Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697803679133.pdf (Ireland)
Report of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science.
Under Section 2 (5) of the European Union (Scrutiny) Act 2002 for the period from January to June 2023 August 2023 Table of Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 3 Part I – Developments in the EU during the Swedish Presidency (July to December 2022).................................................................................................................................... 3 1.
Education and Skills .......................................................................................... 3 Meetings of the EYCS (Education) Council ..................................................................... 4 2.

Research and Innovation ................................................................................... 5 Meetings of the Competitiveness Council (Research and Innovation) ............................. 5 3.
Other developments under the remit of the Department ................................ 6 The European Year of Skills ............................................................................................ 6 European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) ................................................................................. 7 European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) ........................ 8 Part 2 – A look ahead to the Spanish Presidency (January to June 2023) ................. 10 1.
Schedule of Council Meetings during the Spanish Presidency ................... 10 Meetings of EYCS (Education) Council ......................................................................... 10 Meetings of EPSCO (Social) Council ............................................................................ 10 Meetings of COMPET (Research and Innovation) Council ............................................ 10 2.
Overview of key issues likely to arise during the Spanish Presidency ....... 10 Education and Skills priorities – EYCS Council ............................................................. 10 Skills and Training priorities – EPSCO Council ............................................................. 11 Research and Innovation priorities ................................................................................ 11 Page 2 of 11 Introduction Under the terms of the European Union (Scrutiny Act) 2002, Ministers are required to submit reports to the Oireachtas every six months on developments at European Union level in their area of responsibility.
This report has two parts.

The first part summarises the key policy and legislative developments within the remit of the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (D/FHERIS) that arose during the period from January to June 2023 when Sweden held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The second part provides an overview of Spain’s Presidency, which runs for the second half of 2023.
Part I – Developments in the EU during the Swedish Presidency (July to December 2022) The policy areas that fall within the responsibility of D/FHERIS are generally dealt with in the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYCS) Council in its Education formation; and in the Competitiveness Council in its Research formation.

Some aspects of skill and training policy are progressed through the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO).
In addition, the Department has responsibility for the administration of the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the European Globalisation Fund (EGF).

1.

Education and Skills Formal meetings of the EYCS Council are normally held over two days, with Day 1 dedicated to Education and Youth and Day 2 dedicated to Culture and Sport items.

The Youth, Culture and Sport items fall within the responsibility of other departments.
Informal meetings are arranged at the discretion of the Presidency, and usually focus on specific topics.

Preparation for the EYCS (Education) Council and informal meetings of Education Ministers takes place in the Education Committee, which is serviced by Ireland’s Brussels-based Education Attaché.

Ministers with responsibility for Education met twice during the period from January to June 2023, on March 7th and May 16th 2023.
The EPSCO Council did not consider any items with direct relevance to training and skills during the Swedish Presidency.

Page 3 of 11 Meetings of the EYCS (Education) Council 1.1 Meeting of the EYCS (Education) Council - 7 March 2023 The Irish delegation was led by Ambassador Barbara Cullinane, Deputy Permanent Representative to the European Union.

The meeting was chaired by Ms Lotta Edholm, the Swedish Minister for Schools, and Commissioner Mariya Gabriel represented the European Commission.
The Council adopted the following policy text:  Council conclusions on skills and competences for the green transition The main policy debate focused on the topic of teacher supply, and explored the issue of teacher shortages and the attractiveness of the teaching profession.

Ministers agreed that teachers are a critical factor in education systems, and that almost all countries are experiencing shortages of teachers, with significant shortages being experienced in some systems.
There was general agreement that teachers and teaching should be an important focus in the co-operation as part of the European Education Area during 2023 and 2024.

A European year of teachers was proposed during the debate and several Ministers noted that there was merit in the suggestion.

1.2.

Meeting of the EYCS (Education) Council - 16 May 2023 Thomas Byrne, TD, Minister of State for Sport and Physical Education represented Ireland.
The meeting was chaired by Ms Lotta Edholm, the Swedish Minister for Schools, and Commissioner Margaritis Schinas represented the European Commission.
The Council adopted the following policy texts:  A Resolution on the European Education Area: Looking to 2025 and beyond  Conclusions on further steps to make automatic mutual recognition in education and training a reality Ministers received a presentation from the Executive Director of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), on the outcomes of the PIRLS1 assessment, which had been published that morning.
The political debate which followed was entitled ‘Reading and its importance for learning, equity and active participation in society.’ Ministers noted the need to target improvement at a national and regional level, as well as the political importance of retaining a focus on literacy and other basic skills at an EU level.
They noted the increased importance of digital literacy, the links between socio-economic background and achievement levels in literacy, together with the need for community-based literacy interventions, designed to support parents, families and the wider community.

1 PIRLS (Progress in International Literacy Study) is a project of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), and is managed at an international level by the International Study Centre in Boston College.
Ireland has participated in all recent cycles of the study Page 4 of 11 2.

Research and Innovation Under the EU Treaties, research and innovation policy is a shared competence between the Union and Member States while education is a national competence.

The European Research Area (ERA), which was launched in 2000 and has been enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty since 2009, aims to achieve a single European research area in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely.
A new framework for European research and innovation policy was adopted by the Competitiveness Council (Research and Innovation) in November 2021.
It comprises:  the Pact for Research and Innovation – which is the overarching, long-term strategy and includes common values and principles, jointly agreed priority areas and the tools required to drive implementation at EU and national level;  ERA Policy Agenda – which sets out the specific actions to be progressed during the period 2022-2024; and  New governance structures – to ensure the effective implementation of the ERA priorities.
In May 2022, Member States were asked to identify which of the agreed ERA priority actions they planned to implement at national level.

The Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation, and Science consulted national research and innovation stakeholders to inform which actions Ireland should participate in and how to progress their implementation at national level.
Ireland agreed to participate in the ERA actions that are most closely aligned with national research and innovation priorities – particularly the priorities agreed in the new national research and innovation strategy, Impact 2030, which was launched in May 2022.
These include actions to facilitate knowledge sharing, promote attractive researcher careers, reform how research is assessed, promote gender equality, support international cooperation and maximise the impact of research and innovation in addressing wider economic and societal challenges.
Meetings of the Competitiveness Council (Research and Innovation) Ministers met on two occasions during the period January to June 2023:  Informal Meeting of Research and Innovation Ministers – 8 February in Stockholm; and  Competitiveness Council (Research and Innovation) – 23 May in Brussels.

2.1 Informal Meeting of Research Ministers – Stockholm – 8 February 2023 Ireland was represented by Minister Niall Collins T.D.

The meeting was chaired by the Swedish Minister of Education, Mats Persson.
The Commission was represented by Ms. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.

The meeting focused on the enabling conditions and policy measures required to support knowledge sharing and the re-use of research data, and accelerate the transition to open science.

There was broad consensus on the important role open science plays in enabling Europe to address societal challenges and strengthen competitiveness.
The rapid delivery of COVID-19 vaccines demonstrated Page 5 of 11 the significant benefits of investing in research infrastructure and data sharing platforms to accelerate the development of effective solutions to the complex challenges we face.

Ministers also discussed the importance of open access to scientific publications to ensure the widest possible dissemination of research outputs.

This is critically important to ensure public trust in science and counter disinformation.
Member States also outlined measures being taken at national level to promote open access.

The Presidency indicated that it would shortly bring forward draft Council Conclusions on open access publishing.

2.2 Competitiveness Council (Research and Innovation) – Brussels – 23 May 2023 Ireland was represented by Minister Niall Collins T.D.

The meeting was chaired by the Swedish Minister of Education, Mats Persson.

The Commission was represented by Vice President Maroš Šefčovič.
The Council adopted Conclusions on High Quality, Transparent, Open, Trustworthy and Equitable Scholarly Publishing.

Broadening access to scholarly (scientific) publications and data is one of the main objectives of open science policy to ensure that research outputs are available to as many people as possible and that the potential benefits are spread as widely as possible.
Ministers also exchanged views on how to manage the risks and opportunities of international research and innovation cooperation in a polarised world.

This issue has been the focus of much attention at European level recently as research and innovation become increasingly geopolitical.

Ministers agreed on the importance of maintaining an open approach to promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise while safeguarding the EU’s strategic interests and values.
Members States outlined national approaches to addressing knowledge security issues and welcomed European initiatives to share best practices.

3.

Other developments under the remit of the Department The European Year of Skills The Council’s position on the European Year of Skills was progressed through the EPSCO Council under the Czech Presidency, and the formal negotiation of a co-decision with the European Parliament was managed by the Swedish Presidency through trilogues.
The European Year of Skills commenced on May 9 2023 and will run to May 8 2024.

The European Year of Skills will give a fresh impetus to lifelong learning, empowering people and companies to contribute to the green and digital transitions, supporting innovation and competitiveness.

The D/FHERIS is leading Ireland’s engagement with the European Year.
Page 6 of 11 European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) For the 2021-2027 period, the ESF has been merged with the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI), the Fund for European Aid to the most Deprived (FEAD) and the directly managed Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI) Programme, to become the ESF+.
The aim of the ESF+ is to achieve high employment levels, fair social protection and a skilled and resilient workforce for the future world of work, in line with the principles set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Ireland’s ESF+ allocation for 2021-27 is €508 million in current prices.

ESF+ is a co-financed programme, which means that the EU allocation must be matched by national funding.

The co-financing rate varies by region.


Ireland has three NUTS 2 regions in the 2021-2027 round, with two different rates of co-financing.

As ‘more developed’ regions, the Southern and the Eastern & Midlands regions will receive 40% in EU co-financing, while as a ‘transition’ region the North-Western region will receive 60% in EU co-financing.

Higher rates of EU co-finance apply to measures supporting social innovation and assistance to the most deprived.
The ESF+ Managing Authority in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science led on the Ireland’s ESF+ Employment, Inclusion, Skills and Training (EIST) Programme for 2021-27.
The following priorities were identified for the EIST Programme:  Access to employment  Skills and lifelong learning for all  Tackling poverty and social exclusion  Food and basic material assistance to the most deprived  Social innovation These priorities were informed by an independent needs analysis, the relevant EU regulations, Country Specific Recommendations, the European Commission’s investment guidance, a wide range of EU and national strategies, a public consultation and the input of key stakeholders as part of the partnership process.
The EIST programme was launched on 21 March 2023 by the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris T.D.

The programme officially commenced with the first meeting of its Monitoring Committee in March 2023.

The ESF+ Managing Authority is currently finalising the implementation arrangements for the new programme.
Page 7 of 11 European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) The EGF continues to provide support for workers made redundant and self-employed persons whose activity has ceased.

Currently, there are no EGF programmes in operation in Ireland.

D/FHERIS continues to monitor collective redundancy notifications to determine whether sustainable cases can be made for EGF support, having regard to the relevant EGF regulatory requirements.
There were 2 EGF applications received by the European Commission for the period January to June 2023 – Logistics Nivelles SA EGF/2023/001 and Makro EGF/2023/002.

The proposal for Makro has yet to be published.

Proposals were published for the following applications.
EGF application reference COM (2022) xxx final EGF Case EGF co- funding proposed Reducing bal Council Decision Ref No Council Decision Date Balance at 01/01/2023 €210,000,000.00 EGF/2022/002 COM(2023) 69 final EGF/2022/003 EGF/2023/000 EGF/2023/001 COM(2023) 129 final COM (2023) 202 Final COM(2023) 210 final TNT Express Worldwide Alu Ibérica Technical Assistance Logistics Nivelles SA €1,956,397.00 €208,043,603.00 2023/1430 15/03/2023 €1,275,000.00 €206,768,603.00 2023/0068 10/05/2023 €190,000.00 €206,578,603.00 2023/0106 TBC €2,153,358.00 €204,425,245.00 TBC TBC Other engagements in education and training In addition to engagement at ministerial level, officials from the D/FHERIS participated in a range of education and training related events during the Czech Presidency.
These included:  A meeting of the Directors’ General for vocational education and training  A meeting of the Directors’ General for higher education  A meeting of the Bologna Follow-up Group  A meeting of the national co-ordinators for the European Year of Skills  A conference on skills for the green transition The working groups for co-operation under the framework for co-operation for the European Education Area, continued their work during this period.
Officials from D/FHERIS participated in the following groups:  A working group on Higher Education Page 8 of 11  A working group on Adult Learning  A cross-sectoral working group on Digital Education: Learning, Training and Assessment (DELTA)  A cross-sectoral working group on Equality and Values in Education and Training The work programmes of these groups continued to respond to the emerging refugee crisis as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Officials from D/FHERIS continued to engage with the European Institutions, as well as Ministries and Departments from other member states to support policy development in Ireland and in response to bilateral requests.

Page 9 of 11 Part 2 – A look ahead to the Spanish Presidency (July to December 2023) Spain assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on 1 July 2023.

1.
Schedule of Council Meetings during the Spanish Presidency Meetings of EYCS (Education) Council  EYCS (Education) Informal Ministerial – 19 September 2023 – Zaragoza  EYCS (Education) Council – 23 November 2023 - Brussels Meetings of EPSCO (Social) Council  Informal EPSCO (Social) Council – 13 and 14 July – Madrid  EPSCO (Social) Council – 27 November – Brussels Meetings of COMPET (Research and Innovation) Council  Informal Meeting of Research and Innovation Ministers – 28 July – Santander  Competitiveness Council (Research and Innovation) – 8 December – Brussels 2.
Overview of key issues likely to arise during the Spanish Presidency Education and Skills priorities – EYCS Council  Digitalisation of education and training o The Presidency will negotiate two Council Recommendation, based on proposals from the Commission: o A Council Recommendation on the enabling factors for digital education and training o A Council Recommendation on provision for digital skills in education and training  EU common values and democratic citizenship o The Presidency will develop and negotiate Council Conclusions on EU values and democratic citizenship o An international conference will take place on this topic in October o This topic will also be considered by the meetings of Directors General for schools and VET  Achievement of the European Education Area o The mid-term review of progress toward the European Education area will be published by the Commission in October and the Spanish Presidency will lead on the initial response  Response to Ukraine o The Spanish Presidency will retain a focus on the efforts to support Ukrainian refugees and will continue the work in co-ordination and sharing of information.
Page 10 of 11 Skills and Training priorities – EPSCO Council  The European Year of Skills will be an important focus for the Spanish Presidency.

 Spain may also negotiate a Council recommendation on a quality framework for traineeships.
Research and Innovation priorities The main research and innovation priorities of the Spanish Presidency include:  Council Conclusions on strengthening the impact of research and innovation in the EU policy making process – these will focus on three pillars: o Strengthening the use of science in public policymaking; o Supporting regional and local innovation ecosystems; and o The impact of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) on research and innovation;  Extending the EU’s participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) under the research and innovation framework programme, Horizon Europe; and  A Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on a European Framework on research careers (published in July 2023) will be considered by Member States.
This is a very important initiative which will play a significant role in making research careers in Europe more attractive and enabling Europe to achieve its ambitious research and innovation objectives.

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