Kolesnyk V. Legal basis of the EU Policy on Education

The thesis presents a research of genesis, doctrinal foundations, legal nature and specific legal characteristics of EU education policy. This scientific work highlights the evolution of legal regulation of education with pointing out the main stages of its formation, identifies the boundaries of its legal regulation and current trends in the development of education within the EU. The dynamic development of EU policy on education, which started its own formation from the creation of the first Communities, continues to develop in response to changes in society and, without being the basis for the formation of the Union, now becomes the core for economic stability are as well studied within this thesis. Despite the importance of educational policy for the future development of the Union, the EU’s founding treaties continue to maintain the refusal position of unifying the educational policies of member states – under EU law, the organization and content of education is their own prerogative. Accordingly to this the author considers the structure and legal powers of the institutions which are carrying the functions of formation and exercising the EU educational policy, identifies the sources of legal regulation of educational policy of the EU and the main methods of EU legal influence on the educational policies of the member states. The peculiarities of implementation and legal regulation of the EU’s external competence in the field of education are also studied. It is stated that this competence includes an international legal cooperation in solving common educational problems, and collaboration with international organizations, both global and regional, and states. At the same time, cooperation with European countries is the most eveloped, including Ukraine, which contributes to the formation of the European Education Area, which will include all previously initiated integration processes.