Source: European Parliament
Promoting a culture of the rule of law is a priority for the Commission. The best guarantee for the respect of EU common values is a robust political and legal culture supporting the rule of law in every Member State.
While respecting the competence of Member States to organise their education systems, the Commission supports the implementation of the 2018 Council Recommendation on promoting common values[1].
This collaboration involves policymakers, civil society and social partners in the working group on Equality and Values in Education and Training[2].
Building on the 2023 Council conclusions on citizenship education[3], the Commission is exploring guidelines for democratic citizenship education and a competence framework tailored for the EU context.
The Erasmus+ programme[4] promotes common values through initiatives like the Jean Monnet actions, Erasmus+ Teacher Academies and the European School Education Platform.
The Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme[5] supports civil society organisations at all levels in the EU empowering them to enhance democratic processes and protect and promote fundamental values, such as the rule of law.
In September 2024, the Commission launched a communication campaign for the general public explaining in accessible terms why the rule of law matters in everyday life[6].
The campaign will also be hosted on the EU Learning Corner[7], which offers a range of educational materials related to fundamental values.
The Commission will explore how to further develop such activities. The annual Rule of Law Report also refers to good practices for promoting a rule of law culture at national and EU level such as the discussion on promoting a rule of law culture through education held in the Education Council in May 2024[8].
- [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=oj:JOC_2018_195_R_0001
- [2] https://education.ec.europa.eu/about-eea/working-groups
- [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:C_202301339
- [4] https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/
- [5] https://commission.europa.eu/funding-tenders/find-funding/eu-funding-programmes/citizens-equality-rights-and-values-programme/citizens-equality-rights-and-values-programme-overview_en
- [6] https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/upholding-rule-law/rule-law/what-rule-law_en
- [7] https://learning-corner.learning.europa.eu/index_en
- [8] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/27db4143-58b4-4b61-a021-a215940e19d0_en?filename=1_1_58120_communication_rol_en.pdf