The Agency's special needs education (SNE) data collection is a biennial exercise, with data provided by the Representatives of the Agency member countries. In all cases, this data is from official ministerial sources.

All data refers to pupils officially identified as having special educational needs (SEN), as defined in the country in question. All the data presented in this document has been collected in line with each country’s own legal definition of SEN. These definitions are also provided in the texts.

On 17 September 2007, the Agency, together with the Portuguese Ministry of Education, held a European Hearing entitled ‘Young Voices: Meeting Diversity in Education’. The event took place within the framework of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Young Voices: Meeting Diversity in Education presents the results of the European Hearing of young people with special educational needs that the Agency and the Portuguese Ministry of Education organised in 2007.