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The overreaching priorities of the Latvian Presidency – Competitive Europe, Digital Europe and Engaged Europe – were already introduced to members of the EP by the Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma in a plenary session on 14 January. The presentations by ministers from the Latvian government in Brussels will continue from 19 to 23 January.
In her address to the EP, the minister highlighted education within the framework of growth, investment and well-being of European citizens. In order to develop a closer link between the Europe 2020 Strategy and the Strategic Framework for European cooperation Education and Training 2020, the Presidency will give an input for the preparation of the Joint Report 2015. Thinking of the skills and competences necessary for the future labour market, the Presidency will focus on enhancing European cooperation in vocational education and training. Recognising the pre-school and primary school being of key importance, the Presidency will also address issues of creativity, innovation and digital skills at early age. Similarly, the work programme stresses evaluation of the Bologna process, accessibility of education and effectiveness of investments, internationalization of education and transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications for mobility and employability.
In regard to youth, the minister focused on cross sectorial cooperation which is crucial for addressing socio-economic challenges of young people and enhancing youth contribution to achieving the EU's main objectives. The coming six months will also see a focus on youth empowerment through political participation – one of the key highlights of the EU Youth Conference in March. Through events like the Eastern Partnership Youth Forum (9–11 February) the Presidency will also strengthen cooperation between the EU and Eastern Partnership countries.
In regard to sports the Latvian Presidency intends to highlight grassroots sports as developer of transversal skills – critical thinking, sense of initiative and leadership, problem solving, organizational skills, working in a team and responsibility, all of which are relevant for employment. In this context, the Presidency organizes a conference entitled "Sport and physical activity for development of human capital" on 16 February in Riga. Against the backdrop of international developments, the Latvian Presidency's priorities will also cover the issues of anti-doping and match-fixing.
