Experts from the EU and UNESCO Member States from the Pan-European region took part in a conference in Vilnius, Lithuania to assess implementation of the Renewed European Agenda for Adult Learning and the Belém Framework for Action, in light of recently published findings of the OECD’s Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC).
The Conference, entitled Equipping adults for the 21st Century: Joining Forces for Action on Skills and Competences, was organized by the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission (DG EAC) and the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), within the context of the Lithuanian Presidency of the European Union. 
More than two hundred participants, including National Coordinators for Adult Learning, members of the EU’s Thematic Working Groups on quality and financing adult learning, and representatives of regional and multilateral organizations, met to discuss policies that can increase access to and participation in adult education, while also improving quality and efficiency. The economic crisis, rapid changes in technology and industry, and demographic changes in Europe have highlighted the key role of adult and lifelong learning in promoting competitiveness, employability, equity, social inclusion, and active citizenship. The Conference has produced action points on how to ensure that all adults have access to relevant and high-quality learning opportunities to develop appropriate skills and competences throughout their lives.

Greece will hold the Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2014, before handing over reins to Italy on 1 July 2014. It is the fifth time that Greece will hold the EU Presidency since its accession to the European Communities in 1981.

Read more about the Past Presidencies

Greece is assuming the Presidency of the Council of the European Union at a critical transitional juncture for Europe. The economic crisis forced the adoption of fiscal constraint policies aimed at ensuring financial stability and returning the economy to health. The extent and intensity of the crisis, as well as the resulting recession and unemployment undermined the trust of a significant number of European citizens in the ability of the European edifice to implement credible and effective policy for a return to prosperity, economic recovery and  high levels of employment. 
At the same time, facing up to the crisis by implementing policies of strict fiscal discipline has strongly impacted social cohesion, particularly in countries directly affected by the crisis. As such, the great challenge for prosperity and stability in the EU lies in reaffirming of the EU’s mission in the hearts and minds of European citizens.
In this context, Europe is currently being called upon to respond to the challenge of the economic crisis, to safeguard the common currency by deepening and reinforcing the EMU, while promoting direct policies tackling recession and unemployment by stimulating growth. European Parliament elections during the Greek Presidency are an additional factor determining the framework of this Presidency.
The priorities of the Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU were presented to the Greek Cabinet by the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos on 7 August 2013, and were unanimously approved. There follows a brief presentation of the priorities of the Greek Presidency 2014.

Maritime Policies

Logo Presentation of the Greek Presidency 2014 of the European Union  
Each country holding the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union selects its own presidency logo, which serves as an integral visual symbol for the Presidency: a defining feature of each Presidency’s identity and a statement conveying its message to Europe and the world. The logo and the associated graphic design work will feature in the Presidency’s publications and online.

Greece will hold the Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2014, before handing over reins to Italy on 1 July 2014. It is the fifth time that Greece will hold the EU Presidency since its accession to the European Communities in 1981. 
The main objective is to balance the timetable of fiscal consolidation with the implementation of a substantially enhanced and realistic Compact for Growth and Jobs that can be transformed into a diverse European investment programme, modeled after the cohesion policy, with a focus on employment. Priorities and programme of the Greek Presidency.

This proposal for a Council Recommendation seeks to ensure that traineeships efficiently ease education-to-work transitions and thus increase young people’s employability.
It sets out guidelines that can ensure high-quality learning content and adequate working conditions. It also outlines how the Commission will support Member States’ action through the EU funding framework, the exchange of good practices, and monitoring.
It covers so-called ‘open-market’ traineeships, i.e. traineeships agreed between trainee and a traineeship provider (business, non-profit or government) without the involvement of a third party, generally conducted after completion of studies and/or as part of a job search.
The proposed Recommendation does not address traineeships forming part of academic and or vocational curricula, neither the one which form part of mandatory professional training (e. g.  edicine, architecture etc). Quality Framework for Traineeships.

The Council has adopted the regulation establishing "ERASMUS +", the Union Programme for Education, Training, Youth and Sport for the period 2014-2020. 
It brings together in a single programme activities previously covered by a number of separate programmes (including the Lifelong Learning  programme, Erasmus Mundus and Youth in Action) and it also covers activities in the new area of European competence, sport. 
The new programme has a total budget of about €14.7 billion which represents an increase of 40% compared to the precedent budget. Press release.

According to first findings from the OECD survey of adult skills (PIAAC), literacy levels vary across countries and between vocational education and training (VET) and general education graduates at upper-secondary levels. Cedefop is working closely with the OECD on developing indicators for the survey to measure development and use of skill.
In a joint workshop on 4-6 December the two organisations examined the findings.
Across all 24 countries (and sub-national regions) participating in the survey the mean literacy score for young adults aged 16-29 whose highest level is vocationally oriented upper-secondary education is 273 out of a possible 500. In some European countries such as Finland or the Netherlands literacy scores are significantly above the OECD mean for this group, while in Spain, Poland and Ireland they are below. More...

LanCook engages with some of the major challenges concerning how to increase foreign language proficiency, motivation and the contribution of language skills in the Europe. It does this by engaging with a diverse range of language learners at the level of instructed language learning and addresses a number of well-known problems within that setting, namely:
- that students in classrooms are rehearsing foreign languages, rather than actually using the language to carry out actions and,
- that it is difficult to bring foreign culture to life in the classroom.
LanCook does this by developing technologically-enhanced language learning materials. The materials will enable learners to practice and learn aspects of the selected foreign languages whilst performing meaningful real-world tasks and experiencing the cultural aspects cooking a foreign dish.
Cooking is a relevant task as there is currently huge interest throughout Europe in cuisine. This is seen in the number of cookbooks which are sold annually and the number and range of cooking-themed programmes on TV. LanCook implements the advantages of task-based learning and uses digital technology outside the classroom setting. Rather than simulating language use inside the classroom, learners in the kitchen are using language to physically carry out a useful and culturally relevant real-world task.
LanCook also engages with many European agendas by promoting language learning, as well as linguistic and cultural diversity, in that our project will provide for the use of 7 different European languages.  The project supports development of innovative ICT for language learning, mobility across EU countries and the integration of migrant language learning. In Finnish and Catalan, our project promotes the acquisition of less-used languages. EU agendas include the Inclusive Growth priority of Europe 2020, Agenda for New Skills and Jobs and Youth on the Move.