In the framework of their EEA Meets Series the European Edtech Alliance (EEA) recently invited the Education Department of the Council of Europe to inform their partners about the Education Strategy 2030 “Learners First – Education for Today's and Tomorrow's Democratic Societies”, more specifically the Council of Europe’s strategic actions in digital transformation in education.

The exchange, which saw the participation of numerous stakeholders in the European EdTech ecosystem, started with a short introduction of the Strategy 2030, and of some upcoming initiatives, including the preparation of a legal instrument to regulate the use of AI in education, the idea of a review system for EdTech solutions, and the decision to declare 2025 as the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education.

During the following Q&A session, representatives of numerous organizations posed a series of questions about interorganizational collaboration, the review system and its relevance for the education sector as well as for technology providers, and about the importance of engaging different stakeholders in the developments of all initiatives. Balancing the positive impact of digital technologies with individual privacy rights emerged as a concern, and participants also highlighted the need for AI Literacy to combat misinformation, a key priority of Digital Citizenship Education.

Participating organizations included: xEdu, Dutch EdTech SuperCharger Ventures, EdTech Ireland, SEK Lab, EdTech Slovenia, Edtech Italia, Edtechstation, EdTech Denmark, Edtech Finland, EDTech France, Swedish Edtech Industry, Campus Founders, IKT-Norge, British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), EdTech Lithuania, EDUvation, Edutech Cluster, Fundacja EdTech Poland, EdTech Austria, AFINEF (Association Française des Industriels du Numérique dans l'Education et la Formation), Swiss EdTech Collider, EdTech Estonia, and EdTech Bulgaria.

We thank the EEA for the invitation and organization, and all participants for an enlightening discussion and the interest showed towards our work.

Read more about the exchange at: EEA meets Council of Europe — European Edtech Alliance (edtecheurope.org)