Mrs Vassiliou's official visit to Italy – Festival d'Europa

Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure to be here with you today in the beautiful city of Florence. As European Commissioner responsible for Education and Culture, I'm delighted to have such a wonderful setting to present Youth on the Move to you.
Youth on the Move – which I launched in autumn last year – is one of the European Union' seven flagship initiatives for economic recovery. We want to achieve economic growth that is smart, sustainable and inclusive.
Youth on the Move is a strategy for young people. This means that it is also a strategy for education and training as well as employment. It recognises the challenges young people face today. It reflects the reality that our futures depend on the knowledge and skills we have acquired – particularly when young. And it proposes actions to help young people enter the world of work.
Youth on the Move provides a framework for a wide range of activities and measures at European level. They are designed to improve education and training, from schools to universities, and to improve the conditions for those just starting a career.
But as its name suggests, Youth on the Move is also about mobility. We live in one Europe and in a world where we are increasingly dependent on one another. Never before have peoples and cultures interacted so frequently and so intensively as now. This means that the ability to understand other cultures, the ability to speak foreign languages, the ability to communicate in general have never been so important.
To study, volunteer or work in another country is a superb way to develop just these types of skills. What is more, the thousands who have taken part in existing European mobility schemes over the years will tell you that there are other benefits too. Spending time in another country teaches you how to adapt to new environments. You learn to approach situations from a different perspective. And if you are mobile as a student, you are more likely to be mobile as a worker and move to the country where the labour market is in need of your skills. This means a more flexible and efficient European labour market and a more competitive economy in the world.
It is for these reasons that the European Commission runs mobility programmes such as Erasmus for higher education; Leonardo da Vinci for vocational education and training;  Comenius for schools; and Youth in Action for volunteers and youth groups. Time has shown not only that these programmes are popular, but that they bring real benefits for the individuals and organisations that take part.
Italians, I should say, are among the most active and numerous participants in European mobility programmes. Which is why I need not lecture you about the subject – there are many here today [and in the coming days] who can tell you from their first-hand experiences what they gained from a learning period abroad.
What I will say is that I – like the European Commission as a whole – am utterly convinced of the importance of mobility in improving the quality and relevance of education and training in Europe. This is true for schools, colleges, universities and for the youth organisations and voluntary activities that promote valuable informal learning.
This is why in Brussels I am arguing for stronger European support for education and training in general and for mobility in particular.
It is also why I am delighted to participate in events such as this that help to spread the word about the value of a learning period abroad.
I wish you all an enjoyable day and a successful event – and thank you for your attention!