Brussels, 08/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - With its goal of being an inclusive Presidency close to citizens, Luxembourg has said that, during its term of office, it will give particular attention to the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport portfolio, issues citizens hold close to their hearts.
The objectives identified in the fields of sport, education, youth and culture will allow member states to implement targeted measures to encourage social inclusion and active participation by citizens in political life, it says in its priorities. These objectives are also essential in the fight against radicalisation of young people within our societies.
Education. A primary objective in the field of education will be to take better account of students' linguistic diversity, amongst others. The Luxembourg Presidency will focus in particular on the provision of schooling and high-quality childcare during early childhood. “This is of vital importance for later educational success”, a diplomatic source said.
Youth. It is necessary to strengthen the political participation of young people and to develop, for that purpose, the necessary European synergies. In that context, a structured dialogue allows young people to express their views on the issues affecting them, in particular by way of national consultations and European youth conferences. Extremism and tackling radicalisation will, in the current state of things, be issues covered in discussion on increasing young people's civic involvement.
Culture. Assessment of the potential contribution of culture to the EU's external relations, in particular in respect of development cooperation policies, will provide an opportunity to focus on third countries. The Luxembourg Presidency will examine issues of coherence in cultural and foreign policies with regard to development cooperation. Furthermore, the Presidency will identify the specific contribution made by culture to the sustainable development goals to be adopted by the end of 2015.
Sport. Here, the Luxembourg Presidency will seek to promote physical and motor activity, in particular during early childhood (outside of the school curriculum). In addition, it will develop previous work on “dual career” training for young sportsmen and women and assess the future coordination and representation of the EU within the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The Presidency will also address sport-related professions and their impact on the economy. All of these issues have already been broached at the informal ministerial meeting on 6-7 July and discussion will continue over the coming six months (see EUROPE 11353). (Isabelle Lamberty)