The portfolio was previously titled European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport until 2019 when it was merged with the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation to form its current title.

The portfolio is responsible for policies in education and training, youth, sport, civil society, and culture.

However, when Romania joined the European Union on 1 January 2007, responsibility for multilingualism was handed over to the new Romanian commissioner, Leonard Orban.

The Bologna process aims to create a European Higher Education Area where academic qualifications can be recognised across Europe.

The previous portfolio to the current was Culture, merged with Audiovisual policy and EP relations.