integrated programme (EUR 14,377 bn) but it would not be possible to amend the proposal until agreement had been reached on the Financial Perspectives.