The work of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council will be an opportunity for the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union to highlight the role of education, youth and cultural policies in skills development, access to mobility, youth participation and the promotion of the values of the European Union, at a time when the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034 is being discussed (see EUROPE 13683/5).
According to the programme presented on 21 December, in the field of education and training, Cyprus will make the development of skills and mobility major objectives.
This will include leading discussions on Erasmus+, with a view to further supporting its inclusive nature and extending its international reach.
Similarly, access to mobility for under-represented groups and the programme’s role in the acquisition of skills linked to the digital and green transitions, in conjunction with the European Education Area and the Skills Union, are being given particular emphasis by the new Presidency, which took office on 1 January.
With regard to culture, the Cyprus Presidency will continue to work towards greater coordination and implementation of cultural policies at European level, in particular through the ‘Culture Compass’ (see EUROPE 13750/6), a reference framework for cultural governance in the EU.
The Presidency will also support discussions on AgoraEU (see EUROPE 13735/31), as part of the next MFF, in order to build a European area conducive to better support for creativity, artistic cooperation and the circulation of works.
Links to the Presidency programme and ministerial meetings: https://aeur.eu/f/k4d ; https://aeur.eu/f/k5o (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)