The 12th of August 2019 marked the International Youth Day, with celebrations taking place under the theme of "Transforming Education", highlighting the importance of making education more inclusive and accessible for all youth.

On this occasion, the Commissioners for International Cooperation and Development, Neven Mimica, for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, Marianne Thyssen, the one for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics, and the one for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel made a joint statement stressing, among other things, that “the EU focuses on addressing the needs of young people in areas such as education, skills development and job creation, while aiming at engaging youth in wider aspects of society”. The EU is thus committed to improve Member States’ cooperation in the field of education by also fostering students, teachers and staff mobility and shared experiences. In their statement, they referred to the Erasmus+ programme as an initiative capable of “bringing young people together, enabling them to learn and engage in society, as well as fostering excellence and innovation in education institutions”. They also stated that the European Education Area, currently under development, is expected to “further boost excellence and inclusion, benefiting young Europeans from all backgrounds, and strengthening a sense of a shared European identity.”

Source: un.org

European Commission – Statement