Press Release: Studying, training, voluntary activity in the European Union: towards common entry and residence criteria for third-country nationals

The European Commission approved a proposal for a directive on the entry and residence conditions for third-country nationals for the purposes of study, vocational training or voluntary activity on 7 October 2002. This proposal complements initiatives already put forward on the entry of third-country nationals for the purposes of employment and family reunion. The forthcoming directive will also make it easier to host students from third countries under the future Erasmus World programme and to allow third-country nationals to take part in programmes such as Youth and Euromed Youth.