With the "European Year of Citizenship through Education 2005", the Council of Europe has strongly emphasized the massive need for civic education as well as for education on human rights and on democracy in many countries. The European Year stands in line with the Council's previous activities within the project "EDC - Education for Democratic Citizenship". The "European Year of Citizenship through Education 2005" again highlights the tremendous importance of civic or citizenship education.
The conference was a contribution to the "European Year of Citizenship through Education", because it took up new impulses that arose from the European Year. This involved disseminating results achieved so far and discussing a practical and contemporary insight into the conditions of civic education in Europe. The event did not only contribute to providing a balance for the European Year, but also identified important challenges for the future of European citizenship education.
Moreover, the current discourse on the legitimation and credibility crisis of the European Union was taken up, as well as an exchange of discussion on issues concerning European identity and citizenship with representatives of the Council of Europe, the European Commission and with representatives out of the civil society from education, culture, economy and the media.
