Press Release: Commission welcomes agreement by the Member States to intensify their cooperation in education and training

On 12 May, 2009, the Council adopted a new strategic framework for co-operation between EU Member States to reform their education and training systems. This is an important signal in the current economic crisis, as common challenges, such as skills deficits, ageing societies and tough global competition need joint responses and countries learning from each other. The conclusions identify both immediate priorities for 2009-11 and long-term challenges for the decade ahead. The tools used to meet them include new education and training benchmarks for monitoring progress across Europe.