The final meeting of the Luxembourg Presidency in the field of education was held in Luxembourg on 3 and 4 December 2015, bringing together representatives of the governments of the 28 EU Member States under the seventh working session of the 'Education Committee'.
The meeting presented the opportunity to take stock of the current Presidency 2014-2015 and to focus on the topics to be addressed in the coming months, including the promotion of inclusive education and democratic culture.
The Italian (Jul-Dec 2014), Latvian (Jan-Jun 2015) and Luxembourgish (Jul-Dec 2015) Presidencies spoke of their collaboration which they stated had allowed the EU to react to current developments and the changing needs of Member States. The three Presidencies have cooperated in the fields of employment, youth and research, as well as promoted a better balance between economic, social and personnel factors in education.
The mid-term strategic framework 'Education and Training 2020', adopted by Education Ministers on 23 November, allowed Member States to cooperate more closely in the integration of migrants through education and in the fight against the radicalisation of young people in Europe.
A significant part of the meeting was dedicated to cooperation with key partners in the field, such as the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education and the Council of Europe. Member States affirmed their commitment to further cooperation in the development of inclusive education, citing this as an essential basis for more inclusive societies providing opportunities to all citizens, regardless of their social and cultural background or educational needs.
From 1 January 2016, the Presidency torch will be passed to the Netherlands, with the Dutch Presidency set to continue the joint work, particularly prioritising the contribution of education and training to growth and jobs as well as an 'inclusive Europe'.
Photo by MENEJ
