On 1 January, Croatia began its six-month Presidency of the EU Council. As far as Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYCS) are concerned, Zagreb will continue negotiations with the European Parliament on the Europe Creative, European Solidarity Corps and Erasmus programmes. Brain circulation and support for teachers are high on its list of thematic priorities for non-legislative issues.
For its part, the European Commission is planning to present a communication on updating the skills agenda on 4 March, according to a provisional timetable.
One EU Council meeting on 20 February and another on 18 and 19 May
After presenting its main priorities to the Ministers, Croatia published a provisional calendar of its working meetings. It is planning a first EYCS Council meeting on 20 February, at which it will hold a political debate on European universities - those universities that pool their expertise and resources to be more competitive - and brain circulation. The goal is to promote more balanced mobility, the Presidency said. It will also propose a resolution on education and training in the European Semester.
A second EYCS ministerial meeting will be held on 18 and 19 May. It will address various issues, including the future of education and training. Thus, according to the provisional agenda, Zagreb foresees conclusions on teachers and trainers in the future and on education and training in 2030. It also plans a political debate on the future of jobs, education and training.
As regards young people, it intends to intensify the implementation of the EU dialogue on youth, in line with the EU Youth Strategy for 2019-2027. Thus, at the same meeting, it will organise a debate on raising awareness in the youth sector through information and the strengthening of resources and will submit a resolution on creating opportunities for young people on the basis of the results of the seventh round of dialogue.
With regard to ‘Culture and Sport’, the Croatian Presidency will organise on the following day a debate on the cultural and creative sectors in the digital age and the contribution of sport to society. It will also submit conclusions on media literacy in which it will “examine the role of traditional media in the development of media education, as well as their specific position in the digital world and the fight against disinformation”. Other conclusions will focus respectively on: - risk management in the field of cultural heritage; - sport qualifications and competencies for coaches to align sport training and recreational activities with quality, safety and health protection standards. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)