Emma McClarkin MEP defends UK over EU education targets

East Midlands Conservative MEP Emma McClarkin has today attacked efforts by the European Commission to set EU-wide education targets, after Britain refused to co-operate with the EU on the matter

The meeting of European education ministers this week discussed efforts to bring national targets on early school leavers and higher education into line with European ambitions.

However the British delegation went into the meeting determined to refuse demands to bring national targets into line with the EU, and argued that they were under no legal obligation to do so.

Emma McClarkin – who is a member of the EU Culture and Education Committee – agreed with the British delegation that the setting of educational targets remains the competence of the Member State.

Speaking about the issue, the East Midlands MEP said, “This is yet another example of Brussels trying to slowly exert influence over national issues, and really shows off the federalist tendencies of the Commission.

“The commissioner is attacking the UK for not agreeing to these targets, yet there is a clear and specific note in the annex, which refers to ‘the competence of member states to define and implement quantitative targets in the field of education’. This clearly sets out that the setting of education targets remains the right of member states, and I applaud the British delegation for fighting to retain that right.”