European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth

The European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth is a member of the European Commission. The portfolio was previously titled European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport until 2019 when it was merged with the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation to form its current title.

European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth
since 19 September 2023
StyleMadam. Commissioner
Member ofthe European Commission
Reports toPresident of the European Commission
Term length5 years
PrecursorCommissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism
Formation13 September 1999; 25 years ago (1999-09-13)
First holderViviane Reding
WebsiteCommissioner's Website

The portfolio is responsible for policies in education and training, youth, sport, civil society, and culture. The commissioner leads the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture.

History of the portfolio

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Commissioner Ján Figeľ was approved by the European Parliament in 2004 as the European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism. This was enlarged since the Prodi Commission with the addition of training and multilingualism (The Directorate-General is still just Directorate-General for Education and Culture).

However, when Romania joined the European Union on 1 January 2007, responsibility for multilingualism was handed over to the new Romanian commissioner, Leonard Orban. In its place the portfolio now also includes youth, sport and civil society. Figeľ describes his position is very orientated to "the citizens and their quality of life".[1]

The commission has become increasingly active in education. The ERASMUS programme, which was established in 1987, is a student exchange programme promoting mobility of students between European universities. The Bologna process aims to create a European Higher Education Area where academic qualifications can be recognised across Europe. The European Institute of Technology is a proposed research university.

With the 2014 inauguration of the Juncker Commission, the portfolio was once again renamed – multilingualism was removed in favor of citizenship: "Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship". Citizenship in turn was soon replaced by sport.[2][3] The title from 2014 to 2019 was thus European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport.

List of commissioners

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The previous portfolio to the current was Culture, merged with Audiovisual policy and EP relations.

No. Picture Commissioner Took office Left office Time in office Party Country Commission
1Reding, VivianeViviane Reding
(born 1951)
13 September 199921 November 20045 years, 69 daysCSV  LuxembourgProdi
2Grybauskaitė, DaliaDalia Grybauskaitė
(born 1956)
1 May 200411 November 2004194 daysIndependent  LithuaniaProdi
3Figeľ, JánJán Figeľ
(born 1960)
22 November 20041 October 20094 years, 313 daysKDH  SlovakiaBarroso
4Šefčovič, MarošMaroš Šefčovič
(born 1966)
1 October 20099 February 2010131 daysPES  SlovakiaBarroso
5Vassiliou, AndroullaAndroulla Vassiliou
(born 1943)
9 February 20101 November 20144 years, 265 daysEDI  CyprusBarroso
6Navracsics, TiborTibor Navracsics
(born 1966)
1 November 201430 November 20195 years, 29 daysFidesz  HungaryJuncker
5Gabriel, MariyaMariya Gabriel
(born 1979)
1 December 201915 May 20233 years, 166 daysGERB  BulgariaVon der Leyen
7Ivanova, IlianaIliana Ivanova
(born 1975)
19 September 2023Incumbent1 year, 72 daysGERB  BulgariaVon der Leyen

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ján Figeľ ec.europa.eu
  2. ^ "Background paper N° 1" (PDF). EOC EU Office. November 2014. previously named "Education, Culture, Youth and Multilingualism" (Commissioner Vassiliou) and now to be called "Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship". The Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Tibor Navracsics, had been designated by Juncker to be in charge of this portfolio
  3. ^ "European Commissioner of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Tibor Navracsics". The Orange Files. 2013. Navracsics was originally nominated to the post of Commissioner of Education, Culture, Youth and Citizenship, though European Commission President Juncker chose to divest Navracsics of the latter domain and assign him the responsibility to oversee issues related to sports instead