The Council of Europe’s Digital Citizenship Education (DCE) Promoters Network met in Rome on 7-8 October 2026 for its 9th meeting, focusing on how to strengthen national action on digital citizenship education and support the implementation of the Council of Europe Road Map for Strengthening Digital Citizenship Education 2027–2031.

Organised in partnership with the Unit Mission for the National Recovery and Resilience Plan at Italy’s Ministry of Education and Merit, the meeting brought together 20 network members for two days of public policy design training. 

The programme combined presentations and practical workshops. Participants worked on analysing roots and causes of policy challenges, the role of stakeholders, setting objectives, developing a theory of change and preparing national action plans. Sessions also covered planning for results, data collection, reporting, and evaluation of policy interventions.

The meeting aimed at strengthening the DCE Promoters Network’s capacity to contribute to policy- and decision-making within the Council of Europe’s Education Department, and to help members plan how to implement and promote the Road Map in their national contexts.

At the plenary session earlier in September, the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Education has approved the extension of the DCE Promoters’ Terms of Reference until the end of 2027. This extension provides continuity for the network, with a new set of Terms of Reference envisaged to contribute to the implementation of the Council of Europe’s new Education Programme for 2027–2030.

The work supports the Council of Europe’s wider efforts to embed digital citizenship across the education sector as a key infrastructure for reinforcing democratic resilience.  It connects with the New Democratic Pact and aims at strengthening civic participation in response to contemporary democratic, social and digital challenges.