Brussels, 04/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - Education and training are key to implementing and improving employability, competitiveness, innovation, cultural development and social inclusion, and, consequently, greater economic and social well-being. This is reflected in the approach taken by the EU 2020 strategy. During the period of its presidency, Hungary will attach particular significance to the assessment of national action plans for achieving these education objectives. In cultural policy, the aim will be to encourage activities which promote respect for and the preservation of cultural diversity, with the European Year of Volunteering 2011 being the perfect medium for achieving this.
Education. The Hungarian Presidency will place particular importance on how best to prevent young people from leaving school early, one of the education objectives of the EUROPE 2020 strategy. It also wants to promote early childhood learning and cross-border mobility for young people, and will review the results of the Action Plan on Adult Learning. It intends, too, to continue the work begun by the Belgian Presidency on vocational training, with special attention given to the development of the strategic framework for vocational training until 2020.
Culture. The Hungarian Presidency will continue the work already done on European Heritage, in order to highlight the common European cultural heritage and, at the same time, the national cultural heritage of each member state. It will also monitor the implementation of the European Council's 2011-2014 Work Plan for Culture. The Hungarian Presidency will organise an exchange of views to contribute to the debate initiated by the Commission in autumn 2010 on the future of the Culture Programme after 2013. The Presidency will seek to identify those areas where the cultural and creative industries can contribute to the achievement of European targets for economic growth. More specifically, it wants to identify the factors which impede the mobility of artists and other cultural experts and to establish an information system to support their mobility.
Sport. The Hungarian Presidency wishes to discuss, in a number of fora, the forthcoming Commission communication on sports and the areas for action in the new European sports policy to inform the debate on the direction and objectives of sports cooperation. It will also continue the work of the Belgian Presidency in representing internationally member states' interests in tackling doping. (I.L./transl.rt)