Conferentie over initiatief voor uitwisseling van ambtenaren (en)

On Thursday and Friday, 13th and 14thOctober in Warsaw a Conference on European initiative of junior grade officers exchange, inspired by ERASMUS program, organised by Ministry of National Defence will take place.

Secretary of State in MOD Czeslaw MROCZEK will open the meeting. 26 delegations of the EU member states and delegations of Norway and Croatia will be present. Moreover, representatives of European Security and Defence College in Brussels and rectors of military academies will participate. The conference will be hosted by director of Military Education Department of MOD Ewa TROJANOWSKA, PhD.

The conference is dedicated to discussing the program in wide context of the higher military education of the EU. Besides matters connected with implementation of the program into the EU legal system and its functioning within the EU, discussion sessions are planned dedicated to issues of candidates for officers training system, continuing training, implementing the European Qualifications Framework and application of ECTS points. Moreover, experiences from functioning of the program will be presented.

What is more, the possibilities of widening the program onto other countries, which implemented the Bologna Process into their training systems, e.g. Croatia, which will sign Access Treaties in December, will be discussed. Broadening the program may concern among other things exchange of lecturers and specialists connected with military training and education.

In Poland at present the initiative is based on 1 to 3 weeks modules, organised by military schools as well as exchange between schools.

The initiative of creating the idea of exchange of students of military schools (warrant officers) was started by French Presidency in August 2008 and was continued by next presidencies - Czech Republic’s, Sweden’s, Spain’s and Belgium’s and it gained active support from the ESDC in Brussels. It was a sign of appreciation of the role of the system in the aspect of military training in the EU.

The Military Erasmus program aims at enhancing interoperability of the armed forces of the EU member states by educational and training exchange. It is consistent with international tendencies within increasing students’ mobility in the process of academic education and professional training based on bilateral exchange.

Realisation of the program will enable warrant officers and junior grade officers to acquire knowledge and skills in different military schools of the EU member states. The expected result of the program is ensuring, through common, multinational education and training, better cooperation in conducting more and more complex military operations. Moreover, influence on building the CSDP, national and European awareness as well as intensifying exchange of experiences within didactic activity, better recognition and understanding the existing cultural and customs differences within the EU member states is also important.

Participation in the exchange program is voluntary, with respect for autonomous decision-making, the individual character of military academies and the educational programmes conducted by them on the basis of national military training institutions. It is financed from the funds held by academic centres and from the national budgets of the EU member states.

On 24 February 2010 a Memorandum of Understanding was adopted during the accepted and partially completed work at the ESDC Steering Committee meeting. The document is the result of the work of numerous experts focused in working groups named Lines of Development and internal EU consultations. It covers issues and legal and administrative frameworks concerning among others principles of exchange, financial regulations, exchange of lecturers, service subordination and national implementation. At present discussions are taking place on implementing the document in the way that would cause it to have binding force not only in the EU but also in member states legislation.

We would like to invite journalists to photo-op during inauguration session with participation of the Secretary of State in MOD, on 13thOctober (Thursday) in Sofitel Victoria hotel in Warsaw (ul. Królewska 11), at 9.00 - 9.30 am. Entrance on presentation of a valid press card.

More information: MOD Spokesperson for the Presidency of Poland in the EU Council Ms. Dagmara JAROSLAWSKA (djaroslawska@mon.gov.pl; tel. +48 601-388-988).

MOD Spokesperson

for the Presidency of Poland in the EU Council

Ms. Dagmara JAROSLAWSKA