Education is essential to the vitality of any state's society and economy. Education is at the heart of the European way of life, strengthening the social market economy and democracy through freedom, diversity, human rights and social justice. In this context, investments in education, training and the effective use of skills will be crucial to support the economic and social prosperity of states. The right to education, training and lifelong learning, which must be inclusive and of high quality, is proclaimed by the European Pillar of Social Rights as its first principle. In terms of setting the framework and adopting the necessary measures for recovery and resilience, population-centred policies are more vital than ever. Early childhood education and care, schools, vocational education and training (VET), higher education, research, adult education and non-formal learning play a key role. The Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Vocational Education and Training (ET 2020) helped to build trust and mutual understanding that supported the first initiatives on the European Education Area and national reforms. It also set common EU-wide targets ('benchmarks') and made available a wide range of mutual learning and policy support tools, which encouraged Member States to focus their efforts on the most urgent priorities. Taking over this experience for the educational system of the Republic of Moldova is a task of prime importance.