Committee on Culture and Education Ordinary meeting
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CULT European Parliament
Follow its sittingsNela Riehl
Dies sind die grundlegenden Fragen, die neben dem Vorschlag für das neue Programm Erasmus+ auch für das Europäische Parlament von grundlegender Bedeutung sind und ein starkes Engagement von uns allen erfordern. Ministerin Naughton, Sie haben nun das Wort für die nächsten 15 Minuten, um diesem Ausschuss hier zu erklären, welche konkreten Schritte der irische Ratsvorsitz in den kommenden Monaten im Bereich der allgemeinen und beruflichen Bildung und im Bereich der Jugend zu unternehmen gedenkt. Also bitte.
Hildegarde NAUGHTON
Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh, agus a chomhaltaí, is cúis áthais dom a bheith anseo inniu chun tosaíochtaí oideachais agus óige Uachtaránacht na hÉireann ar an gComhairle Eorpach a chur i láthair. Tráthnóna maith, a Chathaoirligh agus a dhaoine uaisle, a chomhaltaí, is mór an sásamh dom a bheith anseo inniu chun tosaíochtaí Uachtaránacht na hÉireann ar an gComhairle Teagmhála Eorpaí maidir leis an oideachas agus leis an óige a chur i láthair. Ar an drochuair, níl mo chomhghleacaí an tAire James Lawless, an tAire Breis-Oideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta, in ann a bheith anseo inniu.
Tá sé faoi choinneáil i mBaile Átha Cliath ar ghnó oifigiúil an Rialtais. Mar sin féin, d'iarr sé orm a leithscéal a ghabháil mar gheall air seo agus a thabhairt ar an réimse freagrachta agus aon phríomh-fhorbairtí ó na ranna fostaíochta anseo inniu a thabhairt ar ais chuige. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghabháil leat, a Chathaoirligh, agus le comhaltaí eile an choiste don deis seo labhairt libh inniu. Bhí mé ag súil go mbeadh na díospóireachtaí seo spreagúil agus an-úsáideach chun bonn eolais a chur faoi ár ndóchas agus ár dtreo oibre deiridh. Bhí an teagmháil idir Rialtas na hÉireann agus Coiste na nUachtarán i mBaile Átha Cliath an mhí seo caite an-dearfach agus torthúil agus ba mhór an sásamh dom páirt a ghlacadh san imeacht sin.
Mar is eol dúinn go léir, tá an t-oideachas ríthábhachtach chun an déimeagrafaíocht a choimeád agus chun tacaíocht a chur chun cinn agus le meas ar an luachanna déimeagrafacha ar a bhfuil an tAontas Eorpach bunaithe. Chomh maith le sochaí chóir, chothrom agus shaor a chothú atá bunaithe ar chearta daonna, cuireann an t-oideachas na huirlisí ar fáil dár saoránaigh chun a bheith eolach, chun an fhírinne a lorg agus chun ceisteanna a chur ar stair chomhpháirteach an Aontais agus a chur i bhfeidhm.
Cuireann an t-oideachas deiseanna ar fáil do dhaoine chun sásamh a bhaint amach, na scileanna riachtanacha don saol agus don obair a fháil, páirt iomlán a ghlacadh sa tsochaí agus a bheith ina saoránaigh lán-ghníomhacha. Trí na deiseanna a chuireann sé ar fáil do ghluaisneacht agus do chomhoibriú ar leibhéal an AE agus idirnáisiúnta, is féidir leis an oideachas ár súile a oscailt do chultúir agus do phobail eile. Cothaíonn sé tuiscint agus caidreamh níos fearr ar fud na hEorpa agus an domhain. Tá an Coimisiún Eorpach tar éis tograí a chur chun cinn maidir le hAontas na Scileanna, maidir le plean straitéiseach oideachais STEM, plean gníomhaíochta ar bhunscileanna. Tacaíonn siad seo go léir leis an gcuspóir go bhfuil riachtanas scileanna, oideachas agus oiliúint a fhorbairt chun fostaíocht mhaith a chruthú agus chun saol an duine a fheabhsú.
Tá sé an-tábhachtach go ndíreoimid ar thacaíocht a thabhairt do fhoghlaimeoirí le bheith soghluaiste agus rannpháirteach agus an t-eolas a chomhoibriú, na scileanna agus na hinniúlachtaí a theastaíonn uathu a fhorbairt chun glacadh le hathrú ar mhaithe le hAontas níos hathléimní, níos cuimsithí agus níos rathúla.
Áirítear leis sin gníomhartha a chur chun cinn a fhéachann le gach foghlaimeoir a ullmhú do shaol na hoibre agus do fhostaíocht na todhchaí. Ar fud na breisoideachas agus an ardoideachas agus na hollscoileanna, tá tacaíocht an AE chun an deis chleachtais agus an fhoghlaim a chomhroinnt ríthábhachtach chun geilleagar feabhsaithe a chur ar fáil do shaoránaigh an AE i dtuaisceart oileán na hÉireann. I gcroílár an déanlaithis agus bhartas óige an AE, tá sé mar chuspóir aige rannpháirtíocht do dhaoine óga a fheabhsú ag gach céim den t-saoil bhartas. Ba cheart dúinn go léir cuidiú le feidhm straitéis óige an AE agus moltaí as scéim an Choghalacha Óige an AE a chinntiú. Tá rannpháirtíocht cathartha mhéadaithe dhaoine óga ríthábhachtach chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar na dúshláin atá rompu.
Díreofar ár n-uachtaránacht ar réimsí amhail costas maireachtála, tithíocht, folláine, agus rochtain ar oideachas agus ar dheiseanna saoil. Agus trédhearcacht agus eolas á dtabhairt i gcolún de chuid na sochaí daonlathaí, idir rochtain ar fhaisnéis agus ar mheáin chun dul i ngleic le mí-fhaisnéis agus bréagfhaisnéis. Ireland's presidency thematic priorities will be guided by the old Irish proverb, ní neart go cur le chéile. There is strength with unity. Ireland's overarching presidency themes focus on values, security, and competitiveness.
In terms of values, our presidency will seek to progress to progress respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equity, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. We will seek to progress the enlargement of our union so that our fellow Europeans in accession countries can benefit from the advantages of EU citizenship. The Irish presidency will seek to strengthen the EU's approach to education, equality, social inclusion, and non-discrimination. We will prioritize work to strengthen online safety, particularly the safety of children online.
The security of our people is a paramount concern for all of us. The need to enhance European security and to build European resilience has never been more evident. Russia's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine is the primary challenge at this time. I want to again state very clearly that Ireland remains steadfast in our support for Ukraine and will continue to support its citizens and children that have come to Ireland for refuge. The Irish Presidency will work across all areas of policy to advance measures which contribute to the strengthening of European security and defense.
In addressing the competitiveness challenges, including the issues set out in the Draghi and Letta reports, our work on education and skills will be important in contributing to competitiveness.
The Irish Presidency will focus on topics such as educational mobility, the development of skills and competences related to artificial intelligence, and the critical role of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. The Irish Presidency will work intensively towards agreement among Member States on the Union's multiannual financial framework for 2028 to 2034 to enable EU leaders to take the necessary decisions about the Union's financing in a timely manner. Through the recent resolution on the European Education Area, all EU Member States have agreed on the priorities that we need to pursue to achieve our shared goals, and I look forward to jointly making progress on these areas, and in particular on literacy, mathematics and science for all, on developing digital skills and citizenship education, on making lifelong learning and mobility a reality for all, on enhancing attractiveness, competences and motivation in the education and training professions, vocational education and training, VET, fostering highly attractive and excellent European VET, higher education, promoting the global competitiveness of Europe's higher education sector.
The Irish presidency's work in education will focus on strengthening Europe's capacity to equip learners with the skills, the knowledge, and the mobility needed for a competitive, inclusive, and a resilient union. There will be a particular emphasis on Erasmus+ and learner mobility. STEM education across the life cycle. Digital skills and artificial intelligence across the life cycle. Inclusion and retention in education.
Basic skills and early childhood education. Erasmus+ is one of the European Union's longest running and most successful initiatives and has provided learning, training, and volunteering opportunities to more than 16 million Europeans. The Erasmus+ programme has been instrumental in promoting international mobility and fostering cultural exchange across Europe and beyond. The new programme is eagerly awaited by our citizens. They look forward to all the opportunities that the future Erasmus+ will bring.
From learning mobility and volunteering to skills development and opportunities for cross-border cooperation.
The programme needs to continue to deliver for our young people and organisations across all sectors, to remain ambitious, inclusive and responsive to the challenges that they are facing across Europe. I'm very pleased that further to the hard work of the preceding presidencies, the Cyprus and the Danish colleagues, the Council now has a mandate for the inter-institutional negotiations, namely the partial general approach reached at the EYCS Council in May. The Irish presidency stands ready to engage in inter-institutional negotiations. We look forward to working constructively with you in advance of this important file in the next phase of negotiations. In our work in the Council, we will also prioritise Council conclusions on STEM education and on skills and competences for AI.
Both sets of conclusions will look at learning from a whole-of-life perspective. We look forward to the announcement of an education package expected from the European Commission later this year. Our work on the priorities that we have set ourselves will prepare the way for this important suite of initiatives. We aim to enhance the preparedness of the Member States to engage with the various aspects of the package, thus permitting speedier consideration and as appropriate implementation of the measures.
The EU, its institutions and member states have made significant progress in placing young people at the center of policy making. This was evident earlier this year as 1,000 young people from across the Union came to this parliament building to celebrate European Youth Week. Youth participation and youth mainstreaming is now a recognized feature of how the EU advances policy that impacts or affects young people with the EU youth dialogue enabling the youth voice to be present and is heard in decision making processes. The current EU youth strategy through its core theme of engage, connect and empower is central to this. However, Europe today presents additional challenges for young people from when this strategy was published back in 2019.
The development of the next EU youth strategy will need to respond to contemporary challenges like the continued rise of disinformation and misinformation, the increasing influence of AI, economic insecurity and global uncertainty.
The success of the next youth strategy will however need the commitment of the EU institutions and the member states at all levels to work with young people to address these challenges. As presidency, Ireland has proposed two sets of council conclusions on empowering young people in an evolving information environment and promoting youth spaces for young people in Europe. These conclusions are equally topical and important for young people in Europe, and young people have raised these issues in numerous consultations. Ireland will host the EU youth conference in September in Dublin. The youth conference will play a key role in progressing development of the revised youth goals.
It will also examine and make recommendations on the theme of information and constructive dialogue and showcase good practice in youth work. I would like to thank you for giving me the time today to engage with you on our presidency priorities, and I can assure you that I and my officials will work very hard to deliver outcomes that will endeavor to improve our education systems across Europe that will provide greater opportunities for our children and our young people. I look forward to any questions from the committee. Thank you.
Nela Riehl
Thank you very much, ganz herzlichen Dank, liebe Frau Ministerin. Nun haben die Koordinatoren die Chance Fragen zu stellen, aber auch Anregungen zu geben. Wir starten wie immer mit der EPP. Sie haben ungefähr zwei Minuten Zeit, nicht viel länger bitte, nicht viel länger überziehen, damit die Frau Ministerin dann auch noch Zeit hat zu antworten. Wir starten, ich habe richtig verstanden, Herr Sousa Silva hat sein Wort übergeben an seine Kollegin Mrs. Schaberry für die EPP zuerst.
Nina Carberry
Go raibh maith agat a Chathaoirligh agus a Aire. I just want to begin with Erasmus+, as you've mentioned, it's one of the clearest and most positive ways in which young people experience Europe. More than 100,000 students and teachers from Ireland have taken part since the program began. But we must expand access and I'd like to hear about what the presidency will do in this regard, particularly within primary schools and secondary schools and ETBs. And the same applies within agriculture, projects such as the Erasmus-funded Lead Farm program, which received close to 300,000 euros, have shown how young farmers can benefit from European training.
We should be expanding these opportunities and making it easier for young farmers and agriculture students to study and train abroad. I also recently visited primary schools in my constituency using EU funding for polytunnels and agricultural learning.
We should also double down on this too. And the same issue applies when we're talking about European Solidarity Corps. It may be the best EU program that not many people have heard of. So it allows young people to volunteer abroad and support communities and develop valuable skills. I'm just wondering how the presidency will improve awareness of the program and ensure that more young people take part in it.
I also want to mention sport. Since Erasmus+ Sport was introduced in Ireland in 2023, 38 grassroots sports projects have received more than half a million euro. That's a strong start, but many local clubs still do not know that this support exists, and others are discouraged by the paperwork involved. So how will the presidency simplify the application process, particularly for smaller grants and volunteer-led organizations? And as you mentioned, online safety is a priority for the Irish presidency.
A few weeks ago, I hosted the It Takes a Village team from Greystones here in Brussels, and they presented their community-led initiative to delay children's access to smartphones until secondary school.
Regulation is very important, but education and awareness are just as vital. Would it be possible to see a coordinated EU response to this, for example, through a Council recommendation that would provide a common guidance to member states that a model like this could be EU-widely rolled out? Thank you very much.
Sabrina Repp
Ja, vielen Dank. Ich werde auf Deutsch sprechen. I will speak in German. So. Vielen Dank für die Präsentation des Programms.
Wir hatten ja auch schon die Chance, uns einmal auszutauschen, und das ist, glaube ich, etwas sehr Besonderes, dass Sie bereits vor Antritt Ihrer Präsidentschaft den Kontakt zu den Mitgliedern hier auch gesucht haben aus dem Ausschuss. Dafür möchte ich Ihnen noch mal herzlich danken. Ich habe ein paar Punkte, die ich gerne ansprechen möchte. Sie haben sich auf zwei Sachen sehr konzentriert. Das eine ist der kommende EU-Haushalt, der mehrjährige Finanzrahmen, wo ja unter anderem auch die Programme Erasmus+ und auch die europäischen Freiwilligdienste drunter liegen.
Da hätte ich noch mal ein, zwei Nachfragen, weil es doch darum geht, und das haben Sie in Ihren Ausführungen ganz gut auch vorgetragen, dass es um eine gewisse Balance zwischen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und Bildung als öffentliches Gut geht. Und das sehen wir jetzt gerade beim anstrebenden Erasmus+-Programm, dass gerade durch das Implementieren, die Implementierung sogenannter strategischer Stipendien, die angestrebt werden vonseiten der Kommission, ein Stück weit das Erasmus+-Programm oder den Wert und den eigentlichen Sinn des Erasmus+-Programmes und die Zugänglichkeit ausgehebelt wird und Erasmus+ da auch droht, mehr zu einem Elitenprogramm zu werden. Und mich würde interessieren, wie Sie zu den strategischen Stipendien stehen, wie Sie vielleicht auch, was Sie über mögliche Leitplanken denken, etwa die Beschränkung auf Auslandsaufenthalte, angemessene Obergrenzen für die monatliche Förderung oder auch gemeinsame Studienprogramme. Weiterhin haben wir sehr dafür gekämpft, dass klare Bereiche in Erasmus+ ein klares festgelegtes Budget bekommen. Da würde mich interessieren, wie Sie zu einem klaren Earmarking stehen, auch der verschiedenen, der verschiedenen Bereiche innerhalb von Erasmus+, inklusive der europäischen Freiwilligdienste, also European Solidarity Corps.
Und dann nur noch ein Punkt zur europäischen Jugendstrategie, wo ich mich sehr gefreut habe, dass Sie die so explizit erwähnt haben und dass Sie gemeinsam, dass wir gemeinsam auch daran arbeiten können, dass eine gute europäische Jugendstrategie aufgebaut werden kann. Sie haben den Jugenddialog angesprochen. Mich würde interessieren, das eine ist ja, junge Menschen auf europäischer Ebene in den Austausch zu bekommen, aber das andere, junge Menschen vor Ort, ja, in den ländlichen Räumen, in den abgelegenen Regionen mehr in den Austausch auch über europäische Themen zu bringen.
Und da würde mich interessieren, ob Sie da vielleicht auch einen Ansatz haben, denn Partizipation beginnt ja vor Ort und Sie haben ja erwähnt und das ist völlig richtig, dass es Ihnen sehr wichtig ist. Vielen Dank für Ihr Engagement.
Zsuzsanna Borvendég
Köszönöm szépen a szót. Én is azzal szeretnék kezdeni, hogy köszönetet szeretnék mondani az elnökségnek azért, hogy még az elnökség megkezdése előtt felvette velünk a kapcsolatot, és egy nagyon konstruktív, nagyon előremutató beszélgetést sikerült összehoznunk. Ezen a beszélgetésen is elmondtuk, hogy nekünk magyarok számára mi az, ami igazán fontos az Erasmus+ program kapcsán. Ugye nagyon a miniszter asszony is megerősítette, hogy ez rendkívül fontos, talán a legsikeresebb és legfontosabb projektje az oktatáspolitika és a kultúra területén az Európai Uniónak. Ezt mi is így gondoljuk, és nagyon örvendetesnek tartjuk a sikerült ezeknek a költségkeretét megnövelni.
Ugyanakkor aggályosnak tartjuk, hogy a sértve az esélyegyenlőséget, a diszkriminációmentességet, az inkluzivitást, politikai feltételeket szabtak például Magyarország, a magyar diákokkal szemben az elmúlt időszakban. Ez szerencsére talán megoldódni látszik, úgyhogy most nem érintett félként szólok hozzá, hanem szeretném fölhívni arra a figyelmet, hogy a diákok, az egyetemisták lehetőségeit, az esélyegyenlőségét rontani azzal, hogy politikai viták kereszttüzébe tesszük az Erasmus támogatást, az Erasmus pályázhatóságát, ezt rendkívül problematikusnak találom. Nemcsak azért, mert ilyen esetben akár hátrányosabb helyzetű diákok esnek el a lehetőségtől, hanem azért is, mert az elesett, tehát a hozzá nem fért, az Erasmus programhoz hozzá nem férő diákok esetében egyébként az EU-szkepticizmus is növekszik, ezt tapasztalhattuk Magyarországon. Tehát beleáll-e az ír elnökség abba, hogy ennek a politikai felhangnak gátat szabjunk közösen? Köszönöm szépen.
Nela Riehl
Danke schön. Einmal zum Ablauf, Sie haben jetzt erst mal fünf Minuten Zeit, auf diese ganzen Fragen zu antworten. Dann machen wir eine zweite Runde. Wir haben schon eine lange Liste für das Catch-the-Eye-Verfahren, genau. Und dann haben Sie noch mal Zeit zu antworten.
Also jetzt erst einmal fünf Minuten. Ich schaue schon auf die Uhr mit der Bitte an alle, doch recht zügig zu sein, weil wir schon wieder etwas Verzug haben.
Hildegarde NAUGHTON
Thank you very much and thank you so much for those really important questions. And I'm happy to respond to them as best I can. I think we all understand the importance of Erasmus+ and how life-changing that has been for so many of our citizens over many decades. And we want to make sure that as part of this presidency, that we are expanding that, making sure that it is inclusive. We want to make sure that our young people have an opportunity to study, train, to volunteer abroad and to gain first-hand experience of Europe.
Erasmus+ must remain ambitious, continue to be ambitious, inclusive, and it has to be able to respond to the challenges that many of you have outlined in relation to our young people and different cultures across Europe.
I know that I'm very pleased that following the hard work of my predecessors, as I outlined in my opening remarks, Cyprus and our Danish colleagues, the Council now has a mandate for the inter-institutional negotiations. Also, just in relation to, it was mentioned here about the MFF, I'll just make reference to that. Yeah, so I think we all share the objective of a timely agreement on the MFF to ensure that funds reach the beneficiaries without delay in January 2028. And when it comes to Erasmus+, I think we all have a shared responsibility as co-legislators in relation to this as well. And the Council has already reached a partial general approach on this file, so we're at your disposal to start exchanging at a technical level to prepare the ground for our upcoming negotiations.
So again, listening to your views on that will be really important. The voice of our young people is absolutely critical. And I think this is what has come forward from all of my consultations and yours is that young people not only want to be heard, but they want to see the impact of their voice in policy here at an EU level. And this will be one of our top priorities and me as Minister during our presidency.
And I think our youth conference in Ireland will be a key part of that to make sure that we are advancing some of our priorities. Spaces for young people is really important, physical spaces, online spaces, protecting our young people online. My colleague Minister Patrick O'Donovan, who I know you made reference to, is focusing on online safety as well, and that's going to be a key part of our presidency. But it is absolutely critical that we are enabling our young people to be competent in the online space so that, be it through artificial intelligence, know how it works, know how to use it, that our educators are able to understand it and use it in an ethical and a safe manner. So I think these are all areas that, some of the areas I'll be focusing on.
I can come back in again, Chair, I'm sure there might be some overlap in the other questions. Thank you.
Nela Riehl
Ganz herzlichen Dank. Dann übergebe ich jetzt das Wort an Herrn Weiss. Wie gesagt, die Bitte, nicht länger als zwei Minuten, weil wir schon wirklich knapp an der Zeit sind. Wir beginnen mit für die EVP mit Herrn Weiss.
Alex WEISS
Thank you, Chair. And thank you very much, Minister Naughton, for presenting the priorities of the Irish presidency. Let me congratulate you on this ambitious and forward-looking program. If there is one lesson we are learning in the age of AI, it is this.
Technology alone is not enough. The real question is whether people have the skills to understand, question, and critically assess the information they encounter online. They must be able to recognize manipulation, identify disinformation, and understand not only the opportunities but also the risks of AI-generated content. That is why media literacy is no longer simply an educational competence. It is one of the foundations of democratic resilience.
Of course, there are different generations who face different challenges. For example, young people need the skills to recognize manipulation, adults need to understand how AI is transforming their work and life, and older generations need to understand disinformation much better. That is why a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer enough. As I was preparing for today's meeting, I noticed that while the presidency program rightly gives strong attention to online safety, digital education, and the revision of audiovisual media services directive, it is less explicit on the broader role of media literacy. Could you therefore elaborate on how the Irish presidency intends to strengthen media literacy and democratic resilience during its mandate?
Beyond the AVMSD revision, do you envisage further initiatives or council discussions in this area? Thank you very much.
Nela Riehl
Vielen Dank und also welcome to the committee. Und dann machen wir weiter mit Herrn Heide für die S&D.
Hannes Heide
Sehr geehrte Frau Ministerin, ich möchte mich, ich möchte mich sehr herzlich bedanken für die gute und intensive Vorbereitung dieser Ratspräsidentschaft und auch für die Einbindung von uns als Mitglieder dieses Europäischen Parlaments. Ich möchte Erasmus+ ansprechen, weil unser Ziel muss es sein, jede Europäerin, jeder Europäer muss einmal im Leben die Möglichkeit haben, an diesem Programm teilzunehmen. Und der mehrjährige Finanzrahmen ist die Basis dafür. Ich möchte noch einmal die Frage unterstreichen nach den earmarks, aber auch das Gesamtbudget, weil der Vorschlag des Parlaments ambitionierter ist als der der Europäischen Kommission. Und danach fragen, bisher haben wir ja Unterstützung aus dem Rat erfahren, ob dieser Betrag, der nicht dem Ziel oder ist ein Schritt zu diesem Ziel, aber dieses Ziel noch nicht verwirklichen kann, ob der Rat hinter diesem Ziel steht und dieses Ziel unterstützt.
Und das zweite Thema ist der europäische Bildungsraum, wo ich sehr herzlich danke für diesen ambitionierten Zugang, hier wieder Bewegung in der Verwirklichung, Umsetzung der Ziele zu bringen. Meine Frage ist aber, wie wir gewährleisten können über eine Ratspräsidentschaft, über Ihre Ratspräsidentschaft hinaus, dass wir den europäischen Bildungsraum tatsächlich verwirklichen können, weil ein halbes Jahr bei diesen großen Zielen und bei diesen wirklich notwendigen Beschlüssen, die dazu zu fassen sind, nicht ausreichend ist. Und ich glaube, wir müssen ein Instrument finden, um Kontinuität hier schaffen zu können. Herzlichen Dank.
Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski
Dankeschön, Mr. Striejewski.
To ja będę kontynuować to, o czym powiedział kolega Hannes Heide. Mamy 47,4 miliarda euro na program Erasmus+, wywalczone przez nas tu wszystkich bardzo taką konsekwentną walką. No ale jesteśmy po prezydencji cypryjskiej, która zaproponowała redukcję. Ta redukcja się nie udała, bo Parlament ją zablokował. I moje pytanie jest do pani, czy pani podejmie próbę odwrotną, aby zwiększyć te 47,4 miliardy?
Od razu powiem, że wszyscy będziemy za to zadanie za panią trzymać kciuki. Dziękuję bardzo.
Hélder Sousa Silva
Thank you, Chair. Dear Minister, I welcome the Presidency's decision to discuss the future of vocational education and training ahead of the Commission's new VET strategy. Europe needs more people with practical and technical skills, but in many countries, and I'm speaking about my personal country, Portugal, VET is still seen as a second choice. Learners can also face barriers when they want to use their qualifications in another Member State, continue their education, or take part in European mobility. The question is the following: what concrete changes at the EU level will Ireland promote so that choosing VET gives learners the same opportunity to progress, study abroad, and work across Europe as other education pathways?
Thank you.
Nela Riehl
Vielen Dank. Ich muss sagen, ich bin sehr beeindruckt, wie Sie sich alle an die Zeit halten, sehr, sehr vorbildlich heute, ganz schön. Liebe Frau Ministerin, Sie haben jetzt, ich schaue mal gerade auf die Uhr, fünf, sechs, höchstens sechs Minuten Zeit, sechs, sieben Minuten Zeit, und dann sind wir schon am Ende der Sitzung, um alle Fragen ausführlich zu beantworten.
Hildegarde NAUGHTON
Thank you very much. I'll try and move through it so that you can enable other questions to come. In relation to AI, this is going to be a top priority for us for this presidency. And we're all very familiar with the opportunities, but also the challenges that the advancement of digital technologies and artificial intelligence now presents to educators, to learners, and to all of our education systems alike. And our children and our citizens of all ages need to have the skills and the competences, such as critical thinking, the general understanding of how AI works, in order to be able to engage with AI in a safe, responsible, and in an ethical manner.
And this will be a priority for us. Also, the AI literacy framework for primary and secondary education that was published last month by the OECD and the Commission, that will underpin our efforts to improve the competences and to promote critical thinking in all our learners. And the Irish presidency will seek to continue progress in relation to this.
Sending a strong political message at EU level will be really important for our presidency. So we'll propose Council conclusions to encourage member states to adopt an inclusive and an evidence-informed approach to support the development of skills and competences needed by learners and citizens in the context of AI and AI technologies. Also, there will be a conference as well in Galway, in my own native city of Galway, in relation to artificial intelligence for AI in education, and I look forward to that. Also, we really welcome, in relation to VET, a conversation on that. We absolutely know the importance of it.
Erasmus+ again, I think we had I suppose the same issues there around the MFF. And again, we stand ready to work with you in relation to moving this forward. And I think we do have that shared objective of that timely agreement on the MFF to ensure that the funds reach the beneficiaries without delay. I might leave it there for the moment and I'll come back, I may have missed one or two questions. Yeah, I have time.
Great, thank you. In relation to the misinformation, disinformation, protecting young people online, again, my colleague Minister Patrick O'Donovan, Minister for Media and Communications, there will be a really strong emphasis on protecting our young people online, but we need to work at an EU level in relation to this. Again, you will see this as a top priority for our presidency in relation to that, empowering young people in an evolving information environment and to equip our young people with the skills that will enable them to engage critically, critical thinking, creative learning. And we all know young people have the right to be protected from online harm. So the Irish presidency has tabled a set of Council conclusions on empowering young people in an evolving information environment to be approved at the EYCS Council in November.
So these conclusions are aimed at a joint effort at all relevant political levels in relation to making progress in relation to this. So in relation to the European Education Area, the Council resolution on the next phase of the EEA was adopted, as you know, in June.
So the new priorities in relation to that are to improve the quality of learning, inclusive and equitable education systems, to empower our teachers and learners, to prepare our citizens for the digital world and AI, and to share best practice and to continue to build cooperation in education and training. So we look forward to implementing those priorities in the years out to 2030. Thank you, chairperson.
Nela Riehl
Vielen Dank. Ich habe das Gefühl, ich war heute sehr, sehr strikt mit der Zeit, dass Sie sich alle so gut oder ich führe grundsätzlich ein sehr strenges Regiment hier im Ausschuss, dass Sie sich so gut an die Zeit gehalten haben, das freut mich sehr. Vielen Dank für die Präsentation bis hierher. Sie haben schon viele Fragen beantwortet. Sie haben jetzt auch noch Zeit für ein paar abschließende Bemerkungen, um noch mal alles aufzugreifen.
Hildegarde NAUGHTON
Thank you very much, chairperson.
It's been a very constructive meeting and I think there's a lot of similarities to the individual engagements that I have had with many members here over I think a number of weeks ago when I was in Strasbourg meeting you. So first of all I want to thank you and your committee for giving me the opportunity to present Ireland's education and youth priorities here today and I want to thank the members for your contributions and for setting out your ideas and your proposals in these areas. Erasmus+, a key area that we are all very much in favor of progressing, making sure that it is inclusive, it is ambitious, it is funded, and I've clearly heard your views today in relation to that. Also you've sent a really strong message here around AI, online, that online space, and the work that we need to do at an EU level. So we will progress our council conclusions as well in this area.
Also, STEM, a really important area that is so important for our education system to make sure that our young people are going into the world prepared for work and for life beyond our education system. Also, in particular we need to continue to address gender equality in STEM education and training and during our presidency we will work on our council conclusions on STEM to promote cooperation across Europe on shared challenges and opportunities.
And Ireland will work on new European youth goals and misinformation and disinformation, especially during that youth conference in September. In the Council, we're progressing Council conclusions aimed at making the information environment a safer space for young people, and we are also progressing conclusions on youth spaces for our young people, especially vulnerable young people and marginalized young people, to enable them to come together and to connect, and this will, of course, improve inclusion also. Again, thank you so much for your constructive engagement with me and with my colleagues, and we look forward to working with you throughout the presidency.
Nela Riehl
Vielen Dank, so geht es uns auch. Wir freuen uns sehr auf den weiteren Austausch. Wie Sie gehört haben, Erasmus+ ist ein Thema, da werden wir ganz genau auf die Finger der irischen Ratspräsidentschaft schauen. Da freuen wir uns sehr darüber, wenn dann auch die Behandlung beginnt. Wir sind bereit, bald bereit.
Sie hatten viele andere Punkte genannt, die Jugendstrategie, aber auch AI als Thema, künstliche Intelligenz als Thema, das unseren Ausschuss sehr beschäftigt. Da freuen wir uns wirklich auf die intensive Zusammenarbeit und auch von mir noch einmal den Dank dafür, dass Sie so frühzeitig die Kooperation mit uns als Ausschuss, mit den Mitgliedern und mit mir als Vorsitzender gesucht haben. Wir freuen uns sehr auf die Zusammenarbeit. Wir haben eine Menge zu liefern in dem nächsten halben Jahr, aber ich bin sehr optimistisch, dass wir das zusammen sehr gut hinbekommen. Vielen Dank für heute, vielen Dank bis bald.
Wir, liebe Mitglieder, wir sehen uns morgen früh wieder um 9:30 Uhr und ich wünsche Ihnen einen schönen Abend.
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