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In this communication the European Commission invites the European Council to adopt European benchmarks for education and training systems in areas which are central for the achievement of the strategic goal set in March 2000 by the Lisbon European Council: to make Europe by 2010 ‘the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion’. To respond to this challenge, the heads of state and government agreed some concrete common objectives of education and training systems in Europe, within the overarching principle of lifelong learning, in view of: improving the quality and effectiveness of education and training systems in the European Union (EU); facilitating the access of all to education and training systems; and opening up education and training systems to the wider world. In this communication, the term ‘benchmark’ is used to refer to concrete targets. These are grouped into six areas: (1) investment in education and training; (2) early school leavers; (3) graduates in mathematics, science and technology; (4) population having completed upper secondary education; (5) key competencies; and (6) lifelong learning.