This chapter explores the rise of lifelong learning on the EU policy agenda from the founding of the European Economic Community in 1957 up to the present day. Before delving into the policy discourse of the European Union, the analysis begins with a global perspective, situating EU regional evolutions in the broader context of international organisations such as UNESCO, the ILO, and the OECD. It then turns to the EU’s internal policy history, structured as a ‘tale in four chapters’: the initial emergence of lifelong learning as a concept; the Lisbon Strategy in 2000 as found momentum for lifelong learning policy; the policy innovation triggered by the financial and economic challenges around 2008 and the consolidation of lifelong learning as a ‘right’ in the European Pillar of Social Rights. Throughout the almost 70 years of EU policy, this chapter demonstrates how timing and context have shaped EU initiatives, often driven by a human-capital approach. Drawing on the concept of path dependence, it argues that the EU’s commitment to employability-focused lifelong learning has constrained the adoption of more humanistic interpretations, as seen in other international bodies. Understanding this historical development is crucial for assessing current dynamics and anticipating future directions in EU lifelong learning policy.