The historical, political, economic and social background of adult education in its development inside educational policy of European Union is analyzed. The difference between meaning of the terms "formal adult education", "informal adult education" and "non-formal adult education" has been pointed out. The major difference between the other terms according to the topic has been revealed. The thesis deals with the problem of adult education in the educational policy of the European Union; essence and basic notions of research; analysis of conditions and trends of adult education in the educational policy of the European Union; a reasonable period of adult education in the educational policy of the European Union. It outlines the form of common approaches to choosing ways of adult education as a phenomenon of the educational policy of the European Union (1957-1975); analyses the effects of the development of the European Union in the field of adult education according to the Action Programme (1976-1996); tracks changes in the policies of the European Union as a response to the challenges of globalization (1997-2014); generalizes priority trends of modern adult education in the European Union; analyses the main directions of development of adult education and its legal support; outlines promising areas of educational experience of the European Union in the field of adult education in Ukraine. It is emphasized the importance of a special treatment towards adult students and special way of training teachers and tutors of adults, because adult learning is a vital component of the European Commission's lifelong learning policy. It is essential to competitiveness and employability, social inclusion, active citizenship, and personal development across Europe. The challenge is to provide learning opportunities for all, especially disadvantaged groups who need them most. It comprises formal, non-formal, and informal learning for improving basic skills, obtaining new qualifications, up-skilling, or re-skilling for employment. The demand for adult learning is increasing and the Commission is committed to helping all EU countries create adult learning systems characterised by flexibility, high quality, excellent teaching, and an enhanced role for local authorities, employers, social partners, civil society, and cultural organisations. The historical periods we pointed out identified the following priority trends of adult education in the educational policy of the European Union: democratization, integration, humanization, harmonization of adult education; ensure continuity of education (lifelong education); guarantee the availability of adult education for different groups in adulthood; unification of various educational components of the system of adult education; modernization of the content of adult education; computerization and informatization of adult education; accessories adult education system to the modern requirements of globalization European social mobility and exchange of experts, competitiveness and compliance with the requirements of the labor market; strengthening links between production system of adult education, research and society as a whole; development of entrepreneurial spirit as motivation foir adult education; intensification of learning foreign languages; strengthen European cooperation among students and between specialists-andragogues; orientation process to development of civic society, improving the quality of life, interactive design and wide exchange of information is also the factor of influence on the development of adult education; global orientation of the whole society in adult education as full and crucial part of lifelong learning. Priority trends of adult education in the educational policy of the European Union, we singled out the following six: 1) humanizing and improving the quality of adult education; 2) the availability and continuity of adult education; 3) computerization and information in adult education; 4) the evolution of scientific ideas and inventions as motivation, basis of modern adult education; 5) globalization, ethnic and transnational processes in adult education; 6) ensure that the education of citizens with the requirements of the labor market and successful studets' and teachers'mobility in the process of adult education.
