The EU Framework Behind Our Courses
Plain-language explanations of every EU policy, framework and priority referenced across the Sude Nexus course catalogue.
Every Sude Nexus course is built around the most current European policy frameworks, competence frameworks and strategic priorities. When you see a tag like DigComp 3.0, GreenComp or Erasmus+ 2026 on a course page, it is not decoration. It means the course has been specifically designed to help you develop the competences those frameworks describe and to meet the priorities those policies define.
This page gives you a plain-language explanation of every framework, priority and policy initiative referenced across our 52 courses. Each entry includes what it is, why it matters for your professional development and a link to the official source.
Erasmus+ 2026 Horizontal Priorities
The Erasmus+ 2026 Programme Guide identifies four horizontal priorities that run across every sector and every action of the programme. When a course is tagged with one of these priorities it means the course content directly addresses that priority and participants will be able to demonstrate in their Erasmus+ reporting how the mobility activity contributes to it.
Inclusion and Diversity
Erasmus+ 2026 Horizontal Priority 1
This priority reflects the EU's commitment to making Erasmus+ accessible to all, including people with disabilities, those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, those with fewer opportunities due to geographic remoteness, migrants and refugees, and others who face barriers to participation in mobility programmes. It also encompasses the broader goal of developing inclusive educational cultures, practices and attitudes.
Why it matters for your professional development: A course tagged with this priority develops your capacity to create genuinely inclusive learning environments, support learners with diverse needs and contribute to your institution's inclusion strategy. In your Erasmus+ reporting you will be able to show how the activity contributes to your institution's inclusion commitments.
Official Erasmus+ Programme Guide ↗
Digital Transformation
Erasmus+ 2026 Horizontal Priority 2
This priority reflects the EU's commitment to supporting education and training systems in navigating the digital transformation of society. It encompasses the development of digital competences in learners and educators, the use of digital tools and methods in education and training, and the development of institutional capacity for digital innovation.
Why it matters for your professional development: A course tagged with this priority develops your digital competences as an educator, your ability to teach in digital or blended environments, or your capacity to lead digital transformation in your institution.
Official Erasmus+ Programme Guide ↗
Environment and Fight Against Climate Change
Erasmus+ 2026 Horizontal Priority 3
This priority reflects the EU's commitment to embedding sustainability and environmental awareness into education and training. Erasmus+ 2026 asks that mobility activities contribute to developing the green competences and sustainability mindset that Europe's education systems need to support the green transition. It connects directly to the EU Green Deal and the GreenComp sustainability competence framework.
Why it matters for your professional development: A course tagged with this priority develops your capacity to teach, facilitate or design learning that addresses sustainability and the environment. You will be able to demonstrate how the activity contributes to your institution's sustainability strategy and the EU Green Deal education agenda.
Official Erasmus+ Programme Guide ↗
Participation in Democratic Life
Erasmus+ 2026 Horizontal Priority 4
This priority reflects the EU's concern with the health of democracy, civic participation and active citizenship across Europe. Erasmus+ 2026 asks that mobility activities contribute to developing the values, knowledge and skills that enable people to participate fully and critically in democratic societies.
Why it matters for your professional development: A course tagged with this priority develops your capacity to teach, facilitate or model democratic values, human rights, media literacy, critical thinking and active citizenship. You will be able to show how the activity contributes to your institution's civic education goals.
Official Erasmus+ Programme Guide ↗
EU Competence Frameworks
The European Commission has developed a family of competence frameworks that map the skills, knowledge and attitudes that citizens, educators and organisations need in the twenty-first century. When a Sude Nexus course references one of these frameworks it means the course content has been designed to develop specific competences from that framework.
DigComp 3.0
European Digital Competence Framework for Citizens, Version 3.0 (November 2025)
DigComp 3.0 is the EU's most comprehensive framework for digital competence as a citizen. It covers five areas: Information and Data Literacy, Communication and Collaboration, Digital Content Creation, Safety (including wellbeing, privacy, cybersecurity and rights), and Problem Solving. The 2025 version significantly strengthens its coverage of AI literacy, protection against manipulation and online safety.
Why it matters: DigComp 3.0 gives you a structured, EU-validated language for describing and assessing your own digital competence and that of your students, directly relevant to Erasmus+ reporting and career development.
Official DigComp 3.0 page ↗
DigCompEdu
European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators
DigCompEdu is the EU's framework specifically for educators. Where DigComp 3.0 describes digital competence for everyone, DigCompEdu describes the specific digital competences that teachers, trainers and education professionals need. It covers six areas: Professional Engagement, Digital Resources, Teaching and Learning, Assessment, Empowering Learners, and Facilitating Learners' Digital Competence.
Why it matters: DigCompEdu gives you a precise, EU-validated self-assessment tool for your professional digital practice. Many national education systems now use it for teacher appraisal and professional development planning.
Official DigCompEdu page ↗
LifeComp
European Framework for Personal, Social and Learning to Learn Key Competence
LifeComp maps nine competences across three areas: the Personal area (Wellbeing, Self-regulation, Growth mindset), the Social area (Empathy, Communication, Collaboration, Respect for others), and the Learning to Learn area (Critical thinking, Metacognition, Learning agility). It is directly relevant to courses on wellbeing, social-emotional learning, facilitation, citizenship and personal professional development.
Why it matters: LifeComp gives you a framework for developing and describing the interpersonal and intrapersonal skills that underpin effective teaching, facilitation and community work.
Official LifeComp page ↗
EntreComp
European Entrepreneurship Competence Framework
EntreComp maps fifteen competences across three areas: Ideas and Opportunities (creativity, vision, spotting opportunities), Resources (self-awareness, financial literacy, mobilising others), and Into Action (taking initiative, planning and management, working with others). It applies to entrepreneurship in the broadest sense: any situation where someone creates value by acting on ideas, not only starting a business.
Why it matters: EntreComp gives you a structured framework for developing and teaching entrepreneurial thinking, initiative and problem-solving across every subject area and vocational sector.
Official EntreComp page ↗
GreenComp
European Sustainability Competence Framework
GreenComp maps twelve sustainability competences across four areas: Embodying Sustainability Values, Embracing Complexity in Sustainability, Envisioning Sustainable Futures, and Acting for Sustainability (including individual initiative, collective action and political agency). It was developed to support educators and learners in developing a genuine sustainability mindset, not just knowledge about environmental issues.
Why it matters: GreenComp gives you a structured, EU-validated framework for developing sustainability competences that go beyond environmental information-sharing to genuine values, critical thinking and action-orientation.
Official GreenComp page ↗
DigCompOrg
European Framework for Digitally Competent Organisations
DigCompOrg is the EU's framework for what it means for an education organisation to be digitally competent at the institutional level. It covers seven elements: Leadership and Governance Practices, Teaching and Learning Practices, Professional Development, Assessment Practices, Content and Curricula, Collaboration and Networking, and Infrastructure. It is used by school leaders and education managers to assess and plan digital transformation at the whole-organisation level.
Why it matters: DigCompOrg helps school and VET leaders plan digital transformation strategically, connecting individual professional development to organisation-wide change.
Official DigCompOrg page ↗
Council of Europe CDC Framework
Competences for Democratic Culture
The CDC framework maps the values, attitudes, skills and knowledge that people need to participate effectively in democratic societies and live together peacefully in culturally diverse communities. It covers four wings: Values (human dignity, cultural diversity, democracy, justice), Attitudes (openness, respect, civic-mindedness, responsibility), Skills (analytical thinking, communication, cooperation, empathy, media literacy) and Knowledge and Critical Understanding.
Why it matters: The CDC framework gives citizenship educators, adult learning facilitators and social workers a comprehensive, evidence-based map of the competences democratic participation requires.
Official CDC Framework page ↗
EU Policy Initiatives and Strategies
These are the major EU policy initiatives, strategies and action plans that shape education and training across Europe. When a course references one of these it means the course content connects to the specific goals, priorities or obligations that initiative creates for education professionals.
European Education Area 2021 to 2030
The European Education Area is the EU's strategic framework for education from 2021 to 2030. Its six dimensions are: quality and equity, inclusion and gender equality, green and digital transitions, teachers and trainers, higher education, and the geopolitical dimension. It sets targets for participation in early childhood education, reduction of early school leaving, and the proportion of graduates in digital fields. It is the overarching framework within which Erasmus+ operates.
Why it matters: Every Erasmus+ mobility activity contributes to the European Education Area. Understanding its goals helps you position your professional development and your institution's work within the broader EU education strategy.
European Education Area ↗
Digital Education Action Plan 2021 to 2027
The Digital Education Action Plan sets out the EU's strategy for digital education through 2027. It has two strategic priorities: fostering the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem, and enhancing digital skills and competences for the digital transformation. It connects directly to DigComp 3.0 and DigCompEdu, and to the Erasmus+ Digital Transformation priority.
Why it matters: Courses aligned with the Digital Education Action Plan help you contribute to your country's national digital education strategy and demonstrate this contribution in Erasmus+ reporting.
Digital Education Action Plan ↗
Union of Skills 2025
Launched by the European Commission in March 2025, the Union of Skills is the EU's most comprehensive skills strategy to date. It identifies the skills priorities for Europe's twin digital and green transitions, including the need to upskill 60 million workers, strengthen adult learning pathways, reform VET for the green economy and develop entrepreneurial competences across all education sectors. It directly shapes the Erasmus+ 2026 priorities and the content of the Herning Declaration.
Why it matters: The Union of Skills defines what skills European employers need and what EU funding prioritises. Courses aligned with it help you develop the specific competences that are most strategically valuable in the current EU education landscape.
Union of Skills ↗
European Green Deal
The European Green Deal is the EU's strategy to become climate neutral by 2050. It commits Europe to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. For education, it creates specific requirements: schools and training institutions are expected to develop sustainability competences in learners, integrate environmental education across subjects, and model sustainable practice in their own operations.
Why it matters: Courses aligned with the European Green Deal help you position your school or training organisation as an active contributor to Europe's climate goals, which is increasingly valued in Erasmus+ quality assessments.
European Green Deal ↗
EU Democracy Action Plan
Published in December 2020, the EU Democracy Action Plan sets out measures to build resilient democracies across the EU. For education, the most relevant components are its emphasis on media literacy, protection against disinformation, civic education and the role of civil society and non-formal education in democratic renewal. It connects directly to the Erasmus+ Participation in Democratic Life priority.
Why it matters: Courses aligned with the Democracy Action Plan help you position your citizenship education, media literacy and adult civic learning work within the EU's most current democratic resilience agenda.
EU Democracy Action Plan ↗
Barcelona Targets 2030
The Barcelona Targets commit EU member states to ensuring that at least 96% of children between age 3 and school age are in early childhood education and care, and that at least 50% of children under 3 are in formal childcare. The targets are part of the broader EU commitment to investing in early childhood as the foundation of lifelong learning and as a key tool for reducing educational inequality.
Why it matters: Courses aligned with the Barcelona Targets help early childhood educators position their professional development within the EU's most urgent early childhood policy commitments.
EU Early Childhood Education and Care ↗
EU Mental Health Strategy 2023
Published in June 2023, the EU's first comprehensive mental health strategy sets out a vision for better mental health across the EU. For education professionals, the most relevant elements are its recognition of educator wellbeing as a systemic priority, its emphasis on mental health in school environments, and its call for mental health literacy across all education sectors.
Why it matters: Courses aligned with the EU Mental Health Strategy help you position teacher wellbeing, social-emotional learning and trauma-informed practice work within a recognised EU policy framework.
EU Mental Health Strategy ↗
VET Policy Framework
These are the specific policy frameworks and declarations that govern vocational education and training in Europe.
Herning Declaration on VET 2026 to 2030
Endorsed September 2025. Replaces the Osnabrück Declaration as the primary VET policy framework from 2026.
The Herning Declaration was endorsed by EU member states in September 2025 and sets the strategic direction for European VET from 2026 to 2030. It identifies five priorities: digital transformation (with specific emphasis on AI in VET), green skills and the sustainable economy, inclusion and diversity in VET settings, entrepreneurship and innovation as drivers of VET excellence, and strengthened VET-employer partnerships for work-based learning quality. It replaces the Osnabrück Declaration as the primary policy reference for VET Erasmus+ activities from 2026.
Why it matters: Every VET Erasmus+ mobility activity from 2026 should be positioned against the Herning Declaration priorities. Understanding it is essential for VET coordinators writing Erasmus+ applications and reports from 2026 onwards.
Herning Declaration reference ↗
ECVET Framework
European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training
ECVET provides a framework for expressing, transferring and recognising learning outcomes achieved in different contexts, including during Erasmus+ VET mobility. It allows learning achieved during a placement in another country to be formally recognised as counting towards a VET qualification at home. It is directly relevant to the design of individual learning programmes for VET learners on Erasmus+ mobility.
Why it matters: ECVET is the technical framework that makes work-based learning recognition across borders possible. Understanding it is essential for VET coordinators managing Erasmus+ learner mobility.
ECVET Framework ↗
Erasmus Quality Standards for VET Mobility
The Erasmus Quality Standards for VET set minimum requirements for the preparation, implementation and follow-up of Erasmus+ VET learner and staff mobility. They cover individual learning programme design, linguistic and cultural preparation, monitoring and support during mobility, recognition and validation of learning achieved, and dissemination of outcomes. All Sude Nexus VET placements are designed in accordance with these standards.
Why it matters: Compliance with the Erasmus Quality Standards is a condition of Erasmus+ VET funding. Understanding them in detail is essential for VET coordinators responsible for managing mobility projects.
Erasmus+ Quality Standards ↗
European Agenda for Adult Learning 2021 to 2030
The European Agenda for Adult Learning sets the strategic framework for adult learning across the EU through 2030. Its five priorities are: governance and quality, supply and flexibility, outreach and access, equity and inclusion, and data and evidence. It calls for at least 60% of adults to participate in training or education every year by 2030, and emphasises the role of adult education in supporting social inclusion, active citizenship and the green and digital transitions.
Why it matters: Every Erasmus+ ADU mobility activity should be positioned against the European Agenda for Adult Learning. Understanding it helps adult education professionals make a stronger case for the impact of their Erasmus+ work.
European Agenda for Adult Learning ↗
EU Key Competences for Lifelong Learning
The EU Council Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning (2018) identifies eight competences that all people need for personal fulfilment, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment. The EU competence frameworks above are built on this foundation. When a course references a specific Key Competence it means the course directly develops that competence.
Competence 1: Literacy
The ability to identify, understand, express, create and interpret concepts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form, in a variety of contexts. Directly relevant to courses on language teaching, communication and media literacy.
Competence 2: Multilingual
The ability to use different languages appropriately and effectively for communication. Directly relevant to courses on CLIL, language teaching, multilingual classrooms and the professional use of English.
Competence 3: Mathematical, Science, Engineering and Technology
The ability to develop and apply mathematical thinking and the knowledge of the natural world and technology. Directly relevant to STEM and STEAM education, robotics and coding, and neuroeducation.
Competence 4: Digital
The confident, critical and responsible use of and engagement with digital technologies for learning, at work and for participation in society. The Key Competence most directly addressed by DigComp 3.0.
Competence 5: Personal, Social and Learning to Learn
The ability to reflect upon oneself, manage time and information, work with others, stay resilient and manage one's own learning and career. The Key Competence most directly addressed by the LifeComp framework.
Competence 6: Citizenship
The ability to act as responsible citizens and to fully participate in civic and social life, based on understanding of social, economic, legal and political concepts. Directly relevant to courses on citizenship education, democratic values and active participation.
Competence 7: Entrepreneurship
The capacity to act upon opportunities and ideas and to transform them into value for others. The Key Competence most directly addressed by the EntreComp framework.
Competence 8: Cultural Awareness and Expression
Understanding and respect for how ideas and meaning are creatively expressed and communicated in different cultures. Directly relevant to courses on creative drama, cultural heritage, global citizenship and arts-based approaches.
Browse Our Courses
Every course in our catalogue is built around the frameworks above.
Browse the Course Catalogue