The EU Commissioner Ján Figel, responsible for Education and Culture, met with EAEA´s newly elected President Ms Sue Waddington, the EAEA Executive Board and Secretary General Ms Gina Ebner as well as EAEA staff representatives in order to discuss the role of EAEA and Adult Education in current and future European policies.

The Commissioner stressed in an in depth discussion the importance of Lifelong Learning in today´s difficult time and pointed out that without lifelong learning, there will be no lifelong earning. He emphasised the importance of learning mobility and intercultural dialogue as key instruments for a future Europe of knowledge and underlined the need of an increased engagement of all Member States in the field of education and culture.

Answering some of the requests from EAEA on a deepening European engagement within learning the Commissioner replied that the trend is indeed to further increase the role of education across the whole field of Union policies. Answering a suggestion on increasing the speed of implementing lifelong learning policies the Commissioner replied by remarking that the Union has moved a long way already. Looking back only ten years shows us clearly how much has been achieved. We should not lose sight of the fact that we are in the middle of a process, and we are clearly moving forward. He gave the example of the initiative to harmonise adult education systems through the European Qualification Framework, which now is gaining global interest. In education, the European Union is seen as a forerunner, creating an example for others to follow. Thus education cannot for instance be ignored when the European Recovery Plan is being drawn up.

In a detailed question session he strongly encouraged the representatives from non EU and EU accession countries to look for ways of cooperation within the current EU policy instruments and programmes and emphasised that this kind of cooperation is very welcome by the European Commission. The benefits are becoming more and more obvious to all those involved, because, said EU Commissioner Ján Figel, education unites.

More information about the European Commissioner for Education and Culture