The Legal Impact of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on Education in the European Union

Abstract

Education remains a national competence of Member States (in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity), where the European Union can exert influence through the Open Method of Coordination. The influence of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is direct, shaping both European legislation and the domestic laws of Member States. Through the European Semester, the EU utilizes PISA (OECD) data to formulate Country-Specific Recommendations. An unfulfilled recommendation can affect access to certain structural funds, thereby transforming a technical suggestion into legal-financial pressure. OECD studies (such as TALIS) place pressure on Member States to amend education laws to include: legal standards for digital competences, mandatory digital certifications for teaching staff, and data protection in education.