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Tempus (the Trans European cooperation
scheme for higher education) is a European
Union programme. It was adopted by the Council
of Ministers of the European Union on 7 May 1990 and was since twice
extended, with the current extension lasting until the year 2000.
Tempus is the European Union's major instrument for the development and restructuring of higher education in Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States and Mongolia.
Tempus forms part of the overall EU initiatives to support economic and social restructuring of central and Eastern Europe (Phare programme) and to foster the development of harmonious and prosperous economic and political links between the European Union and the New Independent States and Mongolia (Tacis programme). In 1997 a total of 53 countries were eligible for cooperation in Tempus projects, out of which 26 Partner Countries in the above mentioned regions. Funding is provided through Phare and Tacis Action Programmes, the individual amounts per country being the result of negotiations between the European Commission and the Partner Countries.
The two main objectives of Tempus are:
To promote the quality
and support the development and renewal of higher education in the Phare
and Tacis
partner countries.
To encourage their
growing interaction and as balanced a cooperation as possible with partners
in the European Union, through joint activities and relevant mobility.
Tempus is a "bottom-up" programme responsive to the specific needs of individual institutions and Partner Countries. Projects are formulated by universities in the Partner Countries in cooperation with their partners from the European Union, where the EU universities supply their know-how and experience.
Tempus supports high quality projects
aiming to restructure and develop curricula and teaching materials, upgrade
teaching facilities, and/or improve university administration in higher
education institutions in the Partner Countries. Tempus does this by providing
financial grants for cooperation projects between higher education establishments
in the EU and the Partner Countries in priority areas which are defined
by the respective Partner States and the European Commission and which
are in line with the overall socio-economic reform process of these countries.
(For further information on priority areas
please refer to the Tempus 
Guide for Applicants
1998/2000 and Tempus 
Guide for Applicants 1998/1999)
Between 1990 and 1996 the EU has invested a total of 724 million Ecu in restructuring higher education in the Phare and Tacis Partner Countries by supporting more than 2500 projects through Tempus. (For more information please see challenges and achievements of Tempus so far.)
Tempus is administered by the European Commission, DG XXII. Since January 1995, technical assistance for the Programme has been provided by the European Training Foundation in Turin. This structure is complemented by Tempus National Contact Points (NCPs) in the EU Member States, National Tempus Offices (NTOs) in the Phare Partner States and Tempus Information Points (TIPs) in the Tacis Partner States.
Within Tempus, Tempus
Phare and Tempus Tacis
should be seen as two parallel but separate schemes in administrative and
budgetary terms.
Please see also
Tempus 2000(article
by Giuseppe Massangioli, DG XXII )
Last updated: 10 November
1997