EU Council meeting on education and youth policies in Brussels

The EU Council of Education, Youth, Culture and Sport met in Brussels on Monday under the presidency of Cyprus. Minister of Education, Sports and Youth Athena Michaelidou presided over the session, which included officials such as European Commissioner Glenn Micallef. A primary achievement was reaching a partial general approach agreement for the Erasmus+ program covering the 2028-2034 period. The council also focused on developing a new EU youth strategy for the post-2027 period, emphasizing collaboration with youth representatives from Denmark, Cyprus, Ireland, and Lithuania. Discussions addressed the integration of artificial intelligence in education and the importance of fundamental skills for social cohesion. Participants highlighted the need to involve young people directly in shaping future policy frameworks. The Erasmus+ program was noted for its 40-year history of supporting over 16 million people. The meeting also included dialogues with various European youth and student forums to set long-term policy directions.