The European Commission has launched a European Literacy Coalition to bring together education and cultural organisations to strengthen reading and writing skills across the EU.
The new Coalition will include schools, education and training providers, libraries and cultural organisations, as well as associations representing teachers, parents and learners, and public authorities, the Commission informed on Wednesday.
It will focus on sharing expertise and boosting cooperation on areas including early childhood learning and the training of literacy professionals.
New figures show 31.3% of 15-year-olds in the EU struggle to understand basic text, based on OECD PISA 2025 results cited by the Commission.
PISA is an international assessment of 15-year-olds’ skills run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu said the results meant efforts on reading needed to be stepped up and that “every young person in Europe” should develop literacy skills to “learn, participate fully in society and succeed in life.”
Warsaw Memorandum sets out first steps
The Coalition’s founding document — the Warsaw Memorandum — sets out a shared understanding of literacy, identifies barriers affecting literacy across different stages of life, and outlines initial steps for the Coalition’s longer-term work.
The Commission said the Coalition will complement existing initiatives and networks including EU Read and ELINET.
