Council takes steps towards a new joint European degree label
The Council has set out its vision for the future of European higher education. In a recommendation and parallel resolution agreed at today’s meeting, education ministers have laid the groundwork for the implementation of a joint European degree label and set out the next steps towards the possible
The agreements reached today bring us a step closer to one of the key strategic priorities for the future of higher education in the EU: a possible joint European degree that would boost the attractiveness and competitiveness of European higher education on a global scale. They represent an important milestone in our efforts to deepen European cooperation in the higher education sector and reinforce its global standing.
Andrzej Szeptycki, Polish Deputy Minister for Science and Higher Education
Two complementary texts
The two texts approved at today’s meeting set out the Council’s ambition for the future of European higher education, while also outlining the practical elements of the process towards achieving this ambition. Taken together, they respond to the pressing need to strengthen the attractiveness of Europe’s universities and raise their global standing at a time of increasing geopolitical challenges.
The Council’s resolution sets out the member states’ vision for a joint European degree label and proposes a roadmap towards a possible joint European degree, with three phases to be carried out by 2029.
The accompanying recommendation specifies the criteria for awarding the joint European degree label. The label would be granted to joint programmes delivered via transnational cooperation between universities from different countries, including at least two EU member states.
Quality assurance and mutual recognition
Guaranteed quality standards across all participating universities are a key prerequisite for the implementation of a joint European degree label and the possible introduction of a joint degree. The recommendation therefore aims to boost quality assurance processes within universities across Europe, in particular by:
- ensuring quality assurance processes are agile, internationalised and fit for purpose, allowing universities to respond and contribute to the dynamic societal transformations affecting them
- supporting the implementation of automatic mutual recognition of qualifications across member states
In an annex to the recommendation, the Council lays out building blocks for exploring the development of a dedicated framework for quality assurance for alliances of higher education institutions.
The implementation of the joint European degree label will build on the foundations provided by the Bologna process. The label will act as a guarantee of compliance with the highest quality standards and will have a significant European dimension.
Background
On 27 March 2024, the European Commission adopted a package regarding Europe’s higher education sector, looking to encourage enhanced cooperation among higher educational institutions in the EU and the eventual establishment of a European degree. The package included proposals for Council recommendations on attractive and sustainable careers in higher education, and on a European quality assurance and recognition system in higher education.