The Work of the Directorate-General for Education and Culture

Date

Name

DG EAC, Unit C.3, European Commission

Contents1. DG EAC’s mission

2. Overview of policy initiatives in the field of education and training:

Lisbon Strategy, Lifelong Learning policy, EIT, Copenhagen Process,

3. Tools for improving mobility: EQF, Europass, Ploteus

4. Bologna Process

5. Lifelong Learning Programme

6. Other education programmes: Tempus, Erasmus Mundus

7. Culture policy and Culture Programme

8. Youth policy and Youth in Action Programme

9. Europe for Citizens Programme

10. Sport policy

11. The importance of multilingualism

12. Visits to the Commission and Central Library

Why are we active in these areas?

EC Treaty

Article 149To contribute to the

development of quality education by encouraging

cooperation between Member

States and, if necessary, by

supporting and supplementing their

action.

Article 149To contribute to the

development of quality education by encouraging

cooperation between Member

States and, if necessary, by

supporting and supplementing their

action.

Article 150To implement a

vocational training policy which supports and supplements the action of the Member

States.

Article 150To implement a

vocational training policy which supports and supplements the action of the Member

States.

Article 151To contribute to the

flowering of the cultures of the Member

States, while respecting their

national and regional diversity and at the same time bringing

their common cultural heritage to the fore.

Article 151To contribute to the

flowering of the cultures of the Member

States, while respecting their

national and regional diversity and at the same time bringing

their common cultural heritage to the fore.

DG Education and Culture Mission Statement

“To reinforce and promote lifelong learning, linguistic and cultural diversity, mobility and the engagement of European citizens, in particular the young.”

Member States are in charge of their education systems, cultural and youth policies…

…and the European Commission has a supporting, fostering role

DG Education and Culture

Half of all new jobs are created in knowledge-based sectors

But 80 million Europeans are low-skilled…

That’s 32% of the workforce!

Only 15% of jobs are done by those with basic schooling

“Half of all employees in Europe sit behind PCs “

DG EAC coordinates 2 types of activities:

Policy cooperation

with Member StatesAction programmes

grant schemes

Policy cooperation on:

Education and Training

Culture

Youth

Citizenship

Multilingualism

Sport

The main action programmes

• Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP)• Culture programme• Youth in Action• Europe for Citizens

Policy environment

Lifelong learningEducation & Training policy coordination

and Education & Training Programme

Policy: Lisbon Strategy

EU to become an advanced knowledge society with sustainable development,

more and better jobs and greater social cohesionLisbon relaunch, 2005

Education and Training 2010: 10-year work programme

Improve quality

Ensure accessibility

Open upto world

National level: Reforms are going in the right direction…

… but performance against the benchmarks could be improved

Lifelong Learning

• encompasses learning for personal, civic and social purposes as well as for employment-related purposes

• takes place in a variety of environments in and outside the formal education and training systems

• Lifelong and lifewide learning!

Lifelong Learning policy

A policy to provide people of all ages with equal

and open access to high-quality learning

opportunities, and to a variety of learning

experiences, throughout Europe

EITThe European Institute of Innovation and Technology

a driving force for innovation

The EIT: objectives

ResearchEducation

Innovation

EIT

• Excellence• Trans & Interdisciplinary approaches• Critical mass & synergies at European level• European identity and symbol reference model• Dissemination of new methods to manage innovation• Add value to existing instruments

• Integration of the Knowledge Triangle

The EIT: Structure

Next generation of ICTs

KIC

The EIT: Governing Board

KIC

Climate Change

Renewable Energy

KIC

Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs)

Partner organisations

EIT

EIT

EIT

EIT

EIT financing architecture

EIT

KIC

EIT Foundation

Other sources Private

Governmental International

Other EU Programmes

(7FP, Structural Funds)

EU directbudget to

the EIT € 308 million

KIC KIC

Tools for improving mobility

Policy: Bologna Process

Bologna Declaration: 1999

Simplify higher education

qualifications

Three cycles (3, 5 and 8 years)

Quality assurance & accreditation/certification mechanisms

Improve mobility

Attract students worldwide

Ensure high standards

Strengthen the European dimension of higher education

46 countries

The Copenhagen process has ambitious aims!

• Make the EU’s vocational education and training (VET) a world reference by 2010

• Use EUROPASS• Quality assurance in VET• ECVET - Credit system for VET• and others…

What is the European Qualifications Framework (EQF)?

Neutral reference point based on learning outcomes(what a learner knows, understands and is able to do)

Translation device for comparing qualifications

There are eight EQF levels

EachEQF

Reference Level

Knowledge

Skills

Wider personal and professional competences

Europass

• Europass CV• Europass Language Passport• Europass Certificate Supplement• Europass Diploma Supplement• Europass Mobility

Filled in by the individual

URL: http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu

Filled in and issued by the competent authorities

Ploteus

Portal on Learning Opportunities throughout the European Space

URL: http://europa.eu.int/ploteus/portal

• Internet portal for learning opportunities• Target groups: students, job seekers, workers,

parents, guidance counsellors, teachers• Forthcoming: direct access to national databases

through the Ploteus interface

Lifelong Learning Programme

• Duration: January 2007 – December 2013• Budget: € 7 billion• 31 Participating countries in 2007: 27 EU-Member

States Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Turkey

• The programme is also open for future participation to:• Switzerland• Countries of the Western Balkans

LLP: a four-pillar structure

Comenius

School

education

Erasmus

Higher education & advanced

training

Leonardo

da VinciVocational

education and training

Grundtvig

Adult

education

Transversal Programme4 key activities – Policy cooperation; Languages; ICT; Dissemination and

exploitation of results

Jean Monnet Programme3 key activities – Jean Monnet Action; European

Institutions; European associations

Comenius

School education

Erasmus

Higher education

& advanced training

Leonardo da Vinci

Vocational education and

training

Grundtvig

Adult education

LLP: the budget

≥ 13% ≥ 25% ≥ 4%≥ 40%

Lifelong learning: Comenius for school education

Addressing:• schools from pre-schools schools • Educational community in its broadest sense: local

authorities, parents associations, teacher training institutes

Specific target: • Involve at least 3 million EU school pupils in joint

educational activities by 2013

Lifelong learning: Erasmus for higher education

Addressing:• Students (study & placements)• Teachers (lecturing & training)• Staff of higher education institutions (training)• Universities (multilateral projects, networks)• Enterprises (lecturing, placements, multilateral projects

& networks)

Specific target: • 3 million university students to study abroad by 2012

Lifelong learning: Leonardo da Vinci for vocational education and training (VET)

Addressing:• Trainees in initial vocational training• People available on the labour market• Professionals in vocational education and training• Organisations active in the field

Specific target: • 80 000 training placements each year in companies and

training centres in another EU country by 2013

Lifelong learning: Grundtvig for adult education

Addressing:• Learners, teachers, trainers and other staff in adult

education • Educational institutions, organisations and other bodies

in the field

Specific target: • 7,000 adult students to study abroad each year by 2013

Jean Monnet Programme

• Aims to increase knowledge on European integration world-wide

• Network of 2000 Jean Monnet professors

in 61 countries on 5 continents

• Currently reaching 250.000 students per year

External cooperationand programmes

• Tempus• Erasmus Mundus• Cooperation with Industrialised Countries• Sectoral Policy Dialogue

Tempus

• Tempus supports the modernisation of higher education in 28 Partner countries

• Annual budget of € 50 million.

Erasmus Mundus

• Promotes the EU as a centre of excellence for learning in the world by encouraging joint masters courses, providing scholarships for third country students.

Cooperation with industrialised countries

Sectoral policy dialogue

• Promotes university partnerships and mobility of students and faculty with the most advanced countries

• Outside EU

• Aims to exchange best practices through seminars and studies on selected topics

• Targeted on both industrialised countries such as Australia, and important partners such as China, Israel, India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa

How are these programmes implemented?The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive

Agency (EACEA) • Day-to-day management of centralised strands of the

programmes: ca 3,500 new projects and operating grants a year

• Informs about funding opportunities and supports applicants / beneficiaries

The National Agencies for Lifelong Learning • Day-to-day management of many of our actions in the

Member States, your first contact point for questions about our programmes

Policy coordination and Programme Culture

Objectives of the European Agenda for Culture:

• Promote cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue

• Promote culture as a catalyst for creativity

(Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs)

• Promote culture as a vital element

in EU's international relations

Main policy developments in the culture field

• European Agenda for Culture in a globalising World (May 2007)

• Workplan for Culture 2008-2010 (May 2008)

• Member State experts sharing experience

• Dialogue with the culture sector: 3 Platforms

How can we integrate the Culture Sector into the Lisbon agenda?

• Invest in creativity and business education• Reinforce the Internal Market for creative people,

products and services• Promote links between creators and technology

The Culture ProgrammeObjectives: • To promote mobility of cultural operators• To support mobility of artistic works and products• To promote intercultural dialogue

Budget: 400 million € for 2007-2013

Implementation: • Day-to-day management of centralised strands

by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture

Executive Agency (EACEA)• Cultural Contact Points implement

the programme in the Member States

The Culture Programme

General EYID objectives

• Promote intercultural dialogue as a process of integration in a more open and more complex world

• Encourage cultural diversity • Develop a European citizenship open to the world

Policy coordination and Programme Youth

Youth policies: Instruments

• Open method of coordination (OMC)• European Youth Pact• Youth in Action Programme• European Knowledge Centre on Youth Policies• European Youth portal• Structured dialogue with young people• Consulting young people on matters which

concern them

Youth policies Priorities for active citizenship

• Participation• Information• Volunteering• Better knowledge /

understanding of youth

European cooperation on youth policies: Social and Professional integration

• Priorities for the European Youth Pact• Employment and social inclusion• Education (incl. entrepreneurship)

training and mobility• Reconciliation of family/work life

What are the aims of the new Youth in Action programme?

The new action programme for Europe’s young people, 2007 - 2013

• Promote active citizenship• Foster youth solidarity to promote

social cohesion• Support mutual understanding in society • Improve information provision for young people• Support European co-operation

on youth policies

The Five main avenues for action under Youth in Action

1. Youth for Europe

2. European Voluntary Service

3. Youth of the world

4. Youth workers and support systems

5. Support for policy co-operation

The Youth in Action programme

• Budget: 915 million €• The implementation of the programme

is managed by the Education, Audiovisual

and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) • National Agencies of the Programme promote

and implement the Programme at national level.

The new action programme to promote civic participation in the EU, 2007 - 2013

Europe for citizens

What are the aims of the Europe for citizens programme?

Help citizens participate actively in building Europe Develop the feeling of a European identity and sense of

belonging to the EU Improve understanding among people through

intercultural dialogue Budget: 215 millions €

Specific objectives of the Europe for citizens programme

• Get European citizens to exchange experiences,

learn our common history and build our future together• Promote action, dialogue and reflection

on our common values• Bring Europe closer to its citizens• Foster the interaction of European

civil society organisations

The main avenues of action under Europe for citizens

• “Active citizens for Europe”: town twinning• “Active civil society in Europe”:

support for civil society organisations• “Together for Europe”:

visibility and communication activities• “Active European Remembrance”:

in particular, relating to legacy of totalitarian regimes

The implementation of the programme is managed

by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)

Policy coordination

Europe and Sport

EU & Sport

2007: a landmark year• Adoption of the White Paper on Sport (07/ 2007)• Inclusion of sport in the Treaty of Lisbon (12/2007)• Start of White Paper implementation

(as of second half 2007)

2008: consolidation & preparation• Continuation of White Paper implementation

EU & Sport2008 – 2009: Intense cooperation at three levels

Member States:• Informal EU Sport Ministers & EU Sport Directors

• Member States Working Group “White Paper implementation” EU Working Groups: Health, Doping, Economics, Non-profit sport

organisations

Sport movement:• Annual EU Sport Forum, Strengthened Structured Dialogue for

sport at EU level, Enhancing EU Social Dialogue structures for sport

European Commission / Inter-institutional:• Inter Service Group on Sport• European Parliament, EESC, CoR

MultilingualismThe importance of Multilingualism

Languages contribute to competitiveness and growth

• Creating an effective internal market• Skills and adaptability of the workforce• Promoting mobility of labour and professions• Removing barriers to growth• Stimulating job creation and enterprise• Innovation, research and development• Social cohesion, personal development

Overall policy:

‘Mother tongue plus two’Heads of State and Government

of the European Union,

Barcelona, March 2002

Multilingualism boosts European competitiveness

Outcomes of the study on languages management

and export performance

What languages will SMEs need in next 3 years?

• Policy cooperation with Member States• Action programmes - grant schemes

Our Action Programmes

DG EAC’s main activities:

DG EACLifelong learning

Culture programme Youth Action

Europe for Citizens

Visits to the Commission

• Priority information visits, made-to-measure programmes for targeted groups of information multipliers (Journalists, Members of national or regional parliaments, senior civil servants etc.)

• General conferences on the European Institutions intended for the general public

(Students, schools and people who have little or no previous knowledge of the EU)

Central Library of the Commission

The Central Library of the European Commission • is a reference and research unit which works in close

association with the specialised libraries of other Directorates-General or Services.

• holds the Commission's main stock of monographs, periodicals and annuals and is responsible for applying a balanced acquisitions policy.

Traineeships in the Commission

• Each year in October and in March, the Commission welcomes 600 administrative trainees for a period of 5 months. They work in different Commission services.

• The traineeship programme is open to university graduates from all over the world.

• Minimum requirements: 1) Bachelor’s degree and 2) good command of English, French or German + another official EU language.

More information:

• DG EAC’s website: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture

• E-mail: eac-info@ec.europa.eu

Thank you