19.12.2012   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 393/1

1.

The Council conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (‘ET 2020’) (1), which set the goal of diminishing the share of low achievers in basic skills (reading literacy, mathematics and science) to 15 % by 2020.

2.

The Council Resolution of 20 December 2011 on a renewed European agenda for adult learning (2), which aims to improve adult literacy and numeracy levels and to broaden learning provision for low-skilled Europeans.

1.

Literacy is a crucial life competence which empowers the individual citizen to develop capacities of reflection, oral expression, critical thinking and empathy, boosting personal development, self-confidence, a sense of identity and full participation in a digital and knowledge economy and society.

2.

Low literacy levels hold back economic growth and reduce its sustainability. The economic benefits to Member States of reaching the EU’s target of reducing the low performance in reading of 15-year-olds to below 15 % can be considerable.

3.

Levels of literacy remain stagnant in most European countries and no less than 1,1 million 15-year-olds (i.e. one in five) have inadequate literacy levels (6).

4.

Literacy is the gateway to all further learning. Addressing low literacy levels is an effective way to combat the root causes of early school leaving, unemployment and limited participation in lifelong learning for the low-skilled.

5.

Increasing digitisation requires ever higher standards of literacy, including the ability to assess texts critically, to deal with multiple forms of text, to decode images and to compare and integrate disparate pieces of information. In addition, social media networks have raised the importance and visibility of writing competences.

6.

A considerable gap in learning outcomes exists in all European countries between socio-economically advantaged and disadvantaged pupils. In many EU countries pupils in the bottom quartile of social status lag more than two or even three years behind students coming from the top quartile, while in a few countries disadvantaged students tend to be considered as functional illiterates by the age of 15.

7.

There is a significant and widening gap between boys’ and girls’ performance in reading as measured at age 15, equivalent to around one year between them, the underlying cause of which is motivational.

8.

In the field of vocational education and training, there is insufficient support in some cases for improving basic skills and for understanding the importance of literacy in relation to work skills.

1.

Literacy is not solely an educational issue, but also a personal, economic, cultural and social one. Accordingly, and in order to create broad ownership, a range of players in society — including businesses, media, NGOs, social partners, providers of non-formal learning, cultural institutions, as well as social, employment and health services at local level — need to be involved in any initiatives to improve literacy levels.

2.

Creating a literate environment to promote reading and to improve literacy performance requires increased availability of diverse reading materials in schools, libraries and media centres, but also in unconventional locations, as well as at home, and requires more support for families from a very early age. Parental awareness needs to be raised of the issue and of the crucial role which parents can play in improving children’s literacy skills and supporting motivation and engagement with reading, both in early childhood and throughout a child’s schooling.

3.

It is urgent to increase the effectiveness of measures taken within Member States and at EU level with the aim of improving literacy among children and adults, in particular those with socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. There is evidence to show that family literacy programmes are cost-efficient and highly effective.

4.

Participation in high quality early childhood education and care which provides play-based language development and stimulation managed by qualified staff is essential for reducing socio-economic gaps and giving young children a solid foundation for later life.

5.

Early childhood education and care staff and primary teachers should have the necessary competences to detect and address language and learning difficulties at an early stage.

6.

The pedagogical competences of primary school teachers in the teaching of reading and writing, for instance in the pedagogical use of ICT, need to be strengthened, where appropriate. In addition, supporting teachers in secondary schools to teach literacy across all subjects and, where relevant, promoting access to expert advice for all teachers, will help to consolidate and achieve further progress.

7.

The impact of new technologies on literacy has not been fully exploited by education systems. Reviewing learning materials and methods in the light of increasing digitisation, and supporting teachers in the use of new pedagogies can reinforce the motivation of learners.

8.

Language and literacy assessment for newly arrived migrant children and adults in the language(s) of the country of residence should be encouraged, along with more individualised support for such groups. Support in the language of origin could also be provided, where considered appropriate, and as resources allow.

9.

A more coherent literacy curriculum, including mainstreaming literacy across the school curriculum and developing an adult literacy curriculum, should be supported by distinct age-related standards and assessment tools, together with effective quality assurance.

10.

Monitoring skills levels in the adult population and engaging businesses, media, NGOs, social partners, cultural institutions, as well as social, employment and health services at local level, should form the basis for strategies aimed at increasing awareness of literacy problems in society as a whole.

11.

Diversifying and improving the quality of adult literacy provision requires tailored pedagogical training for adult literacy teachers; a curriculum closely linked to work-relevant skills and supported by appropriate materials; adequate length and intensity of courses; ICT support and assessment methods.

1.

Ensure an effective evidence base through monitoring and data collection, making maximum use of existing resources, such as PISA and PIAAC surveys.

2.

Develop approaches to improving literacy that combine specific contributions from all relevant actors and organisations and authorities, educational and non-educational, as part of broader skills strategies; and, where relevant, strengthen cooperation on literacy initiatives between local, regional and national authorities, social partners and teachers’, parents’ and adult learners’ representatives.

3.

Encourage the adoption of broadly based awareness-raising measures in order to keep the literacy issue in the public eye and to break the taboo of poor literacy skills at all ages. In particular, employers could be made more aware of the motivational and economic gains of improving the literacy skills of their employees, and encouraged to take appropriate action.

4.

Promote the development and implementation of family literacy programmes, particularly in the case of socio-economically disadvantaged families, in order to support parents and other family members in improving both their own and their children’s literacy skills.

5.

Promote generalised equitable access to high quality early childhood education and care as an essential contribution towards reducing socio-economic gaps.

6.

Keep learning materials and methods under review in the light of increasing digitisation, in order to support learner motivation, and make greater use of non-formal learning resources. Promote the development of software for schools, in order to help teachers devise new approaches to improving literacy.

7.

Encourage the development of clear guidelines on the competences teachers need in order to teach reading and writing, both in schools and to adult learners, promoting individualised teaching approaches in response to specific needs.

8.

Raise awareness and knowledge among teachers of the theoretical foundations of literacy learning and teaching, so as to enable them to detect and deal with their pupils’ reading and writing difficulties; and promote the availability of expert advice and, where appropriate, the support of specialised teachers.

1.

Report on their actions to improve literacy levels at all ages and, where possible, on the impact of those actions in the next Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (‘ET2020‘) in 2015.

2.

Use all the relevant actions of the current Lifelong Learning Programme and the future EU programme in education and training, as well as the resources of the European Social Fund, to support and disseminate innovative approaches to improving literacy attainment across the EU, and to reinforce the evidence base for future policy making. Without prejudice to the outcome of the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework, support more strategic and cross-sectoral actions on literacy under the future EU education and training programme, in order to stimulate innovation and improve the effectiveness of policy measures.

3.

Ensure, where appropriate, that literacy issues are adequately covered within the Europe 2020 process.

1.

Support European cooperation on literacy issues, notably by developing a European network of organisations working in this field in the Member States, with a view to promoting transnational cooperation and supporting the development of national literacy policies; and organise, together with interested Member States, a Europe Loves Reading week aimed at raising public awareness of literacy issues across the EU.

2.

Present in 2013 a report on policy cooperation on basic skills, outlining effective policies for reducing the share of low achievers in literacy, mathematics and science across the entire lifelong learning spectrum, and emphasising both reading and writing skills and competences.

3.

Ensure that Commission initiatives on ICT in education, as well as in the youth field, fully address the challenges and opportunities of digitisation and new technologies in relation to literacy.

4.

Facilitate the identification, analysis and sharing of good practices on policy initiatives to improve literacy performance by all appropriate means, including the instruments available under the open method of coordination and the new literacy page on the Europa website.

5.

Use the periodical Education and Training Monitor to provide comparative data and analysis on progress towards the ‘ET 2020’ benchmark on basic skills and to reinforce the evidence base for policy making on literacy.

6.

Use the new framework for cooperation with the OECD (7) in the field of education to strengthen the availability of national monitoring and data collection.

19.12.2012   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 393/5

1.

The debate on education and Europe 2020 held during the informal meeting of education ministers in Nicosia on 4-5 October 2012.

2.

The pilot peer review of education and training policy responses organised on 17 September 2012, which focused on higher education and vocational education and training as two of the key areas whose importance was emphasised during the 2012 European Semester.

3.

The public debate on the education and training issues raised in the course of the 2012 European Semester, which was held during the European Education, Training and Youth Forum on 18-19 October 2012.

4.

The efforts to improve empirical evidence and analytical capacity through the Education and Training Monitor.

5.

The organisation of a joint thematic review between the Education Committee and the Employment Committee on 18 April 2012.

1.

In the field of education and training, the country-specific recommendations issued by the Council on 10 July 2012 focus specifically on promoting access to good-quality pre-school and school education; reducing the number of early school leavers; facilitating the transition of young people from education and training to the labour market; improving educational outcomes and the relevance of skills to labour market needs; reinforcing vocational education and training, with a focus on work-based training and apprenticeships; modernising higher education with an emphasis on reducing drop-out rates; and improving access to education for disadvantaged groups.

2.

Encouraging, but uneven, progress was made between 2010 and 2011 towards the EU headline target of tertiary or equivalent attainment and early school leaving, and that continued efforts are indispensable in order for this target to be met by 2020, allowing for the fact that reforms in education and training often need time to work through.

1.

Even at a time of scarce financial resources, efficient and adequate investment in growth-friendly areas such as education and training is a key component of economic development and competitiveness, which in turn are essential for job creation.

2.

Efficient investment in education and training can be even more important during periods of economic difficulty and at a time of high youth unemployment. Once the crisis is over, an increased supply of high quality graduates from both higher education and vocational education and training (VET) can substantially boost growth prospects, foster innovation and help avert a future crisis.

3.

Competence and skills levels of both young people and adults in many areas need to be continuously and thoroughly adapted to the changing needs of the economy and the labour market. The employability of people should therefore be promoted both in education and training systems and at the workplace, as a joint public and private sector responsibility in the context of lifelong learning.

4.

It is crucial to the attainment of the Europe 2020 objectives to prepare European citizens to be motivated and self-sustained learners able to contribute to promoting sustainable economic growth and social cohesion over a long period.

5.

Education and training systems should aim to facilitate the transition from education to work, to strike an appropriate balance between theory and practice and, where relevant, to strengthen links between education and training and the labour market. Learning should better reflect new realities and, where appropriate, include elements of practical training which can contribute to improving the employability of students and other learners.

6.

The education and training sector, including at ministerial level, should play a more prominent role both in defining common approaches and objectives relating to education and training, as well as in implementing the education and training aspects of the European Semester of Europe 2020:

1.

Develop and implement, in accordance with national and regional priorities and needs, reforms aimed at tackling the challenges addressed in the country-specific recommendations in the field of education and training.

2.

Target efficient investment in education and training as part of the broader strategy for economic recovery, growth and jobs, including through EU programmes and the European Structural Funds.

3.

Make efforts, together with the relevant stakeholders, to improve the recruitment, professional development and overall status of school teachers, school leaders and teacher trainers, so as to increase the quality of teaching and of the learning environment, as well as to enhance the attractiveness of these professions.

4.

Include more work-based elements in education and training programmes, particularly in the field of VET, including by means of traineeships and apprenticeships; set up structures of cooperation between VET institutions, enterprises, social partners and local and regional authorities; and increase the attractiveness of the VET sector, including by diversifying options within VET and providing more guidance during lower secondary education.

5.

Promote flexible pathways between VET and higher education in the context of national qualifications frameworks.

6.

Widen participation in higher education and VET, for instance by targeting measures towards under-represented groups, by introducing flexible learning modes and by developing, where not yet in place, professionally or vocationally oriented higher education as complementary to university education.

7.

Provide better targeted student support and guidance, with a view to helping students to complete a higher education degree in the time foreseen.

8.

Link education and training priorities defined within the Europe 2020 Strategy and the ‘ET2020’ framework to expenditure from the European Structural Funds under the current and future Multiannual Financial Framework.

1.

Evaluate the recent pilot peer review exercise and present, on this basis, proposals for a discussion on possible future peer-learning events and peer reviews linked to the Europe 2020 objectives.

2.

Present to the Council a draft ‘ET2020’ work programme, with a view to ensuring the implementation of the priority areas for the second ‘ET2020’ work-cycle 2012-2014 and of the country-specific recommendations, where relevant. The work programme should specify for each priority area the planned action, timing and involvement of OMC working groups.

1.

Ensure — without prejudice to the negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework — that the reform needs highlighted in the country-specific recommendations are taken into account in the choice of investment priorities and interventions programmed under the future Common Strategic Framework of the European Structural Funds.

2.

Better coordinate the work of Eurydice and other relevant networks, such as Cedefop’s ReferNet, with a view to analysis of Member States’ education and training systems and of the reforms being carried out within the Europe 2020 process.

19.12.2012   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 393/8

1.

that culture with its inherent elements of creativity and innovation is a value in itself. It has a significant public value and contributes to the achievement of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth as set out in Europe 2020 strategy and its flagship initiatives (1);

2.

the objectives assigned to the European Union in the field of culture by Article 167 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union;

3.

that cultural policy is of a horizontal nature and therefore transversal cooperation across sectors and between the different levels of governance is required;

4.

that there is a need to turn the numerous challenges faced by cultural and creative sectors, including a rapidly changing environment driven by the digital shift and globalisation, into new growth and jobs opportunities, which requires action to be taken at different levels of governance;

5.

that powerful dynamics take place at the borderlines between cultural and creative sectors and that significant benefits result from establishing links and partnerships across sectors; therefore there is a need to adopt holistic approaches to cultural governance;

6.

that ‘cultural governance’ should be understood both as a method for delivering cultural policies as well as a tool for deepening the integration of culture into the public policy agenda by coordinating cultural policies with other sectoral policies;

7.

the importance of the open method of coordination used for the implementation of the Council Work Plan for Culture (2) which is one of the means of cultural governance at the European level.

—

to support an evidence-based approach to cultural policy-making at a national, regional and local level, making use, wherever appropriate, of evaluation and impact assessment instruments that take account not only of quantitative but also of qualitative indicators;

—

to promote cultural policy-related aspects in other policy areas;

—

to promote collaboration and networking between cultural and educational institutions, research centres and cultural and creative enterprises in order to collect and process research results and disseminate them among policy-makers;

—

while making the best use of the existing structures, to seek to ensure that those research results are taken into account, if appropriate and relevant, by government departments and relevant public administration bodies, when designing their research and formulating their sectoral policies.

—

stimulate the exchange of experiences, foster the dissemination of best practice in the area of cultural policy and promote synergies between Member States as regards academic research relating to culture and cultural governance;

—

designate contact points responsible for pooling together and coordinating prospective studies and research in Ministries responsible for Culture or in other public bodies in charge of cultural policies as well as in the Commission, and encourage their networking at European level;

—

deploy, as soon as possible, the common statistical framework and methodology developed by ESSnet-Culture with a view to producing reliable, comparable and up-to-date information on the social and economic impact of culture and creative sector, and continue to work on future priorities on the basis of recommendations issued by ESSnet-Culture (4);

—

promote the continued development of comparable statistics on culture by Eurostat, in collaboration with national statistical institutes (5) and the Ministries responsible for Culture or other public bodies in charge of cultural statistics;

—

promote exchange of experience and initiate work, with the participation of Eurostat, on ‘satellite accounts’ (6) on culture which will help the assessment of the contribution of culture to the economy, with particular attention to cultural employment.

—

strengthen cross-sectoral and interministerial cooperation on cultural matters and develop multi-layered integrated strategies involving all governance levels;

—

encourage local and regional authorities, in the framework of local and regional development policies, to integrate cultural and creative sectors into their smart specialisation strategies  (8) and to establish for this purpose effective partnership between civil society, the business sector and public authorities;

—

encourage joint undertakings between public and private stakeholders to bring sustainability to investments in cultural and creative sectors, while favouring a better mix of hard (infrastructures) and soft (human capital) investments;

—

promote a participatory approach to cultural policy-making by enhancing partnerships between public cultural institutions and civil society and by stimulating participation of civil society through appropriate dialogue and consultation.

—

continue supporting cooperation and exchange of best practice between experts from Member States, including through the open method of coordination, and promoting structured dialogue with relevant stakeholder groups;

—

continue to develop cross-sectoral cooperation within the Commission to fully exploit the potential of the cultural and creative sectors to promote smart growth, social cohesion and intercultural dialogue in Europe, and make full use of existing impact assessment procedures to mainstream culture in all relevant EU policies and actions.

—

make full use, wherever appropriate, of existing and future funding programmes at EU level, including in the field of research and innovation (9);

—

work jointly on a mid-term review and on the final report of the Work Plan for Culture 2011-14 and to develop monitoring methods to measure its implementation;

—

share regularly and at an early stage information about EU policies and actions with direct or indirect impact on cultural issues and policies in order to ensure an effective European and national coordination; for this purpose it invites the COMMISSION to report about its relevant initiatives, including those in its annual work programme, to the Cultural Affairs Committee, and the FUTURE PRESIDENCIES to report on the work carried out by other Council preparatory bodies;

—

designate contact points responsible for pooling together and coordinating prospective studies and research by the end of 2013;

—

work together to ensure that these conclusions are acted upon.

—

take stock of the implementation of these conclusions in 2015  (10).

19.12.2012   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 393/11

—

the EU Agenda for the Rights of the Child (2) which sets as one of its objectives the achievement of a high-level of protection of children in the digital world, while fully upholding their right to access the Internet for the benefit of their social and cultural development;

—

the importance of the Safer Internet Programmes through which the EU since 1999 has coordinated and supported efforts to make the Internet a safer place for children, as well as the crucial role of Safer Internet Centres;

—

the Digital Agenda for Europe (3) the actions of which aim, inter alia, at enhancing media literacy (4), in particular digital competence (5), e-inclusion, as well as at encouraging technological innovation and job creation, thus contributing to the digital single market;

1.

the continued relevance of its conclusions of 2011 on the protection of children in the digital world (6) in which it invited Member States, the Commission and industry to take actions to create a safe online environment for children, as well as to adopt necessary measures to combat illegal content, such as child sexual abuse images;

2.

the adoption of Directive 2011/93/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (7), which Member States have to implement;

3.

that since the Council conclusions of 2011 and the Directive 2011/93/EU cover actions extensively under the 3rd and 4th pillar of the European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children, these current conclusions will concentrate mostly on the issues raised under the 1st and 2nd pillars of the European Strategy;

4.

that these conclusions and those of 2011 are complementary and constitute an overall response of the Council to the European Strategy proposed by the Commission;

1.

the establishment, on the initiative of the Commission, of the ‘Coalition to make the Internet a better place for kids’ and its work plan to deliver progress and results in five areas of action (reporting tools, age-appropriate privacy settings, content classification, parental control, take down of child abuse material) (8);

2.

the Commission proposals for a Regulation establishing the ‘Connecting Europe Facility’ (9) and for a Regulation for trans-European telecommunications networks (10) which envisage funding for the Safer Internet services infrastructure, both at European and national levels;

3.

the Commission proposals for a Regulation establishing the ‘Horizon 2020’ (11) which envisages funding for research, inter alia, in areas associated with the interaction of children and the Internet and for a Regulation establishing ‘Erasmus For All’ (12) which envisages funding for media and digital literacy initiatives in education;

4.

the Commission’s call for Member States to appoint a national digital champion whose work aims at promoting the benefits of an inclusive digital society (13);

5.

the Council of Europe’s work under its Internet governance strategy (2012-15) with regard to protecting and empowering children online;

6.

the very positive achievements and practices of existing national level projects, supporting similar aims such as the creation of quality content online for children, or the protection of minors via for example control, awareness and empowerment tools;

1.

the interactive and ubiquitous nature of the Internet offers many opportunities for the development of media literacy, in particular digital competences, which support critical thinking, analytical skills, innovation and creativity. Developing media literacy, in particular digital competences, is important for children to safely adapt to constantly evolving new technologies, and more generally to shape their world in a safe and creative way;

2.

the long-term effects on our societies of not investing enough in policies affecting children may be profound (14), which highlights the necessity to address the particular needs and vulnerabilities of children online, and to make the Internet a place of opportunity for all the children of Europe regardless of ethnic, cultural and social background, and for children with disabilities and special needs, with the aim of narrowing the currently existing digital gaps;

3.

it is important to coordinate the implementation of activities launched under the European Strategy at both national and European level, while promoting a multi stakeholder interaction involving notably children, government departments, competent institutions, NGOs and industry; an example of reinforced cooperation at the European level is ensuring continued and more intensive coordination of the work done within the EU funded network of Safer Internet Centres in the Member States;

4.

self-regulation is important because the Internet is a fast changing environment requiring flexibility to avoid restricting its growth potential and ability to adapt; however to be effective, self-regulation needs to be independently monitored and evaluated as well as closely combined with awareness and empowerment initiatives;

1.

children are exposed to the Internet from an augmenting variety of devices and at an increasingly younger age, but they do not find sufficient quality content appropriate for their age;

2.

the term ‘quality online content for children’ should be understood as the content that benefits children in some way — for example by increasing their knowledge, skills and competences with special emphasis on creativity — in addition to being attractive and usable to them, reliable and safe, and if relevant, content that makes advertising or commercial communication clearly recognisable as such (15);

3.

the availability of quality online content for children can increase children’s better use of the Internet and can significantly facilitate the penetration and active use of broadband Internet in EU households (16) and vice versa;

4.

increasing consumers’ (children, parents and educators) awareness, confidence and trust in using content across different countries and devices could reduce the fragmentation of the digital single market, while respecting the linguistic and cultural specificities of each Member State;

5.

promotion, production and dissemination of quality online content requires dynamic and close cooperation between public and private content producers, experts in child internet safety (for examples NGOs and online safety centres), internet service providers, and those who have a role in educating children (for example parents and teachers), as well as children themselves;

1.

encourage innovation through the use of open source software and open standards to produce quality online content by and for children by supporting projects and initiatives, including the development of interoperable platforms, allowing access to such content;

2.

rate quantitative and qualitative aspects of online content through the development of age ratings and content classification systems (including classification based on user satisfaction and expert reviews) that are reliable and comparable across different countries and devices, while allowing for culturally based differences across Member States;

3.

look into ways of dealing with the language barrier when creating quality online content such as through improved machine translations, thus contributing to the creation of the digital single market;

—

to enable children to use the Internet safely, it is necessary, on the one hand, to address the issue of technical tools that make safe navigation on the Internet possible, and on the other hand, to equip children with the appropriate knowledge, skills and competences to allow them to deal with the online environment in an effective and responsible way;

—

the education sector as well as parents have an important role to play in helping children to exploit opportunities offered by the Internet in a beneficial and creative way, as well as identify and deal with risks encountered on the Internet. However, it is also recognised that teachers and parents themselves need support and training not only to keep up with the fast and unpredictable changes in children’s virtual lives, but also the constantly evolving new technologies;

1.

step up the implementation of strategies to include the teaching of online safety and digital competences in schools, encourage the use of the Internet across school subjects and in this respect support adequate teacher training;

2.

reinforce parents’ and children’s acquisition of digital competences in the context of informal and non-formal learning, including in youth organisations through adequately trained youth workers;

3.

actively support participation of children when developing national and pan-European awareness campaigns, legislation or other measures and activities, with an impact on children’s online activities, for instance by continuing the support to the national Youth Panels operated by the Safer Internet Centres;

4.

further develop media literacy, in particular digital competences, and promote awareness-raising at national and pan-European level;

5.

support public-private partnerships to step up awareness and empowerment, emphasising the opportunities offered by the Internet, at national and EU level, reaching parents and children across all social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, including children from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds and children with special needs;

6.

continue to provide evidence and understanding of the behaviours of children online and of the impacts of services and technologies on children’s use of the Internet;

7.

improve parental control tools so that they work efficiently on any device and are interoperable and available in as many languages as possible, and to develop strategies to make parents aware of the existence of parental control tools, having regard to children’s right to privacy, information and freedom of expression;

8.

coordinate a common minimum standardised reporting of harmful content categories and performance criteria for reporting procedures in order to make them comparable, transparent and usable across different countries and devices;

9.

provide the necessary support for setting up, deploying and monitoring of effective reporting of harmful content and follow-up mechanisms, to strengthen cooperation within the industry and with government agencies, NGOs and hotlines and to ensure the use of mechanisms and relevant platforms and devices necessary for international cooperation;

10.

implement and execute existing self-regulatory initiatives on online advertising and keep them updated on new forms of advertising;

11.

implement privacy by default settings and to develop and implement effective ways of informing children and parents about their online privacy settings;

12.

further develop self-regulatory initiatives on online advertising;

1.

the CEO Coalition to present to the Council its final report, expected for January 2013;

2.

the Commission to provide frequent feedback and information on progress regarding the actions contained in the European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children, particularly in relation to benchmarking and evaluation processes to be carried out in order to evaluate the implementation of the European Strategy;

3.

the Commission and the Member States, without prejudice to the negotiations on the multiannual financial framework 2014-20, to make appropriate use of existing and future EU funding programmes for achieving the goals of the European Strategy for Better Internet for Children in all four pillars and of these conclusions.

19.12.2012   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 393/15

1.

Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) refers to respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities as core values of the European Union. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail (1);

2.

Article 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) provides for European Union action to be aimed at encouraging the participation of young people in democratic life in Europe;

3.

the Resolution on a renewed framework for European cooperation in the youth field (2010-2018) (2) refers to the promotion of young people’s active citizenship and social inclusion of all young people among its overall objectives, and identifies participation and social inclusion as two of its eight fields of action. The Resolution sets out that recognising all young people as a resource to society, and upholding the right of young people to participate in the development of policies affecting them by means of a continuous structured dialogue with young people and youth organisations, are among the guiding principles that should be observed in all policies and activities concerning young people;

4.

Europe 2020 puts forward three mutually reinforcing priorities based on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. As part of its flagship initiative, European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion, it specifically references, the need to ensure social and territorial cohesion such that the benefits of growth and jobs are widely shared, and that people experiencing poverty and social exclusion are enabled to live in dignity and take an active part in society. It also references the area of Youth as a key domain within which the Youth on the Move initiative is tasked with enhancing the performance of education systems, both formal and non-formal, and to facilitate the entry of young people to the labour market.

5.

these conclusions target all young people with emphasis on those with a migrant background (3).

6.

active participation of young people covers all areas affecting young people's lives, as well as active involvement in democratic processes;

7.

social inclusion of young people entails access to services such as health, formal education and non-formal and informal learning, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), culture, housing, social services and employment, regardless of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation;

8.

racial, ethnic, cultural and religious diversity is a central feature of the European Union. Mobility and migration have been a major source of diversity; in 2011 there were 20,5 million third-country nationals, generally referred to as immigrants in the EU context, living in the EU, amounting to some 4 % of the total EU population and 12,8 million EU citizens living in another Member State than their own, representing 2,5 % of the EU27 population (4);

9.

the age of immigrants varies across the Member States. More than half in 2011 were between 20 and 34 years of age (5);

10.

the negative effects of the economic and financial crisis on growth and employment are particularly affecting young people with fewer opportunities. In particular, the European Union youth unemployment rate has reached the troubling levels of over 20 %, and rising, for those under the age of 25. 21,1 % of young people aged 18-24 are at risk of poverty;

11.

the events in the Southern Mediterranean since the end of 2010 have triggered significant movements of young migrants, with a direct impact on EU borders;

12.

the European Fund for the Integration of non-EU immigrants (EIF) seeks to promote European cooperation, with the objective of granting comparable rights, responsibilities and opportunities for all (6).

13.

formal education and non-formal and informal learning are of vital importance for full integration and social cohesion. All young people should have equal access to education, training and the labour market. Through the integration of young people with a migrant background in the educational system of the receiving country, they can broaden their knowledge, skills and competences, which significantly helps them to find employment;

14.

non-formal and informal learning supports formal education and can enhance the social and economic inclusion of young people. In this context, the work of youth organisations and youth workers by, with and for young people, particularly those with a migrant background, is important;

15.

a great number of non formal and informal learning activities are promoted through EU funding programmes. Certain programmes, such as youth programmes, are adjusted to the needs of youth and are accessible by every young person regardless of their diverse education level, background and choices;

16.

a growing number of studies have shown that young women and men with a migrant background continue to face major disadvantages in education, on the labour market, and in transition from education to the labour market, despite the fact that a large portion of this group of people has been socialised or born in their country of residence (7). Furthermore, data indicate that young women with a migrant background are more affected by unemployment and social exclusion than young men;

17.

successful integration of migrants is essential for the prosperity, mutual understanding and communication not only of the individual migrants and local society but also of the EU at large, since it contributes to both economic growth and cultural richness;

18.

empowering young mobile EU citizens and young people with a migrant background to fulfil their potential to participate actively at local, regional, national and European level is an essential factor for the achievement of greater social inclusion and for the sound, sustainable and democratic functioning and further development of societies;

19.

racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance continue to be a strong concern in the EU, including for young people with a migrant background. Any action aiming at young people, including those with a migrant background, must respect the EU Charter of Fundamental rights, in particular the promotion of non-discrimination, the rights of the child and the protection of personal data and it must not lead to stigmatisation of any particular group;

20.

strategies aiming towards Social inclusion should facilitate the participation of young people with a migrant background in democratic, economic, social and cultural life.

21.

engaging all young people in the development, implementation and evaluation of all policies which affect them;

22.

promoting intercultural dialogue and understanding; notably by actively involving persons from different cultural backgrounds in society, and thus combating discrimination, racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance;

23.

promoting equality between young women and men, in particular by providing equal access to quality education and training; and facilitating smooth transitions from education to the labour market;

24.

recognising the key role of non-formal and informal learning, and of validating its learning outcomes;

25.

recognising the role that youth organisations, including migrant youth organisations and other parts of civic society, play in supporting the inclusion of young people;

26.

engaging actively the local, regional, and national authorities, in the implementation of social inclusion policies; and enhancing their cooperation in issues associated with migration, including support for the participation and social inclusion of young people;

27.

recognising the importance of learning the official language(s) of the receiving country, as well as other foreign languages.

28.

take into account the specific needs of, and difficulties faced by young people with a migrant background in policy development and service delivery; provide easily accessible services for young people who have experienced or are in danger of experiencing discrimination, xenophobia and racism; recognising that active citizenship of young people […] is equally based on their responsibilities and commitment to active participation in society;

29.

promote youth work and youth policy, which can enhance active participation, social inclusion, solidarity and intercultural dialogue of young people, leading to the acceptance of the growing diversity among all young people; develop innovative methods to carry out youth work in areas where young people meet;

30.

promote the personal development and well-being of all young people, through youth work opportunities, so that they can realise their potential and become active and engaged members of society;

31.

support the active involvement and participation of young people with a migrant background in their local communities, in particular as regards non-formal and informal learning opportunities;

32.

increase accessibility to cultural, sport and leisure-time activities, since they are important tools for the social inclusion of young people with a migrant background and young mobile EU citizens;

33.

develop education and training systems as well as provide teachers with the training and competences needed, that respond to the specific needs of each individual learner, including better learning support for young people with a migrant background;

34.

promote the multilingualism of young mobile EU citizens and young people with a migrant background and support the acquisition of the official language(s) in the country where they live, in order to enable them to acquire knowledge and to participate fully in educational, cultural and social activities;

35.

cooperate with youth workers and youth organisations, including migrant youth organisations, in developing, promoting and supporting accessible peer learning activities in order to foster mutual respect, tolerance and intercultural understanding;

36.

promote social inclusion in the information society by e.g. enhancing media literacy among young people with a migrant background;

37.

support young mobile EU citizens and young people with a migrant background in making the transition from education or training to work and ensure equal access for all young people to youth guarantee schemes according to national legislation and services;

38.

promote the participation of young mobile EU citizens and young people with a migrant background in decision-making structures and enhance their effective participation and contribution to the policies and programmes that affect them;

39.

support networking and stimulate strategic partnerships between youth organisations, including migrant youth organisations, authorities at local, regional and national level as well as the private sector to organise projects and events led by young people that recognise diversity and promote inclusion.

40.

engage all young people in the development, implementation and evaluation of all policies which affect them;

41.

analyse the gender differentiated situation of young women and men with a migrant background and establish measures for equal opportunities and gender equality;

42.

recognise the important role played by the local society in supporting young people with a migrant background to expand their knowledge, skills and competencies, through formal education and non-formal and informal learning and development opportunities;

43.

make optimal use of the 2013 European Year of Citizens with a view to focusing on the mobility and full participation of young mobile EU citizens in European society and strengthen the awareness of the rights and responsibilities of young mobile EU citizens and young people with a migrant background to promote cohesion and mutual understanding;

44.

promote the cross-sectoral cooperation and synergy of various stakeholders dealing with migration issues at national, regional and European level;

45.

support programmes and activities that facilitate access to employment and improve employability of young mobile EU citizens and young people with a migrant background, through career guidance and information on employment, education and training opportunities;

46.

examine possibilities of youth information and counselling services to target young people with a migrant background, in order to provide tailor-made and innovative information and counselling via face-to-face and online methods;

47.

encourage and support the cooperation between youth organisations, including migrant youth organisations, and media in promoting an unbiased image of young people with a migrant background in order to enhance social inclusion;

48.

welcome the adoption of a proposed Council recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning and recognise the role of youth organisations among others as key providers of non-formal and informal learning, which is of vital importance for young people with a migrant background;

49.

strive to ensure that the implementation of the next generation of EU programmes and other instruments targeting young people are accessible and adapted to the needs of all young people and strengthen the support and funding of youth activities at all levels that focus on social inclusion and intercultural dialogue of young people from EU and non-EU countries.

50.

promote good practices on ‘Social Inclusion’ of young mobile EU citizens and young people with a migrant background, based on relevant studies, such as the policy report of the Joint Research Centre about ICTs for disadvantaged youth and the study on the Value of youth work, which will map different youth work activities and their value for young people in the EU;

51.

enhance synergies between relevant policies, in particular the link between the EU Youth strategy and the ‘Inclusive Growth’ priority of Europe 2020;

52.

gather further evidence and knowledge on the topics of Participation and Social Inclusion of young people with a migrant background and the young mobile EU citizens.

19.12.2012   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 393/20

1.

the EU’s mandate, pursuant to Article 165 TFEU, to develop the European dimension in sport and to promote European sporting issues;

2.

the European Union Work Plan for Sport for 2011-2014 (1), adopted on 20 May 2011, which gave high priority to work towards evidence-based sport policy at the EU level and which established an Expert Group on Sport Statistics that got the mandate to recommend ways to further promote data collection in the field of sport based on ongoing work;

3.

the Commission’s White Paper on Sport of 7 July 2007 (2) and its Communication on Developing the European Dimension in Sport of 18 January 2011 (3), which highlighted the importance of a sound evidence base to underpin sport-policy making, including comparable EU-wide data on social and economic aspects of sport, and which set out concrete action to address this need;

4.

the structured EU level cooperation between Member States in the field of sport statistics, facilitated by the Commission, that has been on-going since 2006 and that has led to the development of a common methodology to measure the economic importance of sport, based on an agreed EU definition (‘Vilnius Definition of Sport’), and the development of Sport Satellite Accounts (4) in several Member States;

5.

the EU-wide studies launched by the Commission in 2010 and 2011 respectively on ‘Sport’s contribution to economic growth and employment in the EU’ and on a ‘Possible future sport monitoring function in the EU’ (5);

6.

the first EU Conference on Sport Statistics, held in Brussels on 23 March 2011, which confirmed the importance of better and more comparable sport data (6).

1.

The current financial and economic crisis is having a major impact on public spending across the EU, which leads many Member States to direct resources to policy areas that generate growth and jobs;

2.

Although research on the economic impact of sport has been carried out at different levels, results have generally not been comparable across countries. Today, there is growing evidence that sport makes a significant contribution to Europe’s economy and is an important driver of growth and employment (7), while also ensuring social cohesion, well-being and soft skill development (8), thus making a distinct contribution to achieving the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy.

3.

According to a recent EU-wide study the share of sport amounts to 1,76 % of overall gross value added in the EU (9). When multiplier effects are taken into account, the share of sport even adds up to 2,98 % of the overall gross value added in the EU. In addition, growth in the sport sector has proven to be labour-intensive, as reflected by a higher share of sport in overall EU employment (amounting to 2,12 %) than in gross value added. Given its disproportionately high labour intensity, sport plays an important role in securing employment;

4.

The collection of a variety of sport-related data and their use in policy formulation can increase the quality of sport policies. In this regard, sport satellite accounts are considered a valuable instrument to generate evidence for the formulation of sport policies. Excellent progress has been made in some Member States in measuring the economic importance of sport through the set up of a Sport Satellite Account at national level

5.

Enhanced cooperation for improving the level of knowledge on sport in the EU can best be achieved through cross-sectoral cooperation between academics, the sport industry, the sport movement as well as national and European public authorities, including the statistical offices;

6.

Eurobarometer surveys have been shown to be a useful tool to compare trends among Member States over time regarding the outcome of different sport policies; they cannot, however, replace sound statistical data provided through the European statistical system by Eurostat;

7.

A first set of deliverables (10) regarding specific aspects of a more strengthened evidence base for sport has been developed by the Expert Group on Sport Statistics, in line with its mandate. It comprises:

8.

The development of an improved evidence-base for sport policy-making must take into account the budgetary constraints at both national and European level resulting from the financial and economic crisis.

1.

Continue progress in voluntarily developing Sport Satellite Accounts by drawing on the available methodological instruments, by making use of the existing cooperation structures at EU level and by seeking to involve relevant governmental structures, including national statistical offices.

2.

Encourage and support initiatives aimed at improving the collection and dissemination of information and data regarding sport, including existing national data, as a means to strengthen evidence-based sport policies.

1.

Improve the evidence base regarding social and economic aspects of sport in the EU and its Member States, such as by including these topics in the European Statistical Programme 2013 – 2017 and subsequent Annual Statistical Work Programmes.

2.

Seek to improve the cooperation between the relevant institutional structures for sport and for statistics at EU level and in the Member States in order to raise awareness on the need for sound and comparable data on sport.

3.

Promote a wider understanding, taking into account existing evidence, of the crucial role of sport as a driver for growth, employment and skills development, as well as for social cohesion, in the context of national and regional policy making as well as of the Europe 2020 strategy.

1.

On the basis of previous work in this field, consider using available and future EU funding instruments to support national efforts to develop Sport Satellite Accounts.

2.

Promote the strengthening of the evidence base for sport, in particular by supporting on the basis of previous work in this field, national efforts to develop Sport Satellite Accounts and the sharing of best practices at EU level in order to empirically measure the contribution of sport to economic growth and to safeguarding and expanding employment in Europe;

19.12.2012   

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 393/22

1.

The European Union Work Plan for Sport for 2011-2014 (1), adopted on 20 May 2011, which identified health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) as a priority theme for EU level cooperation in sport and which established an Expert Group on Sport, Health and Participation mandated to explore ways to promote HEPA and participation in grassroots sport;

2.

The Commission’s White Paper on Sport of 7 July 2007 (2), which highlighted the importance of physical activity and set out a plan for the Commission to propose physical activity guidelines by the end of 2008; and the Commission’s Communication on Developing the European Dimension in Sport of 18 January 2011 (3), which recognised that sport constitutes a fundamental part of any public policy approach aiming at improving physical activity and called for continued progress toward the establishment of national guidelines, including a review and coordination process;

1.

The EU Physical Activity Guidelines, welcomed in the Presidency Conclusions of the Informal Meeting of the EU Ministers responsible for Sports in November 2008, which encourage the implementation of cross-sectoral policies to promote physical activity, for the whole of the population, regardless of social class, age, gender, race, ethnicity and physical capacities (4);

1.

The WHO has recently identified insufficient physical activity as the fourth leading risk factor for premature mortality and disease globally (5).

2.

Physical activity is one of the most effective ways to prevent non-communicable diseases and combat obesity (6). There is also growing evidence on the positive correlation between exercise and mental health and cognitive processes (7). The lack of physical activity causes detrimental effects not only for people’s individual health but also for health systems and the economy at large, because of the significant direct and indirect economic costs of physical inactivity (8). Through its benefits with regard to prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, physical activity has benefits at every age and particular relevance in the light of Europe’s ageing population and the maintenance of a high quality of life at all ages.

3.

Because of the increasing awareness about the importance of HEPA throughout life, physical activity promotion has been stepped up at different levels and through different strategies, policies and programmes. Important efforts have been made in some EU Member States to enable and to encourage citizens to become more physically active. Awareness-raising to promote physical activity, with the involvement of the sport sector, can be useful to reach out to citizens.

4.

Overall, the proportion of EU citizens who reach recommended physical activity levels has not increased in recent years; in some countries, physical activity levels are falling. (9) The current high rates of physical inactivity constitute a major concern for the EU and its Member States, both from a health, social and an economic perspective.

5.

Effective promotion of physical activity leading to increased physical activity rates must involve different sectors as set out below in paragraph 6, including the sport sector given that sporting activity and sport for all are among the major sources of physical activity.

6.

The EU Physical Activity Guidelines provide a good basis to encourage cross-sectoral policies aimed at promoting physical activity, in particular in the fields of sport, health, education, environment, urban planning and transport, by offering guidance to the Member States in the development of their national strategies for HEPA.

7.

Some Member States already implement the Guidelines or certain principles underpinning them within their own national policies and strategies. Overall, however, there are great disparities between Member States’ approaches and the implementation of HEPA policies as envisaged by the guidelines could be further improved.

8.

A set of recommended measures regarding specific aspects of more effective HEPA promotion has been identified by the Expert Group on Sport, Health and Participation, in line with its mandate. They include (10):

1.

Continue progress in developing and implementing strategies and cross-sectoral policies aimed at physical activity promotion taking into account the EU Physical Activity Guidelines or the principles underpinning them.

2.

Encourage and support initiatives at the appropriate level aimed at promoting physical activity within the sport sector, such as, for instance, specific guidelines to improve physical activity offers in local sport clubs, specific programmes introduced by sport organisations within a given sport and by sport for all or specific actions in fitness clubs, that could be applied by the sport movement and the fitness sector and that could facilitate cooperation with other sectors, especially in the fields of education and health.

3.

Encourage the inclusion of physical activity in supporting active ageing in national policies and funding schemes for sport and consequently consider projects aimed at promoting HEPA among older people while taking into account different levels of functional capacity.

4.

As appropriate and according to the national health care system, promote closer cooperation between the sport, health care and other sectors, taking account of best practices developed in some Member States.

5.

Consider the use of awareness-raising and provision of information, both at national and local level, to stimulate the interest of citizens in adapting a more active lifestyle.

1.

Intensify cooperation between those policy areas that, in line with the EU Physical Activity Guidelines, have responsibility for promoting physical activity, in particular the sport, health, education, environment, urban planning and transport sectors.

2.

Regarding the European Year 2012 for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations, ensure that the principles for physical activity supporting active ageing developed by the Expert Group on Sport, Health and Participation are taken into account, where appropriate, in the political follow up to the Year and in national sport for all strategies.

3.

Improve the evidence base for policies designed to promote HEPA and participation in sport in the EU and its Member States, such as by including physical activity in the European Statistical Programme 2013-2017.

1.

In the light of previous work in this field, in particular the EU Physical Activity Guidelines, make a proposal for a Council Recommendation on HEPA, and consider including a light monitoring framework to evaluate progress with the help of a limited set of indicators that builds to the largest possible extent on available data sources, as identified by the Expert Group on Sport, Health and Participation.

2.

Issue regular surveys on sport and physical activity, and take account of HEPA-related research in a future EU research programme.

3.

Promote and support the sharing of best practices in the EU regarding HEPA and participation in sport, inter alia through support for projects and the dissemination of their results under relevant EU funding schemes and programmes. The sharing of best practices could relate to:

4.

Consider establishing an annual European Week of Sport (bearing in mind its financial and organisational aspects) as a means to promote physical activity and participation in sport at all levels taking into account similar national initiatives and in cooperation with relevant sport organisations. Such a week should build upon existing awareness-raising campaigns, by taking into account lessons learned from them and by adding value to them, and should utilise the legacy of related projects financed through the 2009 Preparatory Action in the field of sport, as well as the results from projects financed through the related call for proposals under the 2012 Preparatory Action covering awareness-raising in sport.