Education and the European Union

The European Commission has become a major player in education and training in member countries and beyond. For many years education did not feature on the Commission's agenda but, following the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 and the Lisbon Strategy in 2000, it has become an integral part of the Commission's work. Its specific remit is to promote cooperation with national governments so as to improve the provision of education and training, and to administer quite substantial funding programmes. Much progress has been made but many challenges remain to be met before one can speak meaningfully of a European education space.