GUIDEBOOK TO EU DECISION-MAKING IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING Guidebook to EU DECISION-MAKING IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING Lifelong Learning Platform The Lifelong Learning Platform benefits from the financial support of the EU under the Erasmus+ Programme. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Lifelong Learning Platform and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. ABOUT US INDEX The Lifelong Learning Platform EDITO 6 European civil society for education WHO’S WHO 7 European institutions 7 The institutional triangle 7 Values European Commission 8 The Lifelong Learning Platform (previously Council of the European Union 13 EUCIS-LLL) was born in 2005 as a The platform fosters a vision of lifelong European Parliament 16 response from civil society organisations learning that promotes equity, social The consultative bodies 19 to the definition and implementation of a cohesion and active citizenship. It believes European Economic and Social Committee 19 European policy in the field of education that the objectives of education and training Committee of the Regions 20 and training in the so-called “Open Method should not only be described in terms of of Coordination”. Ombudsman 21 employability or economic growth but also Court of Justice 21 In 2001 already, several educational as a framework for personal development. Specialised European Agencies 22 networks had come together to share their It is essential to raise awareness on the fact European Agencies 22 experience and expertise around a Europe- that lifelong learning should include a large Network of Researchers 23 wide consultation on the EU “Lifelong range of learning settings and create more Learning Memorandum”. This cooperation International Organisations 23 complementarity and continuity between became systematic when the Platform was established as a permanent organisation formal, non-formal and informal learning. EU POLICY-MAKING 25 in 2005. For 10 years now, the Lifelong Europe 2020 Strategy 25 Learning Platform has played a key role in Priorities 25 structuring and increasing the input of civil European Semester 27 society on the “Education and Training Vision 2020” and “Europe 2020” strategies and The Lifelong Learning Platform promotes a Education and Training 2020 28 their predecessors. holistic vision of lifelong learning, from cradle Aims and objectives 28 The Lifelong Learning Platform was to grave, that is not limited to formal education Open Method of Coordination 29 acknowledged by the European Commission but integrates non-formal and informal Measuring progress: Indicators and benchmarks 30 in 2009 as a “unique representation” of learning. By bringing together actors from all Monitoring progress: Joint and Annual Reports 31 lifelong learning of the various education sectors and levels of education and training, MAIN POLICY INTITIATIVES 33 and training actors organised at EU level, The platform contributes to an increased Mobility and Lifelong Learning instruments 33 and in 2011 as “in a unique position to flexibility between systems. By encouraging School education 35 support European networks in education and an exchange of knowledge, it aims to build training to work collectively at European, Vocational Education and Training 36 a citizen’s voice on education and training national and local levels and to contribute to Higher Education 37 issues but also to propose concrete solutions a structured policy dialogue within the open Adult Learning 38 to make lifelong learning a reality for all. method of coordination in education and Youth policies 39 training”. Horizontal policies 40 Gathering 41 organisations, the Lifelong EU FUNDING 41 Learning Platform is today the most Objectives Erasmus+ 41 legitimate interlocutor of the EU institutions Europe for Citizens 42 in the field of lifelong learning. It continuously • Pursuing an active dialogue with defends the need to implement a dialogue European institutions Social Inclusion 43 Creative Europe 44 across educational sectors and between Enabling exchanges of best practice, • Horizon 2020 45 stakeholders and public institutions at all experiences and expertise levels, regional, national and European. • Disseminating information on key issues EUROPEAN NGOS IN THE FIELD 47 in the lifelong learning sector EU GUIDE /// LIFELONG LEARNING PLATFORM - p. 6 EU GUIDE /// LIFELONG LEARNING PLATFORM - p. 7 EDITO WHO’S WHO? European institutions Anyone interested in European affairs should start by having basic knowledge on how the main European Union institutions work. This section will focus on key institutions – many more exist but will not be mentioned for the sake of simplification. Another very Why a European guide on important thing to remember is that the EU is only competent for what is provided for in the Treaties. The EU has three types of competence: exclusive competences; shared EU advocacy in education? competences and complementary competences. In the field of education for instance, the EU has a complementary competence which means it supports Member State action in a certain number of areas (for further information, see part II). David Lopez LIFELONG LEARNING PLATFORM PRESIDENT This guide has been produced for our Lifelong Learning Platform is not only a The institutional triangle members, to have a better understanding tool for its members. It does not just offer of the complexity of Europe. We find services. We are a strong representative of The institutional configuration of the EU can feel like entering a labyrinth to someone this complexity in policies, in the number civil society in our sector. We want to be unfamiliar with it. This confusion is enhanced by the fact that over the years, the EU of programmes or in the difficulty to find active and conscious citizens, preparing and institutional structure has become both more expansive and more stratified, with multiple different funding schemes. We want to participating in decision-making processes. sub-structures and overlapping areas of competence. But to make it simple, we can say that offer our members the keys to understand the institutional structure of the EU has evolved into a triangular relationship between the More than the creation of experts groups, the mechanisms and find their way in the so European Commission (EC), the Council of the EU, and the European Parliament (EP). we want to foster a total expertise for all difficult pathways to become an expert, or citizens. The gap between citizens and just understand the place where they live. ies Europe will come to an end, when all the obb EC Europe seems to be very far from citizens, y, l citizens will consider that they have a real iet EU institutions: the even those that have the most important c «Institutional Triangle» role to play in Europe. So consciousness of European realities. il iv This guide is a modest contribution to C We have tried to reach exhaustiveness in bridge the gap. As I said, it is for our consultations our field of activity: education and lifelong members. But if we consider the vision EESC CoR learning. that I exposed before, the guide is a tool of consultations One of the relevant points of the guide understanding for all citizens. Because “To is the Open Method of Coordination in know is to understand and to act”... amendments education and training (OMC). This method dialogue It is also a tool to call for a better dialogue is very relevant for our work. It is within this between citizens and institutions in the framework that civil dialogue can happen field of education and training. initiatives and where civil society can play a role. The amendments dialogue European initiatives Council EP amendments Council EU GUIDE /// LIFELONG LEARNING PLATFORM - p. 8 EU GUIDE /// LIFELONG LEARNING PLATFORM - p. 9 Of course, other institutions also intervene, What does it do? such as advisory bodies like the European The European Commission acts as the executive body of the EU. It is responsible for Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Jean-Claude Juncker, proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union’s Treaties and the and the Committee of the Regions (CoR), President of the day-to-day running of the Union. The European Commission has four main roles: but they do not have as much impact on European Commission the final outcome and their intervention is often limited to very specific domains of EU action. The European Commission EXCLUSIVE EXECUTIVE GUARDIAN REPRESEN- What is it? RIGHT OF BODY OF THE TATION OF WORK PROGRAMME 2018 INITIATIVE TREATIES THE EU The term “Commission” refers both to the College of Commissioners and to the proposing managing and making sure at institution itself. The European Commission Work legislation to implementing that each international Programme for 2018 sets out the actions the European EU common Member State level The President of the Commission is now it intends to take over the next 12 months Parliament and policies and transposes and chosen based on the results of European to make a real difference for jobs, growth the Council the EU’s applies EU law High Parliament elections. In 2014, the European and investment and bring concrete benefits budget and properly Representative for citizens. It reflects the Commission’s programmes of the Union for People’s Party (EPP) won majority in the Foreign Policy political commitment to an approach more Parliament leading EPP candidate Jean- and Security Claude Juncker to be nominated. focused on priorities and results. Indeed, it contains a significantly lower number of The College of Commissioners is elected new initiatives compared to previous years: INVESTMENT PLAN by the European Council after the where they usually consisted of more than Parliamentary elections and serves for five 100 new initiatives, it only contains 23 The European Commission has proposed Structure and organisation years. Commission designates have to be projects, reflecting Juncker’s commitment an Investment Plan for Europe in 2014. It is approved by the European Parliament as a to be “small in smaller things and big in The nearly 34,000 civil servants, who bigger things”.