European cooperation

A key element of the European strategy to confront future challenges consists of improving and increasing citizens’ skills. Europe cannot compete in price, however it can lead in terms of innovation.

However, to focus more on innovation we should distance ourselves from less qualified jobs. And given that Europe cannot allow any of its citizens to actively participate in the economy and society, complementary changes also need to be made.  Everybody should have a real opportunity to participate, progress and be successful, and this is where education and training comes in.

Educational and training policies can contribute considerably to overcoming these challenges. However, the cooperation and training should not be considered in an isolated way. Education models the lives of young people and is one of the necessary conditions for them to achieve personal independence. This means that it also represents a priority for youth policies.

Education and training, as well as youth policies, are the responsibilities of national governments. However, many of the challenges previously outlined are common for all countries and so some of the objectives could be achieved more easily if countries would learn from each other.  Furthermore, certain targets, like helping students, pupils and volunteers to move between countries in a straight forward manner cannot be achieved if countries work independently. This is a field that requires cooperation on behalf of all members of the European Union.