Education constitutes an essential core of the political strategies adopted in the European Union. From the Treaty of Paris in 1951, educational policy in Europe has been consolidated through a combination of programs in different levels and contexts. However, a neoliberal economic model has guided the implementation and development of these policies. For members of the European Union, education has been, and continues to be, understood as a way of professional training to produce a profit. After almost six decades of educational progress, it is necessary to reflect on how educational policy has been implemented by policymakers in Europe. A retrospective and critical analysis presents relevant points on political decisions in education that have had an impact on the social context of the European Union. The aim of this paper is to analyse, from a historical, social and critical perspective, how educational policies have been undertaken by the European Union, from its beginning to the present Europe 2020 Strategy. Particular attention will be paid to the influence it has had, and still has, with regard to neo-liberal ideology.