Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, 23-24/11/2015, 23-24 November 2015

Main Results

Youth and Education, 23 November

The current migratory and refugee crisis was a common theme to today's Council discussions. Both its configurations addressed migration related issues, in particular through its policy debates

• the role of youth policy and youth work with regards to migration: ministers highlighted the importance of strengthening cross-sectoral cooperation, in particular in the education, youth, culture, and sport sectors.
• education and training strategies for integrating recently arrived migrants and people with a migrant background: ministers underlined in particular the need to recognize the competences of newly arrived migrants and to implement intensive language learning to help overcoming  social inequalities.

We can prevent marginalisation and radicalisation of young people by reducing early school leaving and enabling all young people to participate in our societies, giving them the opportunity to foster our common European values” Claude Meisch, Minister for Education and Youth of Luxembourg

The Council also paid tribute to the victims of the Paris events with a minute of silence. All ministers addressed their condolences to the French minister of Education, Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, and to all the relatives of the victims of the Paris attacks of 13 November.

According to minister Claude Meisch, “We can prevent marginalisation and radicalisation of young people by reducing early school leaving and enabling all young people to participate in our societies, giving them the opportunity to foster our common European values.”

Youth

The Council adopted the 2015 EU Youth Report on the implementation of the Renewed Framework for European Cooperation in the Youth Field (2010-2018).

This joint report from the Commission and the Council evaluates the progress made under the cooperation framework in the period 2013-2015. It also assesses the implementation of the "structured dialogue" with young people and puts forward new policy recommendations and priorities for the next three year period (2016-2018).

The Council adopted two resolutions on

• a new EU Work Plan for Youth (2016-2018) which focuses on how to address more promptly and effectively the continuing high youth unemployment rates and the consequences of the crisis on young people.
• encouraging the political participation of young people in European democratic life, which was the priority of the current work cycle of the structured dialogue.

Education

The Council adopted the 2015 Joint Report on the implementation of the Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (ET 2020) (2010-2020)

The report takes stock of progress during the most recent work cycle (2012-2014) and reviews the ET 2020 framework at its half-way stage, putting forward proposals for adjustment.

The main priorities for European cooperation in education and training for the 5 years up to 2020 are intended to ensure that education and training systems promote employability, skills and innovation, increase social mobility and equality, help to prevent radicalisation and lay the foundations for democratic values and active citizenship.

Culture and Sport, 24 November

The current migratory and refugee crisis was also a common strand in the discussions on the second day of the Council (24 November). The issues figured particularly prominently in debates on:

• collective action against the illicit trafficking and destruction of cultural heritage in conflict areas: ministers underlined the strong symbolic value of cultural heritage in terms of identity and its contribution to intercultural dialogue. They called for increased cooperation between member states at all levels
• the educational potential of sport to help disadvantaged youth, including migrants, to find their place in society. Ministers agreed that sport is not only vital in helping foster dialogue between different cultures within the EU but is also key to social integration policies.

Culture

The focus of the Culture session was on how culture can best reinforce the EU's external action. Ministers adopted conclusions on the way in which development cooperation and intercultural dialogue can improve the integration of migrants and refugees.

The first conclusions reflect the importance of a more comprehensive approach to culture, based on global solidarity. They call on the Commission and the High Representative to submit to the Council a strategic approach to culture and set out some guiding principles.

The Council stressed that this approach should also address the challenges currently facing the EU such as the migratory crisis, radicalisation and the rise of xenophobia.

The conclusions on intercultural dialogue are part of  the framework of the Work Plan for Culture, which aims at improving mutual understanding between the host country and migrants, and part of the response to the broader strategy to migration called for by the European Council in October 2015.

Sport can be and is indeed an important vector to integrate people, especially disadvantaged young people, in today's society. The exchange of best practices in this domain can help giving young people a chance of moving on Roman Schneider, Minister for Sports of Luxembourg

Sport

The Council adopted conclusions on the promotion of  physical and sport activities for children, inviting member states to raise awareness of the benefits of regular physical activity from early childhood and to encourage action to encourage active lifestyles among children.

Ministers also discussed ways of developing the educational potential of sport, in particular for the integration of disadvantaged young people, migrants and newly arrived refugees.

The debate included interventions from two guest speakers: Edwin Moses, former Olympic champion and currently president of the United States Anti-Doping Agency and Chair of the Education Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency and Mathieu Murrell of the English Football Premier League.

Both speakers presented examples of projects which successfully combine education and sport. However, they both underlined that sport is a means rather than an end, and that education and employment remain vital in disadvantaged areas.

Minister Schneider declared: "Sport can be and is indeed an important vector to integrate people, especially disadvantaged young people, in today's society. The exchange of best practices in this domain can help giving young people a chance of moving on".