Adapting Peter Pan

Policy entrepreneurs and problem definition: the case of European student mobility

“…As early as January 1985, Sutherland told a meeting with social partners that: “We are all of us in this room fully committed to the reemergence of Europe as a major first-class industrial power” (Sutherland 1985b). In line with his vision of the economic purpose of education, he saw student mobility as “an Italian student training in France and becoming familiar with French products and technical standards, establishing strong friendly ties with French engineers or researchers and developing the habit of thinking European first and not American or Japanese before making economic decisions” (Sutherland 1985c).…”

“…In contrast to previous Education Commissioners, Sutherland also went out of his way to attend meetings with the social partners (Sutherland 1985b), with the aim of building consensus around his proposals. He worked extremely hard to mobilize support for this new agenda in April and May 1985 by initiating consultations with advisory bodies, groups of experts, and interest groups, such as the European Round Table of Industrialists, Ministers of the Member States, the social partners, the Advisory Committee for Vocational Training, universities, the European Parliament, Chambers of Commerce of several Member States, and the European Students’ Association (Interview 1; Sutherland 1985e; Sutherland 1985f).…”

“…They were thus in line with his liberal political stance in embracing a "market dynamics theory of economic development" and his belief in "the gradual increase in the powers of the European Union" (Sutherland 2011, 7). As he stated: "I was convinced at an early stage that there was a legal basis in the Treaty of Rome for action in the field of education although a number of Member States were opposed to any commission initiatives" (Sutherland 2011). Indeed, in his first appearance as Commissioner for Education, Sutherland stated that "we must transformtogetherour whole approach to education" (Sutherland 1985a).…”