Committee on Culture and Education Ordinary meeting
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CULT European Parliament
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Speaker 2
And obviously, the idea is to get full agreement from all the member states. Erasmus Plus is the top priority for our presidency, and we're closely monitoring the work on the file. And we aim to arrive at a general approach in May. All of us know, of course, that the success of Erasmus Plus is not only based on the mobility of our students and a high level of education and training and cooperation in the long term. It also has an impact when it comes to opportunities given to young people, workers who work with young people.
And when it comes to actions based on solidarity and being a volunteer, these all form part of the DNA of the program. And then coming on to support, sport is, will continue to be a sector that obviously is going to be supported by the program. And it also reflects our values. And sport is a vector to help develop society, improve health. And by giving support to mobility, education mobility for all sportsmen and women also helps people become more integrated, and it forms part of the overall debate.
In order to guarantee a transition between the current program and the future program, well, that is something all of us are aiming for. And we have committed to meet the objectives that were set at the Sports Council in May, and that is to continue negotiations with the European Parliament in order to make progress in the various phases of this very important process. We're living through very uncertain times, with lots of changes. And obviously, those people who are preparing the future generations of future Europeans are the teachers, the trainers, and they play an absolutely essential role. Teachers and trainers are those, of course, who work on a day-to-day basis with young people and create the conditions for a better future on a day-to-day basis.
And the trainers, educators are the second priority of the Cyprus presidency. As is the case with the committee, we see teachers and trainers as a fundamental pillar. At the informal meeting in Nicosia in January, we were looking at ways in which we could strengthen the role of the teacher, in particular when it comes to professional development. We have to provide support for teachers and trainers because, obviously, they're going to have to meet the challenges, the changes brought about by artificial intelligence in schools and education, and that is also a fundamental part of our debate. So what we have to do is strengthen teachers, give them sufficient support so that they can continue with the critical task of teaching and training.
The Cyprus presidency within the council. Obviously, he's looking at education within the context of the AI Act, which will be adopted on May 10 at the Education Council. And our priority is to take a holistic approach to skills. The competitiveness of the European Union and its autonomous strategy depends on strategic autonomy, depends on the skills, the abilities of young people in order to be able to face up to the challenges facing society in the future. And this means that our citizens need to be well prepared. If we take a look at recent debates in the council, we've been looking at literacy, mathematics, science for all. And we're also taking a look at how to develop digital skills, amongst other things as well.
What we saw as a result of the debate is that there is a new commitment to make sure that the European education area is strengthened, and education obviously is one of our fundamental policies. During the Council of Ministers Meeting on May 11, the education ministers is going to be discussing an issue which brings together certain aspects of this area, and that is fundamental skills, basic skills in the European education area. We're looking ahead to the future. When it comes to youth and the European youth dialogue, this is a fundamental mechanism for us to try to meet the objectives that have been set out in the European Youth Strategy. The idea is to give young people an opportunity to be able to express their concerns and to do this directly to those who are taking the decisions so that there is more involvement of young people when it comes to preparing policies.
Poland, Denmark and Cyprus form part of the trio and the idea is to continue the cycle of dialogue with young people focusing on the objective of European youth and all linked up to the European year of youth. This cycle will end under the Cyprus presidency, so we will be taking stock of the results of the work that has been done. And we aim to submit a resolution, a document that brings together all the activities that have taken place over the past 18 months. And obviously, take a look at the recommendations that young people have submitted to us over the course of 3 youth summits. And we do very much hope that this will be adopted at the May Council.
And then finally, the Cyprus presidency, through its contribution to the European youth strategy, will be developing a resolution when it comes to work that's being done in the area of youth for 2025, 2027. In the area of sport, the Cyprus presidency wants to see, wishes to see sport as an important pillar for economic development, health, mental development, and sustainable development and transition. We wish to adopt council conclusions on sports tourism as a kind of lever for sustainable development. And hopefully, this will be adopted on May 12. An international conference is going to be organized on this in Nicosia by the Cyprus presidency.
Obviously, sport brings people together around the world, and it fosters peace amongst people. And if we can promote sports tourism, we feel this is an important instrument looking at different aspects, environmental aspects, and it helps mobility. And the Cyprus presidency also wishes to focus on the mental health of the athletes. We have been admiring athletes when it comes to their physical exploits, but I think we also have to think about their mental health. And we have to give athletes support and give them also an opportunity to further their own professional and vocational development beyond their sports career.
The presidency is going to organize a debate on the mental health of athletes, of sportsmen and women on May 12 in the council. So the ministers will have an exchange of views and considerations on how we can strengthen the mental health of sportsmen and women. And then, of course, the Cyprus presidency wishes to incorporate the Mediterranean dimension of sport. Something, sport, bringing together the countries of the European Union, work together with the countries to the South of the Mediterranean. Ladies and gentlemen, the Cyprus presidency will continue to work on the basis of institutional cooperation and in a constructive way.
And I would like to express our sincere thanks to the presidency trio, to the Polish and Danish presidencies. The Cyprus presidency, obviously, is not only a national effort. It's a collective European effort. And this is how we view our presidency based on cooperation and on the ties and shared commitment that we have with Europe. Thank you very much, and I'm looking forward to our exchange of views.
Yes.
Nela Riehl
Thank you, minister. So now I invite the first four coordinators of the first four groups to ask their questions. You have two minutes. Please don't exceed that. And then we will have five minutes for the minister to answer, before we move on to the next group.
We begin with the EPP.
Speaker 3
Thank you very much, dear minister. Today, we are discussing areas that are not just policy filled, but the very foundation of the EU's future education, youth, and sport. Through these areas, we build a competitive economy, but also an inclusive and democratic society. In this context, I believe it is crucial to further invest in the quality of education, as you already mentioned, but above all in teachers and educators in their continuous professional development and lifelong learning. So I have a few questions.
Speaker 5
Just so you mentioned sports. Sport, on the other hand, plays an important social role, but challenges such as doping and unethical practice require clear and coordinated responses at the European level. Therefore, I would like to ask, how does your presidency plan to encourage member states to increase investment in teachers and their continuous professional development? How do you intend to ensure that education keeps pace with labor market needs and the development of the future professions? How do you plan to strengthen and further develop vocational education and training so that this becomes a more attractive choice for young people?
Speaker 3
How do you intend to address this information through education and work with young people? How do you plan to increase the meaningful participation of young people in the political process? So how does the Cyprus presidency plan to encourage member states to the European institution to further strengthen the inclusiveness of the Erasmus Polus program so that it becomes more accessible to, especially, young people from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds? And what concrete measures do you envisage to combat doping in sport? You mentioned something about that, but it's not actually clear.
Speaker 4
So if we want a strong and resilient Europe, we must have the courage to invest precisely where its future is built. Young people are very important in that way. Thank you very much.
Thank you. And s and d?
Speaker 6
Thank you, Minister, for the opportunity to exchange views with you, and thank you for tackling these topics. You're not just tackling, but you're also dealing with them, which are topics which are very important to this committee. You've talked about the European education area. Thank you for mentioning that. And Erasmus plus. And all of these topics, education, sport, youth, these are all brought together under Erasmus plus. And I would like to know how the support for the MFF budget?
Speaker 8
How is that seen? What's expected? There's an increase in we've demanded an increase to 50,000,000,000 for next year on the grounds that 50% more, because they're bringing this together with the European Social Fund. Sorry, the European Solidarity Corps. And so that will, and also because there's been an increase in prices.
Speaker 6
So if we want to do double as much work, reach double as many people as with the previous program, then the increase that has been suggested will not be sufficient. There's also the topic in the present draft, there is no earmarking, Seine. So there's no guarantees for certain areas, such as Erasmus Plus, and we are demanding that as a committee urgently. And we also have concerns that because of this lack of earmarking and because of this competition for access to the funds, there is a risk that some of the organizations, which are not perhaps so well organized, will not have the opportunity to benefit from Erasmus plus anymore. And that would be against actually what makes Erasmus Plus so special.
Speaker 7
So I thank you for seeing your Erasmus Plus as a central program for the European Union. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Thank.
Speaker 13
Thank you very much. Madam Minister, thank you for your presentation of the priorities of the Cyprus presidency for education, youth, and sport. I have a question on the protection of minors and age checks. Protecting minors is included in the debate when we talk about their access to social networks. Banning them before a certain age is now the subject of a consensus, but online platforms are obliged to check the age.
Speaker 10
Some techniques are not very risky if you talk about the age of the account or the means of payment that's recorded. But other techniques are based on the transfer of sensitive data, such as presentation of an ID document or facial recognition, often via a third party verification body. This is a risk to privacy, given the massive risk of piracy assisted by AI. And then there's the additional obligation of these platforms sharing their data with often third-country authorities. I don't think we should be in a hurry for this.
Does the Cyprus presidency agree that no age check system is guaranteed unless it is entirely secured? Can we protect our fellow citizens against public, national, or foreign authorities who through age verification are trying to extend their surveillance, to the detriment of our fundamental rights? Thank you.
For the ECR.
Speaker 11
Madam minister, the Cypriot presidency puts young people at the center of the European project. We wholeheartedly support this. Still, I have some simple questions that are based on common sense. Yes, indeed. We speak about trust in participation in a dialogue.
But how could we build trust if young people feel that policies are too far from their real lives? Whether new policies will bring about change or will they just stay on paper? Currently, access to energy and housing is very challenging, especially given the geopolitical context and the instability in Europe. But the question is how could we come to the situation when young people in Europe cannot afford their own home? And what is proposed?
Is it really a real working solution or just words on paper? Again, about employment, is there a connection between education and real economy? Do we prepare young people for future proof jobs or are we preparing them for markets that have ceased to exist? Yes. I believe that sports could be even more prominent.
When we speak about social inclusion, we cannot forget sports. In conclusion, the conference in Nicosia is a wonderful opportunity. But are we going to listen to the voice of young people? Or are we going just to tick the boxes saying that, yes, we listen to them? The most important thing is to turn the priorities you mentioned into real practical policies with visible results, not to stay only within the realm of good intentions.
Nela Riehl
you. And then, minister, please take five minutes to answer the questions, then we'll go on with the second round.
Speaker 2
Indeed. The questions were very important, and many of them, Chair. Investment in teachers, that's a crucial issue. We believe that in order to be successful in any of our plans, we need to invest in teachers more. They are continuous professional development.
We need systems right on from the early career paths for them, offering them opportunities, making their profession more attractive. And, of course, during our presidency, we pay attention to teachers. Early on in January, we had a conference in Nicosia where we discussed with other ministers how teachers could be more empowered in order to be facilitators in all this area that we need them to help teachers and young people. Teachers are a political priority for both our presidency and this committee, of course. And as I said, supporting teachers to be ready for what happens in these difficult times is more than a need.
So empowering them, for example, for AI, is one of our very concrete measures. We intend to have conclusions in May, not only suggesting the theoretical part of it, but also suggesting and making implications for their everyday teaching activity in the classroom. Teachers in the area of artificial intelligence are in our focus for the next two months, and we plan to have concrete results. Moreover, VET, very important for us. VET is an opportunity to have links between education and the labour market.
So we give more emphasis on quality on vet programs, upgrading the programs, giving opportunities to young people and students, making more attractive vet education, and, of course, having upgraded the new technologies in vet programs and offering skills. If we want to offer skills, we need to invest in vet more, and this is what we plan to do as the presidency. Political process, we need active citizenship, active citizens. And in order to do that, we need to offer them early on opportunities for preschool education. We offer students opportunities to behave actively in order to understand their rights, to respect other rights, and to be actively involved in dialogues.
So it's an opportunity and ongoing discussion that we have and an ongoing policy that we have from preschool education until higher education in order to have the political voice that we need from young people. Inclusiveness. Erasmus plus is supposed to be more inclusive, more open to everyone. And I had a question about doping. Allow me to say that this is extremely important.
Again, the fight against doping is essential to protect the integrity of sports for us. So at EU level, we emphasize coordinated action among member states working closely with WADA, the Council of Europe, and national anti-doping agents. As council presidency, we will continue to facilitate this process, this coordination, and promote a consistent values-based approach. And, again, for us, it's something that needs to be built on early on, even from preschool education, in order to have students that know where to say no, know where their rights are and limits and boundaries. So only through cooperation at the European level, we can effectively protect the integrity of sports.
MFF, I should say that we are in the middle of the discussions. We are closely monitoring the whole procedure. I do not want to prejudge the outcome of horizontal discussions on the financial aspects of the MFF, which will take place at the level of the leaders, of course, and in the General Affairs Council. I should say that the council fully shares the commitment to endow the union with the means it needs to act, and I'm confident that discussions will lead to a positive outcome. Inclusiveness, broadness, making accessible, making procedures less bureaucratic is, of course, a must. Protection of minors, I should say that this is extremely important.
Again, it goes back to skills, where to say no, where to equip our students early on in order to know how to act in all those different situations.
And.
Speaker 2
We need to say that it is one of our major concerns. That's why we had a special conference on contemporary literacies, media literacy, for example, how to help students and teachers facilitate this process. And it is very relevant how rapidly evolving the digital environment is, particularly for children and young people. So as presidency, we recognize the importance of addressing challenges such as the protection of minors online, misinformation and disinformation, cyberbullying, media and digital literacy, service horizontal priorities for the Cyprus presidency program, which is linked to the basic skills action plan, as I said. Reflecting this commitment, we recently hosted the conference where we have specific suggestions and implications for the teachers.
And we have been steering the work on the draft council conclusion on teachers in the era of artificial intelligence, where we include specific suggestions on this issue as well. We had a question on youth, on young people. The EU Youth Dialogue provides a safe space for young people to express their needs and co design solutions with policymakers. Talking about housing and employment, of course, goes beyond our authority here, but it is very important to say that council resolutions concerning EU youth dialogue cycles include recommendations made by young people themselves as they derive from their discussions in the EU youth conferences. In addition to that, the Cyprus presidency organizes the informal youth breakfast in the margins of the youth council to provide a space for closer collaboration and discussion between young people and policymakers.
For us, it is very important that what has been said not stay in words or theory, but go beyond that, offering opportunities for online participation, opening platforms for young people in order to give us policy suggestions and see their voice being heard in policy recommendations. Thank you.
Nela Riehl
Thank you. So now we move on to the next four groups, beginning with Renew. I'm just looking around the room. I can't see anybody from Renew. So we'll move on to the greens.
So, Diana.
Speaker 14
Thank you, Chairman. First of all, thank you for being here with us this morning. I have two questions. One on education, one on sports. Since we don't have much time, I'll go straight to them.
We've seen the intention of strengthening the teaching profession and skills and to make education a pillar for resilience and social cohesion. But what we're seeing in many areas of the European policy is the problem isn't the diagnosis. We're very clear on what needs to be done. Often, it's the real vision or the implementation of the education policies. We talk about making teaching more prestigious, but in reality, the teachers are overwhelmed with their work and the resources they're given to respond to the challenges that we from politics are asking them to take on.
And so we can't build a Europe of knowledge with proposals which are not accompanied by sufficient resources. For example, this week in Catalonia, the teachers are mobilizing throughout the territory because they feel that these improvements we want to implement are not up to the real needs of the system. There's this gap between political ambition and the available resources. So how, as the presidency, are you planning to reduce this gap? That's one of the questions I have.
Resources and how important they are in this, because the diagnosis and policies, we have very clear ideas about, but then they can't be achieved. And then on sports, I have a very specific question. Sport tourism, sport, and mobility in Europe. What we've seen over the last few years is this growing commercial pressure coming from sports, and more specifically, not the largest disciplines, but the less media friendly, for example, youth sports. We're seeing in youth sports, they are shifting outside the EU.
So we're losing this connection to the land, the territory, and we're losing out on this economic mobility, which is not just in culture but in sports as well. So my question is, what sort of initiatives are you raising for sports to continue to be linked and anchored in our local regions, given the market needs? How can we ensure that they're not going to third countries with this sport washing that we're seeing, not the first, the highest leagues, but the many others?
Left from Russia.
Speaker 15
Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Minister. Sport is an extraordinary tool for inclusion, education, and growth, but it's not immune from abuse or violence, in particular with regard to young athletes. Different cases over the last few years have shown that we cannot rely solely on self-regulation in the federations. So, that's why I feel that the EU should consider introducing a European system for mandatory certification for anyone working or volunteering with minors in sport. A good practice, which has been successfully rolled out in Australia, is the working with children check.
It's a system for checking those working through in-depth checking of criminal records and other relevant information. It's necessary for the EU to consider the involvement of a similar system, obviously, taking into account our very specificities so that we have in-depth checks on anyone working with the children or youth in sport. Then I'd like to touch on a second point on equality of gender in professional sports. We can't talk about the European Union if we continue to tolerate mechanisms which allow for structural discrimination in different member states. For example, in Italy, the criteria for accessing training courses we discussed this morning for professional footballers, for example, lay out point systems which penalize women in a very obvious way.
Experience from women's championships shows that they are judged to different standards than those working in male sports. So a woman starts with a formal handicap, which means it's impossible to have access to higher qualification. It's not a perception, but it's a regulatory mechanism which generates a specific discriminatory effect. So I'm wondering if the presidency is planning on proposing minimum European standards to guaranteeing fair access criteria and not discriminatory for technical training courses, even through guidelines or conditions linked to European financing for sport. If we really want to have more women involved in the decision-making and the technical aspects, we need to work on the selection criteria upstream from that.
Thank you.
Speaker 2
Thank you so much. Again, very interesting questions. Regarding teachers, the investment in education means investment in teachers as well, with practical measures. And practical measures means making the profession more attractive for them, giving them opportunities for continuous professional development, because things are getting more demanding in the classroom, and giving them resources. So investment means also resources, as you mentioned, supporting them, better conditions.
And there is a list of indications and policy recommendations in what we plan to have in May, not only for their career on development, but also giving them opportunities for addressing the basic major issues that they face nowadays, like new technologies, things that have to do with minors and protecting them from abuse and so many others. So it is a very demanding issue, and we plan to tackle it with very specific suggestions. Sport, tourism, and mobility, I should mention, are very crucial. I should say that talking about sports from our perspective, the European sport model is a reflection of the European values that we collectively believe in. In this context, the council, we look forward to the upcoming strategic document for the future of EU sport policy, where we tackle things like keeping it more controlled and more the quality should be there.
We are willing and ready to engage constructively on this topic, and we are also in favor as presidency of open competitions to support the European sport model. Women in sport was another basic issue. Increasing girls' and women's participation in sport is a major pillar of European policy. The EU work plans for sport place integrity and values at the top of the priority list, so it explicitly targets participation gaps by ensuring and encouraging member states to invest in grassroots sports that are accessible to girls and vulnerable groups. The council has also a strong political commitment to women and equality in sport.
Our policies aim to strengthen girls' and women's participation in sport by addressing social stereotypes, improving access to sporting activities, and creating safe environments for their participation. At the same time, it is important to increase the presence of women in sports governance. It is really important for us. Integrity in sport is a long-lasting objective in the cooperation between the member states, and the work plan for sport includes a call for support on this issue. Thank you.
Thank.
Nela Riehl
you. So now we can move on to catch the eye. Missus Dasilva, please keep it to just one minute.
Speaker 16
Yes. Thank you very much, madam chair. I'm going to speak in Portuguese. Congratulations, minister. I also wish to welcome you and congratulate you for all the information you've given concerning the priorities of the Cyprus presidency, especially when it comes to strengthening everything to do with education and vocational training.
Speaker 17
E. Vet or the single European diploma or these kinds of things. These are highly relevant priorities, especially at a time when the European Union is facing a structural change between education and the labour market, something which obviously affects young people in particular. And I'm also very happy to hear what you said about the youth strategy, because we know that there are quite important obstacles when it comes to recognizing qualifications and diplomas. And what we want to do is improve, facilitate mobility in our single market.
I do have a couple of doubts. So first of all, the Europe, the single European diploma. If we take a look at the work that has been done to date, I'd like to know what kind of information you've received about obstacles that exist at the moment. And what do you feel are the most important priorities when it comes to the next steps to be taken over the coming months in order to properly implement the single European diploma? And secondly, what measures has the Cyprus presidency taken?
And what are the next steps when it comes to strengthening the vocational professional education, making it more attractive? And how does this link up to the single diploma? Because, of course, that is therefore the high education level board about the tech. Thank you. Mister Rossepera?
Thank.
Speaker 20
you. Thank you, chair. Thank you, minister, for coming along to present the priorities of your presidency in the areas of education, youth, sport, and culture. Obviously, there's a technological acceleration, the situation that's bringing about, and the role of education when it comes to making conditions fair in society. So education will be impossible without trainers, without teachers.
Speaker 19
We need to strengthen them, empower them, because we need the future generation. And for that, we need good teachers. So I'm wondering whether the presidency is going to be drafting council conclusions or recommendations, and also to support teachers when it comes to digital skills and the responsible use of artificial intelligence. And talking about the digital world, our young people are digital natives, but that does not necessarily mean that they're properly prepared to face up to the challenges of information, the risks of the online world, on their own. Today, we're going to be looking at a report on digital literacy and AI education.
And obviously, we do share your objective on moving towards a more inclusive Erasmus Plus. And so my next question is how does the presidency feel that we can progress towards a really more inclusive Erasmus Plus for those students who have fewer means and not as well off, and who have the impression that perhaps the program is turning into an elitist program. Have
Just a little bit of time. So.
Speaker 18
I would rather speak in my mind or my tongue. Yes.
Thank you very much. I would like to talk about something that happened this morning. Before I came along to the committee meeting, I was participating in an Internet chat with ambassadors of the European Parliament. And I would like to state publicly that the program has been a great success, European Parliament ambassadors. This program and others have been successful as well.
And then a more personal note, and moving on to slightly more complex issues, we are in a state of despair. I say this as a member of the European Parliament, as the father of a teenager, because we feel that teenagers are lost in the when it comes to the Internet. We have to act swiftly, because otherwise we're going to lose the whole generation. And now, a 180-degree turn, the compass for education in the European Union. A few weeks ago in the European Parliament, we organized this exhibition together looking at the desecration of cemeteries and graveyards in Cyprus.
What about the Rizakopasar school? Is it still operating? And how, in what conditions, is it still running if it is? And then finally, in ancient Greek, which obviously is shared cultural heritage, we know that Athena was the goddess of wisdom. Given that that is your name, Atheni, I do very much hope that you will share your, or be able to leave this wisdom imprinted on your policy.
Thank.
Nela Riehl
Thank you very much. We look forward now to your answers. And perhaps you can put that with your closing remarks, together. We have 6 minutes.
Speaker 2
So much. Regarding the first question for Veth, indeed, we share the same vision as the presidency. We put as our first priority Vet education because we really believe that there, we can have the balance we need between the education and the skills that we can develop there and the needs of the labor market. And, we need to have mechanisms for following up on the needs of the labor market and feeding education systems. Not only for many years, we had this for higher education, but we need to go lower and have, in the curricula regarding school education, both primary and secondary.
So we do that, and we will have, very soon, in two weeks, I think, the meeting of our ministers regarding specifically this issue, vet education, and the labor market. So we intend to have specific recommendations on that. Strengthening vocational education, however, is a must nowadays. Regarding the possible joint European degree, I should say that we continue, therefore, towards a possible joint European degree and joint European degree label based on the agreed places and phases and timeline as foreseen in the relevant resolution of the council. Our shared objective is to achieve the rollout of the joint European degree by 2029.
In this context, the Cyprus presidency is working to ensure continuity and to further advance this work for the benefit of our students. It is a complex and evolving topic, but we are there to proceed with the design and the mechanism that is already there. Regarding Erasmus plus to make it more inclusive, I should say that it is, as I already mentioned, one of our targets. Financial support is one of the ways to do that. Removal of barriers, making it more accessible, targeted information for specific participants and especially for vulnerable groups is one of our main priorities.
Again, simplify procedures to increase participation. So our objective there is to have more open, more accessible, and more beneficial Erasmus Plus to all learners, and this is one of our main priorities. I should add that what mister Mavridis mentioned about the specific program is one of our major tools to make Europe visible to our youth, to make Europe in the school program. So we thank everyone that helps in the successful procedures that are followed in our schools back in Cyprus. Now going back to the presidency, minors and the addiction to social media, misinformation.
Disinformation, as we already said, is a major issue for us. That's why we're having a set of specific directions, specific implications for teachers and how to use new technologies in the classroom, facilitating the process for having critical thinking and developing critical thinking in students early on from preschool education in order to evaluate information, in order to accept what and see and critically stand against information and be able to say no in all this. So it is an issue for us. And cultural, yes, we are having AI conclusions very soon in May, specific suggestions and implications for teachers at all levels. Preschool education, I'm mentioning preschool because this is the basis for education.
And for many years, we neglected it. We need to go back and give emphasis on that phase in our educational system because it provides good, better conditions for later on for students. Now for culture and the situation at the schools, although it is a cyber situation, I think it is a must to refer to it. We have many barriers. The status and the regime there denies teachers to go and teach the 50 students that we have both in primary and secondary education in the Rizogarpazone.
So there is a very hostile procedure to that. Regarding the books and the other support materials that we send there. So there is an ongoing procedure on how to avoid all this and make education accessible for all teachers because it is a right for these children, and we cannot make them and stay out of this and prevent them from having quality education. Thank you.
Nela Riehl
Well, many thanks for your answers and also for being here today with us. So we're very pleased to listen to your acceptance of Enversions Plus to strengthen it, to make it more inclusive, and also your references to sport policy. We'll be looking enthusiastically at what happens, and we're looking forward to working with you. Thank you.
We will.
Nela Riehl
So there comes some nascent targets on.
So that brings us to the next point on our agenda. So there's obviously a couple of photos that have to be taken.
Now I.
Speaker 22
Would ask everybody to kindly sit down again. And I will switch to German again.
Nela Riehl
So the next point on the agenda is the considering of the draft for establishing the European Social Fund as part of the National Regional Partnership Plan. So, we have to consider a draft opinion. The commission put this forward on 07/16/2025. The ESF is important for the CALT Committee because it's one of the main EU financial tools for policies within CALT's remit. This includes, for example, education and training, youth inclusion and participation, as well as supporting skills in the cultural and creative sectors.
I would like to recall that, following the rapporteur's request and on an exceptional basis, the deadline for tabling amendments has been extended to facilitate coordination. The new deadline for amendments is therefore set for 03/27/2026 at 12:00. I would like to remind members to please keep the scope of the amendments for this opinion under the remit of the Cult Committee competence and to sign their amendments using AT 4AM, using their digital signature. So I now give the floor for five minutes to the Cult Rapporteur. I can see Miss Isilda Gomez from the S and T, and she may now present her draft opinion.
Going to speak in Portuguese.
Speaker 23
Chair, dear colleagues, we're all aware of the fact that the draft regulation for the new ESF as proposed by the commission actually, unfortunately, is very limited in its content. This is a proposal which essentially refers back to the national and regional partnership plans for most of the main aspects of the content. And the actual ESF regulation has been voided of any binding political content. The European Parliament has already expressed its dissatisfaction about this. And the reason we did this was because the European Social Fund has always been more than a mere financing instrument.
Speaker 24
It has been a political instrument with clear objectives and specific guarantees. And it is for this reason that we very much defend that there be a robust autonomous ESF regulation, and that it not depend excessively on other instruments, and that it focus on the European social dimension. And it is in this spirit that we have drafted the report. We, this opinion. We want to introduce a more coherent and ambitious vision of education.
The amendments that have been tabled focus on education as a fundamental right and a fundamental pillar of the European Union, going right from education in school to other kinds of education, vocational professional training, informal and nonformal training, and also looking at cross-cutting issues such as literacy and civic skills. We then introduced the cultural dimension through amendments, which was virtually absent, missing from the proposal. We feel that inclusion, cohesion, democratic participation have to be involved, and there's an important role to be played by the culture and creative sector in economic development. We also focus on youth, not only when it comes to the employability of young people, but also when it comes to the broader aspects of inclusion. We want to see measures for the transition from school to the labor market, the world of work, the youth guarantee, and minimum income for those young people who are neither in employment or in any form of educational training.
Another central element is we want to see specific mechanisms to make sure that these priorities are not just mere words. So we feel there should be a minimum percentage of financing, 12.5%, for measures looking at young people in studying, studies, and work. This is actually in the current ESF regulation. And, we feel that if we were to do without that rule, it would be taking a step back, because it's something that's absolutely essential to support young people in educational training. We want a minimum of 20% when it comes to education and training, and 7.5% for culture.
And in this way, these areas will obviously probably be reflected in any investment, the financing of the ESF. And it means that we're also looking at the inclusion of vulnerable groups, highlighting the role of sport and physical activity. And we also wish to stress the importance of the profession, the role of trainers and teachers. And, obviously, we want more inclusive education and training. So our aim is clear.
We want to reinstate the main role of the ESF. We want to strengthen its educational, cultural, and inclusion dimensions, and we want to ensure that all of these priorities are actually properly reflected through measures which are properly financed. I do very much hope that we will get a broad majority behind this text. I think it's only if we can adopt a strong position from our committee that we can have a lasting influence on the results of the negotiations.
Nela Riehl
Thank you. And now we move on to the shadow rapporteurs for two minutes each. So first, GC Princi for the EPP.
Speaker 25
Thank you, chairman. I'll speak Italian. First of all, I want to thank the rapporteur, Isil Gomez, for her constructive spirit in carrying out this key work. The ESF is one of the pillars of European investment in human capital. It's a real driving force of our global competitiveness, and investing in human capital means concentrating on strategic skills, lifelong learning, active inclusion, and specific opportunities for young people.
It means providing Europe with instruments to fill in the gaps in skilled labor and the green transition, repeating the recommendations from the Council on Human Capital. The report from the rapporteur has elements that can be fully supported, reinforcing education structures, attention to ongoing training, horizontal skills, inclusion, and the role of culture in social issues. These are priorities in line with the EPP's vision of a Europe that values talent without losing it. However, to make our opinion really effective, we need to have a focused and realistic approach. Binding quotas and cultural training for young people might make an instrument rigid, which should be flexible and adaptable to national situations. Best physicists are not negotiable.
Clear political priorities within a framework that can be activated need to make things agile and not burden the current educational system. So EPP needs to look at three main concepts: confirming the ESF as a strategic instrument for investing in human capital in line with the council recommendations, realism on the links and the rigidity, which would compromise the effectiveness, say, in specific synergy, the ESF, Erasmus, and multiplying the impact on mobility and skills. And I'm sure that the constructive spirit will continue to characterize our work, and our report will be a serious contribution of high level at the height of the relevance of this dossier. Thank you.
Nela Riehl
Thank you PFE. I can't see anybody in the room. So for the ECI, you will take it. Thank you.
Speaker 11
Thank you, chair. First, let me present our excuses that Madame Magoni cannot be here. I will read her speech on her behalf. So I'm wondering if I should do it with an Italian accent, but I think that my Balkanic accent will be enough. So please excuse my English.
So, mister president, honorable colleagues, young Europeans deserve real opportunities. Too often, however, the transition from education to work remains one of the most difficult moments in their lives. Strengthening the youth guarantee must have a very simple objective: to help young people find a job, training, or a quality apprenticeship as quickly as possible. In this regard, the new framework of the European Social Fund within the national regional partnership plan for the period 2834 can also play an important role in supporting quality employment, skills development, and social inclusion. The priority must be to create a real link between education, training, and business.
Young people do not only need programs on paper, but useful skills and real contact with the world of work. This also applies to sectors with great growth potential, such as the cultural and creative sectors, which contribute significantly to the economy and to the opportunities for young people. At the same time, we must leave member states the freedom to use these instruments in the way best suited for their economies and education systems, avoiding unnecessary administrative burdens, and focusing investments on concrete results. If we truly want to build a bridge to jobs for young Europeans, we must focus on quality education, dynamic businesses, and concrete opportunities. Thank you, grazie.
Erik Marquardt
Yes. Thank you. I'll speak German today. Yes. So first, thank you, rapporteur, for the good draft that we have.
I was a little bit late today, but I heard everything online that you said. And I think it's very important that we emphasize in the report that media and digital competence are very important tools to protect democracy these days and also for resilience in our democracies over the last months and years. We've seen that become increasingly important. I think it would be good to emphasize that in the report. You've also looked at sports and youth work that these are not just something which are nice to have, but very important parts of this focus in our societies for health, for inclusion.
And I find that very good that you've also put a strong focus on education, training, and lifelong learning. In German, we say that it shouldn't be lifelong learning, because that sounds a little bit like a prison sentence. We should say that it is learning that accompanies you through life. So I think that we could discuss that in the negotiations. But I'm sure we're going to find a broad consensus about how we can manage to strengthen the civil society in the ECFSF.
Yes, ECFSF. And also for relevant to make sure that we're looking at concrete targets and goals. But I thank you very much, first, for the draft. Thank you. And then for the left.
Speaker 15
Thank you, Chairman. I'm speaking on behalf of the left and our shadow rapporteur. This is our colleague, Anthony Smith, is not here today. We would like to thank the rapporteur for the work done, which we are pleased with, and we would share the general provisions of the proposed opinion, which recognizes the European social fund, the ESF and ESF Plus as a key instrument for social inclusion and guaranteeing rights and inclusion. First of all, the housing crisis is something that needs to be looked at, because this affects more and more young people.
Access to dignified housing needs to be a structural priority. EFS is profoundly linked to education and youth policies we deal with here in this committee. We consider it a key tool to fight poverty and precariousness for young people, guaranteeing social protection and job stability in the cultural sectors as well. This is why we feel it's important to maintain and protect the current binding amounts, such as 25% for social inclusion and 12.5% for the fight against youth precariousness. With that in mind, we fully support the rapporteur's amendments, and in particular 23, 20, and 24.
At the same time, we have strong concerns about the flexibility proposed by the European Commission, which runs the risk of putting into competition, pop central public requirements and reducing resources destined for the EFS, ESF and ESF plus. And we can feel that, we need to have transparency and democratic control by the parliament, and full coherence with social goals of the fund, and that needs something we need to maintain.
Nela Riehl
Thank you. We won't have a catch that eye, so I'm going to move on straight to the commission. Mister Christoph Nerlich is the head of the unit for the ESF in DG Emple. No. No.
We will have to catch the eye. We'll do that first, and then we'll move on to the commission, Mr. Mark.
Speaker 20
No problem at all. Firstly, I would like to congratulate the rapporteur, Isilda Gomez, for the work that she has done. It is a very good piece of work, it's focusing on the most important element. The European Social Fund cannot be seen merely as a mechanism for improving access to employment. The ESF has to focus on real life opportunities, social inclusion, amongst other things.
And I think the approach is very good, focusing on education. All of this is absolutely essential as part of the fabric of society. And today, we know that inclusion does not depend merely on having a job. It means that you have certain criteria or you're autonomous and you are living in the right kind of environment. And I think your opinion stresses the importance of youth participation, the role of culture and support, which is so important for our young people.
So the challenge is not only to set priorities, but also to make sure that you have the necessary resources and funding to put them into to achieve these objectives. So obviously, we will be helping the rapporteur in the next stages of the whole process. And hopefully, we will be able to manage to get culture at the heart of the ESF. Thank.
Speaker 30
You to the rapporteur and the other, the shutter rapporteur. That's just a few points. It is true that with regard to the content, we have to think strategically. We have to point out that it's very important for us to make clear in the negotiations that we need an autonomous ESF, and we shouldn't have a situation where we just have it under the 15% which is allocated. So we have to have a position which allows it to make clear, and also to make sure that the money actually gets to people on the ground.
So there needs to be planning certainty. So we don't want our targets and goals to be given or to be set aside. So we have to have an overview from our committee, because I think for the CALT Committee, without ESF, there will be many measures that we wouldn't be able to have in place. So I think we need to strengthen that. And I think it would also be important for the negotiations, and it would be difficult, to have some kind of insight into the national bodies that are responsible for this.
Speaker 29
We need to have clear objectives in place, and a clear focus on youth and education. Thank you.
Speaker 32
Honorable members, I wanted to sincerely thank you for the commitment that you have shown vis-à-vis the European Social Fund. You will know that the European Social Fund is actually the oldest of the cohesion funds. It was established in 1957 with the Treaty of Rome. And the EESF was back then an integral part of the European vision from the very beginning, established to improve job opportunities in the community by promoting employment and increasing geographical and occupational mobility of workers. Over the years, it has evolved.
Things like social inclusion, you mentioned it, education, training, skills have become very relevant, very prominent in its financing, and we believe its relevance hasn't changed. Beyond the green and digital transitions, including AI requiring changes of the skill sets of our workers, societal developments will also strongly influence European policymaking. Our democracies are under pressure due to the success of populism. We believe there is a need to invest in that. And our societies are aging, and the demographic developments will put a strain on social life as well.
We believe that through the ESF, through the NRPPs, through the national and regional partnership plans, the ESF will contribute to effectively addressing the societal challenges that we're facing. It will finance common EU policies for employment, for example, through the quality jobs roadmap and the youth guarantee, education and skills, the union of skills, and social inclusion policies, for example, supporting the implementation of the child guarantee and the anti-poverty strategy, always with a view to improving the union's competitiveness and making it a better place to invest, create jobs, and foster social cohesion. As you know, there is a minimum of 14% of each of the NRPPs and the NRP envelope as a whole that will need to be dedicated to social investments. We expect that member states will program actually more than that because the social and employment dimension and also in education is very well represented in the European semester work, and the European semester work is actually determining what should be the focus of each of the national and regional partnership plans. It is true that we no longer have thematic concentration requirements such as those that we have seen in the opinion, for example, on the youth or on social inclusion.
However, we still require member states to invest in these areas without, however, specifying a certain percentage. This is to ensure that there is more flexibility and agility for member states to respond to unforeseen events that we have seen, for example, in the past couple of years, that always required us to do very long stretches in order to ensure that the funds remain relevant. Again, thank you very much for the commitment that you have shown, and we're very much looking forward to your opinion. Thank you.
Speaker 24
Thank you, madam chairwoman. In the light of the comments that I've heard, I think it is quite clear that there is broad agreement on the importance of our proposals. We will have an opportunity, of course, to continue to work on this opinion amongst ourselves, which obviously answers the questions, the demands of our voters and our citizens. And this is why we must make sure that we stick to our convictions and heed the desires of our young people. There's something that I think is very important, particularly as far as I'm concerned.
I did work as a teacher at a certain stage in my life. And I really feel that we have to do something about the role of teachers and trainers, because if you don't have good teachers, you don't have good pupils or students. And if you don't have good students, you don't have good workers or people who have any kind of civic education. So I think it's absolutely essential that the ESF respond to all of these different areas: education, training, sport, culture. It's absolutely essential.
I always say that culture is the spark of the soul. It is what makes us all different because people who do have a culture, these are people who have ideas, who are able to take their own decisions, and people who know what is the best path for them and not, then people who don't have any kind of educational culture and basically live off everything they get from social media, Facebook, for example. We want young people with clear ideas who've been well trained, well educated, and apt for future life. Thank.
Nela Riehl
Thank you very much. Thank you for your words. And that brings us now to the next pound point on the agenda. The next part is the presentation of a draft for a new strategy for media literacy and digital learning. So we're going to consider this draft report.
Marcus Rossembra for the S and D is the rapporteur. The deadline for amendment is 03/30/2026 at 12:00, and the vote is scheduled to take place during our committee meeting on 06/04/2026. So I would like to give the floor to the rapporteur so they can present the main points of his draft report for a maximum of ten minutes. So please go ahead, Marcus.
Gracias. Yes.
Speaker 20
Thank you very much, madam Chair, dear colleagues. We're living at a time when the digital world is changing at an unprecedented pace: social media, recommendation systems, AI content, generated content. And all of this is basically configuring the way in which citizens have access to information and are able to create an opinion on their surrounding world. Plenty of opportunities, but there are very clear risks, and these are already having considerable consequences in our day-to-day life. If you take a look at the amount of time people spend before screens, far too much.
Cyberbullying and, for example, fake information, forwarding a manipulated heading to an article, or manipulation. All of this goes beyond the classroom. And these are very serious challenges because all of this affects how our democracies work, and it affects the way in which we trust the most important actors in the democratic world, for example, I. E, the media, and institutions. And we cannot just sit back and react once the harm has been done.
The draft report that is being presented today focuses on people, individuals, and on prevention. And, we're highlighting education, shared responsibility. For example, minors, adolescents, teachers, families, journalists, civil society have a role to play. Media literacy and digital learning are not only educational issues. This is all to do with the democratic infrastructure.
We would not accept that a democracy is complete until citizens are aware of the world surrounding them. We can't really accept a digital world where you just have a few platforms with this wealth of information. And, we need citizens to have the necessary tools to cope with this. Regulation on its own is not enough. We need prevention, education, and joint responsibility.
Responsibility that, on the one hand, is incumbent on the platforms because they have to assume their responsibility, looking at services and algorithms, make sure they do not promote false content. And then we need a clear labeling of any kind of content that is commercial or AI-generated in nature. This is not an administrative burden. This is the possibility of being able to protect our miners and have a plural media digital ecosystem. In democracy, there are certain issues which are there at the service of the citizens.
The first clear message is that even though education policies continue to be national competences, the challenges that we're facing today are ever more global in nature. The national approach on media literacy and digital learning differ considerably from one member state to another when it comes to the curriculum, institutional responsibilities. This fragmentation will could weaken our collective stance on how to deal with cross-border challenges. And for this reason, in the report, we ask that there be a strengthening of cooperation between the institutions and the member states. We want to make the best use of the frameworks that already exist, the European Media Freedom Act, the AVMSD, the UDSA, and also strengthen the role of controllers.
And we need to have a structured monitoring, stable financing, which will give us a long-term impact. Secondly, another important element is that media literacy, digital learning be fully incorporated into the whole of the education system. It shouldn't be seen as something that is optional. It should be seen as a basic skill for active citizenship, and this should start right from primary and stretch through the whole of the education system. Obviously, teachers here play a very important role, and the report is asking for continuous training and professional development for teachers, and we want teachers and trainers to be involved right from the outset in drafting the education policies because they reflect reality in the classroom.
We also have to look at the protection of minors online, look at platforms, access to certain services. These are all perfectly legitimate debates. This is the right time for these debates. And, it means that all of this is on the front page. And this is something that is not always all that common across the European Union.
Obviously, there are different approaches in the member states. As I said, that can undermine what we're trying to do. We have commissioned the commission to prepare a study on the way these services are used in education, cognitive studies, and that they perhaps come up with measures, proposed measures if necessary. We're also focusing on prevention and responsibility of the whole digital ecosystem. So media literacy, digital learning are essential tools for dealing with bullying, online bullying, how to cope with harmful content.
And it shouldn't come in, they shouldn't come into play once the harm has been done, but act as a preventive tool. So in this report, we focus on minors and vulnerable groups who face far more risks online than others. And we want there to be more inclusion, have education not only for young people but also for carers, for families, so that they're aware of the risks and the safeguards. And here, I'd like to address an element which I feel is key in my role as a rapporteur, and that is the role of the platforms, influencers, and emerging technologies in the digital environment. In the report, we want some of the provisions of the audiovisual legislation to be assessed, to see how useful they are and see whether it's necessary to carry out any kind of adjustments.
We're also asking for more transparency in the labeling of AI-generated content and commercial content, not as another administrative burden for the platforms, but as a way to make sure that people take informed decisions. The major online platforms are going to have to change the way in which they address this issue. And we have to make sure that proportional and effective measures are implemented in order to do away with the risk that is inherent in the abuse of these platforms, especially when it comes to those users who don't have the necessary level of media literacy and digital learning. We also want structured dialogue between service communication service providers, platforms, and the regulators to make sure that we have a common approach across the European Union. And perhaps I could conclude by saying that media literacy and digital learning should be pillars of our modern and inclusive democracy.
We want to be able to preserve a safe digital ecosystem and allow the role of pluralism, which is a characteristic of us as Europeans and Democrats. Without this kind of media literacy, our citizens are going to find it far more difficult to draw a distinction between something that is real and something that is manipulated. And the degree of success of our democracy will depend on how the depend on the number of citizens who are, show a proper civic behavior and are properly trained in digital learning. We face a challenge today, and in very many aspects. So the world today is far more difficult to understand than 10 to 15 years ago.
And obviously, this means that we're in a weaker position. For example, how do we assess populist movements, those who feed off disinformation and polarization? So what our draft report is doing is putting forward a coordinated approach, which fully respects national competences, but also proposes harmonization at the same time. So obviously, we very much look forward to your contributions, anything that you wish to add. And I'd like to thank the Cult Committee Secretariat for their help, the commission services and everybody involved, the various stakeholders that have been involved, and also the shadow reporters that we have already had a couple of meetings.
And, they have put their contribution to this draft report. And we're very much looking forward to continuing work on this draft report so that we can have as good a report as possible.
Nela Riehl
Thank you.
And that brings us to the shadow reporters. And if we have enough time, we'll have to catch the eye. So Missus Glavak, and please stick to the two minutes.
Thank.
Speaker 3
Thank you very much. Thank you, Marcos, for this text. I agree with you that we are no longer talking only about access to information, but we are also talking about how to navigate the digital environment. Unfortunately, a lot of the content is shaped by platforms, algorithms, influencers, and artificial intelligence. So media literacy is not an additional skill, but an essential skill, like writing used to be.
That is a fundamental skill in order to be able to participate in a democratic society and to protect ourselves against this information and safe navigation of the digital space. It's especially important to view this report in the context of the protection of young people and children who are growing up in this digital environment. But media literacy is not only a question that concerns young people. If you want to have informed citizens, we need to develop skills in schools and lifelong learning that the colleague just mentioned. So we are talking about this same social framework that we also need in the context of intergenerational solidarity.
In my opinion, there are several priorities for this report. I agree that education is the most important criterion, strengthening the role of teachers in schools. Media and digital literacy have to systematically be part of education from the first grade of primary school, for children aged five or six. Otherwise, we will lose another generation, and they will not be media literate. That shouldn't be only a political priority.
This is also an expectation of the citizens. The latest euro parameter shows that 78% of citizens want media literacy to be equally important to math and reading, and 92% believe that school should be crucial in learning about these risks of technology and learning about mental health. And we shouldn't look at teachers only through one-off learning programs. Their training should be systematic and continuous, lifelong learning, yes, also for older persons. They're also susceptible to spreading this information because they're not able to recognize it.
It's not only important to understand how algorithms shape what we see. We also need to know how to prevent it. Good quality journalism and media literacy also regarding credible sources. Speaking on professional journalism, just a second. We need to see this in the local and cultural context.
We have to find a way to support local media. They are the most popular ones, and we get our local information from them. There's also an emphasis on financing. This is a precondition for everything. We have to have stable long-term support for schools, regulators, and teachers.
And finally, we shouldn't have just a general text. We will improve the text through amendments. Thank you very much, and I'm looking forward to good talks.
Speaker 11
Thank you, madam chair. Not just for the technical part of the work, I would like to thank Marco. Media literacy is not just a theoretical topic. This is a critical, vitally important part of the existence of our democracy. We speak that today young people do not get their news from traditional media, mainstream media.
They receive it from TikTok, Instagram. Maybe it is a little frightening for our generation, but this is the reality. And if young people receive their information from these sources, we need to make sure that young people are capable of discerning facts from disinformation. This report is a way for us to show that we do not only say the correct words, so that we also act, that we come up with specific proposals, specific programs to support teachers to reach out to young people to help them to know where to get their information from. At the same time, we need to cover all people, parents, vulnerable groups, and society at large, because many people are susceptible to online manipulations.
If we want our democracy to be stable, we need critically thinking citizens, people who can navigate successfully in a digital world. The European security doesn't start from drones, army, energy, tanks. No. It starts with well-informed, critically thinking citizens that could tell lies from the truth. And we need to transform all this into real-life policy.
For you.
Speaker 36
Thank you. So.
Thank you, Chair, colleagues. First, I would like to thank the rapporteur. This is a very important topic at the current time, and we have to tackle it seriously. Today, access to information takes place across borders, but this information has to be handled in a critical manner. So for that reason, as I said in our first discussions, education is not only something which should be seen as policy, but also as an instrument of defense.
In a world such as we have today, it is very important that the population can understand what they are reading or what they are seeing. It is a competence that citizens must have. It is very important. We have also seen that disinformation can destabilize our democracies. And for that reason, it is important to be able to think critically, to have media literacy, because it is only in this way that we will become more resilient as societies.
The education system plays an important role in this. It is important to train our teachers and to support media competencies in schools, and to work together with civil society. Further, education policy remains a competence of the member states. What we only have, we can only work in a supplementary way to the European level. We cannot replace the work of the member states.
So some changes. I would like to make some changes or to propose some amendments rather, and including for better coordination between education institutions and online platforms. I'm sure that we will be able to work together very positively with the other chateau operators. And so we will have a text that will be balanced. Thank you.
Nela Riehl
So Eric cannot be here, so I will read his message. So thank you to the rapporteur for a very successful draft. It makes it very clear what a central role media and digital competency plays for protecting our young people, our democracy, and our societies, the requirement for taking part in society and for being successful in work. With regard to opinion building, well, this takes place in the digital space. It is possible to influence when there is conflict and when there is crisis.
This is to be this influence takes place online now. So it's very important that citizens can organize information critically and read it in a critical manner. So there's a great deal to catch up on media literacy. But education is a competence of the member states. And for that reason, we require that digital literacy be supported in a proper way.
With older, this is important for older people as well as for young people. It cannot be a side topic. So with regard to social media, it is important to protect young people and vulnerable groups. This is a central issue. And for that reason, we should look at the experience which is being gathered in Australia and Spain, and figure out what the best practices can be.
So it is important to look at data protection and some kind of verification of age for young people, which is in keeping with data protection.
And then we go to the left, missus.
Speaker 15
Moratza. Thank you, chairman. We'd like to thank the rapporteur for the work done. We agree with the general principles. Digital literacy is a cornerstone of democracy and is useful to protect against disinformation and protecting our minors and our digital security.
Certain aspects need to be reinforced more. We feel digital literacy is not just a question of education, but it's also a question of power. Today, there's a significant imbalance between citizens and the huge digital platforms, which amplify any inequalities and disinformation and weaken our democracy. So we need a more ambitious European response that's structured and based on rights. Secondly, media digital literacy cannot replace legislation.
The major platforms need to assume their responsibilities, mitigate the risks, and guarantee and contribute financially as well to developing digital literacy policies. Protecting minors needs to be an absolute priority. We cannot offload responsibility for this on families and schools, and security needs to be integrated into the platforms, based on the safety by design principles. It's also necessary to have an inclusive social approach. Not all citizens start from the same conditions, and the most vulnerable are also more exposed to digital risks.
Digital literacy is a question of social justice, so we need to reinforce support for European programs for education and culture, and for an independent media, which remains a pillar of democracy. Thank you very much.
Nela Riehl
For the ESN. Thank you. I don't see anybody in the room from the ESN, and I do not see that anybody wants to speak in the class there. Oh, there is a speaker. Please go ahead.
Thank.
Speaker 24
Thank you very much, madam chairman. I just wanted to say that I've listened with satisfaction to this draft report from our rapporteur, and I think it's a happy coincidence, because this shows the importance of reinforcing the ESF. Because without this, it would be difficult for our citizens and our young people to fulfill the projects and goals included in this report. So this was a happy coincidence, as I said, that we both presented these projects on the same day, because, in fact, this demonstrates, and I do hope the commission is taking due note, as this demonstrates how important it is to reinforce the ESF and the measures we're proposing, because without this report being approved, the other report will not be successful. The success of this one will mean the success of the other.
They are interlinked. So thank you very much indeed, Mister Ross Sempre, because you have reinforced what I said before. We're all going to work together to achieve these goals, which are the goals of an authentic democracy and our citizens who are truly active in our societies, which is what we're missing. And.
Nela Riehl
That brings us to the commission, the deputy head of the digital education unit, and Missus Christina Stump, the head of unit for media convergence and social media at DG Connect. You have five minutes total, please.
Speaker 37
Thank you very much. I will start from the side of DG Connect. So I will concentrate on the noneducational aspect, and this will be complemented by my colleague as or else it should be in real life that approaches in the noneducational system should be complemented by the educational approaches. First of all, we very much welcome the report, in particular, as it is also very timely, both in view of the challenges as well as in view of the important discussions that are going on in the framework of the Agora EU program that can be if the college legislators will so be real game changer when it comes to funding to media literacy. And I think your report shows very much the importance of investing more in this area.
Speaker 38
Also, we welcome very much the forward looking approach to media literacy to adapt it to the current challenges and threats that has been mentioned by many of you in the room. Here, from our side, we would also like to insist in particular on the importance to reach all age groups because, obviously, it's important to invest in mid literacy measures for the young at the same time, especially in view of the new challenges, the new environment, the new players, and the geopolitical environment. It's crucial that we reach all age groups. These are the measures. Then when it comes to indeed new actors such as social media influencers, generative AI, indeed, we believe that it's crucial to keep the entire population with the necessary skills to be able to navigate better in this environment because these skills are very different as this has been some time ago.
Speaker 37
Again, also, when it comes to the new threat environment, this has also been stressed by several players. We are in a new geopolitical situation with foreign interference, with disinformation surrounding us. So it is important that military measures also focus on this to prepare the entire population to this type of threats. This has also been very much stressed in the European democracy shield communication. So we see this report also reinforcing these aspects.
Speaker 38
But I still would like to mention also insisting that, of course, the regulatory angle is very important, but the nonregulatory angle is also crucial here to build on the existing strengths of the media literacy community, to mention just two of the important players, which is the media literacy expert group of the commission that assembles member states and can share best practices and make sure that member states also work together on this important field. As well as I would like to mention the European Digital Media Observatory that has basically dedicated hubs in each member state so that they can respond very much to the local media literacy challenges, really trying to reach particular segments of the population. So believe that these efforts of the European Digital Media Observatory can be also very important in this regard. Then back indeed to the funding angle, I think this is now a huge opportunity to scale this up. Just to give you an example how much demand is currently for media literacy funding actions, and I'm speaking here about the non-educational aspects, so out of the school aspect.
Every year, we receive more than 100 applications for very interesting cross border approaches, including reaching seniors, reaching vulnerable communities, and we can usually only fund three or four of these proposals. So I believe, in particular, in the current environment, if the colleges later saw under Agora, this can be a crucial opportunity to scale up also funding efforts. So to conclude from our side, I think we very much welcome the report. We welcome its conclusions, and we are very happy from the commission side to work together on the implementation of this. From my side, again, importantly, reaching all ages and build on already existing actors and focus on equipping the population with new skills that are fit for the current media environment.
Thank you very much.
Speaker 39
Okay. Thank you. I am Francesca Maltauro from the digital education unit in the GEAC. So I can only echo what my colleague just said, that we are very happy about this initiative of drafting this report because it really recognizes that digital and media literacy are a critical asset for EU society and citizens and for us in the digital education unit. This is a message that we are also supporting, of course.
Speaker 40
We also think that this first draft captures a very complex topic from many different angles, from the media perspective and also from the education policy. And it also, as you just said, goes beyond education. But focusing and going back to education, which is the remit of my unit, as it is outlined in the digital education action plan that we launched in 2021 and also in the 2023 council recommendation on digital education and skills, we would like to underline that digital education goes beyond digital learning in our view. As we have described it, it also includes effective pedagogies, teacher training, and the creation of the appropriate digital education content, and, of course, then digital skills and competencies. So maybe there could be space for clarifying further the scope you adopt when you use the word digital learning.
Speaker 41
For us, education is broader. Secondly, I think the report calls for a more coordinated approach. As you said, national approaches, fragmentation, and all of this is perfectly in line also with our work and with the Commission thinking. We would add there maybe a greater recognition of the increasing impact of artificial intelligence in citizens' everyday lives and media habits. So calling for stronger and better understanding of AI, and calling for AI literacy.
Speaker 39
Maybe this is also an element that could be added to this already very complex picture that you are building with your report. We understand that you have these two main pillars, one that is on the modern media ecosystem with a focus on the regulatory aspects. And so you mentioned the Digital Service Act, the audio visual media services directive, etcetera. And I want just to flag that this is also a topic that is currently subject to a discussion, a very high level discussion through the president's the commissioned president's special panel on social media, which convened for the first time just a couple of weeks ago. So we are also in line on that one.
And then going beyond this, the other pillar, you tackle education and the future oriented education system calling for integration of media literacy in the curriculum from primary education, which is completely supported by the commission. For us, in DGAAC, our work considers digital skills as part of basic skills, as you also mentioned.
Thank you very much.
Yes. We need to finish.
Okay. Sorry.
Speaker 39
Then I will just finish with a final message because you talk a lot about the platforms, and the platforms, I think, very often, you mean the social media platform or similar, whereas it would be useful to have also a distinction between those platforms and the digital technologies that are used for education purposes, which
Nela Riehl
Thank you are you. Markus, I give to Profa one last minute because, in prayer purposes, also have to leave.
Speaker 20
Thank you, chair. Just to thank everyone who has spoken for their comments and concerns. And, of course, we'll carry on working, and we're grateful for their contributions. And we'll try to come up with the best report we can in the time we have, because there's a lot we need to do.
Nela Riehl
Thank you. And the deadline.
For amendments, March 30 at noon. So, have a good lunch.
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