The one-day event “Multiple voices in the classroom: Harnessing the power of regional and minority languages in secondary education” will be broadcast online from 09:00-12:00 and from 14:45-17:00 (Central European Time) on 4 December.
The colloquium will explore the impact of demographic changes on the vitality of Regional and Minority Languages (RMLs) and their role in secondary education in contexts where Regional and minority languages (RMLs) are prevalent. It will also examine how evolving policy frameworks are expected to shape RML instruction and investigate the factors likely to motivate newcomers to learn these languages. Focusing on secondary education, the event will address the challenges RMLs are facing in increasingly multilingual classrooms, highlighting promising pedagogical practices. Innovative teaching models to support RML learning which are potentially transferable/adaptable to other contexts will be showcased.

The event takes place within the context of the 2025 cooperation action between the European Commission and the European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe. It will take full account of the work already conducted both by the Council and the European Commission in this area, as well as the concerns expressed within the Minority Safepack initiative with regard to the sharing of good practice among European educational systems.

The working languages of the colloquium are English and French.
The description and programme of the colloquium, together with the list of speakers and panel members are available at: www.ecml.at/RML2025colloquium.
Links for livestream (4 December, 09:00-12:00 and 14:45-17:00 CET): English – French

On 26 September the European Day of Languages celebrated its 25th anniversary. This year it was organised under the motto of “Languages open hearts and minds!”, reflecting the deep impact language learning has both at an emotional and at a cognitive level. In his statement on the occasion of the Day, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, highlighted that, “the teaching and learning of multiple languages is not a cultural luxury, but a political necessity”. He also reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to work with its member states “to bring the benefits of Europe’s linguistic diversity closer to its citizens – enhancing mutual respect and understanding, strengthening social cohesion and democratic citizenship”.

These values were very much on display among the huge number of events taking place in celebration of the Day – many celebrated under the banner of ‘languages open hearts and minds’. Some 1 100 events were registered in the EDL events calendar and around 860 000 visits on 26 September alone were recorded to the EDL website – once again setting a new record!

A series of resources, competitions, polls and initiatives were organised as part of this year’s offer:

• There was a record-breaking response to the EDL poster competition based on the motto of the 2025 Day “Languages open hearts and minds”. Close to 8 500 designs were submitted. Prizes will be awarded for the top 5 but, in fact, all of the extremely creative entries would merit a prize! 30 posters will also be exhibited around the ECML premises in Graz. The winners will be announced and the posters available for view from 1 December here: https://edl.ecml.at/heartsandminds
• The European Day of Languages anthem competition also exceeded all expectations. Schools/organisations/associations (and individuals!) were invited to make the AI generated anthem, “Voices of Europe”, into a multilingual work – by translating/adapting the text into a language they speak and then performing it. Alternatively they could go one step further and develop and perform their own version of an anthem. Hundreds of high-quality entries were received and can be viewed on the website. A truly collaborative, multilingual compilation of the song was released on 1 December - just in time to become a Christmas No. 1!  https://edl.ecml.at/edlanthem
• The “One day · Une journée · Un día · Ein Tag... for languages!” event, organised by L’Istituto Superiore “Secusio”, in Caltagirone (Sicily), Italy received around 900 votes in this year’s ‘Most innovative event’ competition. The initiative involved a varied programme of activities highlighting the importance of studying foreign languages as a tool for personal growth, cultural openness, and international dialogue. The entire school was able to take part in a wide range of musical, theatrical and writing activities. Congratulations to the 2025 winners!
• According to thousands of respondents to the ‘What do you find most challenging about learning a foreign language?’ poll – ‘grammar’ was the answer – with ‘speaking’, ‘pronunciation’ and ‘vocabulary’ closely behind. A little more surprisingly, ‘Listening’ was also considered quite a challenge.
  https://edl.ecml.at/poll
• The 2026 EDL t-shirt design competition remains open until 31 December 2025, so there is still plenty of time to come up with creative ideas: https://edl.ecml.at/tshirt.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the Day!

As ever, a big thank you to the EDL National Relays for their enormous commitment in promoting the Day and sending out materials to schools and event organisers in their countries. We are also most grateful to everyone who took part in the Day this year and contributed to making it a special anniversary!

The European Centre for Modern Languages of the Council of Europe based in Graz is seeking the secondment of a Programme Manager in language education. The position is initially offered for one-year period starting in 2026, with the possibility of renewal for up to three years in total.
Application deadline: 7 January 2026 (23:59:59 CET)
Description, requirements, application and selection procedure on the Council of Europe career portal: https://go.coe.int/KY6N0

Designed jointly by the ECML and the Language Policy Programme, the exhibition “Language education at the heart of democracy” highlights how language education strengthens democracy, social cohesion and intercultural understanding, showcasing inspiring projects, innovative resources and real-life stories illustrating its transformative power.

From 29 September to 10 October 2025, it was hosted at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg, where it coincided with the autumn session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The inauguration on 30 September was opened by Aloisia Wörgetter, Permanent Representative of Austria to the Council of Europe, and attended by over 100 parliamentarians and guests, with contributions from PACE Vice-President Gryffroy (Chair of the Belgian Delegation), Martin Graf (Chair of the Austrian Delegation) and Matthias von Gehlen (Vice-Chair of the ECML Governing Board).

The exhibition was then presented at the Hôtel d’Alsace in Strasbourg from 17 to 24 November, forming the backdrop to a “Mercredis du Conseil de l’Europe” thematic conference: on 20 November, Sarah Breslin, ECML Executive Director and Head of Language Policy at the Council of Europe, opened a round table bringing together experts from education, research and the media to explore the many dimensions of plurilingualism, reaffirming the Council of Europe’s long-standing commitment to promoting plurilingualism and engaging the public in dialogue on its benefits and challenges from both a European and local perspective.

ECML news item (25 November 2025): “Conference in Strasbourg on "Plurilingualism: challenges, benefits and perspectives in Europe and in Alsace”

ECML news item (3 October 2025): “Language education at the heart of democracy" exhibition launched during PACE”

Web page dedicated to the ECML exhibition

At the international workshop on “Maximising learning outcomes linked to CLIL in primary and secondary education”, organised by the British Council and France Éducation International, the ECML joined a dynamic exchange of ideas on advancing integrated language and subject learning. Sarah Breslin, ECML Director and Head of Language Policy at the Council of Europe, contributed to the round table “Unpacking CLIL – key issues, principles and implementation” and stressed that CLIL had an important contribution to make to the wider agenda of plurilingual and intercultural education for democratic culture.

As part of this meeting, FEI has published an analytical bibliography bringing together recent works on integrated language and subject teaching.

Discover the ECML’s CLIL-related activities:

• Training and consultancy: Beyond CLIL – Pluriliteracies teaching for deeper learning
• Current project (2024-2026): CLIL teaching materials for developing 21st-century competences
• ECML’s dedicated CLIL thematic area

Photo credit: France Éducation International

On 25-26 November, the workshop brought 38 language teachers and teacher educators together. The event focused on how AI can support language teaching and learning in responsible, meaningful, and context-sensitive ways.
The next steps include building a community of practice around AI-enhanced language teaching, transforming the recorded World-Café discussions into multilingual AI-generated podcasts, refining the guidelines presented, producing a report on AI use and emerging challenges across countries, and finalising sample professional development activities for online or on-site delivery.

News item
Project website “AI for language education”

At the recent ECML project network meeting in Graz, the  project team introduced the 4Rs Framework – Reading, Repositioning, Reflecting, and Responding – as a new, classroom-ready layer of the Pluriliteracies for Global Citizenship approach, translating pluriliteracies principles into concrete literacy practices that form spirals of deeper learning and link concepts, language and citizenship. New complementary tools were introduced – deeper learning episodes, ten principles of task fidelity, revised guiding questions for teachers and learners – as well as the first version of descriptor bands for each of the 4Rs providing a formative assessment tool for tracing learners’ pluriliteracies development. Participant feedback will help the team fine-tune both the Framework and the tools to better reflect diverse contexts and strengthen the language classroom as a space where global citizenship is actively practised.

Full news item
ECML project “Pluriliteracies for global citizenship – Deeper learning in the foreign language classroom” (2024-2027): www.ecml.at/deeperlearning (English, French)
Video testimonials of network participants

On 29-30 September 2025, the ECML project team for “Using ECML resources to support plurilingual and intercultural education for democratic culture” met in Graz to advance the development of a structured pathway helping educators and policymakers adapt ECML resources in diverse contexts. The team refined the content and structure of the pathway, finalised a glossary of key terms, and explored integrating ARPI, a chatbot designed to guide users through the pathway. Plans were also made to pilot both the pathway and ARPI at the April 2026 workshop, ensuring the tools are practical, inclusive, and effective in real-world educational settings.

Full news item
Project website “Using ECML resources to support plurilingual and intercultural education for democratic culture”: www.ecml.at/arpide (English, German)

The ECML Pluriwell project is advancing its focus on plurilingual wellbeing for language teachers, combining research insights with practical resources. Recent highlights include international dissemination at conferences in Ottawa, Hamburg, and upcoming events in the Netherlands and Rome, alongside the creation of a diverse library of tools for short- and long-term wellbeing activities. The project is now moving toward finalising a flexible, culturally adaptable toolkit that compiles the most effective and broadly useful resources to support teachers’ plurilingual wellbeing in varied educational contexts.

Full news item
Project website “Fostering the plurilingual wellbeing of language teachers”: www.ecml.at/pluriwell (English, French)

The workshop brought together over 30 teachers, researchers, and education experts from 27 countries to explore and refine CLILMat teaching materials, which link Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) with 21st-century competences such as critical thinking, collaboration, and digital literacy. Grounded in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the lesson plans enable students to tackle global issues while developing language and subject knowledge. Participants exchanged classroom experiences and provided feedback, helping ensure the resources are practical, adaptable, and relevant across Europe, with the updated materials to be freely available as open-access resources by the end of 2026.

Full news item
Project website “CLIL teaching materials for developing 21st century competences”: www.ecml.at/CLILteachingmaterials (English, French, German)

Austria (Vienna, 1-2 October 2025)

The ICT-REV workshop at the University of Vienna provided teacher educators in Romance languages as well as selected French, Italian, and Spanish teachers acting as multipliers with hands-on experience of integrating digital and AI-based tools into language teaching. Participants gained practical strategies for using ICT effectively, critically evaluated its pedagogical value, and developed learning activities ready for classroom use. The workshop also fostered collaboration between university trainers and secondary school teachers, encouraging participants to disseminate their knowledge in teaching, mentoring, and professional development, and supporting sustainable professional growth and the effective use of technology in language education.

Full news item (English, French, German)

Germany (Kiel, 15-16 September 2025)

This ECML workshop at the Kiel Event Centre brought together 25 participants from all sectors of education and teacher training in Schleswig-Holstein, including representatives from Europa-Universität Flensburg, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel and their affiliated teaching centres. The event focused on the ECML inventory of digital tools, exploring practical applications in teaching scenarios, while fostering exchange and inspiration across institutions and languages. Participants valued the opportunity to share experiences, gain new ideas, and directly apply them in their practice, highlighting ECML’s role in supporting quality and innovation in foreign language education.

Full news item (English, French, German)

Poland (Sulejowek, 15-16 October 2025)

The workshop provided educators with practical strategies to integrate ICT and AI into teaching, combining theoretical insights with interactive group work, discussions, and hands-on use of the ICT-REV Inventory. Participants explored safe and effective AI use, designed new technology-enhanced learning activities, and received constructive feedback. The workshop equipped teachers with skills to plan lessons using AI tools and sound pedagogical principles, fostering innovation, collaboration, and professional growth.

Full news item (English, French, Polish)

More information about the ICT-REV initiative: ECML project website “Use of ICT in support of language teaching and learning”, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 “Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning”

Webinar “Supporting multilingual classrooms” (recorded on 16 October 2025)

The webinar presented the “Supporting multilingual classrooms” initiative of the ECML and the European Commission. It outlined the goal of better integrating learners with a migrant background into national education systems and showed how the workshops support the implementation of key European recommendations on plurilingual and intercultural education and on language teaching and learning. The webinar described a holistic approach, including whole-school policies for plurilingual learners, holistic language learning and the challenges for non-language teachers, and provided insights from the training team and national representatives on how the workshops have influenced curriculum and policy development and achieved impact in different contexts.

Description
Webinar recording: English – French

Cyprus (Nicosia, 9-10 October 2025)

Bringing together 26 participants (foreign language teachers, teachers of other subjects, teacher educators, teachers of the language of schooling, policymakers, course book authors and school administrators) from primary and secondary education, the workshop explored attitudes toward plurilingualism, democratic and intercultural classroom approaches, language rights of second-language learners, and practical teaching strategies in Cypus and across Europe, including scaffolding tools and differentiated instruction. Participants left committed to using the materials, sharing good practices in their schools and further strengthening multilingual, inclusive and interculturally aware learning environments.

Full news item (English and French)

Spain (Melilla, 8-9 October 2025)

The event brought together 22 teachers from various educational levels to explore practical strategies for multilingual and inclusive classrooms. Through collaborative activities and experience sharing, participants reflected on their students’ linguistic realities, enhanced teaching practices, and fostered positive attitudes toward linguistic and cultural diversity, highlighting the value of ECML training in promoting equitable education across Europe.

Full news item (English and French)

More information about the SMC initiative:
ECML website: “Supporting multilingual classrooms”, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 “Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning”

Czechia (Prague, 9-11 September 2025)

The three-day RELANG workshop brought together around 20 pre- and in-service teacher educators and language assessment professionals. Participants explored best practices for aligning language assessment with the CEFR and its Companion Volume, engaging in hands-on activities, collaborative discussions, and practical exercises. The workshop equipped attendees with concrete tools and insights to enhance teaching and assessment strategies, supporting fair, consistent, and meaningful evaluation in line with broader European language education initiatives.

Full news item (English and French)

More information about the RELANG initiative:
ECML website: “Relating language curricula, tests and examinations to the Common European Framework of Reference (RELANG)”, ECML-EC cooperation agreement 2025 “Innovative methodologies and assessment in language learning”

Webinar “Mediation in teaching, learning and assessment” (recorded on 13 November 2025)

This webinar explored the concept of mediation and its role in language teaching, learning, and assessment in primary and secondary schools, drawing on the objectives and resources of the METLA project and its Teaching Guide. The METLA databank was introduced through practical, multilingual classroom examples, and it was demonstrated how to design tasks that develop and formatively assess learners’ mediation skills. The session highlighted strategies to adapt tasks across languages, proficiency levels, and learner groups, to draw on heritage and home languages, integrate pluricultural elements, and foster intercultural understanding and respect for diversity.

Webinar: English – French
Slides (PDF): English

Finland (Oulu, 26-27 May 2025)

The MedVITBox training in Oulu highlighted the practical value of the CEFR Companion Volume and its focus on mediation, with nearly 90% of participants finding it relevant and inspiring for their professional work. Educators praised the hands-on materials and approaches, recognizing the benefits for learners, while the event fostered collaboration, professional growth, and motivation to apply new strategies in teaching, educational reform, and networking. MedVITBox trainings offer teachers, trainers, and policymakers a valuable opportunity to explore innovative practices and strengthen professional competence in language education.

Full news item (English, Finnish, French)

Slovenia (online, 8-9 October 2025)

In October, the National Language Working Group and the ECML hosted an online two-day workshop for 32 members of the Subject Curriculum Commissions for Languages, including primary and secondary school teachers, university professors, and curriculum consultants. The training introduced action-oriented, learner-centred approaches based on the CEFR Companion Volume, emphasizing mediation, plurilingualism, multilingualism, and interculturality. Participants explored ways to integrate these approaches into everyday teaching and curriculum planning, preparing to use the knowledge and materials for teacher training and implementation of new language curricula.

Full news item (English, French, Slovene)

Romania (online, 27-28 October 2025)

The online training equipped educators and school leaders with practical tools and strategies to foster inclusive, language-aware education. Participants gained deeper understanding of language-sensitive teaching, reflected on their own school contexts, collaborated on development plans, and explored ways to promote equity, plurilingualism, and students’ academic and linguistic success across all subjects.

News item (English, French, Romanian)

Sweden (Hässelby, 8-9 October 2025)

The event introduced 26 teachers, school leaders, and professionals working with multilingual learners to the ROADMAP tool, providing practical strategies for supporting multilingual teaching and second language development across all subjects. Through interactive sessions and collaborative discussions, participants gained concrete ideas, strengthened their motivation to implement language-aware approaches, and explored ways to embed the ROADMAP tool school-wide, with follow-up plans from Loviselundsskolan and Stockholm City Council to expand its use.

News item (English, French, Swedish)

The event brought together 31 teachers of English, French, German, and Greek, along with advisors and educators from nursery schools to tertiary education. Participants explored CLIL LOTE transitions, language descriptors based on the CEFR, and guiding principles for CLIL, before collaborating to develop new multilingual lesson plans such as “Democracy” and “Environmental wonders”. The workshop concluded with a commitment to share materials on a common platform and establish a CLIL network to support cross-level and cross-language collaboration.

Full news item (English and French)
Resource website “CLIL in languages other than English – Successful transitions across educational stages”: www.ecml.at/CLILLOTEtransitions

This event gathered primary teachers of Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish in Malta to explore how CLIL in languages other than English can support early language learning. Participants were introduced to the ECML resource “Inspiring language learning in the early years” (ILLEY), CLIL LOTE guiding principles, recommendations to support CLIL LOTE across educational stages, and Pre-A1 CEFR-based language descriptors for CLIL transitions, before collaboratively designing lesson plans and agreeing to share materials on a common platform. As a concrete next step, it is being considered to add a new objective to Malta’s Foreign Language Learning Programme in primary education: strengthening languages other than English through Content and Language Integrated Learning.

Full news item (English and French)
Resource website “CLIL in languages other than English – Successful transitions across educational stages”: www.ecml.at/CLILLOTEtransitions

Austria illustrates how the ECML’s “Roadmap to support the language(s) of schooling” can be embedded in national policy. Within the ÖSZ project “Language sensitive School Development” (launched in 2024 for the Ministry of Education), the Roadmap is used to guide whole-school language work. After a first Training & Consultancy cycle with lower secondary schools in Styria, Lower Austria and Carinthia, a second cycle now involves schools in Upper Austria, Salzburg and Burgenland.

Read the article by Anna Gazdik, ÖSZ (available in English, French translation coming soon)

Photo credit: Anna Pirato

Interview by France Éducation International – ECML Summer Academy 2025: reflections from a French teacher

During the 4th Summer Academy of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), entitled “Inspiring innovation in language teacher education in Europe” (30 June – 4 July 2025, Graz), teachers and teacher trainers from across the continent exchanged on the major challenges of language teaching, particularly in light of the growing importance of artificial intelligence. Among them, Mr Deichmann, a German teacher in the Montpellier education authority and an active member of the German Studies Circle, was nominated to take part. In this interview, he looks back on his motivations, the discussions held with his European colleagues, and the collaborative project that emerged from it.

The Innovation and Educational Resources Laboratory is the Contact Point of the European Centre for Modern Languages in France. It showcases the Centre’s work and disseminates its outputs via LISEO. In addition, it analyses current scientific and editorial developments in Languages and French as a Foreign Language (FFL) every month in order to offer the best resources on language policies, language pedagogy and the teaching of French. Its selection of new publications also includes teaching methods and complementary tools, as well as teaching resources for FFL, French for Specific Purposes, French as a language of welcome, but also for education for sustainable development (ESD), citizenship, media and information literacy.

Follow the latest news from FEI and its Innovation and Educational Resources Laboratory:

• On FEI’s LISEO portal:
• News on the ECML: overview
• All monthly newsletters dedicated to language policies and language teaching
• On X
• On Facebook

A unique partnership in France to advance modern language learning

The Montpellier Academy is engaged in an ambitious partnership with the ECML to develop content and language integrated learning (CLIL). After an initial phase of awareness-raising that brought together 50 staff members (school leaders and inspectors from all subjects), the second phase aims to train 30 teachers committed to CLIL and to provide professional development for 30 trainers from various subject areas. Two online conferences and a full day of workshops, led by two ECML experts at Collège Joffre in Montpellier, support this initiative. This partnership fully aligns with the academy’s priorities: strengthening students’ intercultural competencies, improving mastery of fundamental skills by better integrating the linguistic dimension of each discipline, promoting international openness to reduce inequalities, and supporting teachers’ professional development and mobility.

Read the article published by the Montpellier Academy (November 2025, available in French)

Photo credit: Montpellier Academy

Lussier D. & Lussier I., Intégrer culture, interculture, transculture dans l’enseignement des langues : enjeux, cadre de référence et pratiques, L’Harmattan, Paris, ISBN : 978-2-336-41418-8.
Cover page and summary (available in French on the website of L'Harmattan)

FIPLV Newsletter (Winter 2025): Flipbook – PDF

ECML web section dedicated to articles and publications quoting the work of the ECML

The Professional Network Forum of the ECML is comprised of international associations and institutions that share common values and have overlapping expertise in the field of language education and assessment. Under the auspices of the ECML, the members of the Forum share their know-how and work together on areas of common interest in the service of language education.

Members of the Forum: ACTFL, ADEB, AILA, ALTE, CEL/ELC, CercleS, EALTA, EAQUALS, ECSPM, ECML/Council of Europe, EDiLiC, EFNIL, EPA, EUNIC, FIPLV, IAM, ICC, OLBI.

Upcoming events of the network members
Dedicated ECML web pages

The Republic of Moldova will assume the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, taking over from Malta for a six-month term.

News item (14 November 2025)
Stocktaking of the Maltese Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (14 May – 14 November 2025)
Moldovan Presidency website

Photo credit: Council of Europe

On 4 November 2025, the European Convention on Human Rights marked its 75th anniversary. Signed in Rome in 1950 by 12 member States of the Council of Europe, the Convention has contributed to creating a common legal and political culture of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law throughout Europe.

News item (30 October 2025)

Photo credit: Council of Europe

Under the EU/CoE Joint Programme on Enhancing Foreign Language Education Quality in Türkiye, policymakers, education experts and teachers met in Ankara on 7-8 October 2025 to strengthen the role of the CEFR and its Companion Volume in foreign language education in Türkiye. An awareness-raising seminar and strategic meeting (with Sarah Breslin, Executive Director of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) and Head of the Language Policy of the Council of Europe) introduced CEFR principles and applications in curriculum and teaching, presented the official Country Report forming the basis for a Language Education Policy Profile, and discussed strategies for sustaining project results. A large CEFR seminar with more than 400 participants further highlighted the fundamental role of the CEFR in promoting inclusive and quality foreign language education.

News item

Photo credit: Council of Europe

The session “Renewing the civic mission of education” held on 6 November 2025 highlighted the need to use education as an effective way to revive and regenerate democracies. The recording of the session is available on the webpage of the session.

Key takeaways from the session on education at the World Forum for Democracy: “Education is the tool to revive democracies”: news item (7 November 2025)

Website of the World Forum for Democracy

Photo credit: Council of Europe

Closing Conference of the European Year of Digital Citizenship Education 2025
The Way Forward: a new direction shaping the future through digital citizenship education

Key takeaways from the Conference “Ensuring quality education in the AI era – Introducing the Council of Europe Compass for AI and Education” (Strasbourg, France, 8-9 October 2025)
News item (10 October 2025)
Conference web page

Photo credit: Council of Europe

In October, the Council of Europe’s Education Department launched the E-Democracy Lab (EDL), a new online learning platform designed to help users learn about, practice and co-construct democracy through a range of high-quality courses and resources. Through its mission “Learning and practicing democracy”, the platform invites visitors to explore featured courses and thematic catalogues.

News item (2 October 2025)

Photo credit: Council of Europe

The Council of Europe’s Education Department Knowledge Hub is a comprehensive digital library designed to make the Organisation’s education resources, training offers and events easier to discover and use for ministries, schools, universities and practitioners across the 46 member states. The Hub brings together thousands of publications and tools and connects directly to the Department’s online learning space and events calendar.

Visit the Portal, with clear entry points to Library, E-learning, Events, and Glossary sections.

News item (2 October 2025)

Photo credit: Council of Europe

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages is the European convention for the protection and promotion of languages used by traditional minorities. Together with the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities it constitutes the Council of Europe’s commitment to the protection of national minorities.

Recent reports

Armenia: a new expert report welcomes Armenia’s efforts to promote cultural and linguistic diversity while encouraging stronger legal protection and wider promotion of minority languages.
News item (19.09.2025) – Report – Summary of the report in Armenian

Norway: protection of North Sami under the ECRML extended.
News item (15.09.2025) – Treaty Office notification

Slovakia: a new evaluation report welcomes the Slovak Republic’s efforts to protect and promote minority languages, particularly Hungarian, while encouraging further measures to strengthen their use in areas such as education, administration, media, and healthcare.
News item (19.09.2025) – Evaluation report

Recent resources

Factsheet on Romani language and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages
News item (05.11.2025)
Factsheet: English – Romani
More information on the ECRML in Romani

Follow the ECRML newsroom

Photo credit: Council of Europe

The FCNM is one of the most comprehensive treaties designed to protect the rights of persons belonging to national minorities.

Latest developments: Cyprus – Czechia – Malta – North Macedonia – Spain

Follow the FCNM newsroom

Photo credit: Council of Europe

Review of the implementation of the Council of Europe Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC)
Summary and table of contents: English – French
Publication: English – French

Learning democracy in vocational education and training in Europe – An anthology
Summary and table of contents: English
Publication: English
News item (12 November 2025)

Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) – Guidance document for Education for Sustainable Development
Summary and table of contents: English
Publication: English

ETINED – Council of Europe Platform on Ethics, Transparency and Integrity in Education – Volume 9 – Open school data in European education systems
Summary and table of contents: English
Publication: English

ETINED – Council of Europe Platform on Ethics, Transparency and Integrity in Education – Volume 10 – Student perception and awareness of education fraud
Summary and table of contents: English
Publication: English

Online Language Support News: October 2025 – All issues of this serial

Economic impact of language policies in the multilingual regions
Executive summary (available in English, French and German) – Analytical report (available in English)

Market study on language technologies – D1.5 study report (available in English, French and German)

The structure of European education systems (Latest update: 22 September 2025)
Dedicated web section

Addressing underachievement in literacy, mathematics and science: Policy changes in European school education since 2020
Report and dedicated web section (available in English)

Updated digital competence framework DigComp 3.0: the updated framework integrates AI, wellbeing, disinformation, cybersecurity, rights and sustainability. It adds 500+ learning outcomes, an extended glossary and new formats, while keeping the same structure. Developed with around 300 experts, it reflects 2022-2025 technological and social changes and supports a shared, human-centred vision of digital skills.
News item (27 November 2025)
DigComp 3.0
DigComp 3.0 information leaflet

New data and visuals: Equity in school education

European School Education Plateform user survey 2025 – share your views!

Initial teacher education: shaping future careers

New resources available for teaching basic skills

Global education monitoring report, 2024/5, Leadership in education: lead for learning
Publication (available in English, French, Spanish)
Dedicated web page

UNESCO global report on cultural policies, Culture : the missing SDG
Publication (available in English, French, Spanish)
Dedicated web page

Education at a Glance 2025 – OECD Indicators :
Dedicated web page – Publication
Webinar recording “Insights from Education at a Glance 2025” (9 September 2025)

Global Launch: The world’s largest teaching survey TALIS :
Webinar recording (7 October 2025) – Just the results – Dedicated web page

Results from TALIS: A conversation with Andreas Schleicher and Wendy Kopp :
Webinar recording (7 October 2025) – Slides

An inclusive AI: Supporting students with special education needs :
Webinar recording (7 November 2025) – Slides

Rethinking digital tools in the classroom :
Webinar recording (14 November 2025) – Slides

The impact of digital technologies on students’ learning – Results from a literature review :
Working paper

Mercator Network Newsletter
Issue 217 (October 2025)
Issue 216 (September 2025)

Most recent Regional Dossiers
Gaelic in education in Scotland
Lemko-Rusyn in education in Poland
German in education in Romania
All Regional Dossiers

Mercator website