The Council of Europe promotes a culture of democracy through education as a means of building peaceful and democratic societies. With the adoption of the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture (RFCDC) in 2016, member states committed to fostering democratic values, attitudes, skills, knowledge and critical understanding in and through education. This review report examines the extent to which the RFCDC has been used in the formal education systems of member states since 2016, including its influence on policies and practices. Based on the main conclusions of this first review, which took place between March and December 2023, it provides recommendations for future development and implementation.