The Crafting of a European Education Space and Europeanization: The Role of the EU and the OECD

The purpose of this chapter is to throw light on Europeanization processes and the crafting of a European education space through the lens of historically exploring the connections and interactions between the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Economic Community (EEC)/European Union (EU). Using governance theory as its theoretical foundation, the chapter draws on policy documents and correspondence harvested in archives and relevant websites. The analysis elucidates a clear historical pattern of a rapprochement between the two organizations which seems in many ways to be hinging on a realization of the mutual benefits associated with the collaboration enjoyed by both organizations. The chapter argues that both organizations have contributed profoundly to the creation of a ’European education space’ characterized by common infrastructural standards, assessment methodologies and measurement technologies.