The European Parliament has signed a petition calling on the Member States to start teaching courses on “European integration” to help combat the rise of Euroscepticism. However, critics of the bloc said the resolution, which was overwhelmingly supported by MEPs, was further evidence of the EU’s intention to create a European superpower. Romanian MEP Cristian Terhes told The Telegraph: “EU bureaucrats are not missing any opportunity to undermine the sovereignty of EU nation-states, and projects for a single EU curriculum prove it. “The EU does not have the power to legislate in the field of education, which is a national competence. “These bureaucrats want to catechize children from an early age, as the communists once did.”
“Common European Identity”
The report accused the bloc of “insufficient knowledge or ignorance of the EU and a misunderstanding of its operation” of the bloc’s unpopularity in some of its national capitals. It called on the Member States to introduce a “renewed European momentum in civic education” as a way of tackling the “charm of misinformation, extremist and populist rhetoric”. The 6,500-word report says there should be a set of standards for a “minimal understanding” of what it means to be an EU citizen, as well as for building a “common European identity”. Member States were encouraged to “review and update their education systems – and all forms of EU – related curriculum content at all levels”. Domenec Ruiz Devesa, the Spanish MEP who was responsible for the report, said: “Citizenship is poorly covered in school curricula in many EU countries. “There is a huge gap between the big ambitions in the documents we publish and the reality on the ground. “Therefore, we have made some recommendations to rectify the situation.” The European Commission is obliged to examine the report after it has been approved by MEPs. At present, the EU ‘s competence in education policy remains limited, designed merely to “support, coordinate or complement the actions of the Member States”.
