The Belgian Presidency of the EU Council has made inclusion, innovation and equality the watchwords of its mandate in the fields of education, youth, culture and sport. Its stated aim is to boost these areas, strengthening the European Education Area, promoting lifelong learning, stimulating cultural digital transformation and redefining sport in a modern European model.
Education. At the heart of the Belgian agenda is the development of the European Education Area (EEA), for which an implementation resolution was approved at the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council in May 2023 (see EUROPE 13184/26). The Belgian Presidency thus aims to consolidate European cooperation in education and training, with an emphasis on evidence-based policies, innovative practices and strong partnerships.
It also focuses on promoting lifelong learning, recognising the crucial importance of adaptability in a constantly changing world.
Belgium would also like to address the challenges of teacher shortages, a problem throughout the EU, by stressing the importance of attractive and sustainable careers in teaching.
It also aims to facilitate high-quality, inclusive and accessible digital education, by launching discussions on an action plan for digital education. An informal ministerial meeting dedicated to Education will be held on 29 February and 1 March in Brussels.
Youth. The Belgian Presidency has announced that it wishes to focus on the tenth cycle of the EU’s dialogue with young people, which will revolve around the third European objective for young people, namely inclusive societies. In this respect, the Presidency intends to work on the Council’s conclusions on inclusive societies for young people.
In addition, it plans to follow up the ‘EU Youth Test/Check’ proposal, assessing the impact of new proposals on European youth to ensure that young people are taken into account in the development of EU policies. The Presidency also plans to adopt the Council Resolution on ‘Youth Work Policy in a New Europe’.
The Belgian Presidency of the EU Council will carry out mid-term evaluations of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027 and re-examine the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps 2021-2027 programmes. In addition, an ‘Agora Jeunes Citoyen.ne.s’ festival will be organised to promote inclusive societies, and the Presidency will play an active role in European Youth Week.
Culture. The Belgian Presidency is placing particular emphasis on the digital transformation of the cultural and creative sectors. It plans to adopt Council conclusions aimed at stimulating this transformation while strengthening media freedom and pluralism. Belgium will be hosting an informal meeting of EU culture ministers on “Culture and European identity” on 13 May in Antwerp.
Sport. With regard to sport, the Belgian Presidency is preparing the adoption of a new EU work plan for 2024-2027.
It plans to adopt conclusions on the role of non-organised sport and free physical activity in a European sports model, paying particular attention to the role of women in sport.
To read the programme, go to https://aeur.eu/f/a4i (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)