Agency Identity

The Agency was established in 1996. Its formation should be seen within the context of the increasing collaboration that had evolved between the various European countries in the area of special needs education. This collaboration was of great value and led, amongst other things, to the implementation of a number of specific programmes for learners with special educational needs as well as for the professionals involved in their education. These programmes contributed considerably to the development of special needs education across Europe. They also demonstrated, however, that there was a continuing need for a more permanent and systematic structure for pan-European collaboration in this field, facilitating extended exchange of information and experience among and within countries with a view to promoting quality of provision.

It is within this context that the Agency evolved. We aim to facilitate effective transfer of accurate and reliable information that can be related to individual countries’ national contexts and enable the identification of strengths and weaknesses of policy and the way in which it is implemented in practice.

We facilitate transfer of accurate and reliable information and offer our member countries a unique opportunity to learn from each other by drawing upon our ability to provide different types of real-time and virtual opportunities for exchanging knowledge and experience. We offer our member countries a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience in such a way that quality in special needs education provision is promoted.

Our main target groups are the policy makers, experts and professionals who influence policy and practice in special needs education. As well as being able to use the Agency as a European knowledge centre, these target groups in member countries are able to call on us as an organisation that facilitates the process of professional learning and development through various forms of exchange of information and experience.

Member countries' involvement in the our project work and the development of various information products and outputs related to projects is as beneficial to them as being able to apply in practice the varied outcomes which they get access to.

The information we process is distributed by means of reports, seminars, conferences and events as well as our web site: with topic databases as well as specific web  information for each of our member countries.

The aim of all our outputs is to present a reliable reflection of the reality of special needs education across Europe with consistent information that can be related to individual countries' National contexts.

Aims and objectives

Our ultimate aim is to improve educational policy and practice for learners with special educational needs. This aim takes into account issues such as equal opportunities, accessibility, inclusive education and the promotion of quality of education, whilst recognising that there are differences in countries’ policies, practices and educational contexts.

With this aim in mind, we have the following strategic objectives:

• To promote quality in the field of special needs education through the maintenance of a long-term framework for extended European collaboration
• To provide a reliable reflection of the reality of special needs education across Europe with up to date information that can be related to individual countries’ national contexts
• To identify key factors that hinder or support positive experiences
• To facilitate effective exchange of knowledge and experience among as well as within member countries
• To make it easier for policy makers and professionals to access relevant information by providing mechanisms and services that enable sharing of information and facilitate contact between different users.

We are implementing these objectives by providing an effective system for the collection, processing and distribution of information regarding new and innovative measures in special needs education, as well as by focusing on subjects of high priority for the further development of special needs education.

We focus on subjects of importance for the further development of special needs education. Our member countries identify priority themes and special attention is devoted to educational policy and the way it implemented in practice. Other focal points are new and innovative measures, research and development and EU support programmes. These subjects are always considered in such a way as to promote a broad concept of “special needs education” within a framework of high quality of education for everyone.

Overall, our ambition is to consolidate the Agency as a key European resource and information broker from which it is possible to access information relating to a variety of main topics in the field of special needs education.

Agency key documents

The Agency is essentially a network of member country representatives and experts nominated by the ministries of education in our member and observer countries. This network operates on clear legal basis which is described in the Agency Articles of Association. 

The Information Brochure of the Agency is available in 20 Agency member languages in our publications section.

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