1. European Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training (Copenhagen Process)

In March 2000, the European Council in Lisbon set the strategic aim of making the European Union "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion" by 2010 (Lisbon agenda).The Copenhagen Process was launched as the contribution of Vocational Education and Training (VET) to the challenges identified in the Lisbon-Agenda. In the Copenhagen Declaration, approved on 30 November 2002, the ministers responsible for VET in the Member States, candidate countries, EFTA-EEA countries, the European social partners and the European Commission agreed on enhanced European cooperation in VET.

Read more about: the Copenhagen Process   

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2. Indicators and benchmarks for general and vocational education

 

Indicators and benchmarks are essential for the monitoring of performance and progress in the Lisbon process, also in the area of general and vocational education. As their contribution to the Lisbon strategy, the Education Council adopted common objectives for the improvement of education and training systems during their meeting on 12 February 2001 in Brussels. The respective report "the concrete future objectives of education and training systems" names three strategic goals (and 13 associated concrete objectives) to be attained by 2010:

• Increasing the quality and effectiveness of education and training systems in the European Union;
• Facilitating access of all to the education and training systems;
• Opening up education and training systems to the wider world.

Read more Indicators and benchmarks for general and vocational education