Statistics in Focus: Population and social conditions. Public Expenditure on Education in the EU in 1999. 2003.22

Abstract

In knowledge societies, investment in education and training is an important priority. Acquiring and continuously updating and upgrading a high level of knowledge, skills and competencies is a prerequisite to keep human capital at a high level. This has been underlined also by the Lisbon European Council which has set in March 2000 the strategic goal for Europe to become by 2010 "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion".