The Final Declaration of the Budapest Conference on Talent Support held in 2011 under the Hungarian EU Presidency programme called the attention of EU decision-makers to the possibility of an EU declaration on talent support.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have initiated to issue an EU declaration on talent support. If the declaration wins the support of more than half of MEPs by 19 February 2013, the document as one expressing the standpoint of the European Parliament will provide a legal basis for the closer integration of talent support into the EU decision-making system.
The Final Declaration drafted by the representatives of 24 countries at the
International Conference on Talent Support in Budapest held as part of the Hungarian EU Presidency stresses that talent support is the common issue of the European Union. As a follow-up of the Final Declaration, a draft EU proposal was composed with the contribution of the talent and educational policy experts of several EU countries and MEPs. Several MEPs considered it timely to put the topic of talent support, of relevance for the competitiveness and economic stability of the EU and last treated by the European Parliament (EP) in 1994, on the EP agenda again. Pursuant to the EP Rules of Procedure, this may be done, inter alia, by issuing a written declaration of maximum 200 words. This has been initiated by Hungarian MEP,
Dr. Kinga Gál with the support of other Hungarian MEPs. The Written Declaration has to be signed by at least four MEPs to be submitted and by half of MEPs (min. 374 members) within three months starting from the submission to be adopted. The
Written Declaration on talent support will be submitted on
19th November 2012, and its lapse date will be 19th February 2013. The other 3 proposing MEPs of the Written Declaration were
Mojca Kleva (Slovenia),
Barbara Lochbihler (Germany) and
Hannu Takkula (Finland).
The Written Declaration refers to the marked emphasis of the Europe 2020 strategy on talents as depositories of creativity and innovation, without whom it is inconceivable to preserve the competitiveness of the European Union. It stresses that the European Parliament is deeply concerned that Europe faces an increasing shortage of, and a growing need for, discovered talents. It notes that talent support enhances the self-esteem, employability, social mobility and cohesion of EU citizens, and it is an important ingredient of programmes for the underprivileged social groups.
Based on the above, the document expresses certain recommendations to the Member States. It calls on them to consider measures helping the various forms of talent support suitable to be integrated in the educational system or pointing beyond the curriculum, including in-service teacher training. It calls on the Commission to give talent support priority in the context of the development of the European strategies and in particular of strategic planning concerning the European Research Area and the European Social Fund, respectively. It calls on the Member States and the Commission to support the development of a prospective Europe-wide talent support network of Talent Points and European Talent Centres facilitating the unfolding of European talents through closer co-operation and the sharing of best practices. It calls on the Member States and the Commission to celebrate the European Day of the Talented and the Gifted. Finally, it instructs the President of the Commission to forward the Written Declaration, together with the list of names of the signatories to the Council, the Commission and the Governments of the Member States.
For the text of the Written Declaration, please click here. (pdf)
