At the Lisbon European Council in March 2000, government leaders set the EU a 10-year mission to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustained economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. Lifelong learning is a core element of this strategy , central not only to competitiveness and employability but also to social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development. Following the adoption by the Commission on 21 November 2001 of the Communication on Making a European Area of Lifelong Learning a Reality lifelong learning has become the guiding principle for the development of education and training policy. The Communication sets out concrete proposals that aim to make lifelong learning a reality for all. In June 2002, the Education Council adopted a Resolution on lifelong learning supporting the implementation of the Commission Communication. Created and managed by the Education and Culture Directorate-General and supported by the Committee of the Regions and the European Parliament, the R3L initiative was launched in Brussels on 2 and 3 April 2003 . EU funding of more than € 2 million is being allocated to 120 regions in northern and southern Europe , centred around 17 projects, which exchange knowledge and know-how, and develop their research, methods and results in order to promote life-long learning. Eighteen months of partnership due to culminate, at the end of 2004, in a major conference. The purpose of the R3L projects is: to help further develop good practice on issues relating to the "learning region" to encourage a fruitful trans-national sharing and exchange of this experience to promote the development of European networks between learning regions as a means of placing European cooperation in the lifelong learning field on a more durable and sustainable footing. Regional_networks_for_Life Long Learning.pdf R3L .pdf