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resolution motion

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the pilot project on European Schools Alliances and its contribution to citizenship education, democratic competences and European values

B-10-2026-0437

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A non-binding resolution on the pilot project on European school alliances and its contribution to civic education, democratic skills and European values. Parliament stresses that the alliances must fully respect member states' responsibility for teaching content and school organisation, and asks that civic education stay politically pluralistic. It calls on the Commission to keep the notion of "European values" tied to Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union, to respect parents' right to decide their children's religious, philosophical and pedagogical education, and to avoid imposing ideological approaches, including gender-related concepts. It wants student exchanges limited to the 27 member states and the European Economic Area countries, and asks the Commission to put solid subject knowledge and core skills, STEM, classical languages, literature, philosophy and history at the centre of its education initiatives. It urges the Commission to have the alliances promote Europe's cultural heritage, including its Christian heritage, and to ensure any new structure adds clear value over Erasmus+ and respects subsidiarity and proportionality.

Key points

  1. The European school alliances must fully respect member states' responsibility for teaching content and the organisation of education, as set out in Article 165(1) TFEU.
  2. Civic education under the alliances must remain politically pluralistic and respect pupils' right to develop an independent and critical judgement.
  3. The Commission should ensure "European values" is not used as an open or discretionary category for other political, social or ideological positions, nor extended beyond the values in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union through non-legislative instruments.
  4. The Commission should ensure the alliances fully respect parents' right to decide their children's religious, philosophical and pedagogical education, and that EU-funded education initiatives, especially on sex education, do not impose ideological or political approaches, including gender-related concepts, disregarding parents' convictions.
  5. Student exchanges under the alliances should be limited to the 27 EU member states and the European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and not extended to other third countries.
  6. The Commission should centre its education initiatives on solid subject knowledge and core skills, recognising that well-founded knowledge is the basis for higher-level skills, critical thinking and independent judgement, and avoid approaches favouring generic skills over substantial learning.
  7. The alliances should strengthen mathematics, natural sciences, technology and engineering, building on solid literacy and numeracy and linking school STEM teaching with vocational training, as foundations for Europe's economic competitiveness, technological sovereignty and innovation capacity.
  8. The Commission should favour educational approaches that preserve and promote the study of classical languages, literature, philosophy and history, and ensure the alliances help safeguard Europe's classical intellectual and cultural heritage.
  9. The Commission should ensure the alliances promote the preservation and transmission of Europe's cultural heritage, including its Christian heritage, and fully respect member states' cultural, historical and religious traditions.
  10. Any new structure set up under the alliances should bring clear, demonstrable added value over existing Erasmus+ instruments, be cost-efficient, respect subsidiarity and proportionality, and avoid duplication and administrative burdens.

Who is affected

  • Member states: their responsibility for teaching content and school organisation must be fully respected.
  • The Commission: asked to act on "European values", parents' rights, exchanges, curricula and new structures.
  • Parents: their right to decide their children's religious, philosophical and pedagogical education must be respected.
  • Pupils: their right to develop an independent and critical judgement must be respected.
  • Third countries: student exchanges should not be extended to them.

Figures and deadlines

  • "27 Stati membri" — the EU member states to which student exchanges should be limited.
  • "12 maggio 2025" — date of the UK Home Office white paper cited.
  • "settembre 2026" — date of the OECD PISA 2025 report cited.
  • "6 ottobre 2026" — date of the Commission declaration cited.

Legal basis: Article 165(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.