Iliana Ivanova, who has been nominated to replace Mariya Gabriel in the European Commission, submitted her answers to MEPs’ written questions on Wednesday 23 August (see EUROPE 13211/29, 13231/5). As she is due to appear before the European Parliament’s Culture (CULT) and Industry (ITRE) Committees on 5 September (see also another article in this newsletter), she stressed the “strategic importance” of her portfolio - Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth - which has a total budget of €120 billion for the current programming period.
Education
On education, she points out that the mid-term review of the European Education Area (EEA) will be presented on 10 October (see EUROPE 13066/14). To ensure that it is fully implemented by 2025, she intends to focus her efforts on mental health, teachers’ working conditions, the recognition of qualifications (see EUROPE 13184/26), the development of a “European diploma” (see EUROPE 13111/29), mobility (see EUROPE 13117/23) and the creation of ten new European University Alliances (see EUROPE 13214/26).
With regard to Erasmus+, Ms Ivanova acknowledges the inflationary pressures on projects funded by the programme. She stresses that “the need for further support is being analysed”, while promising to “advocate for this programme whose very high EU value added is evident”.
She also calls on the EU Council to adopt the recommendations on digital skills this autumn (see EUROPE 13227/34). Finally, she promises “not to hesitate” to recommend the suspension of EU funds in cases of violation of academic freedom.
Culture
In the field of culture, she expresses her support for the strategic priorities of the Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026, in particular “supporting [...] cultural professionals, enhancing cultural participation [...], ensuring the sustainability of culture and strengthening the cultural dimension of the EU’s external relations”.
She also advocates an “joined-up policy and funding approach”, stressing that “culture cuts across many policy fields, from education to research, from social cohesion to external relations”.
As for her vision for the future of Creative Europe, Ms Ivanova says she is particularly attached to “the double rationale for action of the programme, which puts on an equal footing cultural diversity and the competitiveness of the sectors”.
Finally, she undertakes to combat trafficking in cultural goods (see EUROPE 13166/4) in order to preserve heritage, including in times of war, and to improve the working conditions of artists (see EUROPE 13217/14).
Youth and sport
Ms Ivanova also looks at policies dedicated to sport and youth, describing them as “intertwined” areas, in that “sport policies make a decisive contribution to the achievements of the objectives of the [EU’s] youth strategy”.
Her aim is to promote the European model of sport (see EUROPE 12844/28), integrity in sport, inclusion and the role of sport in health, including mental health.
As for young people, she wants to ensure that “more young people benefit from EU policies and programmes [and] that they have their say in the policy areas that affect them”. In particular, she is in favour of introducing “youth tests” (see EUROPE 13213/25) and is committed to ensuring the legacy of the European Years of Youth and Skills.
“Guardian of efficient investments”
More generally, Ms Ivanova intends to draw on her experience as vice-chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control and as a member of the EU Court of Auditors to become “the guardian of efficient investments” throughout her term of office. She therefore undertakes to “live up to the highest standards of transparency, to make sure that every euro spent under her] responsibility will be accounted for”.
At the same time, she wants to encourage synergies between her projects and the portfolios of other European Commissioners, and promises to establish internal procedures and channels of communication to ensure closer cooperation with the European Parliament.
Ms Ivanova’s answers (in French): https://aeur.eu/f/8bj (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)