mr president in recent years academic and political focus on culture and education has increased dramatically with analysis consistently highlighting these areas to be crucial not only in encouraging economic growth and social cohesion but also in facilitating mobility for young people across europe
unfortunately in the current economic climate with many member states adopting austerity measures and budget reductions necessary to reduce deficits these areas can often appear neglected and i wish this were not the case
investment in education and culture helps member states to compete globally equipping our young people for the challenges of tomorrow and encourages creativity innovation and mutual understanding
however it is precisely in these areas where the member states rather than the eu as a whole can act and where they know how best to respond to the educational challenges they face
i am concerned with a number of aspects of the reports we have discussed this morning especially regarding the intrusion on member states <unk> in terms of educational targets and social policy
it is beyond the competence of the eu to dictate educational reforms to member states and we must ensure that this is respected
in terms of culture the eu can assist member states in getting the best out of their policy priorities through exchanges of best practice and highlighting areas of importance such as early years learning the reduction of early school leaving and the promotion of vocational training
another key to helping our young people secure opportunities is to allow flexibility in labour markets so that people can learn on the job
however the arbitrary creation of new projects and organisations to facilitate these goals runs counter to the budgetary realities evident across the eu
we must be mindful of this sad fact and try to deliver what we can for the real world that we face
nonetheless i am a great believer in the power of culture to ensure mutual understanding and to spur innovation and economic growth
we have a wealth of culture and creativity in europe which needs to be fostered and developed
the creative industries add greatly to the eu's economy and our cultural experiences
we need to give them the tools to continue their development and gain the rewards they deserve
it goes without saying that the more we educate our young people across europe the more the future begins to look brighter in a challenging global environment
