(done bullet="1954"color="#00838f/#fff")1954: European Cultural Convention

Foundation document establishing the Council of Europe's emphasis on cultural and linguistic diversity.

Article 2: Calls for promotion of reciprocal teaching and learning of languages among member states.

(done bullet="1959-1965"color="#00838f/#fff")1959-1965: Early Steps and Key Committees

As soon as the Cultural Convention came into force, a Committee of Cultural Experts (which in 1959 became the Council for Cultural Co-operation) was asked to actively explore the introduction of a coherent educational policy for Europe.

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• 1959: Cultural Experts Committee (which became the Council for Cultural Co-operation) explores a Europe-wide educational policy.

• 1961: Second Conference of Ministers of Education adopts Resolution No. 6, promoting research to improve modern language teaching and expert meetings.

• 1962: Establishment of the Council for Cultural Co-operation which adopted modern language teaching as a key objective.

• 1965: Establishment of the Modern Languages Section (now the Language Policy Programme) in the Council of Europe Secretariat.

(done bullet="1965-1988"color="#118566/#fff")1965–1988: Projects and Policy Developments

As early as 1962, the Council of Europe initially developed projects in applied linguistics, which later led to the definition of threshold levels in language learning and teaching.

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• Resolution (69)2 (1969): Declared the aim of language learning as fostering communication and cooperation in Europe, preserving diversity.

• Recommendation No.R (82)18 (1982): Provided framework for reform of curriculum and of teaching and assessment methods, encouraging networks of innovation in schools and stressing the role of teachers and teacher trainers.

(done bullet="1990-1997"color="#ca475b/#fff")1990–1997: From Communicative Teaching to Plurilingualism

This period was marked by rapid enlargement of the Council of Europe and by programme expansion through the participation of the new member states from Central and Eastern Europe. It also saw the decade-long development, following the Rüschlikon symposium in 1991, of what was to become a Council of Europe flagship: the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR).

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• Recommendation No.R(98)6 (1998): emphasised the role of intercultural communication and plurilingualism as key policy objectives.

• 1994: Creation of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) as an enlarged Partial Agreement of the Council of Europe to support educational practice and training of language teacher trainers.

(done bullet="1997-2001"color="#1b7eac/#fff")1997-2001: Language Policies for a Plurilingual and Intercultural Europe

Considerable discussions took place on diversifying and optimising language teaching, and strategies were drawn up. Language learning was extensively promoted from the very start of schooling as a means of making every pupil aware of Europe’s linguistic and cultural diversity; a number of countries subsequently modified their curricula accordingly.

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• 2001: The Common European Framework of reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR), together with the European Language Portfolio were officially launched.

• The year 2001 was also the European Year of Languages. This campaign had a major impact on public awareness of the richness and scale of linguistic diversity in Europe, and the European Day of Languages (26 September) was made a permanent event by the Council of Europe.

(working bullet="2001-2026"color="#c35515/#fff")2001 onwards: Promoting Plurilingual and Intercultural Education

Since 2001, the Council of Europe has focused on promoting plurilingual and intercultural education, notably through the widespread adoption and development of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and its companion tools. This period has seen the creation of additional guides, policy profiles, and practical resources, addressing the needs of diverse learners, including migrants and refugees. Through these initiatives, the Council of Europe has reinforced its commitment to supporting language learning, social integration, and social cohesion across Europe.

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• 2004: Launch of the analysis and assistance activity for states, regions and cities: Language Education Policy Profiles. 18 profiles completed by 2017 (end of the activity).

• 2006 onwards: Launch of the large scale-initiative on Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants (LIAM) project aimed to help member states, policy makers, trainers and people involved in assessment of proficiency in the country language (s) to facilitate migrants’ integration in civil society.

• 2007-2016: Development of three major policy guides for plurilingual and intercultural education: the Guide for the Development of Language Education Policies in Europe, Guide for the Development and Implementation of Curricula for Plurilingual and Intercultural Education, the Handbook for Curriculum Development and Teacher Training. The Language Dimension in All Subjects.

• 2010: Launch of the Platform of resources and reference for plurilingual and intercultural education.

• 2017: Launch of the Language support for adult refugees: a Council of Europe toolkit, comprising 57 tools, available in 8 languages, offering language support to refugees.

• 2018: Publication of the CEFR Companion Volume with additional descriptors, including for mediation, sign language, and young learners.

• 2022: Recommendation (CM/Rec (2022)1) on the Importance of Plurilingual and Intercultural Education for Democratic Culture: draws on previous Council of Europe documents to define the key concepts that underpin plurilingual and intercultural education and sets out a comprehensive list of measures that member states are invited to take.

• 2022-2025: Romani-Plurilingual Policy Experimentation, a pioneering initiative involving ten primary schools across three countries: Greece, Slovak Republic and Slovenia, explored ways of integrating Romani language and culture promoting educational inclusion and linguistic diversity, benefiting Roma pupils and other linguistic and cultural minorities alike.

• 2026: Publication of the Romani-Plurilingual Policy Experimentation's findings in two end-of-project publications: the Final Report and the revised policy guidelines The role of the Romani language in the educational inclusion of Roma children and young people: plurilingual education in action (revised August 2025), accompanied by a pedagogical guide.

• 2026: Launch of the Reflection and Planning Survey Tool for lower secondary education and the Policy Toolbox for Plurilingual and Intercultural Education. Together, these current developments aim is to assist member states in aligning their education systems with the principles of plurilingual and intercultural education, helping them to foster democratic culture at all levels.

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