10.6.2021

Official Journal of the European Union

C 221/3

Council conclusions on equity and inclusion in education and training in order to promote educational success for all

(2021/C 221/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

IN THE CONTEXT OF:

The European Pillar of Social Rights jointly proclaimed by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission at the 2017 Gothenburg Social Summit, particularly its first, third and eleventh principles.

The Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030), which establishes improving quality, equity, inclusion and success for all in education and training as its first strategic priority.

RECALLING the political background set out in the Annex,

IN THE LIGHT OF:

The findings from the 2020 Education and Training Monitor, which reveal, among other things, that:

(a)	participation in early childhood education and care (ECEC) from age 4 is high, at just below the ET 2020 target, thanks to sustained efforts by Member States, but uneven access and quality remain a challenge;

(b)

the figure for early leavers from education and training stood at 10,2 % in 2019, almost achieving the ET 2020 target. However, for those with disabilities the rate is 20,3 %, and foreign-born pupils are more likely to leave education prematurely than their native-born peers (22,2 % v 8,9 % respectively). More young men than young women leave education early (11,9 % v 8,4 % respectively), and this gap has remained broadly constant over the last decade;

(c)

the results of the 2018 PISA study show that the EU has not met its ET 2020 target to reduce underachievement in basic skills to less than 15 %. In fact, in the EU as a whole, underachievement increased in science and reading and remained stable in mathematics over the past decade (22,5 % in reading, 22,9 % in mathematics and 22,3 % in science for the EU-27). Marked gender differences in underachievement levels only persist in reading – with higher shares of underachievers among boys. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of the school climate for pupil well-being and performance;

(d)

the ET 2020 target for tertiary educational attainment of 40 % has been reached by the EU and most of the Member States. However, gender differences persist across the EU, and students with fewer opportunities have lower expectations of completing tertiary education (43,4 %) than their peers (82,3 %).

(e)

progress in increasing participation in learning among adults has been slow over the past decade, and participation across Member States remains highly uneven. In 2019 the participation rate of adults in learning stood at 10,8 % in the EU-27, a small increase from 7,8 % in 2010, and still far from the 15 % target.

(f)	socio-economic background is still the most important determinant of educational outcomes in the EU, hindering a sizable share of young people from acquiring an adequate level of basic skills and preventing upward social mobility.

The Community survey on ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) usage in households and by individuals which shows that in 2019 a fifth of young people (aged 16-24) in the EU still lacked basic digital skills.

The 2020 Eurydice report on ‘Equity in school education in Europe: Structures, policies and student performance’, which identifies policies and structures associated with higher levels of equity in student performance and shows that equity in schools, in terms of both inclusion and fairness, varies widely in Europe.

The COVID-19 pandemic which, together with the widespread shift to digital teaching and learning, has put a significant strain on education and training systems throughout the EU and will most likely have an impact on progress towards several of the EU-level targets and indicators in education and training.

CONSIDERS THAT:

Within the new strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030), and given its overarching political objective of achieving the European Education Area, it is now time to take stock of the progress made so far in improving equity and inclusion in education and training in order to promote educational success for all, and to give a new impetus to EU-level cooperation and national work in this field.

Although the issues of equity, inclusive education and success in education and training have been tackled by the Council, they have yet to be considered as a whole and as intersecting and interdependent points that can help determine the ability of education and training systems to provide truly socially inclusive and cohesive, fair and successful high-quality education and training for all, including lifelong learning.

Particularly in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which affected all education and training systems, including ECEC, the importance of improving equity and inclusion in education and training in order to ensure that no one is left behind has been highlighted by EU Education Ministers in several debates held since 2020.

10.

European education and training systems should take advantage of the fact that inclusion is one of the main priorities across EU policies, funding programmes and instruments, such as: the new Erasmus+ programme, which contemplates dedicated inclusion measures; the European Social Fund Plus, which supports the promotion of equal access to high-quality education and training at all levels, in particular for disadvantaged groups; and the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, which should be fully mobilised to address inequalities in education, which were aggravated by the current crisis.

11.

The potential of education and training to foster inclusion is well recognised in the jointly proclaimed European Pillar of Social Rights, as well as in its Action Plan (1) recently adopted by the Commission, which underlines that education and training is essential to unlocking new opportunities for all.

RECOGNISES THAT:

12.

Equity in access, inclusion and success for all in education and training is a basic principle of education and training, but achieving this is still a challenge for EU education and training systems, with significant differences between and within Member States.

13.

Education and training has an important role in reducing inequalities, namely those linked to socio-economic status, migrant background, racial or ethnic origin (2), gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, and there is evidence that the highest-performing education and training systems are those that put emphasis on equity and inclusion.

14.

The cooperation between institutions of formal and non-formal education and training has a particularly positive impact on social inclusion, as was evident during the COVID-19 pandemic.

15.

Since diversity and disparities continue to increase in today’s society, education and training policy has a prime role to play in preventing discrimination and fostering inclusion, integration and respect for diversity in the European Union. Therefore, education and training systems need to be shaped in order to ensure that all groups and individuals have effective equal access to quality learning opportunities and are enabled to successfully complete their education or training path.

16.

Efforts must continue to ensure that more learners can successfully complete upper secondary (or equivalent) education and training and continue into further education and training or higher education, enabling them to develop valuable knowledge, skills and competences for life and realise their full potential.

17.

In recent years, national and regional education and training systems have been able to improve their performance in providing better equity in access and inclusion, which can support educational success, but there is still a need for further efforts, actions and measures, in order to simultaneously improve equity, inclusion and educational success. This includes the need to provide more accessible and high-quality lifelong guidance at all levels and types of education and training (3).

18.

The new Erasmus+ programme is now equipped with reinforced means to better promote social inclusion, equity and improve outreach to people with special needs and/or fewer opportunities, including by making mobility activities more accessible to a wider range of learners, teachers, trainers, teacher educators and other staff.

EMPHASISES THAT:

19.

All individuals, at all stages of their lives, should have the opportunity to develop a broad range of key competences (4) in order to thrive in the world, both professionally and personally, and to cope with current and future transformations in society and the economy, including within the green and digital transitions. This is as much a question of social fairness as it is of the EU’s competitiveness.

20.

Education and training have a vital role to play when it comes to shaping the future of Europe and for citizens to enjoy personal fulfilment and well-being, to be prepared to adapt and perform in a changing labour market and to engage in active and responsible citizenship.

21.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted even more starkly the need to address longstanding structural challenges beyond the immediate effects of the pandemic, including as regards the well-being and mental health of children learners and educators. This situation has reinforced the need to ensure inclusive high-quality education and training, including ECEC, and to make it available and accessible to all learners, regardless of their gender, specific socio-economic, ethnic, religious or cultural background, specific educational needs, or other personal circumstances.

22.

Equal opportunities for all in accessing education and training are crucial, but not sufficient: particular attention must be paid to the intersectionality of issues, i.e., learners facing additional or overlapping challenges, such as those with special educational needs or those who have a disability, those going through difficult personal circumstances, those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, from migrant backgrounds and from minorities, those from economically depressed areas, from isolated, insular or remote areas, such as the EU’s outermost regions. Following that same logic, the needs of particularly gifted learners must be considered in order to support them and help them realise their full potential.

23.

Improving equity and inclusion in education and training also requires developing gender sensitivity in the teaching and learning processes and in education and training institutions while challenging and dissolving both gender stereotypes and biases, and preventing discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation.

24.

Education and training systems should cater for the diverse individual needs, abilities and capacities of all learners and offer learning opportunities to all, including links to non-formal and informal settings, such as cooperation with adult education centres, youth work institutions or centres and cultural institutions, among others.

25.

Efforts must still be made to equip all learners with the social, emotional, civic and intercultural competences needed to reaffirm, strengthen and foster the EU’s democratic values, fundamental rights, equal opportunities, social inclusion and non-discrimination, as well as to promote conscious and active citizenship. For this, citizenship education can play a key role, by ensuring that all learners gain an understanding and respect for all forms of diversity, thus developing tolerance, democratic attitudes, critical thinking and acquiring intercultural and active citizenship competences.

26.

Participation in ECEC provides an important basis for future personal, educational and professional success, which is particularly vital for children from disadvantaged or vulnerable backgrounds. There is still a need to raise the quality, inclusiveness, accessibility and affordability of ECEC systems to ensure effective equal opportunities for all children to participate in ECEC (5).

27.

Early leaving from education and training and academic failure expose young people to fewer socio-economic opportunities, in particular for those at risk and those most vulnerable to exclusion. Efforts must continue in order to ensure truly inclusive systems, in which all learners receive a high-quality education and their well-being and mental health is promoted and protected. This, coupled with prevention and support measures based on learners’ individual needs and improved quality lifelong guidance, is crucial in bringing down the rate of early leaving from education and training and in steering learners towards the successful completion of upper secondary (or equivalent) education and continuing into further education and training or higher education.

28.

It is essential to promote enhanced educational achievement and to support a smooth transition to the labour market, including by promoting, through lifelong guidance, lifelong learning and adult learning, and when necessary within ‘upskilling’ and ‘reskilling’ processes, continuous personal, academic and professional development and active citizenship.

29.

The share of underachievers is still too high, and across Europe learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, from economically depressed areas or from isolated, insular or remote areas, such as the EU’s outermost regions, are over-represented among underachievers and early school leavers. Therefore, there is still a need to identify education and training policy measures which can better boost educational success for all learners, including innovative pedagogical approaches.

30.

Vocational education and training, including apprenticeships and other forms of work-based learning, contributes to equity by ensuring that vocational programmes are of high quality, inclusive and accessible for all, including vulnerable groups (6).

31.

Equally, adult learning provides flexible opportunities to all, including vulnerable groups to access learning and offers a second chance or alternative pathway to skills and qualifications.

32.

Cooperation and timely information exchange between education and training institutions, youth work and the social sector would enable early detection of learners at risk of early leaving and provide more appropriate support measures for vulnerable young people, such as NEETs, including through the reinforced Youth Guarantee.

33.

Higher education has the potential to foster equity and inclusion by facilitating and supporting students in a smooth transition from upper secondary education into higher education, by supporting access to high-quality and inclusive education for all types of learners and by promoting the participation of underrepresented groups, including non-traditional learners. It can also further engage adults, promote upskilling and reskilling, and play a role in lifelong learning through flexible alternatives to full programmes, by exploring the concept and use of a European Approach to micro-credentials.

34.

The work done in the framework of the Bologna process is relevant for the further development of the social dimension in higher education.

35.

Digital technology plays an important part in making learning environments, digital pedagogies, tools and tasks adaptable, personalised and suitable to diverse learners. It can promote genuine inclusion – provided that digital gap issues, in terms of digital infrastructure, connectivity, and access to digital devices, equipment, resources and to digital skills, as well as their accessibility for those with disabilities, are addressed in parallel. Furthermore, although digital technology enabled distance education during the COVID-19 pandemic, this situation highlighted underlying disparities in access to digital devices, connectivity, and other forms of digital divide such as the digital competences of learners, educators, and carers and the availability of support related to the latter.

36.

An ethical, responsible and inclusive use of emergent technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, might also contribute to bridging the digital divide and to fostering more inclusive teaching and learning.

37.

Growing access to virtual learning environments provides many new opportunities. However, the more frequent and growing access to and use of virtual learning environments also expose learners to a greater risk of suffering from cyber-bullying, other forms of online harassment or becoming targets of disinformation, namely through social networks. Efforts must be made to ensure that learners are educated and educators are trained in online safety and are conscious of the potential risks of certain platforms or online tools, in order to truly promote a safe virtual learning environment. In parallel, education and training institutions should have clear guidelines and procedures in place to respond to these issues.

38.

Teachers, trainers, ECEC professionals and other pedagogical staff, as well as leaders of education and training institutions and guidance counsellors, at all levels, are essential to supporting equity, inclusion and success in education and training for all. In order to be able to perform this function, they must be highly competent and equipped with the skills, competences and background knowledge needed to understand and tackle educational disadvantage and to teach and educate in increasingly diverse, multilingual and multicultural environments.

39.

Teachers, trainers and other educators’ initial education, induction and continuous professional development should be aligned with the relevant national and regional standards, as appropriate, and education and training institutions’ development processes. This is essential for establishing new approaches to better respond to new and challenging realities, such as those related with the digital and green transitions. Efforts must be made to support teachers, trainers, leaders of education and training institutions and guidance counsellors in boosting equity, quality in teaching and lifelong guidance. Furthermore, efforts must be made to attract the best candidates for the profession and to address teacher shortages, when necessary, through better and more flexible recruitment strategies. In parallel, this will contribute to raising the quality and inclusiveness of education and training institutions, thereby improving the governance of education and training systems.

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES, IN ACCORDANCE WITH NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDIARITY, TO:

40.

Implement educational policy measures and pursue, as appropriate, reforms in education and training systems, looking at the whole spectrum of education and training and in a whole institution approach to enhance equal opportunities and inclusion and promote educational success at all levels and types of education and training, namely through:

(a)

addressing the increasing diversity of learners and enhancing access to high-quality and inclusive education and training for all learners, including from disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, such as learners at risk of poverty and social exclusion and learners with specific learning needs, persons with disabilities, lower qualified/skills persons, persons with migrant backgrounds, persons from minorities and learners with fewer opportunities because of their geographical location, gender and/or their socio-economically disadvantaged situation;

(b)

promoting comprehensive educational success strategies at national and regional level, based on strong cross-sectoral cooperation at all levels, in order to foster the successful completion of upper secondary (or equivalent) education and training pathways and to reduce early leaving from education and training and low achievement, including by supporting a whole institution approach and multi-disciplinary collaborations in and around schools, with an overall inclusive learner-centred vision of education and training, promoting early detection of signs of disengagement, reinforcing individualised guidance and support frameworks for learners at risk, and promoting and supporting the involvement of parents, carers, families and communities;

(c)

working towards ensuring that all learners reach a baseline level of proficiency in basic skills, including digital skills, with a special focus on groups at risk of underachievement and early leaving from education and training, including identifying effective policy reforms to support better achievement in basic skills, specifically concerning curriculum and/or assessment and lifelong guidance, as well as the capacity of institutions and staff to be innovative and develop student-centred learning approaches and environments;

(d)	working towards ensuring that all learners, including particularly gifted learners, are adequately supported and intellectually challenged, according to their abilities and capacities, while protecting their physical, emotional and psychological well-being;

(e)	maintaining education and training institutions as safe environments, free from violence, racism, bullying, cyberbullying, sexual harassment, sexism, harmful speech, disinformation, misinformation and all forms of discrimination;

(f)

stimulating a safe, welcoming and supportive learning environment, including online, in which all learners can grow and develop as individuals and members of the community and feel respected, valued and recognised in their specific talents and needs, while setting appropriately high expectations for all learners and caring for their individual well-being;

(g)	ensuring that internal and external quality assurance processes in education and training institutions consider the issues of equity in access, inclusion and educational success for all learners.

(h)	considering, according to national and regional circumstances, implementing effective lifelong guidance policies, providing career guidance and opportunities for career skills development at all levels and types of education and training, including to support citizens’ lifelong career transitions;

(i)	promoting multilingualism in education and training institutions by valuing and mobilising learners’ linguistic backgrounds, thereby both strengthening proficiency in the language of schooling and supporting the acquisition of further language competences;

(j)	ensuring accessibility to learning opportunities and inclusive settings, and providing individualised support measures in learning environments that maximise academic and social development for persons with disabilities, in order to facilitate their education (7);

(k)	working on preventing psychological difficulties among learners and supporting learners with psychological difficulties, including through access to professional support, if necessary.

41.

Encourage a broad dialogue, cooperation and innovative approaches between public authorities, education and training institutions and key stakeholders, such as local communities, local and regional administrations, parents and carers, extended family, actors in the youth field, social and cultural mediators, volunteers, social partners, employers and civil society, in order to ensure the establishment of inclusive education and training strategies that promote equity and inclusion and meet the needs of the wider community.

42.

Encourage the provision of learning opportunities for all learners to engage in flexible education and training pathways throughout life, including through the validation of prior learning, including within non-formal and informal settings and flexible approaches, including by exploring the concept and use of a European Approach to micro-credentials, while not undermining the core principle of full degree programmes in initial education and training.

43.

Encourage and facilitate access to high-quality ECEC to all children, regardless of their individual, family or social circumstances, and pursue the further implementation of the European quality framework for high-quality ECEC systems, including by continuing to invest in ECEC in order to provide access to more children and to enhance quality standards.

44.

Offer second chance opportunities, including flexible upskilling and reskilling pathways, to adults who have left initial education and training with no or low qualifications.

45.

Explore opportunities for developing and enhancing national data collection and monitoring and evaluation systems, disaggregated by sex and other relevant parameters, which would allow Member States to assess the impact of individual policy initiatives, thus helping to gauge progress in the promotion of equity, inclusion and success in education and training systems.

46.

Continue to make use of the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, where appropriate, to implement, monitor, document and disseminate successful inclusive approaches in education and training systems.

47.

Make full use of European collaboration tools for education and training institutions, such as the eTwinning platform, the School Education Gateway and the EPALE (Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe), in order to enhance cooperation and the exchange of information, best practices and resources regarding the promotion of equity, inclusion and educational success in education and training institutions.

48.

Increase the availability, access, accessibility and quality of digital equipment and infrastructure, connectivity, open and digital educational resources and pedagogies at all levels of education and training, with targeted support to ensure effective access for disadvantaged learners and learners with disabilities at all ages, while also addressing the need for the development of basic and advanced digital skills and competences at all levels and types of education and training in order to fully harness the potential of digital education towards building more inclusive and success-inducing teaching and learning environments.

49.

Ensure that teachers, trainers, ECEC professionals, pedagogical staff and other educators, as well as leaders of education and training institutions at all levels are provided with all the support they need, including the necessary initial education, induction into the profession and continuous professional development, in order to understand and tackle educational disadvantage and address personal biases and prejudice, to promote real inclusion and success, to deal with diversity, to foster proper motivation for learning and to deliver high quality learning outcomes for a diverse target group, in cooperation with other stakeholders. This includes supporting the development of basic and advanced digital competences and innovative pedagogies and the development of social and emotional skills, while promoting the well-being and mental health of educators.

50.

Address teacher shortages – where they exist - in particular in special needs education and in multicultural and multilingual settings.

51.

Continue to implement the commitments of the 2015 Paris Declaration, namely through citizenship education, in order to promote active citizenship and to foster tolerance and democratic attitudes, intercultural competences, digital and media literacy and critical thinking.

52.

Make full use, according to national or regional needs, of all available regional, national and EU funding mechanisms and programmes, such as Erasmus+, the European Social Fund Plus together with other European structural and investment funds, InvestEU and the new opportunities under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, towards fostering sustainable investment in equitable and inclusive education and training in order to promote educational success for all.

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION, IN LINE WITH THEIR COMPETENCES AND WITH DUE REGARD TO SUBSIDIARITY, TO:

53.

Make maximum use of the opportunities available under the new strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030), via the Open Method of Coordination, to promote the exchange of good practices and innovative approaches on how to achieve more equitable and inclusive education and training which promotes success, namely by strengthening mutual and peer learning, and, where necessary, carrying out research and studies in order to promote evidence-informed policymaking and to develop and disseminate successful policy practices on equity, inclusion and success for all in education and training.

INVITES THE COMMISSION, IN LINE WITH THE TREATIES AND WITH FULL RESPECT FOR SUBSIDIARITY, TO:

54.

Work, along with Member States, on initiatives announced by the Commission in the context of the European Skills Agenda, the European Education Area, in the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027, which will improve equity, inclusion and success in education and training, as well as the Strategy on the Rights of the Child, the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 and the Action Plan on the Implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, including the Child Guarantee.

55.

Work on an initiative aiming to co-develop, along with Member States, policy guidance on reducing low achievement and increasing upper secondary (or equivalent) education and training attainment, contributing to raising competence levels, disassociating educational attainment from socio-economic background and preventing youth unemployment.

56.

Implement the Strategic Dialogue with the Member States, focusing on developing a high-performing digital ecosystem as well as enhancing the digital skills and competences for the digital transformation of education and training.

57.

Outline policy guidance for Member States on online and distance learning in primary and secondary education to increase the inclusiveness and flexibility of school education and to improve the development of broad competences of all learners.

58.

Support cooperation between relevant stakeholder organisations at European, national and regional level and Member State authorities responsible for education and training, so that they may jointly provide input to policy recommendations on innovative and multi-disciplinary teaching and learning approaches for basic skills.

59.

Enhance cooperation on equity in access, inclusion and success for all in education and training with relevant European institutions and agencies, such as the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, and with relevant international organisations such as the Council of Europe, the OECD, the United Nations and UNESCO, in collaboration with the Member States.

60.

Conduct work on proposals, based on and using the expert opinion of the Standing Group on Indicators and Benchmarks, for possible indicators or EU-level targets in the areas of equity and inclusion.

61.

Explore opportunities for developing and enhancing European data collection, namely within Eurostat, in order to facilitate the assessment of policy initiatives and measures that promote equity, inclusion and success in education and training systems across the EU, while avoiding additional burdens for the Member States.

62.

Make use of the expert group on quality investment in education and training, in close cooperation with the Member States, to explore how efficient and effective investment in people’s competences and infrastructure could help promote equity and inclusion in education and training.

63.

Convene an expert group to develop proposals on strategies for creating supportive learning environments for groups at risk of underachievement and for supporting well-being at school.

64.

Convene an expert group to focus on promoting digital literacy and tackling disinformation, which is crucial for creating a safe, empowering and inclusive online experience for all.

(1) COM(2021) 102 final.

(2) Reference is made to Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin.

(3) In accordance with the Council Resolution of 21 November 2008 on better integrating lifelong guidance into lifelong learning strategies.

(4) Council Recommendation of 22 May 2018 on key competences for lifelong learning (OJ C 189, 4.6.2018, p. 1).

(5) In accordance with the Council Recommendation of 22 May 2019 on High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Systems.

(6) In accordance with the Council Recommendation of 24 November 2020 on vocational education and training for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience.

(7) In line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030.

ANNEX

Political background

Council conclusions on a strategic framework for European Cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) (12 May 2009)

Council Recommendation on policies to reduce early school leaving (28 June 2011)

Council Resolution on a renewed Agenda for Adult Learning (20 December 2011)

Council Recommendation on the validation of non-formal and informal learning (20 December 2012)

Declaration on promoting citizenship and the common values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination through education (Paris, 17 March 2015)

2015 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) – New priorities for European cooperation in education and training (23 and 24 November 2015)

Council conclusions on reducing early school leaving and promoting success in school (15 December 2015)

Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways: New Opportunities for Adults (19 December 2016)

Conclusions of the Council and of the representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, on inclusion in diversity to achieve a high quality education for all (17 February 2017)

10.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on school development and excellent teaching for a great start in life (30 May 2017)

11.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Strengthening European Identity through Education and Culture: The European Commission’s Contribution to the Leaders’ meeting in Gothenburg (17 November 2017)

12.

Council Recommendation on promoting common values, inclusive education and the European dimension in teaching (22 May 2018)

13.

Council conclusions on moving towards a vision of a European Education Area (22 May 2018)

14.

Council Recommendation on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education and training and the outcomes of learning periods abroad (26 November 2018)

15.

Council Recommendation on a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages (22 May 2019)

16.

Council Recommendation on High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Systems (22 May 2019)

17.

Council Resolution on further developing the European Education Area to support future-oriented education and training systems (8 November 2019)

18.

Council conclusions on European teachers and trainers for the future (9 June 2020)

19.

Council conclusions on countering the COVID-19 crisis in education and training (16 June 2020)

20.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (1 July 2020)

21.

A Union of Equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025 (18 September 2020)

22.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on achieving the European Education Area by 2025 (30 September 2020)

23.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027 – Resetting education and training for the digital age (30 September 2020)

24.

Council Recommendation on vocational education and training (VET) for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience (24 November 2020)

25.

Council conclusions on digital education in Europe’s knowledge societies (24 November 2020)

26.

Osnabrück Declaration on vocational education and training as an enabler of recovery and just transitions to digital and green economies (30 November 2020)

27.

Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030) (18 February 2021)

28.

Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 (3 March 2021)

29.

EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child (24 March 2021).

10.6.2021

Official Journal of the European Union

C 221/14

Council conclusions

on the European Universities initiative – Bridging higher education, research, innovation and society: Paving the way for a new dimension in European higher education

(2021/C 221/03)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

RECALLING the political background to this issue as set out in the Annex to these conclusions,

HIGHLIGHTING THAT:

the European Council conclusions of 14 December 2017 called on the Member States, the Council and the European Commission to take work forward on strengthening strategic partnerships between higher education institutions across the EU and encouraging the emergence by 2024 of some twenty ‘European Universities’, consisting of bottom-up networks of higher education institutions across the EU which will enable students to obtain a degree by combining studies in several EU countries and contribute to the international competitiveness of European universities,

in its conclusions of 28 June 2018, the European Council called for cooperation between research, innovation and education to be encouraged, including through the European Universities initiative,

the Council Conclusions of 22 May 2018 on moving towards a vision of a European Education Area (EEA) further acknowledged the flagship role that the ‘European Universities’ could play in the creation of an EEA as a whole,

the Council Resolution of 8 November 2019 on further developing the EEA to support future-oriented education and training systems endorsed the further development of the European Universities initiative, considering that this could be a game-changing step forward in cross-institutional cooperation by offering various inspirational visions, models and themes for interaction to support the future development of the EEA in accordance with the changing needs of society,

in the first ever joint policy debate held on 8 November 2019, ministers of finance and education stressed the need to step up effective and efficient investment in education and training, skills and competences, in terms of quality, quantity, inclusiveness and equity (1),

the Council Resolution of 27 February 2020 on education and training in the European Semester further acknowledged investment in education and training as the most powerful investment that can be made in people and in the future and its social and economic returns for individuals, employers and society as a whole,

in the European Skills Agenda, adopted by the Commission on 30 June 2020, ‘European Universities’ are foreseen as setting standards for the transformation of higher education institutions across the EEA and the European Research Area (ERA), also making lifelong learning and talent circulation a reality. This will be achieved, in particular, within the full roll-out of the European Universities initiative under the Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027 and Horizon Europe, as well as the development of a European Competence Framework for researchers.

in the Council conclusions of 1 December 2020 on the New ERA, the Council stressed the need for stronger synergies and interconnections between the ERA and the higher education related elements of the EEA, and identified institutional transformations, research careers, science education, training, international cooperation and knowledge circulation as possible areas of more determined cooperation, as well as supported the further development of the European university alliances as a flagship example for modern and inclusive higher education institutions of the future in Europe,

in the Rome Communiqué 2020 adopted on 19 November 2020 at the Ministerial conference of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), the ministers responsible for higher education stated that the alliances formed under the European Universities initiative constitute one important way of exploring deeper, larger-scale systemic cooperation, which can prove helpful for detecting and overcoming the obstacles to closer transnational cooperation by higher education institutions in the future,

10.

the Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the EEA and beyond (2021-2030) established as its fourth strategic priority the reinforcement of European higher education, acknowledging that over the next decade, higher education institutions will be encouraged to find new forms of deeper cooperation, namely by creating transnational alliances, including through the full roll-out of the European Universities initiative.

11.

in its Conclusions of 28 May 2021 on the European Research Area: Deepening the ERA providing researchers with attractive and sustainable research careers and working conditions:

AWARE THAT:

12.

Higher education policies are decided at the level of the individual Member States, at national or regional level, in accordance with the subsidiarity principle.

13.

Higher education institutions are autonomous. Academic and scientific freedom is a central principle of their mission and activities (2).

14.

European higher education institutions are rich in diversity in terms of their history, organisational structures, fields of study and the regions in which they are located and to which they are connected.

15.

‘European Universities’ are still in their early stages and more evaluation and evidence-based information is needed on the selected 41 pilots and their outcomes to support coherent and forward-looking policies.

16.

‘European Universities’ are open to partners from all types of higher education institutions, linking academic and non-academic partners and the labour market, while generally covering diverse cooperation with a broad geographic scope across Europe.

17.

‘European Universities’ will contribute decisively towards achieving the ambitious vision of an innovative, globally competitive and attractive EEA and ERA, in full synergy with the EHEA, by helping to boost the excellence dimension of higher education, research and innovation, while promoting gender equality, inclusiveness, and equity, allowing for seamless and ambitious transnational cooperation between higher education institutions in Europe, and inspiring the transformation of higher education.

18.

‘European Universities’ have the potential to be instrumental in adapting education, training and research for the digital age, in line with the Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027), the EEA and the ERA, by developing European inter-university campuses. This initiative will boostsynergies between higher education and research, by implementing innovative models of digital learning and teaching, through Open Science, Open Education and Open Data practices (3),

NOTES THAT:

19.

After two Erasmus+ calls for proposals, complemented by Horizon 2020 support, 41 ‘European Universities’ pilot alliances involving more than 280 higher education institutions, covering 5 % of all higher education institutions across Europe, and with the potential to involve 20 % of European students, are now working towards their shared vision and institutional change, aiming at a structural, systemic and sustainable impact on education and training, research and innovation, and service to society.

20.

The first two calls strived for the right balance between quality and excellence, on the one hand, and inclusive and equitable geographical coverage on the other, supporting innovative education, knowledge transfer, research and innovation in order to achieve the initiative’s goals, such as European cohesion and competitiveness, and at the same time promoting European values and the strengthening of the European identity.

21.

Higher education institutions have proved to be resilient in managing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic has also revealed weaknesses regarding equitable access and support for students, staff, and researchers, in particular those with fewer opportunities and lower digital competences, as well as mobile early career researchers. A survey (4) showed that members of the first 17 ‘European Universities’ perceived that being in an alliance helped them to navigate the crisis and is likely to allow them to recover faster by pooling their resources and strengths together.

22.

European labour markets are transforming rapidly, due to technological development, digital and green transitions, and the restructuring of the economy, but also influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Flexible learning opportunities and formats are needed at all stages of life and across disciplines and sectors. This represents an opportunity for higher education institutions to develop innovative curricula, study programmes as well as flexible learning provisions and alternative learning pathways, in order to enhance quality, inclusion, and gender equality in higher education, and also to develop education and research agendas responsive to the digital and green transition and key socio-economic challenges, while remaining committed to excellence.

23.

‘European Universities’ have the potential to nurture entrepreneurship and transversal skills and fuel innovation through a flow of creative talents to support the establishment and scaling up of start-ups and SMEs in Europe, notably by setting up and reinforcing technology transfer, or sharing knowledge and technology transfer capacity, thus potentially supporting the development of emerging novel concepts likely to lead to breakthroughs or market-creative innovations.

24.

‘European Universities’ are developing challenge-based approaches for shared education, research, and innovation to enhance interdisciplinary critical mass; they are sharing capacity and pooling resources, strengthening the attractiveness of academic and research careers, supporting institutional change, for example, through inclusive gender equality plans, and reinforcing co-operation with surrounding ecosystem actors; they are working towards open science and open education, engaging with citizens for solving societal challenges and reinforcing excellence in education and research for global competitiveness.

WELCOMES:

25.

The fact that many members of the European higher education community and many of its stakeholders have responded positively to the initiative and thereby have enabled the progress already made.

26.

The full roll-out of the European Universities initiative under the Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027 and Horizon Europe and the envisaged synergies with other programmes, as part of developing new joint and integrated long-term sustainable strategies on education and training, research, innovation and service to society, strengthening the knowledge square (5).

27.

The European Universities initiative strives for enhanced quality and an ambitious level of extended cooperation between higher education institutions across Europe, while exploiting synergies with, for example, the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees, the Cooperation Partnerships and Alliances for Innovation of the Erasmus+ Programme, the Knowledge and Innovation Communities of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (KICs-EIT), the European Innovation Council (EIC), the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) of Horizon Europe or the strategic partnerships within national, regional and European programmes, and other existing successful cooperation models.

ACKNOWLEDGES THAT:

28.

The European Universities initiative aims to contribute to a more united, innovative, digital, connected and green Europe, open to the wider world by increasing the resilience, excellence, geographical and social inclusiveness, gender equality, attractiveness, and international competitiveness of European higher education institutions.

29.

‘European Universities’ aim to contribute to the quality of transnational cooperation through interinstitutional strategies that combine learning and teaching, research, innovation and knowledge transfer into the economy and society, and contribute to policy and societal change.

30.

‘European Universities’ can be important accelerators for transforming and innovating learning and teaching methods. They are also important platforms for further developing the research and innovation dimensions within higher education institutions that need to pursue research-based learning, as well as long-term flexible and attractive research and teaching careers.

31.

In line with the vision for an EEA and its achievement by 2025, the ERA, and taking into consideration the Rome ministerial communiqué, the ‘European Universities’ should – with full respect for Member States’ competences and with regard to the principle of subsidiarity, institutional autonomy, academic freedom and in accordance with national and regional circumstances, closely cooperating with the higher education authorities of Member States – be guided to:

(a)

Promote a common European vision, including fundamental academic values contributing to a strengthened European identity for all learners, teachers, researchers and staff, thereby equipping them with the necessary knowledge, skills and competences to drive the transformation towards a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive Europe, to cooperate and co-create knowledge within different European and global cultures, in different languages, across borders, sectors and academic disciplines.

(b)	Establish European inter-university campuses, based on inclusion, equity, gender equality and excellence in learning, teaching, research and innovation, covering a broad geographic scope across all parts of Europe.

(c)

Contribute to shared, integrated long-term education and training, research and innovation strategies, as well as service to society, in order to boost the quality, attractiveness, competitiveness and relevance of European higher education institutions and to strengthen the knowledge square. Higher education institutions pool together online and physical resources, courses, expertise, staff, data and infrastructure to leverage their strengths and become more resilient.

(d)

Explore new and attractive ways for the recruitment, reward, assessment and professionalization of teachers, staff and researchers, working towards a better recognition and balance between educational, research, managerial and entrepreneurial achievements thus fostering best practices for recruitment and career development, while respecting the work-life balance, and developing a renewed appreciation and valuation of performance.

(e)	Establish ever stronger alliances by exploring the feasibility of joint enrolment of students and joint recruitment of academics and researchers, within the different national systems, to make their education and research careers more attractive, sustainable, and flexible within the alliances.

(f)

Address societal challenges and skills needs in Europe by working in partnership and building European knowledge-creating, transdisciplinary and transnational teams of students and academics, together with researchers, and those from the business, innovation and wider communities. In cooperation with their surrounding innovation ecosystems, higher education institutions prepare students, graduates and early career researchers to maximise their employability and to take the opportunities offered and become agents of change for the twin green and digital transformations, as well as widen and strengthen the doctoral and postdoctoral training programmes beyond academic training to include transversal skills valuable to other sectors, where appropriate.

(g)	Move towards mainstreaming education for sustainable development across all levels and disciplines, driven by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, promoting a STEAM (6) approach and making STEM fields and academic and research careers more attractive, including to women.

(h)

Embed combined forms of mobility, i.e. physical – which must remain the core format – blended (7) and/or virtual (8) in the curricula, in order to increase mobility for students and graduates at all levels and make internationalisation at home a reality in line with the quality standards in Europe and in Member States (9).

(i)

Make lifelong learning a reality in higher education, by offering diverse education opportunities and introducing innovative and student-centred pedagogies, jointly delivered across European inter-university campuses, where a diverse student body can build flexible learning paths at all levels of their studies and career. Although not deviating from and undermining the core principle of full degree programmes, micro-credentials (10)could help widen learning opportunities to accommodate non-traditional learners and the demand for new skills in the labour market; make the learning experience more flexible and modular; support access to higher education; and engage learners, regardless of their previous qualifications or backgrounds, promoting reskilling and upskilling opportunities, while ensuring quality education.

(j)	Promote practical and/or work-based experience supported by external mentors to foster an entrepreneurial mindset, and develop civic engagement.

(k)	Strive for balanced mobility of students, mobility of staff and brain circulation, within the alliances.

(l)	Create new, more inclusive and innovative learning environments that reach out to all learners including disadvantaged and non-traditional learners, and contribute to strengthening the quality and social dimension of European higher education systems.

(m)

Contribute to strengthen the research and innovation dimensions of higher education institutions in Europe by developing a common agenda, shared infrastructures and resources, fostering critical mass, strengthening human capital and involving non-academic actors in teaching and research, connecting with surrounding innovation ecosystems, with citizens and society.

(n)

Foster ‘European Universities’ as ‘testbeds’ for innovative teaching and for research, including academic career assessment and rewarding systems that take into account inter alia open science practices, quality of teaching, transfer of knowledge and outreach; improved tenure track systems and strengthened career management and diversification; and adoption of open science principles and practices, including the European Open Science Cloud and the open access publishing infrastructures, knowledge and data sharing, as well as open collaboration.

(o)

Promote the endorsement of the ‘European Charter for Researchers’ and the ‘Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers (11)‘, and their implementation mechanisms, including the Human Resources Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R) and EURAXESS, Council conclusions on Deepening the European Research Area and the future ERA Talent Platform respectively which aim to foster European research career development practices, applied to multiple career pathways.

(p)

Encourage the full use of the EU’s excellent research and innovation capacity in the higher education and research sectors, supporting highly skilled and competitive European researchers, increased research excellence and reinforced knowledge transfer and innovation capacity in Europe, through closer links with Horizon Europe, and career operability across borders, disciplines and sectors.

(q)	Help identify the obstacles to the full use of the European Universities initiative’s potential and, to the extent possible, propose solutions, which could benefit the entire higher education system, to be taken at the legally responsible decision-making level.

(r)	Act as role models for European higher education transformation, for further implementation of the Bologna key commitments, including automatic recognition of qualifications and mobility periods abroad, and as a bridge between the EEA and the ERA, in full synergy with the EHEA.

(s)

Contribute to increase excellence in research and quality in education, including in the international context, thereby contributing to competitiveness of the European higher education sector amidst the global race for talents, including through internationalisation of higher education institutions, cooperation to solve global challenges, promotion of fundamental academic values, as well as common European values, cooperation in tackling foreign interference, reform of research assessment systems and careers and protecting research findings and intellectual assets in conformity with the open access and open data principles at the EU level.

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES, WITH FULL REGARD TO THE PRINCIPLE OF SUBSIDARITY, INSTITUTIONAL AUTONOMY, ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES, TO:

32.

Fully use the potential of all available regional, national and EU funding mechanisms, including the new opportunities under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, European Structural and Investment Funds, Horizon Europe, and the InvestEU, towards strengthening the links between education and training, research, and innovation, to support the European Universities initiative.

33.

Strive to find – where possible – co-funding mechanisms for higher education institutions engaged in the European Universities initiative, based on their basic and performance-based funding or specific funding programmes, or strategic funds.

34.

Support capacity building for regions with lower research and innovation intensity, thereby ultimately contributing to reduce the research and innovation gap as well as regional disparities in access to higher education, strengthening excellence and fostering a more balanced participation of higher education institutions also in future alliances.

35.

Work together at international, national and regional level, as well as between governments and institutions, to identify and remove, where necessary, the obstacles towards more compatible higher education systems and closer strategic alliances of higher education institutions, building on the extensive work that has already been developed through the EEA, the EHEA and the ERA.

36.

Make full use of supporting measures such as the European Student Card Initiative, automatic mutual recognition (12) of qualificationsand mobility periods within study and training programmes, including by digital means, in order to remove obstacles to mobility and career development.

37.

Identify and remove, where necessary, obstacles to a European approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, by reinforcing institutional linkages and procedures between evaluation, accreditation, and quality assurance agencies registered on EQAR, to find modalities of automatic mutual recognition, as well as by facilitating the implementation of quality assurance procedures and encouraging joint evaluation and accreditation of study programmes.

38.

Defend and promote academic freedom and institutional autonomy as a central principle of a well-functioning quality-based and dynamic higher education system, in line with commitments made by Ministers responsible for Higher Education of the EHEA and Ministers of Research (13).

INVITES THE COMMISSION AND THE MEMBER STATES, IN LINE WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE COMPETENCES AND WITH FULL REGARD TO THE SUBSIDIARITY PRINCIPLE, TO:

39.

Keep fostering the establishment of excellent, flexible, diverse, generally geographically balanced and sustainable models of alliances, linked to local and regional ecosystems, encouraging education, research, innovation and creativity, and the development of good practices for cooperation that can be inspiring role models to other higher education institutions, aiming at seamless balanced mobility of students, mobility of teachers, staff and brain circulation, as well as open recruitment and more attractive career and working conditions for researchers and staff.

40.

Ensure scale up inter alia by enabling the ‘European Universities’ to share their good practices and experiences with all higher education institutions across Europe, ensuring that the reforms, outputs and innovations triggered by the ‘European Universities’ are fully accessible for those that do not participate in these alliances, while valuing the experiences of other international collaborative initiatives.

41.

Jointly explore the necessary steps to enable to test the use of micro-credentials in higher education in order to help widen learning opportunities and to strengthen the role of higher education institutions in lifelong learning.

42.

Support the ‘European Universities’, whilst respecting their institutional autonomy, to create the capacity and appropriate environments for fostering sustainable modern infrastructures and career paths as well as attractive working conditions and promote brain circulation amongst all partners.

43.

Create stronger synergies between the higher education dimension of the EEA, the ERA and the EHEA. The ‘European Universities’ can be instrumental for developing important bridges with their research and challenge-based learning and teaching approaches.

44.

Consider more sustainable funding instruments for the ‘European Universities’, including through exploiting synergies of regional and national with European schemes, so that they are able to deliver on their ambitious strategy, which requires structural and institutional changes. To reach the initiative’s ambitious goals, a fit for purpose, funding per alliance will be necessary, including for the alliances already selected, while taking into account the diversity of the models of cooperation and variety in national and regional funding systems.

45.

Foster the development and use of innovative, effective and inclusive learning, teaching, open science and open education practices, as well as simplified administrative procedures by supporting the ‘European Universities’ in the development and implementation of strategies for digital infrastructures and IT tools.

46.

Support the ‘European Universities’ in reaching the ambitious target of 50% mobile students (14), focusing on balanced physical, virtual or blended mobility schemes and brain circulation, acknowledging that physical mobility is a priority and cannot be replaced by other forms of mobility, which have complementary roles.

47.

Ensure that the initiative is inclusion and excellence based, open to all types of higher education institutions and to all students, teachers, staff and researchers promoting the use of common and shared infrastructures, equipment and facilities.

48.

Regularly and jointly monitor (15) the state of play of the 41 alliances of the European Universities initiative, as well as possible additional ones, in close cooperation with the ‘European Universities’ and all relevant stakeholders, to document results achieved and impact made on the education and research dimensions as well as on society, and to identify barriers, shortcomings, challenges and possible solutions, to ensure a smooth operation and implementation of their transnational activities.

49.

Organise continuous exchanges between the European Commission, Member States, the ‘European Universities’ and the ad-hoc expert group composed of experts from the Member States, and other relevant stakeholders, in order to monitor progress, discuss and tackle existing barriers to cooperation, develop solutions and put them in place.

50.

Encourage higher education institutions to embrace continuous transformation in order to make the most of their missions covering education, research, innovation and service to society in the EEA and the ERA in full synergy with the EHEA.

51.

Support a sustainable cooperation between higher education institutions at European level that realises the objectives of both the EEA, the ERA and the EHEA and strengthening the competitiveness of ‘European Universities’ in the international context and the global race for attracting and retaining talent, as well as enabling them to connect with local and regional ecosystems.

52.

Support and encourage the ‘European Universities’ to increase students and staff involvement in the alliances which is essential for the success, development and implementation of the initiative, namely by including them into the respective governance structures.

53.

Within the context of the EEA and in full respect of the national and regional higher education systems, develop clear proposals, starting from 2022, hand in hand with the relevant higher education national and regional authorities, higher education institutions and stakeholders, to help remove where necessary the obstacles for cooperation at the European level, by exploring, for example, the need and feasibility for joint European degrees within the alliances of ‘European Universities’, and by promoting further European cooperation on quality assurance and automatic mutual recognition in higher education.

INVITES THE COMMISSION, IN LINE WITH ITS COMPETENCES AND WITH FULL REGARD TO THE SUBSIDIARITY PRINCIPLE, TO:

54.

Inform by the end of 2021 on the main outcomes of the mid-term review of the first alliances, with a view of the further development of the ‘European Universities’ and their full and ambitious potential.

55.

Support the development of ‘European Universities’ as ‘testbeds’ for interoperability and promotion of cooperation between Member States regarding European research, teaching and staff career development practices, including the feasibility of a stepwise approach to joint recruitment schemes working towards the effective brain circulation and the free flow of knowledge across Europe, seeking to increase attractiveness of European academic and research careers bearing in mind the principle of subsidiarity and the autonomy of higher education institutions, as well as respecting differences in national and regional labour market systems.

56.

Prepare guidelines on how EU programmes, funds and financial instruments could, in line with their objectives, complement the support for the ‘European Universities’ and other types of higher education institution alliances, in a simplified, and streamlined manner, with a sound budget and for an extended defined period, while fostering related synergies.

57.

Maintain the successful bottom-up, inclusive, excellence based and geographically balanced approaches in the Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027, with the support of Horizon Europe, giving all types of higher education institutions, including cross border co-operations and other international collaborative initiatives the opportunity to develop ambitious ‘European Universities’, testing different models for cooperation and being thematically open.

58.

Encourage ‘European Universities’ to make best use of policies and initiatives that support them to become more innovative and entrepreneurial, such as, for example, HEInnovate and InvestEU, and promote collaboration with Horizon Europe, to provide synergies and avoid duplication of efforts.

59.

Support active exchange schemes between academia and industry, as the direct contact between them would bring added value and would better respond to the labour market needs.

60.

Consider the use of the existing online platforms to promote and support the ‘European Universities’ and to allow the exchanges of best practices and experiences.

61.

Continue close cooperation with Member States and regularly inform the Council on the progress of the initiative in the co-creation process and further development of the ‘European Universities’, namely through the Erasmus+ Programme Committee and the Horizon Europe Programme committee including the configuration for widening participation and strengthening the ERA, as well as through the ad hoc expert group and the ERA Forum for Transition.

(1) As highlighted in the Council Resolution on education and training in the European Semester: ensuring informed debates on reforms and investments, available at: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32020G0227(01)

(2) As underlined in the Statement of Academic Freedom annexed to the Rome Communiqué adopted on 19 November 2020 at the Ministerial conference of the European Higher Education Area, as well as in the Bonn declaration of 20 October 2020.

(3) Open Science is a system change allowing for better science through open and collaborative ways of producing and sharing knowledge and data, as early as possible in the research process, and for communicating and sharing results https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/research_and_innovation/knowledge_publications_tools_and_data/documents/ec_rtd_factsheet-open-science_2019.pdf

Open education is a way of carrying out education, often using digital technologies. Its aim is to widen access and participation to everyone by removing barriers and making learning accessible, abundant, and customisable for all. It offers multiple ways of teaching and learning, building and sharing knowledge. It also provides a variety of access routes to formal and non-formal education, and connects the two (Opening up Education: A Support Framework for Higher Education Institutions, 2016).

Open data as a concept is generally understood to denote data in an open format that can be freely used, re-used and shared by anyone for any purpose. (Directive (EU) 2019/1024 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on open data and the re-use of public sector information).

(4) European Universities Initiative Survey on the impact of COVID-19 on European Universities. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/documents/coronavirus-european-universities-initiative-impact-survey-results_en

(5) A concept understood as the junction of four core domains: education, research, innovation, and service to society – Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on achieving the European Education Area by 2025.

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0625&rid=4

(6) STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.

The STEAM approach for learning and teaching links STEM and other fields of study. It promotes transversal skills such as digital competencies, critical thinking, problem-solving, management and entrepreneurial skills as well as cooperation with non-academic partners and responds to economic, environmental, political and social challenges. STEAM encourages the blending of knowledge that is required in the real world and natural curiosity. Definition by the Peer Learning Activity on STEAM education, Vienna, March 2020 (https://ec.europa.eu/education/sites/default/files/document-library-docs/et-2020-newsletter-may-2020.pdf).

(See also EC SWD page 20 in COM(2020) 625.)

(7) Combination of physical mobility and a virtual component, facilitating collaborative online learning exchange/teamwork. European Commission. ERASMUS+ Programme Guide (version 1 of 25.3.2021), available at: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/programme-guide_en

(8) Virtual Mobility is a set of activities supported by Information and Communication Technologies, including e-learning, that realise or facilitate international, collaborative experiences in a context of teaching, training or learning. European Commission. ERASMUS+ Programme Guide (version 1 of 25.3.2021), available at: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/programme-guide_en

(9) Namely the European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance.

(10) A micro-credential is a proof of the learning outcomes that a learner has acquired following a short learning experience. (Provisional definition from the final report of ad hoc consultation group with experts on higher education: A European approach to micro-credentials – output of the micro-credentials higher education consultation group – https://ec.europa.eu/education/sites/default/files/document-library-docs/european-approach-micro-credentials-higher-education-consultation-group-output-final-report.pdf).

(11) 2005/251/EC.

(12) In line with the Council Recommendation of 26 November 2018 on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education and training qualifications and the outcomes of learning periodsabroad (OJ C 444, 10.12.2018, p. 1), and in line with the principles of the Lisbon Recognition Convention.

(13) Statement of Academic Freedom annexed to the Rome Communiqué adopted on 19 November 2020 at the Ministerial conference of the European Higher Education Area, as well as in the Bonn declaration of 20 October 2020.

(14) European Commission (2020). Erasmus+ Programme Guide. Version 3 (2020): 25.8.2020, p. 132, available at: https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/sites/default/files/erasmus_programme_guide_2020_v3_en.pdf

(15) Member States, European Commission (DG EAC and DG RTD).

ANNEX

Political background

Council conclusions on a renewed European Agenda for higher education (20 November 2017)

Conclusions of the European Council (14 December 2017)

Council conclusions on moving towards a vision of a European Education Area (22 May 2018)

Conclusions of the European Council (28 June 2018)

Council Recommendation on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education and training qualifications and the outcomes of learning periods abroad (26 November 2018)

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence (7 December 2018)

Council conclusions ‘Towards an ever more sustainable Union by 2030’ (9 April 2019)

Council conclusions on the future of a highly digitised Europe beyond 2020: ‘Boosting digital and economic competitiveness across the Union and digital cohesion’ (7 June 2019)

10.

European Council: A New Strategic Agenda 2019-2024 (20 June 2019)

11.

Council conclusions on the key role of lifelong learning policies in empowering societies to address the technological and green transition in support of inclusive and sustainable growth (8 November 2019)

12.

Council Resolution on further developing the European Education Area to support future-oriented education and training systems (8 November 2019)

13.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – ‘The European Green Deal’ (11 December 2019)

14.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘A Strong Social Europe for Just Transitions’ (14 January 2020)

15.

Council Resolution on education and training in the European Semester: ensuring informed debates on reforms and investments (27 February 2020)

16.

Council conclusions on countering the COVID-19 crisis in education and training (16 June 2020)

17.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on ‘European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’ (1 July 2020)

18.

19.

20.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a new ERA for Research and Innovation (1 October 2020)

21.

Rome Communiqué adopted at the Ministerial conference of the European Higher Education Area (19 November 2020)

22.

Council Conclusions on digital education in Europe’s knowledge societies (24 November 2020)

23.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027 (24 November 2020)

24.

Council conclusions on the New European Research Area (1 December 2020)

25.

Council Resolution on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training towards the European Education Area and beyond (2021-2030) (18 February 2021)

26.

Council conclusions on Deepening the European Research Area: Providing researchers with attractive and sustainable careers and working conditions and making brain circulation a reality (28 May 2021).

		ISSN 1977-091X
Official Journal of the European Union		C 221

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 64 10 June 2021

Contents		page
	I Resolutions, recommendations and opinions
	OPINIONS
	European Commission
2021/C 221/01	Commission opinion of 3 June 2021 relating to the plan for the disposal of radioactive waste arising from the Sizewell C power station site (two UK EPR reactors), located in Suffolk, United Kingdom	1

	V Announcements
	PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPETITION POLICY
	European Commission
2021/C 221/05	Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.9971 — P27 NPP/Bankgirot) ( 1 )	26
2021/C 221/06	Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10328 — CDPQ/ATI/ATI European Communications Infrastructure Business) – Candidate case for simplified procedure ( 1 )	28

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,2195
JPY	Japanese yen	133,38
DKK	Danish krone	7,4366
GBP	Pound sterling	0,86053
SEK	Swedish krona	10,0595
CHF	Swiss franc	1,0913
ISK	Iceland króna	146,90
NOK	Norwegian krone	10,0518
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	25,377
HUF	Hungarian forint	347,19
PLN	Polish zloty	4,4560
RON	Romanian leu	4,9248
TRY	Turkish lira	10,4651
AUD	Australian dollar	1,5731
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,4729
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	9,4615
NZD	New Zealand dollar	1,6925
SGD	Singapore dollar	1,6133
KRW	South Korean won	1 359,90
ZAR	South African rand	16,5303
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	7,7879
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,5025
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	17 375,74
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	5,0213
PHP	Philippine peso	58,241
RUB	Russian rouble	87,9491
THB	Thai baht	38,000
BRL	Brazilian real	6,1345
MXN	Mexican peso	23,9390
INR	Indian rupee	88,9600

	IV Notices
	NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS, BODIES, OFFICES AND AGENCIES
	Council
2021/C 221/02	Council conclusions on equity and inclusion in education and training in order to promote educational success for all	3
2021/C 221/03	Council conclusions on the European Universities initiative – Bridging higher education, research, innovation and society: Paving the way for a new dimension in European higher education	14
	European Commission
2021/C 221/04	Euro exchange rates — 9 June 2021	25