Commissioner Iliana Ivanova delivers a keynote speech at the European Education Summit

Honourable Ministers,

Members of the European Parliament,

School leaders, teachers, learners,

Dear friends,

Welcome to the sixth European Education Summit.

It is a privilege to be here for the first time, witnessing the rich diversity of our education community.

Today, we gather to share ideas, inspire each other and take stock of our progress towards building the European Education Area.

We are halfway to our 2025 goal. Now is the moment to see how our years of work are translating into change on the ground.

Last month's discussions with the European Parliament, experts and stakeholders, including many of you, were invaluable.

I would also like to thank all key stakeholders, such as the Lifelong Learning Platform, for their dedication and effort, particularly in organising the recent meeting on the European Education Area.

These interactions provide a comprehensive picture of the EU's educational landscape, from school classrooms to university lecture halls, and also encompassing non-formal and informal education.

We noted, in October, that we have already delivered on most of the Area's strategic actions. Only last week, the Council adopted our two recommendations on digital education, adding to a growing number of initiatives and guiding documents improving education in the EU.

European achievements, feeding into the work of national administrations, are amplified by the amazing work of teachers and education professionals on the ground, often supported by our Erasmus+ programme.

The latest Erasmus+ Annual Report, which we are launching here today, showcases over 4 billion euro supporting nearly 26,000 projects, empowering73,000 organisations and providing opportunities to 1.2 million learners, teachers, trainers and young people.

This represents not the effort of one institution or another. This is a source of pride for our entire community.

Despite this incredible effort, we know we are not there yet.

Progress on some of our concrete targets, especially in basic skills, falls short of our ambitions.

Teachers face growing challenges due tostaff shortages and demographic changes. Today, we will focus on these issues as we present this year's Education and Training Monitor.

To overcome these challenges, we must elevate our ambitions.

We know the political will is there. The Member States take these challenges seriously, and the European Parliament has been a staunch ally, supporting new evidence and initiatives.

Committed individuals and organisations that bring our goals to fruition are there as well, displaying remarkable resilience and dedication.

And finally, the funding is there, with the Erasmus+ programme that becomes ever more inclusive. Last year alone, we supported 178,000 people with fewer opportunities.

Looking ahead, we focus on the final two packages of the European Education Area: the Learning Mobility Framework and the Joint Degrees.

On learning mobility, just few weeks ago, we presented the proposal: 'Europe on the Move' - making learning mobility an opportunity for everyone - as part of the Talent Mobility Package.

Learning mobility is one of the greatest successes of the EU. The European Education Area was conceived to build on this success.

Our proposal has three key features:

First, we want to broaden learning mobility, from school and higher education to vocational education and learning, adult education and youth exchanges. We also want to benefit more teachers and apprentices.

Second, we want to reach more people. We are proposing new targets for 2030: we want at least 25% of graduates in higher education and at least 15% of learners in vocational education and training to benefit from learning mobility.

Third, we want to make mobility more inclusive. We want beneficiaries with fewer opportunities to reach 20%.

Parallel to this, we are advancing on a joint European degree.

We have developed criteria together with the Member States, currently being tested in more than 60 universities. The outcomes will feed into a blueprint for a future joint European degree, which I will present next year, alongside proposals for Council Recommendations on a European quality assurance and recognition system and on attractive and sustainable careers in higher education.

These two packages will push us even further as we strengthen education in Europe. They offer significant opportunities to our young people in a globalised world.

Yet this is not something that any one of us can do on their own. We need your continued support. We need policy officers, stakeholders on the ground, social partners, teachers and professors.

We need the whole of the education community to be involved.

This is especially important now, as we approach the European elections. Education informs our choices. It shapes our sense of responsibility, our attitude towards our community, our region, our country, and towards the whole of the EU.

Education empowers. We need to further support entrepreneurship and innovation in education. We will discuss salient initiatives today, including the work of our European Universities and the innovation communities of the European Institute of Technology.

Ultimately, we will rely on these attitudes and skills to stand up for our values. This is especially the case as we support Ukraine against Russia's war of aggression. And I am proud of the effort that we mobilised in support of Ukrainian students and teachers.

I know I can count on your commitment to achieve these goals and fulfil the promise of the European Education Area. Your work is a testament to your unwavering dedication. I am committed to being your ally, ready to advocate for more resources and support.

Thank you for coming together once again. I look forward to your ideas as we strive for a more connected, empowered Europe.

Thank you.