Urban areas and regional centres are considered as conveyors of the regions' knowledge and skills excellence, promoters of competitiveness, development drivers and growth engines for the entire region in which the urban centre is located.

I must also thank you, on behalf of the Commission, for your report’s backing for most of the guidelines contained in the Commission’s communication on migration and development, including the transfer of migrants, the role of migrant populations as factors in the development of countries of origin and the promotion of circular migration and other forms of ‘circulation’ of brains.

Furthermore, Parliament’s intervention has meant greater attention being paid to the urban dimension – a topic that Mr Beaupuy, myself and so many others among us hold dear – and has emphasised the way in which a sound programme of investment and management of the funds intended for cities can drive the economic and socio-cultural revival of the suburbs and surrounding rural areas, which are the real agents of sustainable and lasting development in the regions.

Developing digital competence effectively and age-appropriately in ECEC and primary education has important implications in terms of pedagogical approaches, assessment, pedagogical resources and learning environments, as well as in terms of helping to reduce the digital gap.

actions in this area will support and further develop networking in schools, to make it possible for all schools in Europe to build pedagogical partnerships with schools elsewhere in Europe, to promote innovative cooperation methods and transfer quality educational approaches and reinforce language learning and intercultural dialogue; actions in this area will also address the updating of teachers' and trainers' professional skills in the pedagogical and collaborative use of ICT through an exchange and dissemination of good practices and the setting up of transnational and multidisciplinary cooperation projects.

studies and research: work of an educational nature involving the design, development and dissemination of teaching materials, or other documents such as databases and directories.