Since the treaties of Maastricht and Amsterdam included education and training as part of action at Community level, lifelong learning has been a key element of the education and training policy in Europe. The concept of lifelong learning (LLL) is not simply a summing up of traditional education programmes and modern learning opportunities. While traditional educational institutions have been (and still are) primarily concerned with transmitting knowledge, modern learning opportunities and the LLL approach emphasize the development of individual capabilities and each person’s capacity to learn.

© European Union, 2016