In this paper the build up to the recent European Commission Memorandum on Lifelong Learning is described through an analysis of previous actions since the Maastricht Treaty. The particular messages of the Memorandum and the subsequent consultation process are detailed. A primary objective is that there should in the future be ‘joined-up’ policies and activities between different EC programmes. However, there should be concern that while breaking down boundaries between sectors, new boundaries are being constructed around different forms of learning, with the holistic nature of formal, informal and non-formal nature becoming lost.
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