Making EU funding work for digital inclusion

As Europe prepares for its next long-term budget, digital inclusion is becoming essential for both competitiveness and cohesion. Yet 44% of Europeans remain digitally excluded, revealing the urgent need for EU funding to translate ambition into real learning opportunities.

This high-level debate will bring together policymakers, learning providers – including digital competence centres – and other stakeholders from the digital learning ecosystem to discuss how EU funding can better support digital skills, inclusion, and lifelong learning.

Discussion topics include:

• How EU programmes (Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, the Competitiveness Fund, and national plans) can work together to unlock Europe’s digital potential.
• The role of the new Erasmus+ proposal in reflecting competence centre priorities.
• Future priorities for funding: micro-credentials, competence frameworks, certification profiles, and the Pact for Skills.