Barroso announces a "call for action"

The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, today announced a "call for action" for EU countries to promote innovation. He also confirmed that the European Commission will provide more support for open resources in education.

Speaking at the opening session of ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN 2013, Europe's leading conference on technology-assisted learning, President Barroso said that the European Commission's new initiative 'Opening Up Education' is "a call for action for member states of the EU and their educational institutions to revisit their strategies and educational models to become promoters of innovation."

He said that: "The European Commission is, on its side, taking a number of initiatives to support member states? educational institutions, like ensuring that educational materials furthered through the Erasmus-plus programme become publicly accessible through open licenses."

He described the Commission's initiative on 'Opening Up Education' as "an important milestone to raise attention and support for reforms in education which tap the potential of technology and open education resources."

He expressed "the commitment of the European Commission to support all countries and people who are committed to modernise education and training systems for a more skilled workforce and for an active European citizenship."

"Digital skills are also essential for employment," he said "and it is why the European Commission has launched a grand coalition for digital jobs in partnership with companies and education providers."

President Barroso said that those attending Online Educa, who include education professionals, government officials and business people from nearly 100 countries, had "always been frontrunners in promoting the merits of technology in education" and he hoped that "with our joint efforts, we will be able to contribute to a Europe where all individuals will have the conditions to improve their knowledge and skills, using innovative and open teaching and learning modes."

ONLINE EDUCA BERLIN 2013, the largest global e-learning conference for the corporate, education and public service sectors, takes place in Berlin, 4 - 6 December, 2013. The conference features over 100 parallel sessions and an abundance of networking opportunities, as well as an extensive exhibition area featuring over 90 international exhibitors.