Head of the delegation Niyazi KIZILYÜREK (The Left, Cyprus) said upon the conclusion of the mission: “In many of our conversations, it became clear that Brexit has had a fundamental and negative impact on the education, culture, and youth sectors in Scotland.
We hope that one day, the UK government will revise its unilateral decision and rejoin EU programs such as Erasmus+, Creative Europe, and the European Solidarity Corps.
In the meantime, we will continue to look for practical solutions to mitigate the loss of opportunities for students, teachers, artists, creative workers, and young people.
The delegation’s findings will also feed into the committee’s ongoing work on drafting an opinion on the implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.”
The 6-MEP-strong delegation met Scottish educational institutions and representatives of students, cultural organizations, and organizers of festivals focusing on cultural policy and touring artists, such as the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe Festival, as well as with youth policy and volunteer organizations.
Members also visited the Scottish Parliament where they met their counterparts in the Committee for Education, Children and Young People and the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee.
Finally, they met Scottish Cabinet Secretary for External Affairs, Mr Angus Robertson, and Minister for Culture and Europe, Ms Christina McKelvie, as well as Director of the UK Government Scotland Office Ms Lyn McDonald.
The delegation also included: Hannes HEIDE (S&D, Austria),
Diana RIBA I GINER (Greens/EFA, Spain), Maria WALSH (EPP, Ireland),
Iuliu WINKLER (EPP, Romania),
Morten LØKKEGAARD (Renew, Denmark)
