On Monday, May 17th, Education, Culture and Sports Ministers of the EU met to discuss the Commission’s European Universities Initiative, youth participation in decision-making as well as the future of the creative and sports sector. The European Universities Initiative was launched in 2017 and aims to overcome societal challenges and skills shortages in Europe. Ministers encouraged Member States and the Commission to prioritise the Initiative to transform higher education in the EU and reaffirmed their commitment to creating a European Education Area by 2025. The Council also adopted conclusions on the cultural sector, which is among the hardest hit by the pandemic, and committed to decisive policy action to support the sector as Europe recovers.

The European Parliament meets for a plenary session this week and MEPs are set to approve programmes in education, mobility and culture within the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2021-2027. Once adopted, the new budget for the ‘Creative Europe’ programme will be the EU’s  largest commitment to the creative and cultural sectors, recognising its importance in the pandemic recovery. Meanwhile, the Erasmus+ programme will be expanded to support mobility for students in adult education and will also address COVID-19-related mobility and education issues.

The Commission recently launched an Expert Group on quality investment in education and training with the goal of identifying the most effective education and training policies, which in turn will guide the EU’s future funding decisions for education and training. This Expert Group will provide guidance to Member States and assist with developing a European Education Area by 2025 and boosting the recovery of the education and training sector from the pandemic. 

Key Texts

European Universities Initiative

Draft Creative Europe Programme

Draft Erasmus+ Programme

Expert Group on Quality investment in education and training

Upcoming Dates

31 May 2021: Together towards a European Education Area

17 – 18 June 2021: Conference on the Launch of the Creative Europe Programme

The European Movement International position

As outlined in our policy position EU Education at School, financial support for critical programmes such as the Erasmus+ programme and Creative Europe programme remains key. Moreover, continued financial support and participation of all European partners including EEA countries and candidate countries in student mobility programmes is desirable.

As Europe exits the pandemic and Member States direct funds to the recovery of their economies and health systems, the EU needs to ensure the protection and funding of the education and cultural sectors which are essential to the EU’s recovery. Research and funding of effective education and training can promote European identity and citizenship in a post-Covid Europe. Moreover, as we point out in our position on “A European Union Response to COVID-19”,  strengthening the Creative Europe programme supports job creation and economic growth in the creative and cultural sectors which can mitigate the job loss in these sectors.