COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on achieving the European Education Area by 2025
Date: 2020-09-30
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: cooperation in the field of education, education, educational system, gender equality, higher education, teacher, teacher training, teaching quality, vocational training

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 30.9.2020  COM(2020) 625 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on achieving the European Education Area by 2025 {SWD(2020) 212 final}  
 
 
Education  is  essential  to  the  vitality  of  European  society  and  economy.  The  European 
Education Area aims to bring to the education and training communities the support they 
need to fulfil their fundamental mission, in challenging and exciting times - President von 
der Leyen  

1 

INTRODUCTION  

In  her  Political  Guidelines,  Commission  President  von  der  Leyen  committed  to  making  the 
European  Education  Area  a  reality  by  2025.  Education  is  the  foundation  for  personal 
fulfilment,  employability,  and  active  and  responsible  citizenship.  The  right  to  quality  and 
inclusive  education,  training  and  lifelong  learning  is  proclaimed  in  the  European  Pillar  of 
Social  Rights  as  its  first  principle.  The  Union  is  resetting  its  growth  strategy,  based  on 
sustainability, with green and digital transitions as its transformative drivers. Education is at 
the heart of the European way of life, strengthening social  market  economy and democracy 
with freedom, diversity, human rights and social justice. 

In  July,  the  European  Council  agreed  an  unprecedented  recovery  package  to  counter  the 
effects  of  COVID-19  on  our  economies  and  societies,  and  to  promote  Europe’s  strong 
recovery  and  the  transformation  and  reform  of  our  economies.  In  that  context,  investing  in 
education, training and the effective use of skills will be crucial to support Europe’s economic 
and social prosperity. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has major impacts on education and training systems in Europe. It is 
exposing over 100 million Europeans, who are part of the education and training community, 
to new and challenging realities, ways of learning, teaching and communicating. It is essential 
to  prevent  the  health  crisis  from  becoming  a  structural  barrier  to  learning  and  skills 
development  impacting  on  young  people’s  employment  prospects,  earnings,  as  well  as 
equality  and  inclusion  for  the  whole  of  the  society.  Member  States  seek  cooperation  at  EU 
level  in  their  responses  to  build  resilient  and  future-looking  education  systems,  setting  the 
foundations of a European Education Area.  

This Communication presents a reinforced approach to ensure the achievement of a European 
Education Area by 2025. The European Education Area ties in with Next Generation EU and 
the long-term budget of the European Union for 2021-2027.  

In  setting  the  stage  and  taking  the  necessary  measures  for  recovery  and  resilience,  people-
centred  policies  are  more  vital  than  ever.  Early  childhood  education  and  care,  schools, 
vocational education and training (VET), higher education, research, adult education, as well 
as  non-formal  learning  have  a  key  role  to  play.  Such  policies  need  to  develop  a  holistic 
approach  to  education  and  training  and  recognise  its  intrinsic  value  providing  an  all-round 
grounding to ensure the fullest contribution to and participation in society. 

The European Education Area is rooted in decades of education cooperation at EU level. The 
strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in  education  and  training  (ET  2020)  helped 
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building  trust  and  mutual  understanding  that  supported  the  first  European  Education  Area 
initiatives1,  national  reforms,  and  facilitated  the  education  and  training  community’s 
response to the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Achievements of European cooperation in education and training  

Cooperation  until  now  achieved  already  significant  results  with  empowering  teachers, 
improving general education, adapting to the digital transformation, or setting new principles 
for  improving  VET.  In  addition,  the  ET  2020  set  common  EU  targets  (“benchmarks”)  and 
provided a broad range of mutual learning and policy support tools that encouraged Member 
States  to  focus  efforts  on  the  most  pressing  priorities.  In  2020,  as  illustrated  above,  the 
following results have been achieved:  

1 Developed in the Staff Working Document. 

2 

 
 
 
                                                 
 
  Almost  95%  of  children  attend  early  childhood  education  from  the  age  of  4.  This 
extremely  important  phase  of  education  can  now  pull  its  full  weight  on  quality 
standards, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

  Tertiary educational attainment of young adults had a massive expansion over the past 
decade, bringing the EU even beyond the 40% target set in 2009. Higher educational 
attainment correlates with better chances to find and maintain work, higher earnings, 
and greater participation in democratic life. 

  The proportion of youth leaving education without an upper secondary diploma and no 
longer in training declined from 14% in 2009 to 10.2% in 2019 and hence practically 
met the EU target of 10%. This achievement helps combat the low skill trap for young 
adults. 

  The  EU  did  not  achieve  its  target  to  reduce  the  share  of  15-year-olds  achieving  low 
levels of reading, maths and science to less than 15% by 2020. The EU as a whole is 
lagging  behind  in  all  three  domains:  more  than  one  in  five  15-year  olds  cannot 
complete  simple  tasks  in  these  subjects,  and  the  results  are  strongly  correlated  with 
socioeconomic status. 

  The  employment  rate  of  recent  graduates  rose  to  80.9%  in  2019,  signalling  a  steady 
recovery  from  the  record-low  74.3%  registered  in  2013  and  nearing  the  82%  EU 
target. 
In part hindered by the fallout from the financial crisis, adult participation in learning 
did not reach 15% target but has risen to 10.8% in 2019, with large differences 
between Member States. 

 

The New Strategic Agenda for the EU for 2019 – 2024 adopted by the European Council on 
20  June  2019  stresses  that  Member  States  “must  step  up  investment  in  people’s  skills  and 
education”.  At  their  first-ever  joint  policy  debate  on  8  November  2019,  Ministers  of 
Education and Ministers of Finance agreed that investing in education, skills and competences 
is a necessity for all Member States and it should be a strategic priority for the EU.2 For some 
Member  States,  the  immediate  challenge  is  ensuring  an  adequate  level  of  investment  in 
education and training. For others, the main issue is spending efficiently and effectively.  

The  Erasmus+  programme  has  been  instrumental  in  scaling  up  successful  practices  and 
enhancing cooperation for national reform, and in financially supporting the implementation 
of  EU-level  actions,  such  as  underpinning  the  EU  commitment  to  promoting  citizenship, 
fundamental  freedoms,  tolerance  and  non-discrimination  through  education.  The  European 
Structural  and  Investment  Funds  made  funding  available  to  carry  out  systemic  national 
reforms.  The  Structural  Reform  Support  Programme  has  provided  technical  support  to 
Member States’ reforms of the education and training systems. 

The  importance  of  these  activities  received  highest  political  recognition,  which  raised  the 
European  ambition  in  the  field  of  education.  In  the  Rome  Declaration  of  March  2017,  EU 

2The  Council  Resolution  on  further  developing  the  European  Education  Area  calls  on  the  Member  States  and  the 
Commission  “to  promote  cooperation  and  sharing  of  evidence  of  the  benefits  of  investing  in  education  and  training,  as 
improved  knowledge,  data  and  analysis  regarding  the  benefits  of  efficient  public  investment  in  education  and  training  can 
help  Member  States  to  develop  more  inclusive,  effective  and  responsive  education  and  training  systems,  while  avoiding 
additional administrative burdens on the Member States”.   

3 

 
 
                                                 
Leaders  pledged  to  work  towards  a  Union  where  “young  people  receive  the  best  education 
and training and can study and find jobs across the continent”3. The European Pillar of Social 
Rights jointly proclaimed by EU Leaders at the 2017 Gothenburg Social Summit establishes, 
as  its  first  principle,  quality  and  inclusive  education,  training  and  lifelong  learning4.  The 
European Council conclusions of 14 December 20175 stressed that “education and culture are 
key to building inclusive and cohesive societies, and to sustaining our competitiveness” and 
identified  a  number  of  priority  work  strands  –  in  line  with  the  Commission  vision  for  the 
European  Education  Area6.  The  Commission  took  this  mandate  forward  in  the  initial 
European Education Area initiatives across a number of areas7.  

Efforts  to  establish  the  European  Education  Area  will  work  in  synergy  with  the  European 
Skills  Agenda8,  the  renewed  VET  policy9  and  the  European  Research  Area  to  harness 
knowledge,  making  it  the  foundation  of  Europe’s  recovery  and  prosperity,  based  on  shared 
principles of inclusion, mobility and innovation. These initiatives, together with the new EU 
Gender  Equality  Strategy  2020-202510  will  help  foster  a  smooth  transition  from  school  to 
academic studies, VET, as well as work and make lifelong learning a reality.  They will also 
promote  a  gender  equal  workplace  culture  and  help  combat  racism  and  all  forms  of 
discrimination, including gender stereotyping.  

Building on these achievements and in line with the Council Resolution on further developing 
the European Education Area of November 201911, this Communication sets out a vision to 
achieve the European Education Area by 2025 and presents the concrete steps to deliver on 
this ambition. 

3 The Rome Declaration (2017) https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/03/25/rome-declaration/pdf 
4https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/deeper-and-fairer-economic-and-monetary-union/european-pillar-social-rights_en 
5 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/32204/14-final-conclusions-rev1-en.pdf 
6 COM(2017) 673 final 
7 Developing European Universities; making it easier for young people to study abroad with a new services developed as part 
of  the  European  Student  Card  Initiative;  making  qualifications  and  learning  abroad  automatically  and  mutually  recognised 
across  Member  States;  improving  language  teaching  and  learning;  embracing  common  values;  strengthening  quality  early 
childhood  education  and  care  systems;  setting  out  a  new  strategic  framework  for  youth;  tracking  the  employability  and 
further learning path of graduates; supporting the acquisition of key competences; and strengthening digital learning through 
the Digital Education Action Plan 
8  Commission  Communication  “European  Skills  Agenda  for  sustainable  competitiveness,  social  fairness  and  resilience”, 
COM(2020)274 final, https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1223 
9 Proposal for a Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social 
fairness and resilience, COM(2020)275 final. 
10 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_357 
11 Council Resolution on further developing the European Education Area to support future-oriented education and training 
systems, OJ C 389, 18.11.2019, p. 1, https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13298-2019-INIT/en/pdf 

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2  AN AMBITIOUS EUROPEAN EDUCATION AREA  

The Commission proposes to consolidate ongoing efforts and further develop the European 
Education Area along six dimensions. 

2.1

  Quality:  

Quality  education  equips  young  people  with  the  knowledge,  skills  and  attitudes  to  thrive  in 
life  and  to  cope  with  the  manifold  challenges  they  will  face.  At  EU  level,  the  vision  for 
quality in education includes: 

  Mastering  of  basic  skills,  including  digital  competences,  which  is  a  prerequisite  to 
thrive in life, to find fulfilling jobs and to become engaged citizens12. In 2018, the EU 
average underachievement rate – the proportion of pupils who fail to complete basic 
mathematics, science and reading tasks, according to OECD’s PISA survey –  stood at 
22.5% in  reading, 22.9% in  mathematics and 22.3% in  science. Over the 2009-2018 
period, performance in science and reading deteriorated at EU level, while remaining 
stable in mathematics. In 2019, a fifth of young persons in Europe reported not to have 
basic  digital  skills.13  Yet,  some  EU  countries  have  been  able  to  improve  their 
performance over time, putting in place structural education reforms, increasing school 
autonomy, tackling inequalities from early years and investing in teachers. Failure to 

12 For the crucial role of basic skills, see the Council Recommendation of 22 May 2018 on key competences for 
lifelong learning, OJ C 189, 4.6.2018, p. 1 
13 Digital Economy and Society Index 2019 

5 

 
 
 
                                                 
achieve these basic skills, which are necessary for further learning, creates skills gaps 
that  have  major  consequences  throughout  peoples’  lives  and  require  remedial  adult 
learning measures.14  

  Mastering transversal skills such as critical thinking, entrepreneurship,  creativity and 
civic  engagement  through  transdisciplinary,  learner-centred  and  challenge-based 
approaches. 

  Promoting the dual freedom for learners and teachers to be mobile and for institutions 
to  freely  associate  with  one  another  in  Europe  and  beyond.  Learning  mobility  and 
cooperation  across  borders  are  strong  drivers  for  enhancing  the  quality  of  education 
and training institutions. However, many educators and learners are still facing a wide 
range  of  obstacles  when  they  embark  upon  transnational  mobility  experiences.  They 
may  not  have  sufficient  information  and  guidance  on  learning  mobility,  or  are  not 
sufficiently  prepared  when  it  comes  to  language  learning  or  may  face  accessibility 
challenges.    There  can  be  financial  obstacles,  lack  of  portability  of  student  support 
systems,  lack  of  full  recognition  of  learning  outcomes  and  qualifications  obtained 
during  mobility,  difficulty 
to  combine  mobility  with  curricula  requirements, 
discouraging learners and educators to exercise this freedom to move. Future learning 
mobility will also have to be more environmentally sustainable and ready to embrace 
digital challenges and opportunities.  

  Fostering  language  learning  and  multilingualism.  Being  able  to  speak  different 
languages is a condition for studying and working abroad, and fully discover Europe's 
cultural diversity. It enables learners and teachers to benefit from a genuine European 
learning space. Valuing and mobilising learners’ linguistic backgrounds. 

  Supporting  teachers  in  managing  linguistic  and  cultural  diversity  in  school  is  a  key 
element of fostering quality in education, notably by redressing persistent deficiencies 
in reading literacy. Such an approach also supports increasing education outcomes of 
pupils and youth with a migrant background. 

  Bringing a European perspective in education shall provide learners with an insight in 
what  Europe  at  large  and  the  Union  in  particular  means  in  their  daily  life.  This 
European perspective is complementary to the national and regional perspectives, and 
should  be  addressed  in  a  dynamic  and  plural  way,  encouraging  the  development  of 
critical thinking.  

  Maintaining education and training institutions as safe environments, free of violence, 

bullying, harmful speech, disinformation and all forms of discrimination.  

2.2

Inclusion and gender equality:  

Education  is  failing  to  reduce  inequalities  linked  to  socio-economic  status,  despite  the  fact 
that  the  highest  performing  education  systems  are  those  that  put  a  premium  on  equity.15 
Across  Europe,  the  educational  experiences  of  individuals  follow  social  patterns.  Students 

14  Hanushek,  E.A.  and  Woessmann,  L., The  Economic  Benefits  of  Improving  Educational  Achievement  in  the  European 
Union: An Update and Extension, European Expert Network on Economics of Education (EENEE), Analytical Report No. 
39, 2019  
15  Underachievement  in  EU27  level  lies  at  mere  9.5%  among  pupils  coming  from  the  top  quarter  of  the  socio-economic 
index.  However  it  is  as  high  as  36.4%  among  pupils  coming  from  the  lowest  quarter  on  the  socio-economic  scale  (PISA 
2018, .Joint Employment Report 2019)  

6 

 
 
 
                                                 
are 

backgrounds 

disadvantaged 

underachievers. 
from 
Underperformance in reading and early school leaving is on average higher among boys than 
girls16. Rural areas are falling behind and students with a migrant background17 fare worse at 
school.  The  Covid-19  pandemic  has  highlighted  even  more  starkly  the  importance  of 
inclusion and fairness in education and has shown the relevance of geographical location of 
students and families. To turn the tide, in the European Education Area: 

overrepresented 

among 

  Educational  attainment  and achievement should  be  decoupled from social,  economic 
and cultural status, to ensure that education and training systems boost the abilities of 
every  individual  and  enable  upward  social  mobility.  Early  childhood  education  and 
care play a critical role in this regard18. It is also important to cater for the educational 
needs of pupils with high learning potential in an inclusive way. 

  Educations systems at all levels should comply with the UN Convention on the Rights 

of Persons with Disabilities.  

  VET  systems,  which  can  support  young  people  to  manage  their  entry  to  a  changing 
labour  market  and  ensure  that  adults  participate  in  programmes  tailored  to  the  twin 
green  and digital  transitions,  should be more  agile, resilient and future-proof, in  line 
with the Commission proposal for a Council Recommendation on VET. 

  Robust  and  inclusive  lifelong  learning  strategies  should  allow  those  who  have  left 
early  to  re-enter  education,  and  those  who  need  it  should  be  able  to  access  higher 
education and VET programmes to acquire or update skills that the jobs of tomorrow 
require, also for older age.  

  Cross-border  cooperation  should  be  strengthened,  in  youth  work,  as  well  as  in  the 
domains  of  sport  and  culture,  to  promote  non-formal  learning  including  their  link  to 
formal education. 

On average in the EU, women have higher educational attainment levels than men, and lower 
rates of early leaving from education and training. Yet there is a persistent gender gap in some 
scientific  fields  of  study,  often  those  leading  to  better-paid  jobs.  Despite  achieving  greater 
digital literacy scores in education surveys19, in 2018 women represented 26% of students in 
engineering,  manufacturing  and  construction;  and  only  18%  in  ICT  studies20.  Furthermore, 
women  are  still  underrepresented  in  decision-making  positions  in  higher  education.  In  the 
European Education Area, education and training systems should consider the following: 

16 For an analysis of correlates of learning outcomes and neither employed nor in education or training (NEET) status among 
young men and women, please see OECD (2015). The ABC of Gender Equality on education: Aptitude, Behaviour. Paris: 
PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, Available at: https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264229945-en, page 32: ‘For example, educational 
attainment, literacy proficiency and field of study jointly determine the likelihood that 16-29 year-olds will find themselves 
neither  employed  nor  in  education  or  training.OECD  (2015).  The  ABC  of  Gender  Equality  on  education:  Aptitude, 
Behaviour. Paris: PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, Available at: https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264229945-en 
17 The concept of “people with a migrant background” includes both immigrants and their native-born children (the so-called 
“second generation”). The OECD PISA definition for pupils with a migrant background comprises all foreign-born students 
(both EU and non-EU), as well as native-born students with foreign-born parents. 
18 Elaborated in the Staff Working Document. 
19 This refers to the computer and information literacy score in the International Computer and Information Literacy Study 
2018 (ICILS) survey. More at: https://www.iea.nl/studies/iea/icils/2018 
20 Data for ISCED 5-8, source educ_uoe_enra03 

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  Developing a better gender sensitivity21 in education processes and institutions. Boys 
and  girls  have  equal  access  to  education,  but  the  new  frontier  of  gender  equality  in 
education  is  to    equip  all  boys  and  girls  with  equal  respect  and  proper  conditions  to 
become  fulfilling  adults  in  schools  and  universities.  Sexist  behaviours  and  sexual 
harassment  affect  primarily  girls  and  young  women  and  hamper  their  educational 
experience.  The  educational  setting  is  a  unique  opportunity  to  provide  the  basis  for 
boys  and  girls  to  become  adults  respecting  fully  their  own  identity  and  that  of  their 
peers.    

  Challenging  and  dissolving  gender  stereotypes,  especially  those  that  constrain  the 
choices  of  boys  and  girls  for  their  field  of  study,  but  also  all  those  that  can  be 
conveyed  in  education  and  training  practices  and  learning  materials.  Traditionally 
male- or female- dominated professions are to be further opened up to persons of the 
under-represented sex. 

  Working towards a proper gender balance in leadership positions, including in higher 

education institutions. 

2.3

  Green and digital transitions:  

Education  and  training  policies  and  investments  geared  towards  inclusive  green  and  digital 
transitions  hold  the  key  to  Europe’s  future  resilience  and  prosperity.  According  to  the 
Commission’s Summer Forecast, the EU economy would contract by 8.3% in 2020 and grow 
by around 5.8% in 2021. The unemployment rate in the EU would rise from 6.7% in 2019 to 
9% in 2020 before declining again to 8% in 2021.22 Young people entering the workforce at 
this  time  will  find  it  harder  to  secure  their  first  job.  While  short-time  work  schemes,  wage 
subsidies and support for businesses should help to  limit job losses, the Covid-19 pandemic 
will have  a severe impact  on the labour market. Digital literacy is a must, the more so in  a 
post-Covid-19 world. Practically all further learning and jobs in all sectors will require some 
form  of  digital  skills,  yet  on  average  two  in  five  Europeans  aged  16-74  are  lacking  these 
skills.23 

The  transition  to  an  environmentally  sustainable,  circular  and  climate-neutral  economy  has 
significant employment and social impacts.24 Citizens expect their governments to make the 
protection  of  the  environment  a  priority  when  planning  recovery  measures  put  in  place  to 
surmount the economic and social consequences of Covid-19 crisis to promote the transition 
to a greener and more digital world.25 It is only with the right skills and education that Europe 
can  have  a  sustained  economic  recovery  geared  towards  the  green  and  digital  transitions, 
while showing global leadership by example, strengthening its position in global competition, 

21 According to the European Institute for Gender Equality, gender sensitive policies and programmes are those that take into 
account the particularities pertaining to the lives of both women and men, while aiming to eliminate inequalities and promote 
gender  equality,  including  an  equal  distribution  of  resources,  therefore  addressing  and  taking  into  account  the  gender 
dimension. 
22 European Commission (2020) Summer 2020 Economic Forecast: A deep and uneven recession, an uncertain recovery, DG ECFIN 
23  Digital  Economy  and  Society  Index  (DESI):  https://digital-agenda-data.eu/charts/analyse-one-indicator-and-compare-
countries 
24 Commission Reflection Paper “Towards a Sustainable Europe by 2030” 
25 According to an IPSOS poll carried out in 16 major countries around the world in May 2020, three in four people expect 
their government to make protection of the environment a priority when planning a recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. 

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and  staying  faithful  to  its  commitment  to  a  just  transition.  To  deliver  on  the  transformative 
ambition:  

  There is a need to enable a profound change in peoples’ behaviour and skills, starting 
in  the  education  systems  and  institutions  as  catalysts.  Actions  should  be  geared 
towards  changing  behaviour,  boosting  skills  for  the  green  economy,  fostering  new 
sustainable  education  and  training  infrastructure  and  renovating  existing  buildings 
(‘renovation wave’), thereby creating conducive environments for this change26.  
  The  green  transition  requires  moreover  investments  in  education  and  training  to 
increase  the  number  of  professionals  who  work  towards  a  climate-neutral  and 
resource-efficient economy. 
 Effectively  supporting  sustainability  transitions  through  integrating  environmental 
sustainability perspectives across natural and human sciences, and supporting shifts in 
skills, methods, processes and cultures. 

 

  Education and training at all levels should equip people with the digital skills, but also 
other competences, such as entrepreneurship and learning to learn, which are needed 
to navigate in the labour market transformed by technological change.  

2.4

  Teachers and trainers:  

Teachers,  trainers  and  educational  staff  are  at  the  heart  of  education.  They  play  the  most 
important role in making education a fruitful experience for all learners. Millions of teachers 
across  Europe  had  to  adapt  rapidly  to  school  closures  due  to  the  Covid-19  pandemic.  They 
remained  on  the  frontlines  of  the  response  to  ensure  that  learning  continued,  innovating 
distance  learning  for  their  students  in  confinement.  Without  teachers  and  trainers,  no 
innovation, no inclusion and no transformational education experiences for learners can take 
place. The vision for the education profession within the European Education Area is one of 
highly  competent  and  motivated  educators  who  can  benefit  from  a  range  of  support  and 
professional development opportunities throughout their varied careers. Within the European 
Education Area, teaching and training should be valued professions: 

  There  is  a  need  for  a  highly  competent,  enthusiastic  and  committed  professional 
workforce.  This  starts  with  overcoming  teacher  shortages.  Most  EU  countries  face  a 
shortage of teachers, either across the board or in specific subject areas such as STEM 
or  teaching  pupils  with  special  needs.  As  about  one  third  of  the  teaching  population 
will retire in the next decade, retention and regeneration needs primary focus.  

  The  teaching  profession  as  such  needs  to  be  revalorised,  in  social  and,  in  some 
Member  States,  also  in  financial  terms.  Only  one  in  five  lower  secondary  school 
teachers  consider  their  profession  as  valued  by  society  and  about  half  of  them 
indicated a high administrative burden as a stress factor in the profession.27 

26  Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  European  Council,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: The European Green Deal, COM(2019) 640 final 
27 
monitor.pdf 

https://ec.europa.eu/education/sites/education/files/document-library-docs/volume-1-2019-education-and-training-

9 

 
 
                                                 
  Teachers  and  trainers  need  continuous  opportunities  for  professional  development. 
The  OECD  Teaching  and  Learning  International  Survey  (TALIS)  showed  that  a 
significant  number  of  teachers  express  the  need  to  develop  their  competences  for 
teaching  students  with  special  needs,  use  of  digital  technologies,  and  teaching  in 
multilingual and multicultural classrooms.28 
International mobility of students, teachers and teacher trainers should become part of 
teacher education to broaden the access to the diversity of quality teaching approaches 
to meet the needs of pupils.  

 

2.5

  Higher education: 

Student and staff mobility has progressively opened up higher education and strengthened the 
basis  for  structured  cooperation.  The  Bologna  process  played  a  driving  role  for 
internationalisation and mobility. The added value of mobility is clear: evidence shows that a 
study-abroad experience helps significantly career prospects. 80% of Erasmus+ graduates are 
employed in less than 3 months after graduation. However, only 5% of students can have the 
Erasmus+  experience.  Financial  concerns  remain  one  of  the  most  frequent  reasons  for 
students not to study abroad, followed closely by concerns about recognition of learning. With 
the  41  European  Universities  pilots,  more  than  280  higher  education  institutions  across  the 
EU are experimenting and testing new models of deeper and more ambitious cooperation.29 

The  higher  education  sector  has  demonstrated  its  resilience  to  cope  with  change  during  the 
Covid-19  pandemic.  However,  the  crisis  also  sharpened  the  challenges  as  regards 
digitalisation, innovative pedagogies, inclusion and well-being, students, researchers and staff 
support, mobility and funding. The European higher education systems should aim at:  

  Closer  and  deeper  cooperation  between  higher  education  institutions,  which  could 
lead  to  more  joint  curriculum  development  and  common  courses  and  would  enable 
learners  to  move  more  easily  between  education  systems  in  different  countries 
thereby  developing  a  pan-European  talent  pool,  including  in  cutting-edge  scientific 
disciplines  and  technologies  such  as  artificial  intelligence,  cybersecurity  and  high 
performance computing.  

  A  policy  framework  across  borders 

that  allows  for  seamless 

transnational 
cooperation,  which  will  enable  alliances  of  higher  education  institutions to  leverage 
their  strengths,  pooling  together  their  online  and  physical  resources,  courses, 
expertise, data and infrastructure across disciplines. 
 Higher education institutions as central actors of the “knowledge square”: education, 
research, innovation and service to society, playing a key role in driving the Covid-19 

 

28 https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/talis-2018-results-volume-i_1d0bc92a-en#page1 
29    European  Universities  are  transnational  alliances  of  higher  education  institutions  developing  long-term  structural  and 
sustainable  cooperation.  They  mobilise  multi-disciplinary  teams  of  students  and  academics  through  a  challenge-based 
approach, in close cooperation with research, business and civil society. European Universities will pool together their online 
and  physical  resources,  courses,  expertise,  data  and  infrastructure  to  leverage  their  strengths  and  empower  the  next 
generations  in  tackling  together  the  current  challenges  that  Europe  and  the  world  are  facing.  They  promote  all  forms  of 
mobility (physical, online, blended) as well as multilingualism via their inclusive European inter-university campuses. 

10 

 
 
                                                 
recovery  and  sustainable  development  in  Europe  while  helping  education,  research 
and the labour market to benefit from talent flows.  

  Automatic recognition  of qualifications and study  periods abroad for the purpose of 
further learning, quality assurance of joint transnational activities and the recognition 
and  portability  of  short  courses  leading  to  micro-credentials.  This  would  allow 
Member States to go deeper and faster in their cooperation, as compared to what they 
are  able  to  do  now  in  the  context  of  the  Bologna  process.  The  European  Education 
Area  can  act  as  a  motor  for  the  Bologna  process,  inspiring  and  supporting  other 
member countries of the European Higher Education Area to  benefit from  a similar 
path. 

  A stronger focus on specialised education programmes in advanced digital skills such 
as in cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and high 
performance computing as there is an acute lack of experts in these fields.  

2.6

  Geopolitical dimension:  

important 

in  education  has  gradually  become  an 

Cooperation 
the 
implementation  of  EU  external  policies  as  an  indisputable  instrument  of  soft  power.  The 
Union’s  exchange  programmes  help  people  to  connect  worldwide,  reaching  out  to  a  large 
number  of  stakeholders,  including  civil  society.  They  help  projecting  a  positive  image  of 
Europe  in  the  world,  spreading  its  messages  and  fundamental  values.  They  contribute  to 
shaping the relationship of the EU with other countries and regions. High-quality international 
cooperation  in  education  and  training  is  also  vital  to  address  existing  and  emerging  global 
challenges.  It  is  essential  for  the  achievement  of  the  Union’s  geopolitical  priorities  and  the 
2030 Sustainable Development Goals.  

instrument  for 

The change in the global order (e.g., the rise of China, retreat of the US from the multilateral 
order)  calls  for  strengthening  European  international  cooperation,  including  in  education. 
Promoting European interests and values will be necessary. In the international dimension of 
the European Education Area, reciprocity, level playing field, as well as ethical and integrity 
standards will be a central part of the roll-out of ambitious partnerships with partner countries 
across the globe.  

Internationalisation has become more and more pronounced not only in higher education, but 
also  in  primary  and  secondary  schools.  Some  European  students  also  spend  part  of  or  their 
whole  education  outside  the  EU.  However,  a  huge  untapped  potential  remains  in  other 
education  sectors,  in  particular  for  VET  and  the  sector  of  youth.  Tertiary  education  should 
receive particular attention given its importance in shaping the thinking of the next generation 
of leaders and entrepreneurs in partner countries across the globe. Each year several hundred 
thousands of students  from  third countries come to  the EU to  pursue tertiary  education. EU 
law30 ensures a transparent and coherent legal framework for international students to come to 

30 Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2016 on the conditions of entry and 
residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes 
or educational projects and au pairing. 

11 

 
 
 
                                                 
the EU. Collaboration between education institutions both within and outside the Union helps 
to  attract  the  best  talent  worldwide,  and  to  promote  peer  learning  and  joint  international 
research and innovation projects.  

In  Africa,  the  Western  Balkans  and  the  Neighbourhood  countries  in  particular,  the  ongoing 
process  of  reforming  education,  training  and  research  systems  aims  at  boosting  youth 
employment,  entrepreneurship,  green  and  digital  skills,  and  should  strengthen  prosperity, 
stability  and  security.  Widening  the  association  of  non-EU  countries  to  the  European 
Education Area, especially those of the Western Balkans, is an integral part of the vision to 
achieve by 2025. 

Over the past two decades, the Erasmus+ programme has created and cemented links between 
the  European  Education  Area  and  the  rest  of  the  world.  Each  year,  Europe’s  universities 
exchange  some  50,000  students  and  staff  with  universities  in  other  parts  of  the  world.31 
International  partnerships  have  facilitated  the  development  of  innovative  curricula  and  joint 
degrees,  fostered  joint  research  and  innovation  projects.  This  has  contributed  to  making 
Europe  an  attractive  destination,  boosting  innovation  and  job  creation.  Similarly,  capacity-
building  actions  have  been  instrumental  for  the  internationalisation  of  higher  education 
systems  in  partner  countries,  hereby  supporting  socio-economic  reform  and  democratic 
consolidation.  

3  MEANS AND MILESTONES 

Complementing initiatives under way since 2018, the Commission will propose a number of 
new initiatives to deliver, together with the Member States and the stakeholders, an ambitious 
European  Education  Area  by  2025,  along  the  six  dimensions  presented  in  the  previous 
section32.  

3.1

  Lifting quality in education  

Lifting  quality  in  education  requires  coordinated  efforts  tailored  to  the  challenges  of  each 
system.  EU  wide  targets  orient  action  by  Member  States  and  their  education  ecosystems  to 
focus on skills’ levels, and increase participation and attainment. Exchange of experience and 
peer  support  at  EU  level  aims  at  offering  insights  to  Member  States’  policymaking.  In 
particular:   

31 Today’s 130 Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree programmes provide over 2,500 EU-funded scholarships per year for 
students worldwide to study an integrated master programme at two or more European universities. At the institutional level, 
Capacity-Building  for  Higher  Education  partnerships  develop  new  teaching,  boost  skills  and  improve  higher  education 
governance  in  the  EU’s  neighbouring  countries  and  in  developing  or  emerging  economies  further  afield.  The  150 projects 
selected each year lever higher education as a driver for wider societal and economic development, and dovetail effectively 
with the EU’s development and cooperation policy.   
32  The  financing  of  certain  initiatives  may  be  subject  to  the  adoption  of  the  basic  acts  of  the  respective 
programmes and will be implemented in accordance with their rules. 

12 

 
 
                                                 
  The Commission will support Member States in the identification of effective policy 
reforms that support better achievement in basic skills. This will specifically concern 
curriculum  and  assessment,  as  well  as  the  capacity  of  institutions  and  staff  to  be 
innovative and develop their learning approaches and environments. The Commission 
will  also  support  cooperation  between  European  stakeholder  organisations, 
teachers associations and teacher education providers to work together and provide 
input to policy recommendations on innovative and multi-disciplinary teaching and 
learning  approaches  for  basic  skills.  National  action  can  take  advantage  of  other 
sources,  such  as  the  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  or  the  resources 
available within the Recovery and Resilience Facility.  

  The  Commission  plans  to  accompany  the  strengthened  Erasmus  programme  by 
updating  the  learning  mobility  framework.  It  will  enable  that  more  learners  and 
teachers can overcome obstacles and benefit from a mobility opportunity. The revised 
framework  would  address  a  triple  challenge:  (i)  ensuring  opportunities  for  a  much 
wider  variety  of  participants,  (ii)  green  and  digital  mobility,  including  by  blending 
online and physical exchanges, (iii) encouraging balanced mobility.   

  To  foster  multilingualism,  stakeholders  at  national,  regional  and  school  level  are 
invited to further implement the 2019 Council Recommendation on  a comprehensive 
approach to the teaching and learning of languages, including in VET. Through the 
future Erasmus programme funding and peer learning activities, the Commission will 
aim  to  support  Member  States  to  promote  the  so-called  ‘language  aware  schools’, 
ultimately strengthening  proficiency in  the language of schooling among  pupils with 
diverse  backgrounds.33  The  Erasmus  programme  intends  to  continue  to  support 
language competences in a lifelong learning perspective by providing opportunities for 
teaching  and  learning  mobility  periods  abroad,  but  also  by  supporting  further 
cooperation between education and training providers at all levels.  

  Fostering transversal skills such as critical thinking, entrepreneurship, creativity and 
civic  engagement are  key  for  the  next  generations  of  students,  researchers  and 
innovators  to  build  a  resilient  society34.  The  future  Erasmus  programme  aims  to 
provide a wide range of opportunities for learners at all levels to develop these skills, 
notably  by  offering  more  opportunities  for  education  and  training  institutions  to 
develop  in  cooperation  with  their  knowledge  ecosystems  more  transdisciplinary, 
learner-centred  and  challenge  based  approaches.  The  European  Structural  and 
Investment  Funds  can support actions to  develop  such skills  at  regional and national 
level. 

  The  Commission  will  gather  education  stakeholders  and  Member  States 
representatives  to  stimulate  peer  learning  and  the  development  of  a  European 
perspective  in  education.  It  aims  to  work  on  widening  and  strengthening  the  Jean 
Monnet  Actions  through  bringing  them  closer  to  schools  with  a  view  to  promoting 
the European way of life, sustainability and EU values35. 

33 As described in the Council Recommendation of 22 May 2019 on a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning 
of languages. OJ C 189, 5.6.2019, p. 15 
34 The European Skills Agenda envisages actions to enhance the validation of transversal skills. 
35 Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing 'Erasmus': the Union programme for 
education,  training,  youth  and  sport  and  repealing  Regulation  (EU)  No  1288/2013,Commission  proposal  for  a  regulation 
establishing ‘Erasmus’ - COM(2018) 367 final 

13 

 
 
                                                 
  In  order  to  build  democratic  education  environments  free  from  bullying,  harmful 
speech  and  disinformation,  the  Commission  plans  to  continue  through  the  Erasmus 
programme to  support  Member States and stakeholders in  implementing the  Council 
Recommendation of 22 May 2018 on promoting common values, inclusive education, 
and the European dimension of teaching.36  

3.2

  Making education and training more inclusive and gender sensitive  

The  Commission  will  convene  Member  States  experts  and  stakeholders  through  dedicated 
platforms for mutual learning and cooperation to support sex disaggregated data collection 
and  innovation  for  inclusive  and  gender  equal  education,  responding  to  the  policy  needs  of 
Member  States.  This  should  help  focus  national  and  EU  investment  on  groups  and  areas  in 
greatest need.  

For the new programming period, particular attention will be paid to inclusion, equality and 
diversity  in  the  Erasmus  and  European  Solidarity  Corps  Programmes.  It  will  set  out  a 
multi-faceted  approach  to  making  the  programme  more  inclusive,  including  through  the 
introduction  of  more  flexible  and  accessible  formats;  support  measures  to  help  prepare  and 
accompany participants; and financial measures to support those who would find it difficult to 
participate in the programme.  

In  addition,  the  following  initiatives  would  contribute  to  boost  the  inclusive  dimension  of 
education:  

  The  Pathways  to  School  Success  initiative  would  help  all  pupils  reach  a  baseline 
level of proficiency37 in basic skills.  The initiative will have a special focus on groups 
that  are  more  at  risk  of  underachievement  and  early  school  leaving.  Building  on  the 
2011  Council  Recommendation  on  policies  to  reduce  early  school  leaving,  the 
Commission  will work with  the Member States  to  co-develop  a  policy guidance on 
reducing low-achievement and increasing secondary education attainment. It will 
build  on  the  four  pillars  of  i)  monitoring  (allowing  tracking  and  targeted  action),  ii) 
prevention (in particular for groups at risk), iii) early intervention (for pupils already 
showing  difficulties),  and  iv)  compensation  (for  those  who  have  already  had  bad 
results and need a second chance).38 The Commission will also mobilise the European 
Semester.  It  will provide tailored policy support to  Member States in  their efforts to 
raise competence levels, with a special attention to decoupling educational attainment 
from  socio-economic  background.  The  initiative  will  contribute  to  the  prevention  of 

36 OJ C 195, 7.6.2018, p. 1 
37 A baseline level of proficiency refers to Level 2 in the OECD’s PISA survey, which defines proficiency bands on a 6-point 
scale. Level 2 proficiency in reading corresponds to a level at which ‘readers begin to demonstrate the competencies that will 
enable them to participate effectively and productively in life as continuing students, workers and citizens’. Underachievers 
in  PISA  are  those  pupils  who  fail  to  reach  Level  2,  which  is  the  minimum  proficiency  level  necessary  to  participate 
successfully in society. The relation between the concepts of baseline level and underachievement informs the EU targets on 
underachievement in basic skills and on underachievement in digital competence. 
38 Council Recommendation of 28 June 2011 on policies to reduce early school leaving, OJ C 191, 1.7.2011, p. 1. . 

14 

 
 
                                                 
youth  unemployment  and  the  Commission  will  ensure  close  coordination  with  the 
actions envisaged in the recent proposal on a reinforced Youth Guarantee39.   

learning 

supportive 

environments 

  The Commission will convene an expert group to develop proposals on strategies for 
creating 
of 
underachievement40  and  for  supporting  well-being  at  school.  This  will  include 
addressing:  gender  specific  challenges  such  as  gender  stereotypes  in  education  and 
educational  careers  as  well  as  boys’  underachievement;  and  bullying  and  sexual 
harassment. In the latter context, women and girls should also be supported to develop 
self-defence against online violence. For action at  national  level,  Member States  can 
take advantage of several funding instruments, European Social Fund or the resources 
available within the Recovery and Resilience Facility. 

groups 

risk 

for 

at 

  As participation in early childhood education and care is an important determinant of 
later  basic  skills’  acquisition,  the  Commission  will  support  Member  States  in  the 
implementation  of  the  European  quality  framework  for  high  quality  early  childhood 
education  and  care  systems.41  To  better  prepare  children  to  succeed  in  educational 
contexts  throughout  life,  in  2021,  the  Commission  will  make  available  a  tool-kit, 
drawing  on  exchange  of  best  practice  and  the  input  of  experts  and  stakeholders,  for 
inclusion in early childhood education and care and an overview of core competences 
of staff in this area. The Commission is also working on a Child Guarantee.  

  To boost the inclusiveness and quality of VET systems, as announced in the European 
Skills  Agenda,  the  Commission  plans to  support  the  establishment  of  50  Centres  of 
Vocational  Excellence  with  Erasmus  programme  funding.  The  centres  of 
vocational  excellence will become reference points  for both  initial  training of  young 
people as well as continuing up- and reskilling of adults.  

  Higher  education  and  VET  systems  need  to  adapt  to  strengthen  their  key  role  in 
supporting  lifelong  learning  and  reaching  out  to  a  more  diverse  student  body.  This 
requires  a  thorough  change  in  mindset,  culture  and  structure.  The  Commission  will 
work with Member States towards this objective, and plans to provide support with the 
Erasmus programme and other EU funds and instruments. In addition, as set out in the 
Skills  Agenda,  the  Commission  will  work  towards  the  development  of  a  European 
Approach to micro-credentials, to help widen learning opportunities and strengthen 
the  role  of  higher  education  and  vocational  education  and  training  institutions  in 
lifelong learning by providing more flexible and modular learning opportunities. They 
are  useful  not  only  for  professionals,  but  can  also  complement  the  curriculum  for 
students at Bachelor, Master and Doctoral levels. A growing number of adults, with or 
without  a  higher  education  degree,  will  need  to  reskill  and  upskill  through  more 
flexible  alternatives  than  a  full  degree  in  order  to  overcome  the  gap  between  the 
learning  outcomes  of  their  initial  formal  qualifications  and  emerging  skills  needs  in 
the  labour  market.  The  need  for  more  flexible  and  inclusive  learning  paths  has 
increased as the student population is becoming more diverse and the learning needs 
more  dynamic.  While  a  growing  number  of  higher  education  institutions,  including 
European  Universities,  are  already  working  on  the  development  of  these  micro-

39 Proposal for a Council Recommendation on Bridge to Jobs – A reinforced Youth Guarantee, COM(2020)277 final. 
40  The  Commission  will  continue  further  developing  specific  initiatives  for  disadvantaged  groups,  including  the  Roma, 
migrants and refugees. 
41 Council Recommendation of 22 May 2019 on High-Quality Early Childhood and Care Systems,. OJ C 189, 5.6.2019, p. 4 

15 

 
 
                                                 
credentials,  a  common  definition  and  a  common  approach  on  their  validation  and 
recognition  is  lacking.  In  this  context,  as  announced  in  the  Skills  Agenda,  the 
Commission plans to present a proposal for a Council Recommendation in 2021. The 
purpose of the recommendation would be that European actions will support building 
trust in micro-credentials across Europe and aims at having all the necessary steps in 
place by 2025 for their wider use, portability and recognition. 

  Non-formal learning, including volunteering helps gain life and professional skills 
and  competences.  These  skills  and  competences  need  to  be  fostered,  valued,  and 
recognised  in  full42.  The  European  Solidarity  Corps  has  fully  integrated  the  learning 
value and the recognition of this into its objectives and operations. There are however 
still  barriers  to  cross-border  volunteering  mobility,  including  recognition  of  learning 
outcomes  among  employers.  Building  on  the  review  of  the  existing  2008  Council 
Recommendation on the mobility of young volunteers43, the Commission will provide 
updated  policy  guidance  in  2021  to  address  the  legal,  financial  and  administrative 
barriers  that  still  hinder  youth  cross-border  volunteering  and  solidarity.  It  will  help 
further  enhancing  the  inclusiveness,  quality  and  recognition  of  the  cross-border 
experiences under  the future  European Solidarity Corps programme. 

  Governments  together  with  stakeholders  should  foster  gender  equality  across  all 
sectors  of  education  and  training,  including  through  ensuring  access  to  quality 
education for boys and girls, women and men, in all their diversity.  

  Governments  together  with  stakeholders  should  foster  inclusive  education  across  all 
sectors  of  education  and  training  in  accordance  with  the  commitments  of  Member 
States and the EU towards the implementation  of the United Nations Convention on 
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

  The  Commission  plans  to  help  strengthening  research,  including  with  support  from 
Horizon Europe, exploring the role of gender in education and training policy, as 
well as the links between gender, education and social and economic success. 

  Dedicated  modules  under  the  Teacher  Academies  would  help  find  solutions  to 

effectively foster gender sensitive teaching in schools. 

  A new agenda for higher education transformation will promote gender balance in 
academic  careers  and  study  choice,  as  well  as  integration  of  a  gender  equality 
dimension in curricula by universities. Actions under the new agenda will pay special 
attention to women in decision-making positions at higher education institutions. 
  The Commission will propose dedicated working streams in the European Education 
Area  enabling  framework  to  develop  policy  guidance  on  gender  equality  in 
education  and  training.  This  will  include  guidance  on  how  to  develop  gender-
sensitive  education  processes.  The  Commission’s  work  on  evidence,  studies  and 
analyses supporting the European Education Area will address the gender dimension. 

3.3

  Supporting the green and digital transitions in and through education and training 

42  Cf.  the  2012  Council  Recommendation  on  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning  (2012/C  398/01)  and  its 
recent evaluation, SWD(2020)121. 
43 Council recommendation of 20 November 2008 on the mobility of young volunteers across the European Union, OJ C 319, 
13.12.2008, p. 8 

16 

 
 
                                                 
To  achieve  the  twin  transitions,  the  Commission  recommends  prioritising  actions  to  help 
people  acquire  knowledge,  abilities,  values  and  attitudes  needed  to  live  in,  develop  and 
support  a  sustainable  and  resource-efficient  society  and  economy.  Funding  programmes 
supporting the green and digital transitions, such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility and 
the Just Transition Fund can also be used to support education and training in implementing 
their  main  objectives;  Member  States  are  encouraged  to  carefully  consider  the  possibilities 
and  put  forward  suitable  proposals.  Likewise,  hands-on  digital  experience  in  education  and 
training for all will help people contribute and thrive in a hyperconnected society.  

  The Commission will launch by the end of 2020 an Education for Climate Coalition 
to  mobilise  expertise,  provide  resources  for  networking  and  support  creative 
approaches with teachers, pupils and students. In synergy with the European Climate 
Pact,  it  will  be  a  link  between  bottom-up  initiatives  and  EU  level  action,  supporting 
pledges and concrete actions to change sustainability behaviour across the EU. 

  To help integrate the green transition and sustainability into school, higher education 
and professional training, the Commission will propose a Council Recommendation 
on education for environmental sustainability in 2021. This will provide guidance 
for  schools,  higher  education  institutions  and  teachers  on  how  to  cooperate  and 
exchange  experiences  across  Member  States  on  environmental  sustainability 
education. The Commission will also propose a European Competence Framework 
to  help  develop  and  assess  knowledge,  skills  and  attitudes  on  climate  change  and 
sustainable development, which could be linked to the Council Recommendation.  
  The Commission will promote the greening of education infrastructure. Education 
infrastructure represents  on average 8% of education and training expenditure in  EU 
countries. Nevertheless, most school and many university buildings are not equipped 
to face the demand for new competencies and pedagogies, or they do not meet today’s 
energy standards, and there is a significant potential to improve green areas on school 
premises to encourage interaction and learning. The Commission intends to work with 
the  European  Investment  Bank,  including  through  the  InvestEU  programme,44  to 
enable  Member  States  to  tap  into  all  available  sources  of  financing  both  digital  and 
physical  infrastructures  development  for  education  and  training,  as  well  to  build  the 
capacities needed to benefit from them. 

  The  “Researchers  at Schools”  initiative is  aimed at  bringing  science to  schools, by 
allowing  young  researchers  supported  by  the  Marie  Skłodowska-Curie  Actions  to 
engage  with  teachers  and  pupils  on  climate  change,  sustainable  development, 
digitalisation, health and other issues covered under the European Green Deal. 

  To address the digital skills gap45 in a lifelong learning perspective and strengthen the 
digital  capacity  and  resilience  of  Europe’s  education  and  training  systems,  the 
Commission is proposing today a new comprehensive approach to digital learning and 

44  Proposal  for  a  Regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  establishing  the  InvestEU  Programme 
COM/2018/439 final 
45  Digitalisation  is  a  revolution  for  how  we  live,  teach,  learn,  work  and  communicate.  In  the  European  Education  Area, 
education and training have to become fully digital-proof to make the most of new technologies and teaching and learning 
methods.  At  the  same  time,  Europe’s  education  systems  will  play  a  crucial  role  in  alleviating  the  risks  and harnessing  the 
opportunities of new technologies and artificial intelligence. In 2019, 56% of the EU population aged 16-74 reported to have 
at least basic digital skills, leaving close to a half of the population without the skills for the majority of today’s jobs. 

17 

 
 
                                                 
education  at  the  European  level,  under  the  new  Digital  Education  Action  Plan.  It 
contains  ambitious  actions  addressing  two  strategic  priorities:  promoting  the 
development  of  a  European  digital  education  ecosystem  and  enhancing  digital 
competences and skills for the digital transformation.46  

 

  The forthcoming Digital Europe Programme envisages funding for advanced digital 
skills  in  fields  such  as  artificial  intelligence,  cybersecurity,  high  performance 
computing to support the Member States need for digital experts. 
In  cooperation  with  the  European  Institute  of  Innovation  and  Technology  (EIT) 
and  its  Knowledge  and  Innovation  Communities  (KICs),  and  with  other  parts  of 
Horizon Europe, scale up the workshops on digital and entrepreneurial skills (40,000 
students) and organise short placement schemes for female students in digital and EU 
STEM-related areas in the different economic sectors.  
In  line  with  the  proposals,  the  future  Erasmus  and  European  Solidarity  Corps 
programmes  will  be  greener  and  more  digital.  Virtual  and  blended  mobility  could 
complement  physical  mobility.  Green  and  digital  topics  are  supposed  to  receive 
priority in cooperation projects with their forward looking and strategic character. The 
programmes  would  streamline  the  digital  dimension  within  the  mobility  and 
cooperation  actions and  intend to  support climate-friendly means  of cooperation and 
project  execution.  Further  initiatives  like  incentives  to  carbon-friendly  physical 
mobility travel would complement the measures 

 

3.4

  Enhancing competence and motivation in the education profession 

National  policy  makers  and  experts  stressed  the  potential  for  EU  level  cooperation  to 
strengthen the education profession. On that basis, the Commission will launch a number of 
initiatives to better support the competence development and career paths of teachers, trainers 
and  school  education  leaders,  and  to  support  the  attractiveness  of  the  education  profession.  
These  initiatives  will  help  improve  professional  development  opportunities  and  the 
recognition  of individual competence development  achieved in  different  contexts.  They will 
promote  the  diversification  of  career  opportunities  for  teachers,  trainers  and  school  leaders 
and  benefit  personal,  school  and  system  development.  In  addition,  they  will  improve  the 
quality and number of learning mobility of teachers and embed mobility as an integral part of 
their initial and continuous education. Moreover, these initiatives will encourage cooperation 
between teachers, teacher education providers and research based teacher education. Finally 
yet importantly, these initiatives will support the convening power of teachers to share their 
own experiences and reach out to society, to make their voice better heard. In pursuit of these 
goals: 

  The  Commission  plans  to  launch  Erasmus  Teacher  Academies  within  the  new 
Erasmus Programme in 2021 to create networks of teacher education institutions and 
teacher  associations.  Over  time,  the  Academies  will  create  communities  of  practice, 
notably  on  initial  teacher  education  and  continuous  professional  development  to 

46 One example is the support provided to teachers, pupils and parents by the EU funded European network of Safer Internet 
Centres  in  the  Member  States  and  by  the  EU  betterinternetforkids.eu  portal  with  educational  resources  to  protect  and 
empower minors online. 

18 

 
 
                                                 
inform  national  and  European  teacher  education  policies  and  support  innovation  in 
teachers’  practice.  These  networks  will  provide  teachers  and  students  with  learning 
opportunities  on  pedagogical  matters  of  common  concern.  Dedicated  modules  will 
address  issues  such  as  engaging  in  dialogue  with  society,  education  for  sustainable 
in  multilingual  classrooms.  The  Erasmus  Teacher 
development,  or 
Academies  will  take  advantage  of  structural  partnerships  and  joint  programmes 
between  institutions  and  other  teacher  education  providers  and  associations,  with 
cross-border training and learning as a regular feature. 25 Erasmus teacher academies 
should be developed by 2025. 

teaching 

  The  Commission  will  develop  a  European  guidance  for  the  development  of 
national  career  frameworks  during  2021-2022,  thus  supporting  the  career 
progression of school education professionals. This will be carried out through mutual 
learning between countries as they adapt and put into effect the concept of a coherent 
Framework for School Education Careers.47  

  As  part  of  its  work  on  a  future  mobility  framework  and  in  tune  with  the  Erasmus 
Teacher  Academies,  the  Commission  will  work  together  with  Member  States  and 
stakeholders  a  policy  framework  for  increasing  the  number  and  quality  of 
learning mobility of teachers in Europe based on their actual mobility needs.  

  By 2021 the Commission will establish a European Innovative Teaching Award to 
recognise  the  work  of  teachers  (and  their  schools)  who  make  an  exceptional 
contribution  to  the profession. This initiative will build on good practice such as the 
European  language  label,  the  Jan  Amos  Comenius  prize,  as  well  as  the  eTwinning 
national and European prizes. 

3.5

  Reinforcing European higher education institutions 

Higher education institutions in Europe are at the heart of both the European Education Area 
and  the  European  Research  Area  and  particularly  well  placed  to  connect  them  together.  To 
ensure full synergies between these, the Commission is committed to support Member States 
and higher education institutions in creating a policy framework allowing for seamless and 
ambitious  transnational  cooperation  between  higher  education  institutions  in  Europe. 
This  will build on the experiences of the European Universities alliances selected under the 
Erasmus+ programme also supported under Horizon 2020. 

The  objective  is  to  provide  incentives  for  the  more  than  5.000  higher  education  institutions 
across Europe to adapt to the post-Covid-19 conditions and train the future generations in co-
creating  knowledge  across  borders,  disciplines  and  cultures  for  a  resilient,  inclusive  and 
sustainable society. The Commission will work together with the higher education sector and 
Member States to co-create incentives for an accelerated transformation of higher education 
institutions in Europe in an open and inclusive manner.  

47  As  developed  under  ET2020  –“A  framework  for  teacher  and  school  leader  careers”  of  European  Commission  (2020) 
Supporting  teacher  and  school  leader  careers:  a  policy  guide.  Available  at  https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-
/publication/6e4c89eb-7a0b-11ea-b75f-01aa75ed71a1/language-en  

19 

 
 
                                                 
Such  a  transformation  will  focus  on  connectivity  among  higher  education  institutions,  but 
also  with  their  surrounding  ecosystems  and  society,  so  that  all  four  missions  of  universities 
are covered:  education and research, leading to  innovation and service to  society.  Inclusion 
will  also  be  a  key  objective  to  ensure  accessible  higher  education  institutions,  open  to  a 
diverse  student  and  researcher  body,  and  offering  more  opportunities  for  lifelong  learning. 
Thirdly,  the  transformation  will  address  digital  and  green  readiness  and  resilience  to 
support  universities  in  their  efforts  to  build,  reinforce  and  strengthen  digital  and  green 
capacity and digital tools. In line with the Digital Education Action Plan, it will strengthen the 
digital  skills  and  competences’  needs  of  students,  staff  and  researchers.  Because  higher 
education is key to achieve the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals, 
the transformation will support the integration and mainstreaming of learning and training for 
sustainable development across all disciplines and all levels through an interdisciplinary and 
challenge-based  approach,  of  which  innovation  will  be  a  crucial  component. Apart  from 
innovation linked to research, it is equally important to ensure innovation in student-centred 
learning and teaching and more flexible and modular learning and career pathways. Actions 
under  the  Digital  Europe  Programme  will  support  cooperation  between  academia,  research 
and business in specific digital areas,  with a view to reinforcing these ecosystems to attract, 
train and retrain talents.  

For  this  purpose,  the  Commission  will  launch  this  year  an  online  public  consultation, 
complemented  with  targeted  consultation  events.  This  will  initiate  the  co-creation  of  a 
transformation agenda for higher education by the end of 2021. 

The following concrete initiatives will support this transformation agenda: 

  The  Commission’s  objective  is  to  engage  in  the  full  rollout  of  the  European 
Universities  initiative  under  the  Erasmus  programme  in  synergy  with  Horizon 
Europe, the Digital Europe Programme and other EU instruments. Based on outcome 
of  the  experiences  of  the  European  Universities  alliances  that  started  in  2019  and 
2020,  the  Commission  will  work  together  with  Member  States  and  the  higher 
education  sector  to  optimise  the  vision  of  European  Universities  and  to  address 
concrete obstacles encountered to  allow  Higher  Education sector to  deliver on their 
high ambitions. 

  With  support  of  the  EU  STEM  Coalition,48  the  Commission  will  help  promote  the 
development of new higher education curricula for engineering and ICT based on the 
STEAM49  approach.  In  line  with  the  actions  announced  in  the  European  Skills 
Agenda, it will explore ways and means to make the STEM fields  more attractive to 
women. This will help increase both the gender balance of students and academia staff 
and the pool of skills and competences in this highly needed area. 
In  this  context,  the  Commission  will  also  examine  together  with  the  Member  States 
and  stakeholders  the  development  of  a  European  Degree  that  could  provide  a 
framework  to  ease  the  delivery  of  joint  degrees  of  Universities  alliances  such  as  the 

 

48 The EU STEM Coalition is an EU-wide network supported by the Erasmus Programme that works to build better STEM 
(Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) education in Europe. 
49 See the Staff Working Document.   

20 

 
 
                                                 
European  Universities.  Such  a  European  degree  is  a  foundational  element  to  allow 
students  at  all  levels  and  across  all  disciplines  to  choose  what,  where  and  when  to 
study  within  the  members  of  a  transnational  University  alliance,  following  a 
pedagogical sound guidance.  

  Higher  education  institutions  should  facilitate  a  more  effective  delivery  of  modular 
joint  programmes.  Apart  from  formal  requirements  to  diplomas  issued,  this  also 
concerns  accreditation  and  quality  assurance.  For  its  part,  the  Commission  will 
enhance  the  implementation  of  the  necessary  transparency  tools  together  with  the 
National  Academic  Recognition  Information  Centres,  higher  education  institutions, 
quality  assurance  agencies  and  other  key  stakeholders.  This  work  will  build  on 
successful  Erasmus+  projects  like  the  database  of  external  quality  assurance  reports, 
the  usage  and  promotion  of  the  digital  Diploma  Supplement,  the  creation  of  the  on-
line  course  catalogues  and  databases  of  study  programmes  and  the  development  of 
new  technologies  like  blockchain  to  assist  the  implementation  of  the  automatic 
recognition  for  further  learning.  A  genuine  European  Recognition  and  Quality 
Assurance System will ensure that external quality assurance safeguards the autonomy 
of  higher  education  institutions  and  at  the  same  time  maintains  public  trust  for 
automatic recognition for further learning within  and across Member States. For this 
purpose, the Commission will review the Council and Parliament Recommendation 
on  Quality  Assurance50  in  cooperation  with  the  Member  States  and  the  higher 
education sector.51 
In  close  cooperation  with  Member  States  and  the  higher  education  sector,  the 
Commission will explore the necessity and feasibility of a legal statute for alliances 
of universities such as the European Universities. If justified, actions to facilitate such 
deeper  and  sustainable  cooperation  between  education  institutions  from  different 
Member States may follow from 2023 onwards. Possible action may include solutions 
for  cross-border  cooperation  linked  to  financing,  accreditation,  quality  assurance, 
student and employment relations, and infrastructure management. The possible use of 
existing national and European statutes, such as the European Groupings of Territorial 
Cooperation,  will  be  scrutinised  to  see  whether  they  could  be  fit  for  purpose  with 
adjustments, or whether others solutions would be needed. 

 

-  The  European  Student  Card  Initiative,  identified  in  the  European  Council 
conclusions  of  14  December  2017  as  one  of  the  key  actions  to  further  “promote 
student  mobility  and  participation  in  educational  and  cultural  activities”,  is  an 
important step in achieving the objectives of the European Education Area and making 
it  as  easy  as  possible  for  students  across  Europe  to  be  mobile.  Through  its  two  key 
components, the Erasmus+ Mobile App and the digitalisation of the student mobility 
management,  the  initiative  constitutes  a  real  revolution  for  the  simplification  of  the 
way  universities  manage  the  student  mobility.  By  creating  a  digital  one-stop-shop 
through the Erasmus+ Mobile App, students will have an easy and secure access to 
all  the  information  and  services  they  need  before,  during,  and  after  their  mobility 

50 Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2006 on further European cooperation in 
quality assurance in higher education, OJ L 64, 4.3.2006, p. 60 
51  Qualifications  frameworks,  credit  systems,  quality  assurance  instruments  that  make  the  skills,  competences  and 
qualifications of learners understandable and comparable. 

21 

 
 
                                                 
 

 

abroad.52  They  will  be  able  to  apply  for  a  mobility,  choose  the  courses  to  follow, 
receive  automatic  recognition  of  credits  earned  abroad,  get  faster  access  to  services 
such as library, transport, accommodation and have an easy access to information on 
events and activities organised by the local union of students or local branches of pan-
European  student  organisations.  Contributing  to  the  goals  of  the  European  Student 
Card  initiative53,  a  framework  for  trustworthy  exchange  of  identification  data  across 
borders  in  line  with  the  eIDAS  Regulation  on  electronic  identification  and  trust 
services will be enabled by the EU Student eCard platform.  

The initiative aims at making the management of mobility easier, more efficient and 
greener for higher education institutions. It will digitalise all the administrative steps 
and  connecting  universities’  various  interoperable  IT  systems  across  the  Erasmus+ 
programme countries, eventually achieving a paperless Erasmus+ mobility and in full 
respect  of  General  Data  Protection  Regulation.  The  initiative  also  promotes  a  strong 
European  student  identity  by  enabling  universities  to  add  a  ‘European  Student’ 
hologram and unique card number to their existing student cards so that their mobile 
students can access student services and discounts while abroad. With the support of 
the Erasmus programme, Digital Europe and Connecting Europe Facility programmes, 
the  Commission  will  start  a  gradual  rollout  of  these  services  starting  with  Erasmus 
students in 2021, with the aim of benefitting all mobile students in Europe by 2025. 
In  line  with  the  Council  Recommendation  on  promoting  automatic  mutual 
recognition  of  higher  education  and  upper  secondary  education  and  training 
qualifications and the outcomes of learning periods abroad54, a qualification awarded 
in  one  Member  State  should  be  valid  in  any  other  Member  State  for  the  purpose  of 
accessing  further  learning  activities.  For  this  purpose,  the  Commission  will  continue 
providing  support  to  the  Member  States  for  putting  in  place  the  conditions  that  will 
make  automatic  mutual  recognition  possible  by  2025.  This  also  entails  close 
cooperation with  the  National Academic Recognition  Information  Centres (NARIC), 
supported  by  the  Erasmus+  programme.  Erasmus+  has  funded  the  creation  of  a 
Technical  Support  Team  for 
the 
implementation of automatic recognition. It will provide assistance to the recognition 
network  with  capacity  building,  trainings  and  sharing  of  best  practices  on  automatic 
the 
the  Commission  will  report  on 
recognition.  In  2022, 
implementation  of  the  Council  Recommendation,  based  on  Member's  States 
contributions. 

the  NARIC  network 

that  will  encourage 

the  progress  of 

  Under  the  Skills  Agenda,  the  Commission  will  support  Member  States  and  higher 
education  institutions  using  the  standard  European  tools  available  in  Europass  to 
issue  authentic  digital  credentials,  including  digital  diploma  and  micro-credentials. 

52 As a result of the successful piloting phase started in 2018, currently over 2000 higher education institutions are involved 
in the testing of the digital mobility management; the Erasmus+ Mobile App has been downloaded and installed more than 
85.000 times; and around 2.3 million European Student Cards have been produced with the European Student Hologram.  
53 Commission Communication on Strengthening European Identity through Education and Culture - The Commission’s Contribution to the 
Leaders meeting in Gothenburg COM(2017) 673 final  
54 Council Recommendation of 26 November 2018 on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper 
secondary education and training qualifications and the outcomes of learning periods abroad, OJ C 444, 10.12.2018, p. 1 

22 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
Digital  credentials  issued through common European tools can facilitate recognition, 
make admission and recruitment processes more efficient and reduce fraud. 

the  European  graduate 

  Feedback from the graduates after they finish their education is essential for ensuring 
that  the  knowledge,  skills  and  competences  acquired  by  students  are  of  high  quality 
and relevant for today's and tomorrow's world of work. The feedback from surveys is 
useful not only for universities who can adapt their curricula and teaching, but also for 
policy makers aiming to improve employability of graduates, tackling skills gaps and 
skills mismatch and  promoting  social  inclusion,  accessibility  and  mobility,  and 
support higher education institutions in developing their curricula. This is the essence 
of 
the  2017 Council 
recommendation  on  tracking  graduates.55  The  initiative  has  seen  many  countries 
establish  or  enhance  their  mechanisms  for  monitoring  the  study  and  employment 
outcomes of graduates. In 2022, the Commission will take stock of progress made in 
implementing  the  recommendation,  with  the  expectation  to  see  80%  take-up  by  the 
end  of  2024.  To  enhance  the  European  dimension,  the  Member  States  have  been 
working  collaboratively to  ensure  comparability  of  data  and  many  of  them  will  be 
surveying  graduates  with  a  jointly  agreed  set  of  questions  in  order  to  be  able  to 
compare results. The Commission expects to achieve European-wide implementation 
of graduate  tracking  by  2025.  This  initiative  could  not  only  help  universities  but 
inform the design of EU policies to support higher education institutions in developing 
the right skills for the green transition. 

initiative,  set 

tracking 

in 

  Horizon Europe and the European Institute of Innovation and Technology will have a 
key  role  in  supporting  the  research  and  innovation  dimension  of  the  European 
Universities alliances and building knowledge ecosystems. In addition, data-intensive 
analytics  and  machine  learning  should  play  their  role  in  support  of  decision-making 
and  learning  in  the  European  Education  Area,  while  respecting  data  protection  and 
privacy  standards.  In  synergy  with  the  European  Research  Area,  and  with  support 
from  the  European  Institute  of  Innovation  and  Technology,  the  Commission  will 
launch  initiatives  to  bolster  the  education  and  training  contribution  to  Europe’s 
innovation capacity.  

3.6

  Education as part of a stronger Europe in the world  

The European Education Area can contribute to the geopolitical goals of the European Union 
by strengthening its links with the rest of the world. International cooperation should play a 
stronger role to support education systems in partner countries.  

In order to strengthen the role of education in EU external policies, also in view of the Covid-
19 pandemic,  the following actions could be envisaged:  

  Action  at  EU  level  should  be  geared  towards  creating  a  Team  Europe  approach, 
fostering  greater  cooperation  with  EU  Member  States  on  the  external  activities  of 
thereby 
education  and 

in  different  parts  of 

the  world 

institutions 

training 

55 Council Recommendation of 20 November 2017 on tracking graduates, OJ C 423, 9.12.2017, p. 1 

23 

 
 
                                                 
strengthening the positioning the EU as a partner in education at global  level56. 
This  would  be  implemented  in  respect  of  the  EU  competences  and  the  decision-
making procedures, including the voting rules, established by the EU Treaties. The EU 
by  itself  is  a  relatively  small  player,  but  the  EU  and  its  Member  States  account  for 
more than half of all international cooperation to education, including basic education, 
secondary  education,  VET  and  higher  education.  Education  and  training  therefore 
have an integral role as a convener of Team Europe. This includes a closer alignment 
of  European  international  cooperation  actions  on  education,  including  the  Erasmus+ 
programme  and  the  EU  contribution  to  global  education  initiatives,  with  the  EU 
priorities  at  bilateral,  regional  and  global  level.  The  EU  will  also  continue  helping 
children affected by humanitarian crises to have access to safe, quality, and accredited 
primary  and  secondary  education  through  education  in  emergency  projects.  The  EU 
will be promoting equality in access to quality education at all levels by maintaining 
funding for education in emergencies at 10% of the humanitarian aid budget. Such an 
approach  can  create  stronger  synergies  between  education  and  the  rest  of  the  EU 
partnership agenda. 
In  addition  to  physical  mobility,  the  EU  should  support  the  digital  path  of 
internationalisation  of  education  providers,  in  particular  higher  education  and 
vocational training institutes, by increasing digital opportunities of staff, teachers and 
students including through online courses and blended learning models. 

 

  The  EU  should  also  strengthen  cooperation  with  strategic  global  partners  (e.g., 
China,  Japan,  US),  while  better  safeguarding  the  Union’s  interest,  know-how  and 
values, and promoting reciprocity and level playing field. 

  An  expanded  international  dimension  of  the  Erasmus  programme  could  be  a 
major  tool  to  foster  the  global  dimension  of  the  European  Education  Area.  The 
Erasmus programme should be increasingly used in a targeted way to attract talent to 
EU  higher  education  institutions  and  to  use  the  alumni  networks  to  strategically 
engage with young and future leaders in partner countries. Strong emphasis should be 
placed on cooperation with the neighbourhood and particularly with Africa, supporting 
the  implementation  of  the  EU’s  comprehensive  Africa  strategy  contributing  to  the 
region’s  economic  recovery  by  supporting  the  ongoing  process  of  reforming 
education, training and research systems. 

  The Commission will further open up to the world actions such as Erasmus Mundus 
Joint  Master  Degrees  to  strengthen  international  partnerships  and  ensure  that 
European  higher  education  becomes  ever  more  attractive.  This  should  help  further 
promote  the  internationalisation,  attractiveness  and  global  competitiveness  of 
universities in Europe.  

International  milestones  will  include  increasing  participation  in  mutual  learning  and 
cooperation arrangements. In addition to the ongoing participation of those European Free 
Trade  Association  countries  that  are  members  of  the  European  Economic  Area57,  also  the 

56  Joint  Communication  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the 
Committee of the Regions: Communication on the Global EU response to COVID-19, JOIN(2020) 11 final 
57Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are fully associated (programme countries status) to the Erasmus+ programme (2014-
2020).   

24 

 
 
                                                 
Western Balkans should be fully associated to the European Education Area and the Erasmus 
programme58, in accordance with the applicable conditions and procedures.  

4  AN ENABLING FRAMEWORK TO ACHIEVE THE EUROPEAN EDUCATION AREA BY 2025 

For the European Education Area to become a reality by 2025, an enabling framework will 
be put in place.  

4.1

  Tasks of the European Education Area enabling framework  

The  enabling  framework  will  help  achieve  the  European  Education  Area  in  the  following 
ways: 

  First,  it  will  enable  Member  States,  the  EU  and  the  wider  education  and  training 
community to deliver on initiatives put forward in this Communication to achieve the 
European Education Area. Based on strengthened guidance  from  the Council, it will 
boost flexible cooperation methods and strengthen synergies  with  other initiatives in 
education  and  training,  including  the  European  Research  Area  and  the  Copenhagen 
and  Bologna  Processes.  In  addition  to  the  European  Education  Summits  and 
engagement  actions  under  the  European  Education  Area  and  the  Digital  Education 
Action  Plan,  such  as  the  Education  for  Climate  Coalition  or  the  Digital  Education 
Hackathon, the Commission will promote regular outreach activities and campaigns to 
foster stakeholders’ engagement at local and regional level. 

  Second,  the  enabling  framework  will  identify  targets  and  indicators  to  guide  and 
monitor  progress  towards  the  European  Education  Area.  Besides  tracking 
progress  on  existing  targets,  it  is  necessary  to  develop  with  all  stakeholders  a  new 
approach  to  indicators  and  targets  for  the  European  Education  Area  along  its  six 
dimensions.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  work  with  Member  States  and  wider 
education  and  training  community  to  collect  comparable  evidence  and  develop 
indicators  with  a  view  to  fostering  evidence-based  policymaking  in  achieving  the 
European Education Area.  

  Third, the enabling framework will foster integration of education and training in the 
European  Semester  to  reinforce  Member  States’  capacities  to  recover  from  the 
Covid-19 crisis. The European Semester will set the broader context in which progress 
toward  achieving  the  European  Education  Area  will  be  reviewed  alongside  other 
social and economic policies. It will also bring on board evidence and analysis on how 
education and training interact with other policies, to help inform the country specific 
recommendations. In cooperation with the Council, the Commission will explore new 
options for voluntary Member State input into the Semester, such as through voluntary 
peer reviews. The enabling framework will be key to guiding funding support through 
the  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  and  the  Commission’s  Technical 
Support Instrument (former Structural Reform Support Programmes). The significant 
funding  available  through  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  will  in  addition 

58 North Macedonia and Serbia are already fully associated (programme countries status) to the Erasmus+ programme (2014-
2020). 

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provide  major  support  to  education  reforms  and  investments  in  education,  from 
infrastructure  and  construction  to  trainings,  digital  devices  or  the  funding  for  open 
educational resources.  The Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy 2021 has highlighted 
the need for unprecedented investments in upskilling and reskilling and made this one 
of the seven flagship investments. 

  Fourth,  the  enabling  framework  will  lay  the  groundwork  for  setting  up  a  fully-
fledged governance framework for the European Education Area by 2025, while 
fully  respecting the Member States responsibility  for the content of teaching and the 
organisation of their education systems. This new governance framework will require 
a  high-level  political  steer  to  take  decisions  in  a  complex  ecosystem.  For  this  to 
happen,  the  new  governance  framework  should  strengthen  the  EU’s  strategic 
objectives and help connect to global initiatives, including those in the UN or OECD 
contexts.  It  should  bring  increased  efficiency  and  effectiveness  for  ministries  and 
experts  when  it  comes  to  their  engagement  at  EU  level.  And  finally,  it  should  help 
foster  effective  solutions  and  policy  reforms  on  the  ground.  Linked  to  this,  the 
Commission will help intensify work on investment as part of the European Education 
Area.  This  will  include  fostering  debate  at  high-level  political  fora,  such  as  joint 
exchanges between EU finance ministers and EU education ministers, as well as with 
other  institutions,  such  as  the  European  Investment  Bank  and  the  European 
Parliament. At technical level, an expert group on quality investment in education and 
training will support this process, helping to maintain focus on national and regional 
investment. The Commission will also provide specific support to local, regional and 
national authorities to facilitate mutual learning, analysis and sharing of good practices 
on investment in education infrastructure.  

4.2

  Description of the enabling framework 

In  the  period  until  2025,  the  Commission  proposes  that  the  European  Education  Area 
enabling framework maintains all the tried and tested mutual learning arrangements of 
the  ET  2020,  such  as  the  working  groups,  Directors-General  formations,  peer  learning 
instruments, with funding support in particular from the Erasmus programme. Other relevant 
governance bodies, such as the Advisory Committee on Vocational Training, should also be 
involved.  

To rise to the increasingly complex and fast-moving demands of digital society and economy, 
the European Education Area enabling framework will facilitate engagement and interaction 
within the wider education ecosystem, favouring a good balance between online and face-to-
face meetings.  

The main features of this enabling framework would be: 

  The  Council  is  invited  to  organise  regular  joint  discussions  between  the  Education, 
Youth,  Culture  and  Sport  Council  and  other  Council  configurations  to  help  take  a 
whole  of  government  approach  to  education  and  training,  and  to  strengthen  the 

26 

 
 
contribution  of  education  and  training  to  the  EU  political  priorities59,  while  support 
work on education within the European Semester. 

  A  Steering  Board  for  the  European  Education  Area  to  take  stock  and  ensure 
momentum  of  all  these  initiatives  leading  to  the  achievement  of  the  EEA.  Its 
composition and working methods should be defined with Member States by the end 
of June 2021. 

  Enhanced  structured  work  between  the  Commission,  the  Member  States  and  with 
stakeholders  to  co-create  policy  and  funding  actions,  including  through  bottom-up 
initiatives and stronger use of EU funds. 

  A permanent European Education Area Platform as a public gateway to its actions and 
services. The Platform will ensure transparency and access to information, and provide 
an  easy-to-access  space  with  information  on  the  enabling  framework  activities  and 
outputs.  The  Platform  will  also  include  an  interactive  platform  to  support  Member 
State and stakeholder cooperation and exchanges.   

4.3

  Tracking progress 

Evidence shows that EU targets leverage educational issues on the national agenda and foster 
the  monitoring  of  progress.  They  are  key  reference  points  for  the  European  Semester  and 
guiding EU funding. As a means to continue tracking progress on education and training, the 
Commission  proposes  a  set  of  targets  to  be  reached  by  2030,  coinciding  with  the  SDGs 
timing. The time scale provides Member States with the time needed for the introduction and 
implementation  of  the  necessary  policy  reforms  and  investments,  and  for  their  impact  to 
become visible.   

These targets should be based on internationally comparable data, based on individual country 
aggregates and an EU weighted average. They shall be monitored in a sex-disaggregated way. 
The Commission invites the Council to set the commitment for the EU as a whole to achieve 
the following targets by 203060: 

  The share of low-achieving 15-year-olds in reading, mathematics and science should 

be less than 15%. 

  The share of low-achieving eight-graders in computer and information literacy should 

be less than 15%.  

  At  least  98%  of  children  between  3  years  old  and  the  starting  age  for  compulsory 

primary education should participate in early childhood education. 

  The share of people aged 20-24 with at least an upper secondary qualification should 

be 90%. 

  The  share  of  30-34  year-olds  with  tertiary  educational  attainment  should  be  at  least 

50%. 

59 Including the Future of Europe Conference, the European Green Deal, the European Pillar of Social Rights and the UN 
Sustainable Development Goals. 
60 The Staff Working Document lays out the data sources for these targets.  

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In addition, as presented in the Skills Agenda, by 2025, 50% of the adult population in the EU 
should participate in learning every year. 

The  proposed  European  Education  Area  targets  and  those  on  adult  learning,  VET  and 
the  Council 
employability  presented 
Recommendation on Vocational Education and Training complement and mutually reinforce 
each other, while covering the full spectrum of education and training. The Commission will 
regularly  review  progress  toward  these  sets  of  targets  and,  where  necessary,  propose  their 
extension and revision for 2030.  

the  Skills  Agenda  and 

the  proposal  for 

in 

The  Commission  will  publish  the  European  Education  and  Training  Monitor  every  year  to 
review the situation in achieving the European Education Area across all sectors of education 
and  training.  The  Monitor  will  include  country  profiles,  progress  on  the  EU  targets,  taking 
into  account  EU  and  country  objectives  and  offering  a  compass  for  policy  reforms.  It  will 
consistently  analyse  data  by  gender,  socio-economic  status,  special  educational  needs,  and 
minority or migrant background. 

The  European  Education  Area  targets  should  be  accompanied  by  a  range  of  analytical  and 
peer-learning  tools,  which  will  measure  progress  through  internationally  comparable  and 
regularly  gathered data.  Monitoring of education and training in  the EU  will also  consist  of 
other  quantitative  and  qualitative  indicators,  as  well  as  studies  and  research  results.  The 
Commission  will  work  with  the  Member  States,  experts,  stakeholders  and  international 
partners  to  develop  indicators  in  areas  which  are  not  covered  by  existing  international  data 
collections, but which emerged as priority objectives of the European Education Area. 

To take stock of progress toward achieving the European Education Area by 2025, debate the 
following steps and give fresh impetus, the Commission will publish a European Education 
Area  Progress  Report  in  2022  and  organise  a  mid-term  review  event  together  with  the 
European  Parliament  in  2023.  A  full  report  from  the  Commission  on  the  European 
Education Area will follow in 2025. 

5  CONCLUSION  

As presented in this Communication, the success of the European Education Area shall hinge 
on  the  legacy  of  cooperation,  a  renewed  commitment  to  pursue  common  objectives,  and  a 
robust framework to make it happen and become a reality by 2025. The Commission invites 
the  Council  to  endorse the  six  dimensions  underpinning  the  European  Education  Area,  its 
means  and  milestones,  and  its  proposed  enabling  framework  until  2025.  The  European 
Education  Area  provides  a  perspective  for  the  future  of  education  and  training  in  the 
European Union. It identifies key issues and sets out ways forward in line with the principle 
of subsidiarity and in full respect of Member States’ competences for education and training 
at  national,  regional  and  local  level.  Education  and  training  will  be  a  key  driving  force  for 
achieving a recovery geared on the Green and Digital transitions. Furthermore, work on the 
European Education Area will help contribute to the geopolitical positioning of the EU and its 
Member States.  

The Commission is fully committed to achieving the European Education Area by 2025 and 
calls  upon  the  other  European  institutions,  Member  States,  the  education  and  training 

28 

 
 
community and all those for whom education matters, to join forces and rejuvenate together 
the power of education to shape a sustainable and generous world. 

29