COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the Action Plan on Basic Skills
Date: 2025-03-05
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: action programme, cooperation in the field of education, education, education policy, general education, organisation of teaching, professional qualifications, school results, vocational education, vocational training

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  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 5.3.2025  COM(2025) 88 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS on the Action Plan on Basic Skills  
 
 
Action Plan on Basic Skills 

1. Why we need to take action 

Europe’s competitiveness and  social cohesion start with  strong basic skills. Basic  skills 
underpin other competences, such as creativity and critical thinking, as well as further learning, 
upskilling  and  reskilling  among  adults.  They  are  crucial  for  innovation,  to  generate  new 
knowledge  and  adapt  it  to  a  changing  environment.  Proficiency  in  reading,  numeracy  and 
science skills1, but also in digital and citizenship skills is vital for a person to develop as an 
individual, navigate the complexities of everyday life and a rapidly changing job market and 
participate fully in society, democratic life and the economy. Basic skills form the foundation 
for  individuals  to  become  independent,  better  informed  and  prepared,  engaged  and  active 
citizens, thus contributing to safeguard our democracy and fundamental values, in a context of 
rising  political  polarisation,  eroded  trust  in  institutions  and  increasing  information 
manipulation.  Missing  out  on  these  skills  is  not  just  a  loss  for  the  individual  but  for  our 
European societies.  

Too many EU countries have been grappling with declining levels of basic skills among 
pupils for decades. Approximately one in three 15-year-olds struggles to understand and apply 
mathematics  in  real-life  situations  and  learning  environments,  and  one  in  four  fails  to 
understand basic texts or apply simple scientific knowledge2. Compared to Canada, Japan, the 
United Kingdom and the US, the EU has a lower top performance rate in reading and science, 
and the second lowest in mathematics, seriously threatening the EU’s innovation capacity and 
long-term  competitiveness.  Problems  start  early,  with  too  many  primary  school  pupils 
struggling,  and  too  few  excelling  in  reading,  math  and  science3.  No  less  than  43%  of  eight 
graders  underachieve  in  basic  digital  skills4  and  most  countries  show  a  decline  or  no 
improvement compared to previous years. In global comparison, the EU lags well behind the 
best-performing Asian economies. Moreover, several EU countries recorded a decline in the 
civic knowledge of eighth graders from 2016 to 20225. 

Insufficient basic skills in vocational education and training (VET) and among adults are 
equally concerning. The gap between VET students and those in general secondary education 
is pronounced in mathematics and reading. This aggravates the persistent shortage of qualified 
VET  graduates  in  certain  STEM  occupations.  One  in  five  working-age  adults  in  the  EU 
struggles with reading and writing, and the gap in basic skills between the lowest- and highest-
performing adults has widened within countries.6 Even though 90% of all jobs require at least 
basic digital skills, only 56% of the EU adult population has that level of digital skills or above7 
– falling significantly short of the 2030 target of 80%8.  

1 As measured by the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment (PISA).  
2 OECD (2023), PISA 2022 Results (Volume I), The State of Learning and Equity in Education, PISA, OECD 
Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/53f23881-en. 
3  IEA  (2023),  Trends  in  International  Mathematics  and  Science  Study;  IEA  (2021),  Progress  in  International 
Reading Literacy Study. 
4 IEA (2023), International Computer and Information Literacy Study. 
5 IEA (2022), International Civic and Citizenship Education Study. 
6 OECD (2024), Do Adults Have the Skills They Need to Thrive in a Changing World?, Survey of Adult Skills 
2023, OECD Skills Studies, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/b263dc5d-en. 
7 Eurostat 2023. 
8 Digital Decade policy programme. 

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Member  States  need  to  take  urgent  action  to  address  the  basic  skills  gap.  In  2024,  the 
Council adopted in the context of the European Semester country-specific recommendations to 
15 EU Member States to improve basic skills levels. This Action Plan responds to both the 
declining performance in basic skills among pupils and adult learners and the calls for a greater 
emphasis on basic skills in the Draghi9 and Letta10 reports, which underline the need to focus 
on all stages of education and all generations, also in the context of a shrinking labour force 
due to demographic trends.  

The plan is a key initiative of the Union of Skills and complements the STEM Education 
Strategic  Plan.  It  proposes  concrete  short-  to  medium-term  steps  for  the  EU  and  Member 
States to provide solutions to improve basic skills and promote excellence, from early years to 
school education and adult learning. 

2. The basic skills set 

Literacy 

The ability to understand, use, evaluate, reflect orally and in writing using 
visual, audio and digital materials across disciplines and contexts.  

Mathematics 

The capacity to reason mathematically and to formulate, use and interpret 
mathematics  to  solve  problems  in  real-world  situations  and  make  well-
founded judgements and decisions based on data.  

Science 

Digital 

The ability to engage with science-related issues and ideas as a reflective 
individual.  This 
requires  skills  such  as  explaining  phenomena 
scientifically,  evaluating  and  designing  scientific  enquiries,  and 
interpreting data and evidence.  

The  confident,  critical  and  responsible  engagement  with  digital 
technologies  for  learning,  working  and  participating  in  society.  This 
includes  information  literacy,  communication,  media  literacy,  digital 
content creation, online safety and digital well-being. 

Citizenship 

The ability to act responsibly and participate fully in civic life, grounded 
in an understanding of social, economic, legal and political structures. This 
involves understanding and evaluation of civic and democratic concepts, 
institutions  and  processes,  including  democracy,  media  literacy,  crisis 
preparedness and respect of others and freedom of speech. 

Source: OECD: PISA 2022 Assessment and Analytical Framework, PISA 2018 Assessment and Analytical Framework and 
PISA 2015 Assessment and Analytical Framework (for literacy, math, and science); 2018 Council Recommendation on key 
competences for lifelong learning (for digital and citizenship); IEA (2023), International Computer and Information Literacy 
Study (for digital); IEA (2022), International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (for citizenship). 

Basic  skills  are  the  foundation  of  the  key  competences  for  lifelong  learning.11  Raising 
overall basic skills levels is both about increasing top performance, and about ensuring that all 

9  The Draghi report (2024): A competitiveness strategy for Europe. 
10 The Letta report (2024): Much more than a market – Speed, Security, Solidarity Empowering the Single Market 
to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU Citizens. 
11 2018/C 189/01 

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learners, including those with disabilities and from a disadvantaged background, leave school 
with sufficient basic skills and that adults reach an adequate level of proficiency.  

Literacy  is  foundational  for  all  learning.  Early  language  development  greatly  determines 
future reading ability, yet more and more children start school with limited proficiency in their 
native language or the language of schooling. Reading is shifting from traditional paper-based, 
long texts, to digital, shortened content, reducing readers’ attention span. Education systems 
need to consider how different media impact literacy development while actively promoting 
engagement with more complex texts to foster literacy.  

Mathematical skills are essential for everyday life in our technology-rich world. They are 
the  basis  of  logical  and  abstract  thinking.  These  skills,  including  financial  literacy,  enable 
individuals to make informed decisions based on data, and help them to develop a measured 
approach  to  risk-taking  and  empower  citizens  to  make  well-informed  financial  decisions 
throughout life, in addition to improving their prospects in the labour market. Poor proficiency 
may  result  in  low  up-take  of  STEM  studies  and  careers.  Advancements  in  technology, 
educational  research  and  societal  needs  have  led  to  more  emphasis  on  learners’  problem-
solving  abilities  and  critical-thinking  skills,  encouraging  them  to  understand  and  apply 
mathematical  concepts,  rather  than  just  memorising  formulas. The  increasing  use  of  digital 
tools  in  mathematics  highlights  the  growing  connection  between  mathematical  and  digital 
literacy. 

Science  skills  are  essential  for  critical  thinking  and  problem-solving  and  are  the 
cornerstone  for  more  advanced  STEM  education  and  careers.  Developing  scientific 
thinking and capabilities early facilitates later achievement in these strategic domains. Solid 
scientific literacy is  also  necessary for a successful  green transition.  Moreover, in  an era of 
ever-increasing information manipulation, it is crucial for individuals to develop strong science 
skills  to  critically  evaluate  information,  separate  fact  from  fiction  and  draw  evidence-based 
conclusions.  Science  education  should  reflect  technological  developments,  as  well  as 
emphasise  interdisciplinarity,  critical  thinking  and  problem-solving  through  inquiry-based 
learning and real-world challenges.  

A wider notion of basic skills  

Widening the basic skills set is essential to address the challenges of our rapidly evolving 
societies and economies. As technology increasingly impacts life and work, it is essential to 
give digital skills the same priority as others. At the same time, it is vital to foster citizenship 
skills early to strengthen and uphold democratic values. 

Digital skills are crucial in modern society and everyday life. They are also instrumental in 
developing more advanced STEM skills, which are crucial for competitiveness, while media 
literacy is key for active and informed citizenship.  There is a growing need for skills in areas 
such  as  cybersecurity  awareness,  artificial  intelligence,  machine  learning  and  big  data.  In 
addition,  remote  working  and  learning  have  raised  expectations  for  proficiency  in  digital 
collaboration tools, including effective and safe communication online.  

Citizenship skills and civic knowledge are essential for fostering active participation in 
democratic  societies  but  not  equally  developed  everywhere.  Rapid  technological 
advancements coupled with rising polarisation and the spread of dis- and misinformation, make 
cultivating  citizenship  skills  early  on  more  crucial  than  ever.  Female  students  consistently 

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demonstrate  higher  civic  knowledge  than  males,  and  students  from  higher  socio-economic 
status  backgrounds  score  significantly  better.  Thinking  independently,  understanding 
democratic processes, respecting diversity and being aware of sustainability empower people 
to fully participate in civic and social life and exercise their rights and responsibilities.  

3. Focus areas for improving basic skills development  

Urgent efforts are needed to tackle the alarming decline in basic skills development. The 
EU is moving further away from its target of less than 15% of 15-year-olds underachieving in 
basic skills. Focusing on the critical factors that drive the decline and on strong policy levers 
is crucial to ensuring meaningful change and swift improvement. 

Socio-economic  background  continues  to  be  the  strongest  predictor  of  student 
performance.  Underachievement  in  literacy,  mathematics  and  sciences  is  alarmingly  high 
among disadvantaged students (e.g. 48% in math), and the socio-economic gap continues to 
widen,  also  in  digital  skills.  Students  with  a  migrant  background  or  with  disabilities  are 
particularly  vulnerable.  In  many  EU  countries,  the  COVID-19  pandemic  exacerbated 
educational inequalities and severely impacted students’ well-being, which directly affects their 
motivation and capacity to learn. Additional efforts are needed to strengthen basic skills and 
promote equity and well-being by keeping grade repetition to a minimum, delaying curricular 
tracking and limiting ability grouping. 

Acute  teacher  and  trainer  shortages,  in  particular  in  STEM  subjects,  have  a  negative 
impact on learning outcomes. The teaching workforce is ageing, as fewer teachers enter the 
profession.  The  profession  is  unattractive  in  most  EU  countries  and  across  disadvantaged 
territories. Further policy action is required to improve teacher training, raise the attractiveness 
of the profession and ensure that novice teachers receive the support they need, including to 
address underachievement.  

Declining parental involvement in recent years poses a significant risk to student success, 
particularly among disadvantaged students. PISA shows that supportive home environments 
are crucial for fostering positive student attitudes to school. Education systems that maintained 
or  increased  parental  engagement,  e.g.  parents  who  discussed  their  child’s  progress  with  a 
teacher on their own initiative, have seen better performance, notably in mathematics. 

Digital distraction is emerging as a major threat to academic performance. The pervasive 
influence of social media is of particular concern: around 30% of students in OECD countries 
are often distracted by digital devices during maths lessons, which significantly affects both 
academic performance and well-being. Although effectively integrating technology through a 
moderate use of digital resources for learning purposes can improve a student’s performance, 
overuse can have detrimental effects and digital distraction should be minimised. 

Prioritising  basic  skills  development  often  clashes  with  overloaded  curricula.  In  many 
systems, curricula have regularly been expanded in response to new societal demands, leading 
to neglected basic skills. Striking a better balance between curriculum breadth and focus on 
basic skills is therefore of paramount importance to improving educational outcomes. 

Gender  differences  impact  learning  outcomes.  Girls  outperform  boys  in  reading  and  are 
more likely to be among the top performers in all EU countries. However, boys tend to be the 
top  performers  in  mathematics.  Societal  expectations  and  gender  stereotypes  can  play  a 

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significant role, leading to gender differences in career expectations and influencing subject-
specific  attitudes,  motivation  and  academic  performance. Additionally,  teaching  styles  and 
classroom environments can affect boys and girls differently, highlighting the need for gender-
sensitive teaching approaches. 

Access  to  quality  early  education  and  care  varies  significantly  across  and  within 
countries.  This  has  profound  individual  and  societal  consequences,  particularly  for 
disadvantaged  children.  Staff  shortages,  inadequate  professional  development  and  poor 
working  conditions  remain  pressing  challenges,  especially  in  disadvantaged  territories.  A 
quarter of European education systems still lack a national curriculum for pedagogical work 
with young children. Early experiences are crucial, in particular for building socio-emotional 
skills,  which  are  essential  for  resilience,  well-being,  motivation,  learning  outcomes  and 
lifelong-learning capacity. However, socio-emotional difficulties among children are signalled 
ever more, with attention problems and poor impulse control increasingly hampering school 
readiness.  

In  VET,  resource  shortages  and  curriculum  limitations  negatively  impact  the 
development of basic skills. Underperforming students often choose or are directed to VET 
programmes  with  curricula  that  tend  to  privilege  vocational  skills  over  basic  skills.  VET 
schools  frequently  have  fewer  resources,  including  financing,  qualified  teachers  and 
technological resources and are not focused on remediation of gaps in basic skills.  

Progress on basic skills for adults requires successfully getting to the ‘hardest to reach’ 
groups,  who  are  at  significant  risk  of  exclusion.  Many  of  these  adults  have  had  bad 
experiences  with  school-based  learning,  leaving  a  ‘scarring  effect’,  or  face  multiple 
disadvantages. The low level of participation of low-qualified, disadvantaged and unemployed 
adults in learning activities underscores the need for well-designed policies to support those at 
the highest risk of exclusion from the labour market. Successful policies often take a holistic 
approach, bringing together multidisciplinary services to support people, including housing, 
health, employment services and parental or carer support12.  

4. Tackling the root causes 

Urgent efforts are required to support the 18 million underachieving pupils and the 47.7 
million low-qualified adults (aged 25-64) in the EU. So far, policy guidance, cooperation 
opportunities,  funding  and  technical  support  have  consistently  supported  Member  States  in 
improving quality and equity of education and training systems and promoting basic skills. The 
Council  Recommendation  on  Upskilling  Pathways13  resulted  in  some  progress,  but  further 
efforts are required to tackle the problem more effectively. The Council Recommendation on 
Pathways  to  School  Success14  provided  a  policy  framework  for  action.  It  highlights  whole-
school  approaches,  targeted  support,  supportive  learning  environments  and  well-being  at 
school. However, more needs to be done, focusing on three main areas: 

i. 
ii. 
iii. 

boosting basic skills teaching and learning. 
supporting educators. 
enabling supportive environments. 

12 COM(2023) 439 final 
13 2016/C 484/01 
14 2022/C 469/01 

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4.1. Key action: Piloting a Basic Skills Support Scheme 

The  Basic  Skills  Support  Scheme  will  aim  to  address  basic  skills  deficiencies  among 
children. The Commission will work with Member States and regions to define together the 
right  pathway  so  that  every  child  can  reach  an  adequate  level  of  basic  skills  by  the  end  of 
compulsory schooling. The Support Scheme would propose a framework of effective measures, 
focusing on early intervention and individual, tailor-made support, from school to initial VET. 

To pilot the Basic Skills Support Scheme, focus will be on proven measures, tailoring them to 
the country-specific situation and needs. The measures may include: 

•  Early identification mechanisms and regular monitoring at national, local and school 
levels,  including  individual  assessment  of  basic  skills  and  offers  of  suitable  remedial 
courses,  particularly  at  key  transitions  in  a  pupil’s  educational  career,  including  when 
transitioning to VET programmes. 

•  Development of basic skills improvement plans at school level, including extra learning 

time and personalised support, with tutoring and mentoring programmes.  

•  Mainstreaming basic literacy and digital skills teaching in initial teacher education across 

all subjects. 

•  Professional development opportunities for teachers in school and vocational education, 
with focus on pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities; creating specialist 
roles, such as school mediators and home school liaison officers to strengthen collaboration 
between schools, learners, parents and the community. 

•  Programmes to support parents in promoting and encouraging their children’s learning, 
developed in cooperation with other sectors, such as health, migration and child protection. 
•  Partnerships  and  collaboration  between  regional  and  local  authorities,  educational 
agencies, professionals, businesses and other stakeholders to give a structured and real-
world exposure to the diverse application of basic skills.  

 Commission action to pilot a Basic Skills Support Scheme in partnership with Member 

States 

•  Pilot a Basic Skills Support Scheme in 2026.  
•  Draw  up  guidelines  for  policymakers  in  2025  as  a  preparatory  step  for  the  Support 

Scheme. 

The Commission invites Member States: 

•  To declare their interest in working with the Commission on piloting the Basic Skills 

Support Scheme using available EU funding.  

•  To  set  national  targets  for  low  achievement  and  top  performance  with  a  focus  on 

disadvantaged pupils. 

4.2 Boosting basic skills teaching and learning 

Boosting  basic  skills  teaching  and  learning  will  improve  learners’  success,  educational 
outcomes  and  well-being.  Learning  from  schools  and  practices  that  have  successfully 
improved basic skills and educational outcomes is essential for other schools facing challenges 
with  low  performance.  Innovative  approaches  increasingly  use AI  to  help,  in  particular  in 
designing  personalised  pathways  for  learning  and  assessment.  This  can  benefit  both 
underachievers  and  top  performers.  Specific  attention  should  be  paid  to  developing  strong 
literacy skills that are closely linked to proficiency in other basic skills and are a foundation for 

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all  learning.  Helping  all  learners  develop  literacy  skills  is  crucial,  including  those  from 
disadvantaged and migrant backgrounds and those with disabilities. 

Motivating adults to learn is challenging due to reluctance and limited opportunities. This 
challenge  is  particularly  acute  as  concerns  upgrading  basic  skills  after  poor  experiences  of 
initial education. However, the rapid pace of change and the fact that people will spend around 
four decades in the labour market after formal schooling make it urgent to find ways to reach 
these groups. As outlined in the Union of Skills, the roll out of Individual Learning Accounts 
(ILA), is essential for adult upskilling and reskilling, including for the low-skilled. ILA aims 
to become a universal entitlement for all adults, regardless of employment status15.  

Commission action to boost basic skills teaching and learning 

•  Pilot the first European School Alliances through the Erasmus+ programme in 2026. 
This will boost strategic European cooperation in school education, serving as testbeds 
for innovative teaching methods, curricula and competence frameworks, particularly for 
basic  skills.  The  Alliances  will  support  participating  schools  in  becoming  learning 
organisations  for  effective  basic  skills  teaching,  including  in  cooperation  with  local 
authorities. 

•  Develop  guidelines  for  curriculum  development  in  early  childhood  education  and 
care, which support the acquisition of basic skills early on and facilitate early detection 
and intervention of developmental delays. 

•  Develop guidelines and best practices on advancing the assessment of digital skills 
in education in 2026 to help compare standards of digital skills assessments in schools 
across the EU. 

•  Pilot  innovative  approaches  for  personalised  learning  pathways  in  basic  skills 
development through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, building on 2026 
Erasmus+  policy  experimentations,  to  support  top-performing  and  underachieving 
learners. 

•  Update the Digital Competence Framework (DigComp) in 2025, taking into account 
new technologies such as General Purpose AI, to support learners in developing basic 
and advanced digital skills.  

•  Develop guidelines on enhancing basic skills in VET through: (i) integrating literacy, 
numeracy, digital, and citizenship skills in VET curricula; (ii) using effective teaching 
methods  such  as  problem-solving  and  scenario-based  learning;  (iii)  implementing 
appropriate assessment and quality assurance measures. 

•  Create  a  toolkit  for basic skills, including  basic  digital skills,  in apprenticeships  in 
2026 to provide hands-on guidance for VET schools and employers to integrate basic 
skills in their apprenticeship programmes. 

4.3. Supporting educators 

Educators  and  school  leaders  at  all  levels  are  key  to  improving  basic  skills.  Making 
teaching  more  attractive  and  tackling  acute  shortages  is  vital  for  raising  basic  skills  levels. 
Given the key role of early years development for learning and school success, educators in 
early childhood education and care need to be trained to support children’s oral communication 

15 2022/C 243/03 

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and socio-emotional learning to create the foundations for basic skills. It is crucial for teachers 
at  all  levels  to  have  access  to  research-informed  initial  teacher  education  and  continuous 
professional development tailored to basic skills and sustained over time. Investing in coaching 
and  mentoring  for  teachers,  especially  when  they  enter  the  profession,  is  effective  for 
improving  their  teaching  practice.  In  addition,  school  leaders  must  make  further  efforts  to 
integrate literacy and digital education into all subjects.  

Commission action to support educators 

•  Set  out  an  EU  Teachers  and  Trainers  Agenda  in  2026.  It  will  focus  on  improving 
educators’  working  conditions,  training  and  career  prospects,  including  in  early 
childhood education and care. It will aim to break the vicious circle of low attractiveness 
and sustainability of careers, which has led in particular to a shortage of STEM teachers 
and a drop in basic skills. 

•  Set up, in 2025, a new community of practice of Erasmus+ Teacher Academies – the 
European partnerships between teacher education institutions and training providers – 
on the European School Education Platform. The action will foster collaboration among 
the 43  Erasmus+ Teacher Academies to  identify  and disseminate relevant, applicable 
knowledge  and  share  innovative  practices  to  amplify  high-quality  teacher  training, 
including on basic skills. 

•  Pilot  a  mentoring  system  for  early  career  teachers  in  all  subjects  by  2026  to 

effectively integrate basic skills development into their teaching practices. 

•  Promote job shadowing for education policymakers through Erasmus+ in 2026, which 
will  increase  their  learning  mobility,  including  to  countries  with  high  scores  in 
international assessment tests. 

•  Expand  EU  online  communities  for  educators  (European  School  Education 
Platform, including eTwinning) in 2025, which reach 400,000 participants, providing 
better professional learning opportunities, evidence-based tools, material and resources 
on  effective  basic  skills  teaching  and  assessment.  Provide  high-quality  material  for 
educators,  parents,  teachers  and  youngsters,  including  on  cybersecurity,  through  the 
Better Internet for Kids initiative. 

•  Promote high-quality learning material on digital skills by practicing teachers through 

the EU Code Week activities, aiming at 100,000 activities per year.  

4.4. Enabling supportive environments 

Parents, families and the broader community, including employers, play a pivotal role in 
developing the basic skills of children, young people and adults. Parents and families are a 
child’s  first  educators,  introducing  language,  numbers  and  social  norms  through  everyday 
interactions, shaping children’s cognitive and emotional development and instilling habits for 
further  learning.  Involving  the  wider  community  (including  youth  organisations,  libraries, 
museums, cultural and sport organisations, after-school clubs and companies) extends learning 
further by offering experiential learning, real-world uses, observation of role models and access 
to resources. This multi-stakeholder engagement is particularly crucial given the persistent link 
between  socio-economic  background  and  educational  outcomes.  Promoting  strong 

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collaboration  between  stakeholders  to  support  inclusion  is  a  priority  in  the Action  Plan  on 
Integration and Inclusion, the EU Roma strategic framework and the Strategy for the Rights of 
Persons with Disabilities. 

Further  approaches  are  crucial  to  stimulate  adults  to  engage  in  learning  activities,  in 
particular  in  familiar  and  trusted  environments  (such  as  libraries  and  community,  cultural, 
sports, health and social inclusion centres). The workplace and public employment services, 
including  tailored  career  guidance,  can  also  play  important  roles.  Ensuring  adequate  public 
infrastructure  –  venues,  equipment  and  appropriate  personnel  –  is  essential  to  boost  local 
initiatives  that  create  more  learning  opportunities  around  the  needs  of  low-skilled  adults 
through various partnerships. 

Commission action to enable supportive environments 

•  Engage  volunteers  under  the  European  Solidarity  Corps  in  2026  for  mentoring  and 
tutoring  activities  for  underachieving  children  and  adults  as  part  of  the 
‘Volunteering Teams in High Priority Areas’ strand. The programme will recruit a 
diverse group of volunteers to assist and inspire children in their academic and social 
development  while  also  promoting  intergenerational  solidarity  by  enriching  the 
experiences of both the volunteers and the children they mentor. 

•  Launch  an  EU  literacy  coalition  in  2026,  involving  governments,  businesses  and 
libraries, to create a community around literacy, raise awareness about the literacy crisis 
and encourage young people, in particular boys, to read for pleasure. 

•  Organise  peer-learning  activities  for  Member  States  on  innovative  community 

learning spaces to help develop adults’ basic skills. 

5. How we will make it happen 

The  Action  Plan  reaffirms  the  EU’s  commitment  and  ambition  to  support  quality 
education  for  all.  Building  on  the  Council  Recommendation  on  Upskilling  Pathways16,  the 
Council  Recommendation  on  establishing  a  European  Child  Guarantee17  and  the  Council 
Recommendation  on  Pathways  to  School  Success18,  it  aims  to  support  Member  States  in 
accelerating reforms and driving significant advancements in young people’s and adults’ basic 
skills for a transformative leap forward. 

Coordination  among  Member  States  will  be  further  strengthened  including  through  an 
additional focus on basic skills in the European Semester’s follow-up of education and skills 
reforms, by setting and monitoring strategic targets on basic skills at EU level and through the 
future European Skills Intelligence Observatory. 

The implementation of the Action Plan will be integrated in the Union of Skills  governance 
structures. As relevant, it will take into account the recommendations of the Digital Decade 
Board on digital basic skills, as well as of other relevant bodies. Under the current multiannual 
financial framework, it will continue to draw on the Cohesion Policy Funds, the Recovery and 
Resilience Facility, Erasmus+, the Technical Support Instrument (TSI), InvestEU and Horizon 
Europe. Future EU funding will continue to support investments in education and skills 

16 2016/C 484/01 
17 2021/L 223/14 
18 2022/C 469/01 

9 

 
 
 
at  EU  level.  Leveraging  best  practices,  pilot  projects,  and  lessons  learned  at  the  EU  level, 
alongside  improved  coordination  with  European  policy  priorities,  will  maximise  the  added 
value of investments in sectors critical to European competitiveness. 

The Commission invites the European Parliament, the Council and social partners to endorse 
the Action  Plan  on  Basic  Skills  and  to  actively  support  and  contribute  to  delivering  on  its 
initiatives. 

10