Council Resolution of 15 November 2007 on education and training as a key driver of the Lisbon Strategy
Date: 2007-11-15
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: education policy, educational system, learning, organisation of teaching, vocational training

12.12.2007

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 300/1

I

(Resolutions, recommendations and opinions)

RESOLUTIONS

COUNCIL

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 15 November 2007

on education and training as a key driver of the Lisbon Strategy

(2007/C 300/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAVING REGARD TO:

2005-2008 which called for an expansion of investment in
human capital and the adaptation of education and training
systems in response to new competence requirements (4).

1. The strategic goal set for the European Union by the March
2000 Lisbon European Council (1) ‘to become the most competi-
tive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable
of sustainable economic growth, with more and better jobs and
greater social cohesion’, as well as the European Council's
specific mandate to Education Ministers ‘to undertake a general
reflection on the concrete objectives of education systems, focusing
on common concerns and priorities while respecting national diver-
sity’.

5. The conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of
the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the
Council, of 14 November 2006 on efficiency and equity
within education and training, which stressed that the devel-
opment of efficient and equitable high quality education and
training systems contributes significantly towards reducing
the risks of unemployment, social exclusion and wasted
human potential in a modern knowledge-based economy (5).

2. The

set under

common objectives

the detailed work
programme adopted by the March 2002 Barcelona European
Council (2) on the follow-up of the objectives of education
and training systems in Europe (the ‘Education and Training
2010’ work programme), as well as the development of the
open method of coordination which opened up perspectives
for further cooperation within the Union in the field of
education and training.

6. The Spring 2007 European Council conclusions (6), which
stressed that education and training are prerequisites for a
well-functioning knowledge
(education-research-
innovation) and that they play a key role in boosting jobs
and growth,

triangle

3. The Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 on lifelong
learning (3), which invited the Member States to promote life-
long learning for all by developing and implementing
comprehensive and coherent lifelong learning strategies.

4. The mid-term review of the Lisbon Strategy conducted by
the Spring 2005 European Council and,
in particular, the
Integrated Guidelines subsequently adopted for the period

(1) Doc. SN 100/1/00 REV 1.
(2) OJ C 142, 14.6.2002, p. 1.
(3) OJ C 163, 9.7.2002, p. 1.

NOTING the recent Commission communication (7) assessing
the first three years of the revised Lisbon Strategy aimed at
enhanced growth, competitiveness and innovation and setting
out some key challenges for the future.

(4) Council Recommendation 2005/601/EC on the broad guidelines for
the economic policies of the Member States and the Community (2005
to 2008) and Council Decision 2005/600/EC on Guidelines for the
employment policies of the Member States.

(5) OJ C 298, 8.12.2006, p. 3.
(6) Doc. 7224/07, paragraph 15.
(7) COM(2007) 581 final — Commission communication entitled: The

European Interest — succeeding in the age of globalisation.

C 300/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

12.12.2007

WITH A VIEW to ensuring that education and training in a life-
long learning perspective are fully recognised for the indispen-
sable role they play in the Lisbon Strategy and contributing to
the Lisbon
the forthcoming proposals on the next cycle of
Strategy, as well as forging stronger reciprocal links between the
new cycle and the related ‘Education and Training 2010’ work
programme.

WITH A FURTHER VIEW TO highlighting the added contribution
of education and training not only to the Lisbon goals on
growth and jobs, but also to meeting other challenges facing
European societies, such as increasing globalisation, evolving
demographic trends and migration,
technological progress,
climate change and sustainable development.

STRESSES that:

1. Education and training form one apex of the knowledge
triangle and are crucial to providing research and innovation
with the broad skills base and creativity which these require.
They represent the cornerstone on which Europe's future
growth and the well-being of its citizens depend.

2. The implementation of comprehensive and coherent lifelong
learning strategies should meet the aims of efficiency and
equity, while promoting excellence, innovation and creativity.
Education and training systems should not only provide the
foundations for greater economic competitiveness and indivi-
dual employability, but also ensure stronger social cohesion,
sustainable development, personal fulfilment and the more
active involvement of citizens in society.

3. Making improved provision for early childhood education,
encouraging the acquisition of key competences, increasing
the attractiveness of vocational education and training, devel-
oping lifelong guidance, increasing access to and excellence
in further and higher education, expanding adult learning, as
well as improving the quality of teacher education, provide
effective means of ensuring that all citizens are better quali-
fied and thus better able to participate actively in social and
economic development.

4. Faced with the increasing diversity of students' backgrounds,
education and training provide an essential means of integra-
and of
tion into European economies
promoting intercultural dialogue.

and societies

5. The framework conditions for lifelong learning could be
strengthened by encouraging the development of
learning
organisations and partnerships involving stakeholders and

and by developing the

employers,
for
e-learning, the identification of skills needs, the validation of
learning outcomes and lifelong guidance, as well as by
exploring possible new funding arrangements.

infrastructures

ACCORDINGLY
COMMISSION, within their respective competences, to:

THE MEMBER STATES AND THE

INVITES

the Integrated Guidelines

1. Emphasise the significance of education and training in the
overall Lisbon Strategy, in particular by highlighting in the
‘Competitiveness’ part of
for
growth and jobs their crucial place within the knowledge
triangle, alongside research and innovation, and by stressing
lifelong
in the ‘Employment’ part of
learning is fundamental to enabling European citizens to
succeed and participate fully in the knowledge economy, as
well as to ensuring that all groups, including those at risk of
exclusion, can develop the knowledge, skills and compe-
tences needed to do so.

the Guidelines that

2. Highlight the contribution of education and training not
only to promoting employment, competitiveness and innova-
tion, but also to fostering social cohesion, active citizenship
and personal fulfilment, and meeting the other challenges
which European societies currently face.

3. Ensure that education and training policies dovetail with
policies in other fields, such as research, enterprise and inno-
vation, the information society, employment, social affairs,
youth, culture, health, migration and external
relations,
enhance cooperation between the Education Council and
other Council
taking
greater account of stakeholders' views.

formations and consider ways of

4. Strengthen the Education Council's strategic role in the open
method of coordination in education and training, in par-
ticular by feeding the results into policy-making processes at
both European and national levels, and by developing a solid
knowledge base for education and training policy.

5. Ensure clear links between the ‘Education and Training’ work
programme and the Lisbon integrated Guidelines for growth
and jobs, whilst improving organisation of the joint work
between the Member States and the Commission in this
field, and — with regard to the work programme beyond
2010 — continue the process of reflection on the program-
me's main priorities and on how to develop a more inte-
grated approach to education and training in a lifelong
learning perspective.