25th Anniversary of Eurydice
Brussels, 13 October 2005

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me today to address you all present here at the 25th anniversary seminar of the Eurydice network. I was delighted to accept the invitation to attend and speak, because Eurydice really does make an impressive contribution to a better mutual understanding of our education systems and policies.

We need well educated and highly skilled citizens for our economies and also for the social and political success of Europe. These are challenging times for education systems throughout Europe. The Lisbon strategy has brought education to the forefront and the Bologna process is reforming higher education systems radically in terms of their structure.

This is creating increased demand for comparative studies and indicators. To identify and coordinate successful strategies for our ambitious projects, we need up-to-date and reliable information and, in this respect, Eurydice is one of the fixed stars to guide our navigation.

In a close creative partnership between the Commission and the Member States, Eurydice has demonstrated its ability to report on common problems faced by education systems throughout Europe. At the same time, it has pointed out their diversity both within and between countries.

While respecting the full responsibility of Member States for education, Eurydice is helping the EU to improve the quality of its education systems. Your organisation supports the Commission in its efforts to trigger a Europe–wide movement for reform. Things like adapting education systems to today’s changing conditions can be achieved better and faster when efforts are coordinated across the continent.

One example of the high–quality information made available by Eurydice is the 2005 edition of the report Key Data on Education in Europe which over the years has become its flagship publication. For the very first time, the report combines various kinds of information sources. Information from Eurydice itself and Eurostat statistics are complemented by contextual data from PISA 2003 and other international surveys to provide a multi-dimensional view of how education in Europe is developing.

Indeed, this latest Eurydice edition of Key Data has broken fresh ground in integrating a wealth of reliable data: it offers better insight into what education systems plan to achieve, it identifies how educational policies are implemented, and it points out how these affect pupils and students, teachers and school headmasters.

The experience developed by the Eurydice network, its deep knowledge of education systems and policies and its grasp of the kind of information needed to enlighten policy–making and public debate come to the fore in the comments on each indicator.

As a whole, the content of Key Data highlights certain general—and very welcome—trends. Let me list a few:

more and more children benefit from pre–primary education: almost everywhere in Europe, over 60 % of children aged 4 attend a pre–primary institution;

increasing numbers of students are enrolled in tertiary education: total student enrolment rose by 16 % between 1998 and 2002;

the number of graduates in scientific and technological fields is growing every year;

the organisation and management of education systems in the new EU Member States and in the EU–15 are very similar;

inequality of access to computer facilities and to Internet in schools is declining.

A series of forthcoming proposals for a Recommendation on the quality of teacher training and Communications on adult education and equity –which I plan to submit to the College in 2006 – will strengthen policy development and consensus building around crucial issues for the achievement of the Lisbon goals.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As you know, multilingualism is – for the first time – explicitly included in the brief of a European Commissioner—and I have the honour to be that Commissioner.

For this reason, I was particularly interested to read the Eurydice report entitled Key Data on Teaching Languages at School in Europe. With its 40 or so indicators, the report provides a very clear picture of policies implemented in this important area.

I also look forward to reading the report on the provision for Content and Language Integrated Learning, which I understand will be published at the end of the year.

The issue of multilingualism is central for the present and the future of our Union. As you all know, the EU is unlike any other multinational organisation under this respect, because it is legally bound to communicate with its citizens in a language they understand.

For the future, I believe that an intelligent language policy can help create a genuine sense of European citizenship among all Europeans. The more citizens speak foreign languages, the more Europe’s many languages will be bridges, rather than barriers.

I intend to publish shortly a Communication setting out my strategy in this field and proposing new actions for implementation both by Member States and by the Commission.

Indicators are far from the only output of Eurydice. It also publishes qualitative comparative studies on topics high on the European political agenda.

It is clear that the Union, after the recent referenda, has to multiply its efforts to win the hearts and minds of its citizens, especially those who are younger and will help shape our future.

Citizenship education is therefore crucial. Eurydice has appropriately encouraged debate and reflection on this subject in two recent surveys, the first on citizenship education itself and the second on school–based measures for integrating immigrant children into mainstream education wherever possible.

The survey shows that education systems have taken measures to adapt to the new reality which is that Europe is increasingly multicultural and increasingly mobile.

I was interested to read that:

Immigrant children of compulsory school age are generally entitled to education on the same terms as nationals, irrespective of their status;

and that:

The intercultural approach for the benefit of all pupils is a part of almost all curricula.

The survey also points to areas for possible improvement; it shows, for example, that Citizenship education is a component of initial teacher education in only two-thirds of countries.

Another aspect of Eurydice which I would like to stress is that it is a dynamic network. All Units in each of the 31 countries covered by the network are involved in all activities, providing a uniquely comprehensive overview of European education systems.

Eurydice is a network underpinned by solidarity. Each National Unit and situation is different in terms of systems and resources. The Network nevertheless manages to achieve common ambitious targets, with the same attention paid to all countries.

On behalf of the European Commission, I would like to thank the Eurydice Network and the National Units for their support and work over all these years. We are also indebted to the highly skilled and professional team at the European Unit for its co-ordinating of the Network. Collectively, you can take pride in your remarkable achievements.

There is no doubt that the kind of information you provide will be not less but increasingly needed in the future. Our appreciation for your work is also reflected in the Commission plan to increase the financial support to both the European and National Units in the coming year and even more so after 2007 under the future lifelong learning programme. Similarly, I hope that Eurydice will benefit from additional financial support at national level.

For all these reasons, it is a pleasure for me to pay tribute to Eurydice on the occasion of its 25th anniversary.

I would like to express my very best wishes for the future success of the Network and for a stimulating and thought-provoking seminar.

Thank you for your attention.