European Space for Citizenship Education
Renewing the democratic and civic mission of education in Europe
The European Space for Citizenship Education (ESCE) aims to contribute to fostering democratic values and principles for Education for Democratic Citizenship (EDC), and advancing quality through innovation practices in formal and non-formal educational settings in Europe, across the lifespan.
The ESCE builds on the Learners First Education Strategy 2024 – 2030, and contributes to the New Democratic Pact for Europe to protect and renew democracy.
Key areas
Principles
The ESCE seeks to codify principles for EDC from the CoE acquis and intends to respond to new and emerging challenges.
Quality
The ESCE aims to develop a quality framework to improve EDC policies and practices and encourage innovation.
Co-operation
The ESCE aims to promote multi- stakeholder co-operation, facilitating exchange, dialogue, and innovative approaches.
The Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC)
The RFCDC is a set of educational materials designed to help education systems develop young people’s competences for promoting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Based on the Model of Competences for Democratic Culture (the “butterfly model” below), it supports learners in becoming active, responsible citizens who can participate effectively in democratic life, live peacefully with others, and engage respectfully in culturally diverse societies through a structured approach to teaching, learning, and assessment.
RFCDC
The three volumes of the RFCDC present the model of competences for democratic culture, the descriptors of competences, and guidance for implementation.
Guidance documents
Documents providing guidance for the implementation of the RFCDC in different areas and topics.
EPAN
The Education Policy Advisors Network (EPAN) are representatives of the member states that contribute to the implementation of the RFCDC in the national context.
Formal and non-formal education
Early Childhood Education and Care
The ESCE seeks to develop EDC in ECEC, focusing on core domains such as children’s rights and agency, inclusion, plurilingualism and equity.
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
The ESCE encompasses the efforts in implementing the RFCDC in VET to contribute towards more democratic, inclusive, and participatory VET systems.
Non-formal Education in the ESCE
The ESCE includes the non-formal education to facilitate co-operation, and improve quality through innovation and pluralistic approaches of EDC.
‘Towards a European Space for Citizenship Education’ Conference in Montenegro
On 13-14 October 2025, the Council of Europe organised the conference ‘Towards a European Space for Citizenship Education’ in Bečići, Montenegro. The conference marked another milestone for the cocreation of the ESCE by presenting the first draft of principles for EDC and the framework of quality.
Key stakeholders in the field of EDC—with a particular focus on teachers, school heads, and teacher educators, joined by researchers, civil society organisations, and education policy makers—actively participated in the conference. They discussed the draft documents of the ESCE, shared experiences, and contributed to shaping them through a co-creative process, ensuring that the perspectives of practitioners and learners are fully reflected in the ESCE.
Launching Conference of the European Space for Citizenship Education (2024)
To mark the dual 75th anniversaries of the Council of Europe and German Basic Law (Constitution), the Council of Europe Education Department, in partnership with the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Movement, the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany (KMK) and the European network for Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (DARE), organised a conference in Berlin, on 17 and 18 October 2024, to promote a European vision of shared democratic values and principles through citizenship education.
