Socrates, the European Community Action Programme for co-operation in the field of Education promotes mobility and exchange programmes aimed at improving the knowledge of languages of the European Union.
At third level the Erasmus action programme provides for exchanges of students for recognised periods of study abroad, language preparation for outgoing and incoming students and staff and language studies combined with other academic disciplines. In Ireland, the National Agency for the Erasmus Programme is the Higher Education Authority.
The Lingua Action of this programme has as its overall aim the promotion of language learning. Lingua Action E of the Lingua programme in particular focuses on exchanges of young people between the ages of 14 and 25 years old within the framework of a joint educational project. The aim of this action is to contribute to an improvement of young people's motivation and capacity to communicate in foreign languages. In Ireland, this programme is administered by Léargas.