Answer given by Ms Vassiliou on behalf of the Commission

17.1.2013

As a follow-up to the recommendations given by the High Level Group (HLG) on Literacy, several actions have been announced in order to address this important issue. At the presentation of the HLG report on 6 September 2012 the Commissioner responsible for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth said that the Commission planned to launch a European reading week through a network of national literacy organisations for which a call for proposals will be published in 2013.

On 26 November 2012 the Education ministers adopted Council conclusions on Literacy that endorse the main messages of the HLG Literacy report and call for the establishment of a European network of Literacy organisations. The aim of this practitioners' network is to develop and exchange good policy practice in the field, to support the dissemination of initiatives and to develop joint literacy campaigns.

In 2012, the Commission granted a total of EUR 4.8 million to the national coordinators of the European Agenda for Adult Learning. Funded activities helped to increase the participation of low qualified adults in learning and to develop their basic skills.

The Grundtvig action (adult learning) within the LLP[1] has systematically funded projects related to basic reading and writing skills. In 2013, the Grundtvig Workshops will focus on training of adult education staff working in the field of adult literacy. The budget available for the action is about EUR 3 000 000.

The Commission plans to include in the 2013 LLP budget a specific action entitled ‘A European network of national literacy organisations’, for a total of EUR 3 000 000.

Under the future Erasmus for All programme, literacy will remain a top funding priority. However, it is not possible to give specific amounts at this stage.

• [1] Lifelong Learning Programme.

OJ C 330 E, 14/11/2013