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Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council (Education and Youth), 11 May 2026
Main results
Education
Erasmus+ 2028-2034
The Council agreed its position on the regulation on Erasmus+ for 2028-2034, marking a crucial first step towards negotiations with the European Parliament.
We are confident that, through our work this semester, the future Erasmus generations will continue to benefit from the great opportunities that the programme brings. From learning mobility and volunteering to talent and excellence development opportunities and cooperation among institutions and organisations, the future Erasmus+ should continue to invest in people, innovation and high-quality lifelong learning.
Dr Athena Michaelidou, Minister for Education, Sport and Youth, Republic of Cyprus
The Erasmus+ programme aims to support high-quality lifelong learning and provide learning mobility opportunities for a wide range of participants, including young people, apprentices, students and teachers. The Commission’s proposal merges the programme with the European Solidarity Corps (ESC).
The Council approved conclusions on teachers in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). The conclusions reaffirm that teachers are key to a human-centred and pedagogically driven integration of AI in education and call on member states to take steps to boost teachers’ AI literacy, embrace the potential of AI while mitigating the associated risks, promote education-specific AI tools, address digital divides, and safeguard teachers’ working conditions and well-being.
Teachers are not just users of AI – they are guides, mentors and critical thinkers who help students navigate an increasingly complex digital world. Supporting them with the right training, tools and safeguards is essential to making AI a success in education.
Dr Athena Michaelidou, Minister for Education, Sport and Youth, Republic of Cyprus
Ministers exchanged views on the topic of “Basic skills and the European Education Area: building bridges for the future”. The discussion focused on effective strategies to strengthen foundational skills for all learners. The Council also explored how cooperation at EU level could best support the development and improvement of such skills and the role of the European Education Area in this process.
Over lunch, education ministers discussed ways to build resilient education and training systems in times of crisis. The Ukrainian minister of education and science, Oksen Lisovyi, also took part in the discussion.
Other items
Under “other business”, ministers received information on the work programme of the incoming Irish presidency; information from Croatia on project brAIn in the AI era; and information from Slovakia on coordinated action for child online safety
Ministers exchanged views on ways to ensure that policymaking at EU and national level better reflects the needs and expectations of young people in Europe.
During the discussion, they shared examples of good practices in their countries that helped make policies more youth-friendly, as well as any challenges encountered and how these had been addressed. They also put forward ways to ensure that the next EU Youth Strategy was more youth-friendly, particularly as regards participation, implementation, and impact.
The Council approved a resolution on the revision of the EU Youth Strategy Work Plan 2025 -2027.
The resolution updates the work plan for the period 2025-2027, particularly in view of the upcoming Irish, Lithuanian and Greek presidencies of the EU Council.
The EU Youth Strategy for 2019-2027 aims to empower young people, enhance their resilience and promote their inclusion.
The Council approved a resolution on the outcomes of the 11th cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue, which aimed to ensure that the outcomes were recognised and followed up on by relevant stakeholders at EU and national levels, as well as to ensure transparency, quality and continuity in the implementation of the EU Youth Dialogue and its results.
The 11th cycle of the EU Youth Dialogue was led by the presidency trio of Poland, Denmark and Cyprus, and focused on European Youth Goal No. 1: ‘Connecting EU with Youth’.
An informal breakfast meeting took place in the framework of the EU Youth Dialogue, bringing together representatives from the former, current and upcoming presidencies, the Commission, the European Parliament, and European youth organisations. The discussion focused on the EU Youth Strategy post-2027.
Other items
Under ‘other business’, ministers were informed about the conclusions of the informal breakfast on the EU Youth Strategy post-2027, and received information from the Irish delegation about the work programme for their upcoming presidency. The Commission informed delegations about the Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness and the Action Plan against Cyberbullying.
