Socrates is an action programme of the European Community in the field of education. Socrates II (2nd phase of the programme) covers the time period from January 1st, 2000 to December 31st, 2006. The Socrates programme is based on the articles no. 149 and 150 of the Treaty of the European Union. These articles stipulate the contribution of the community to the development of education quality and contain the commitment for lifelong education for the Union's citizens.

ERASMUS (the European Community Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students) is addressed to higher education, with the aim of improving its quality and strenghtening its European dimension. The means of achieving these objectives include: stimulation of transnational cooperation between higher education institutions, mobilities for students and teachers, increased transparency and academic recognition between the European states.
Participants in the Socrates - Erasmus programme are higher education institutions; students and teachers and also staff involved at all levels of administration in higher education institutions.
The programme is aimed at promoting the equality of chances for access to student mobilities of all the candidates, irrespective of sex, race, study area, destination country, socio-economic conditions, physical handicap or other specific aspects.

The implementation and coordination of Socrates is ensured by the European Commission, assisted by the Socrates Committee formed of representatives of the member states. The administration of the programme is provided by the European Commission together with the national authorities, assisted by the National Agencies at the national level and by the Technical Assistance Office, at the community level.

The Socrates National Agency was founded as a department of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research on 1 April, 1996, with the aim of coordinating and administering the Socrates programme in Romania. The Agency has an essential role in the practical implementation of the Socrates programme, especially for the decentralized activities (coordinated by the national authorities) where the Agency deals with the receipt of support applications, assisting the national authorities in the selection of application, the drafting of contracts for the successful applicants, the distribution of the grants to the grant holders, and receives the reports from the grant holders. The Agency has also an important role in the dissemination of information, assisting the partner selection, application preparation and monitoring of projects.