EU Council Publishes AI Literacy Standards and Education Policy Framework for 27 Member States — Document ST-9003/26

The Council of the European Union published document ST-9003/26 on May 11, 2026, establishing AI literacy standards and a policy framework for education across all 27 EU member states. The document, developed through EU Council education working groups, addresses: integration of AI literacy competencies into national curricula; teacher professional development requirements for AI-integrated pedagogy; data protection standards specific to AI tools used with minor students; and assessment frameworks for evaluating AI-related skills in primary and secondary education. The framework builds on UNESCO's 2023 AI in Education guidance and the EU AI Act's provisions governing general-purpose AI systems used in educational settings. The EU Council document carries greater implementation force than the UNESCO recommendation's voluntary status: EU education ministries will implement the framework in national legislation and curriculum standards. With approximately 80 million students enrolled in EU primary and secondary schools, the AI literacy framework will directly shape how a generation of European citizens develops the competencies needed to understand, use, and critically evaluate AI systems. The framework explicitly addresses equity: mandating that AI literacy programs be accessible regardless of socioeconomic background and that AI tools used in educational assessment comply with the EU AI Act's high-risk system requirements. The Council document coincides with the OECD Digital Education Outlook 2026 (published January 2026), which established policy benchmarks for AI literacy integration into teacher training and K-12 curricula across OECD member countries — together forming an interlocking set of multilateral AI education policy standards.