EU Cooperation on Education

The European Union aims to further the cooperation of the Member States
The EU contributes to the development of a high level of education by promoting and supporting the Member States. This includes the sharing of good practice between the Member States.

The EU education programmes such as the Lifelong Learning Programme, Tempus and not least the Erasmus Mundus programme, which has supported more than 2.2 million exchange students since its initiation, are examples of how to support the Member States in their work. Among other things, the programmes attempt to:

• Develop the instruction in and the extension of the Member States’ languages. The aim is to extend the European dimension in the area of education.
• Improve the international mobility of students and teachers – e.g. by furthering mutual recognition of degree certificates and study periods abroad and to give students and teachers the opportunity to seek inspiring educational opportunities in all of Europe.
• Encourage the education sector and the business sector to cooperate – not least in the area of vocational education and training.
• Improve the basic vocational education and training system and further education and training in order to facilitate the citizens’ occupational integration, their adaptation to industrial changes and vocational retraining if required. 

The strategic framework for European cooperation
The Member States have agreed on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards 2020 (‘ET 2020’). The framework sets the following four strategic objectives:

• Making lifelong learning and mobility a reality;
• Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training;
• Promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship;
• Enhancing creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training.

The four strategic goals are supported by five European benchmarks for European cooperation in education and training up to 2020. The benchmarks in question are the following:

• At least 15 per cent of the adult population should participate in lifelong learning.
• The share of 15-year-olds with low skills in reading, mathematics and science should be less than 15 per cent.
• The share of 30-34-year-olds with tertiary educational attainment should be at least 40 per cent.
• The share of early school leavers should be below ten per cent. 
• At least 95 per cent of children between four and the age for starting compulsory primary education should participate in pre-school education.

Furthermore, two of the benchmarks are carried on in the general EU2020 plan, adopted by the EU’s heads of state and government in June 2010. These are the targets of reducing school failure to less than ten per cent and to increase the share of 30-34-year-olds with tertiary educational attainment to at least 40 per cent.

Renegotiating the framework
The framework of the European Union’s programmes in the area of education and youth is to be renegotiated as part of the overall budget negotiations of the European Union, known as the multi-annual financial framework. This includes making decisions about the structure and the framework for the programmes in the area of education and youth.

In addition, the EU ministers for education must decide how the funds are to be distributed between the various parts of the programmes, for instance how much money should be allocated to supporting internships. These negotiations will form a great part of the work in the area of education during the Danish EU Presidency.