Entrepreneurship education from the European Union to the national level

Entrepreneurship education has been considered in the supranational ambit since 2000 by non-binding acts, aimed to propose a common line of action without imposing any legal obligation to the EU Member States. In particular, in the sphere of educational policy, Eu countries pursued and identified joint goals using an open method of coordination (OMC). In the first phase, entrepreneurship education was closely connected to economic growth. In the regulatory development, it assumed a broader meaning as a transversal skill. First of all, it is purposeful in the development of individual potential in every sphere of life; secondly, it focuses at the creation of "value for others" in financial, but also social and cultural fields. It also includes active citizenship and social and ethic awareness in processes, profiles that generally in the Italian legislation seem to be recessive. In European Countries the state of the art are rather various: while in some areas, especially in northern Europe, the experiences on entrepreneurship education are consolidated, the situation is quite different where the plans are more recent. In Italy there is a noticeable delay on many fronts, in comparison with the EU Member States' average. There is no national plan, but some episodic legislative interventions and specific actions of the Ministry of Education introduce the subject in the school system. The evidence furnished by scientific research considers that spending in entrepreneurship education is one of the highest return investments that could be made. Nevertheless the 2019 national budget law cut the allocated resources. In the post- pandemic era, we will see an upcoming expansion for this strategic achievement, according to the 30 June 2020 announce from President Von der Leyen.