This study on cross-curricular key competences in the school curriculum and in teacher education in the 27 Member States was commissioned by the Directorate-General for Education and Culture of the European Commission. The study was undertaken by a consortium composed of the project leader CASE (Center for Social and Economic Research, Poland), working in partnership with: QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, United Kingdom), EIESP (European Institute for Education and Social Policy, France), the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain) and two Hungarian experts from Eötvös Loránd University and Pannonia University. 

The aim of the study is to provide a comparative overview of policy and practice concerning the development and implementation of key competences in the education systems of the 27 Member States of the European Union. In particular, the study assesses the implementation of the 8 key competences contained in the European Reference Framework of Key Competences in primary and secondary schools across the EU as well as the extent to which initial and in-service education and training of teachers equips them with the skills and competences necessary to deliver key competences effectively.

The European Reference Framework of Key Competences was defined in the
Recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning1 adopted by the
Council and the European Parliament in December 2006 as a result of five years of
work by experts and government representation collaborating within the Open
Method of Coordination. The Recommendation defines 8 key competences:

• Communication in the mother tongue;
• Communication in foreign languages;
• Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology;
• Digital competence;
• Learning to learn;
• Social and civic competences;
• Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship; and
• Cultural awareness and expression.