The story of EUROPEA dates back to 1988 when the first interchanges started between French and Dutch Green VET Schools. Following the milestone events in Vire (FR), Erstein (FR), Edinburgh (UK) and Ettelbruck (LU) The EUROPEA Statues got published in Moniteur Belge on 28th Sept 1993. EUROPEA was official, alive and ready for the challenges of a brand-new era.
The first fifteen years went by very quickly. EUROPEA got new members, grew bigger and stronger, and became a significant factor within the European cooperation of Green VET institutions.
During those years EUROPEA started and realized several EU subsidized projects. This way it became easier to deal with the finances. PETRA was one of the first common projects. CARREFOUR was carried on smoothly. ARION seminars opened in 1994 and took EUROPEA back to France again. Then, in 1995 the second stage of the same programme was completed in the Netherlands. PPP project ran from 1997 to 2000 and FANCAM from 2004 to 2007. In 2005 ALIE got on her way and was immediately followed by the ALIVE project (2008–2010).
Meanwhile, as a result of a longer process, the first Charter of EUROPEA was finished, accepted and signed in Somerset, England on 20th February 1999. At that moment EUROPEA boasted with 15 member-states and some 600 schools as part of the network.
Also, in 2000 some changes were introduced to the governing body of EUROPEA. In Borgo/Corsica (FR) a working group involving Claes-Goran Claesson (SE), Sukey Elstob (UK), Madelon de Beus (NL), Georges Krack (LU), Elisabeth Hönigsberger (AT) and Marie-Christine Thomas (FR) prepared a proposal for establishing a post of the Executive Secretary of EUROPEA (today Secretary General). It was consented at the General Assembly on 25th October 2000, and Georges Demeester (BE) became the first to take up the new position.
EUROPEA Meetings and Seminars (1993 – 2008)
1993: Ettelbruck (LU) – Tune (DK) – Zaragoza (ES)
1994: Lisbon (PT) – Futterkamp (DE)
1995: Bordeaux (FR)
1996: Remedello (IT) – Galway (IE)
1997: Maastricht (NL)
1998: Ettelbruck (LU) – Krems (AT)
1999: Kiel (DE) – Vuokatti (FI)
2000: Serpa (PT) – Borgo/Corsica (FR)
2001: Varnamo (SE) – Bruxelles (BE)
2002: Reus/Barcelona (ES) – Odense (DK)
2003: Thessaloniki (EL) – Corzano/Brescia (IT)
2004: Luua (EE) – Vught/’s-Hertogenbosch (NL)
2005: Ettelbruck (LU) – Bristol (UK)
2006: Maria Taferl (AT) – Tampere (FI)
2007: Sankelmark (DE) – Peso da Régua (PT)
2008: Poznan (PL) – St-Herblain/Nantes (FR)
Salute the founders and long live EUROPEA !
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to Madelon (NL), Elisabeth (AT), Katrin (EE), Henrik (DK) and Emile (BE) 😊
