Today, Minister Kallas is attending the EU Education and Youth Ministers' Meeting in Brussels, where topics crucial to the future of young people are being discussed. “Lowering the voting age in several countries has proven to increase youth participation in society. In Estonia, we should also provide young people with more opportunities to contribute to shaping their future, for example, by allowing them to vote in European Parliament and, eventually, national parliamentary elections. Engaging youth means granting them rights,” said Kallas.
The focus of the education ministers' discussions is improving the EU’s competitiveness. One of the measures proposed by the European Commission is the future establishment of a European Degree. While Estonia supports the principle that higher education qualifications should be automatically recognized by all member states, we remain skeptical as to whether a European Degree, as a new bureaucratic structure, is the best solution. This skepticism is particularly relevant given that the Bologna Process has already created a harmonized higher education area with consistent quality standards.
Minister Kallas emphasized that Estonia supports making it easier for students to move between universities, but not by creating duplicative systems. “I see the Baltic-Benelux agreement, which already enables automatic recognition of higher education degrees, as an exemplary solution. Poland and Ireland have expressed interest in joining this agreement, and we encourage all member states to do the same,” said Kallas ahead of the visit.
On Tuesday, the minister will visit the Netherlands, followed by Denmark on Wednesday and Thursday. The visits aim to identify new areas for collaboration in vocational and higher education as well as to expand scientific cooperation. During the visits, the minister will also present Estonia’s positions on the EU’s Higher Education Package and the next EU Research and Innovation Framework Programme to find allies and make Estonia’s voice heard in Europe.
On Friday, Minister Kallas will participate in the EU Science Ministers’ Meeting in Brussels, where ministers will discuss how to boost Europe’s competitiveness through science and innovation. “Estonia’s interest is to ensure that efforts to close the global innovation gap do not overlook the internal innovation gap within Europe,” explained Kallas. She added that the next Framework Programme must strike a balance between supporting fundamental science and innovation and must support young researchers. “It is also crucial for us to continue expansion measures. I am committed to ensuring that Estonian researchers have the widest possible access to the opportunities provided by the Framework Programme, so that the results of research projects can benefit our economy, thereby increasing Estonia’s competitiveness and productivity.
