Expenditure on Education in the Countries of the European Union in the Light of the Europe 2020 Strategy

The paper looks at education policy in the European Union (EU) in the light of the Europe 2020 strategy. The research concerned in particular the scope of EU education policy, its objectives and methods used to measure whether strategy goals are being achieved. The paper examines the following hypothesis: the level of expenditure on education is essential for achievement of EU policy objectives by the Member States of the European Union. To test this hypothesis, EU education policy objectives are described and the methods used in implementing them are presented. This is followed by an analysis of the level of public spending on education in the selected EU countries along with the degree to which European benchmarks have been achieved by individual countries. Statistical methods are used to analyze the correlation between the data. The study found that the variation in the level of spending on education is reflected in the degree to which the individual EU countries have achieved the benchmarks. In addition, the results of research support the conclusion that the degree to which the objectives have been achieved is also determined by objective factors. These include the structure of the education system, management methods, constitutional frames, and by political factors under state policy (reforms implemented, amendments to legal provisions). In conclusion, the progress individual countries have made in achieving EU education policy objectives has been positive.