Brussels, 06/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - The forthcoming Education, Youth and Culture Council will take place in Brussels on 10-11 May. The major point will be discussion of quantified education targets within the EU 2020 strategy which is due to be agreed at the June European Council. If a joint position is agreed (unanimity is required), the Education Council will adopt conclusions which will be submitted to heads of state and government. If not, the Spanish Presidency will put a report to the General Affairs Council for adoption. With the new arrangements brought in by the Lisbon Treaty, the Council will also see the first formal meeting of Sports Ministers. The European Commission will be represented by Commissioners Androulla Vassiliou (Culture, Education, Sport and Youth) and Neelie Kroes (Audiovisual).
On Monday, the Council will discuss culture and audiovisual issues, under the chairmanship of Spanish Culture Minister Ángeles González-Sinde. In the morning, discussion will be given to a European Heritage Label, an initiative proposed by the European Commission in March (draft decision) and put to the Council and Parliament for examination. Although the process has fallen somewhat behind schedule, working group meetings have brought some progress and achieved some successes which will be handed on to the Belgian Presidency which is due to take over in July, the Spanish Presidency says. The Council will also adopt conclusions on the contribution of culture to regional and local development and will hold an exchange of views on what culture and creativity can bring to a competitive, inclusive and sustainable Europe. The Council will also officially designate Riga in Latvia and Umeå in Sweden as Capitals of Culture 2014. In the afternoon, the Council will adopt conclusions on Europeana, which will outline the next steps for the European digital library. This is the only formal audiovisual item on the agenda. Over lunch, ministers will hold an informal discussion on the cinema in the digital age. The remainder of the afternoon will be devoted to sport, a brand new Community area of responsibility, brought in by the Lisbon Treaty. At their first formal meeting, which will be chaired by Spanish Secretary of State for Sport Jaime Lissavetzky, sports ministers will decide on priority areas for action in future cooperation and will discuss a possible financial framework for sport.
Tuesday morning's session will be given over to education, with discussion led by Spanish Education Minister Ángel Gabilondo Pujol. The central topic of this session will be the adoption - or not - of conclusions on quantified targets to be met within the EU 2020 strategy. Noting the differing positions among member states, the Spanish Presidency hopes the debate will be productive, and that it may even bring the unanimity which would allow conclusions to be adopted. According to a source close to the issue, Germany is opposed to the targets proposed by the Commission and the United Kingdom is reserving its response until the results of the general election of 6 May are known. If ministers fail to reach unanimity, the Council will submit a report to the General Affairs Council for adoption ahead of the European Council on 17-18 June. The spring summit set broad common targets to guide member states and the EU as part of the EU 2020 strategy. One of these targets is to improve education levels by reducing school drop out rates and increasing the percentage of the population which completes tertiary or equivalent education. The Commission proposed a 10% maximum target for school drop-out rates and at least 40% of the population to have a higher education or university qualification. The Council will also adopt conclusions on the social dimension of education and training, within the context of the European year for combating poverty and social exclusion 2010. Conclusions will be adopted, too, on competences which underpin lifelong learning and on the “new skills for new jobs” initiative, and on the internationalisation of higher education, that is, on cooperation activities between higher education institutions from the EU and abroad. The Education, Youth and Culture Council will close with the youth items, which will be discussed on Tuesday afternoon. Ministers will adopt a resolution on active inclusion of young people to combat unemployment and poverty. They will hold an exchange of views on developing the youth dimension of the EU 2020 strategy for employment and growth. Ministers will debate key aspects of youth policy and the forthcoming EU flagship initiative “Youth on the move”. (I.L./transl.rt)