Information from the European Commission on the Bologna Process and European Universities: Frequently Asked Questions

The European Commission published a “Frequently Asked Questions Document on 17th May 2005, prior to the Bergen Conference.   This is reproduced below.  Members of the European Council have been discussing the Bologna Process through ECCE’s Education Task Force, which is chaired by Professor Manoliu of Romania.  Available information on these discussions may be found on www.eccenet.org under the Menu Option ‘Activities’ followed by ‘Education Task Force’.

1. What is the Bologna Process? 

The Bologna Process is an attempt of the European Ministers responsible for Higher Education to bring some order in the large variety of degrees, to make European Higher Education more compatible and comparable, more competitive and more attractive for European students and also for students and scholars from other continents. Every second year the ministers meet to measure progress and set priorities. After Bologna (1999), they met in Prague (2001) and Berlin (2003). After Bergen (2005) they will meet again in London (2007).

40 countries have signed up to the process and five more are likely to join in Bergen (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). 

2. What is the role of the European Commission in the Bologna Process? 

The European Commission is a Full Member of the Bologna Process, next to the Signatory States and the Consultative Members (University Associations, Students, Council of Europe, UNESCO). Most of the Bologna Action lines (Quality Assurance, Mobility, ECTS, Joint Degrees) originate in Commission initiatives, supported though EU programmes, such as Socrates (which includes Erasmus: 145.000 students went through the programme in 2003/2004), Erasmus Mundus and Tempus. 

A series of new Commission initiatives accompany the three priorities set by Ministers in Berlin and taken further at the Bergen Summit (Quality Assurance, the Two-Cycle System and Recognition of Degrees and Periods of Study). These are briefly explained in section 4 below.

From an EU perspective, the Bologna process fits into the broader Lisbon Strategy, launched in March 2000. At the re-launch of the Lisbon Strategy in Brussels, in March 2005, EU Heads of State and Government have confirmed the central role of knowledge for growth and employment.

From an EU perspective, there is also a close link between the Bologna Process and the Copenhagen Process on enhanced European co-operation in Vocational Education and Training, launched in December 2002. The Commission has taken several initiatives to establish synergy between both processes in important fields such as transparency of qualifications (EUROPASS), Credit Transfer, Quality Assurance and the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) 

3. Have countries made good progress in the Bologna Process? 

Yes, countries have made remarkable progress as is shown in the Bologna Stocktaking Report. Colours coded score cards indicate the relative performance of each country as regards the main Bologna Reforms.

The Commission has contributed to the Bologna Stocktaking through the EURYDICE Survey “Focus on the Structure of Higher Education in Europe 2004”, with country fiches and a comparative overview, which demonstrates, for example, that the two cycle system (bachelor/master) has been introduced almost everywhere in Europe (Figure A1 Eurydice Survey) and that the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) is introduced in the great majority of countries (Figure C1a and C1b Eurydice Survey).

The Eurydice Survey will be made accessible via the following web pages: http://www.eurydice.org

http://www.eurydice.org/Doc_intermediaires/analysis/en/frameset_analysis.html 

4. What are the main decisions expected in Bergen? 

Important decisions are expected in two main fields: Quality Assurance and the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). 

Quality assurance

Ministers will be asked to adopt European Standards both for Universities and for Quality Assurance Agencies. Ministers will also express themselves on the idea of a European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies.

The standards will provide the minimum level of compatibility in the form of common references, which are needed in order to achieve the cross-recognition of qualifications and competencies, expected by our citizens and the European labour market. The European Register would list those National and TNtrans-national Quality Assurance Agencies which fulfil the highest standard of operation and independence.

The Commission accompanies these decisions by its proposal for an EU Recommendation on further cooperation in quality assurance, adopted in October 2004^[1]. The Commission also ssupporting sector-led projects to establish European Quality Labels in fields such as Engineering^[2] and Chemistry^[3]. 

European Qualifications Framework

Ministers in Bergen will adopt a European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for Higher Education, and commit themselves to establishing “National Qualifications Frameworks”.

The European Qualifications Framework will provide commonly understood reference levels on how to describe learning, from basic skills up to the doctorate, with an ECTS-like credit range attached to each level.

In a few years from now, students, institutions, parents and employers in the wider Europe will be talking in terms of learning outcomes – what a graduate can actually do, at the end of his or her degree - and competences. This will certainly facilitate mobility and recognition across a wide variety of learning systems, as well as make our degrees more comprehensible for employers.

The Bergen decisions on the European Qualifications Framework for Higher Education link in with the Commission plans for a “European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong learning”, which, according to the request of the European Council of March 2005, should be adopted by 2006^[4]. 

In June 2005, the Commission will start a broad consultation on this future scenario for a European Qualifications Framework, open to reactions from stakeholders in the wider Europe. A similar consultation document will be published on a proposal for an integrated Credit System for Lifelong Learning, building on the ECTS experience and preparatory work on credits for vocational education and training, but extending it to cover all methods of learning. 

5. What are the next steps ?: universities and the Lisbon Strategy 

Bologna reforms are necessary and they will have the full support of the Commission in the years to come, but in striving for ever-increased quality, institutions and governments must look beyond these structures, and address the underlying questions of attractiveness, governance and funding. They should consider what needs to be done in order to achieve world-class quality, to improve governance of institutions and systems, and to increase and diversify higher education funding. 

In the Commission’s view, Europe needs a new kind of partnership between the State and the University, balancing autonomy, responsibility and self-governance on the one side with strategic guidance from governments; a stable and medium-term funding framework (which should incorporate a creative mix of public and private funding), and real accountability towards society. At the same time, we must ensure equitable access for all qualified students; and this, independently of the funding mix chosen. Sufficient investment in, and sound management of higher education are core determinants of the future of each region and country in Europe and of the future of Europe in the world.

In order to stimulate the debate on these issues, the Commission published in April 2005 a new Communication on “Mobilising the brainpower of Europe: enabling universities to make their full contribution to the Lisbon Strategy”^[5] 

Moreover, the conclusion of the negotiations on the new Integrated Life Long Learning programme and its envisaged adoption in 2006, should encourage a strong participation of Higher Education Institutions in traditionally successful programmes such as ERASMUS and in new activities aiming to contribute to high level of university studies with strong European and international dimension for a substantial number of graduates.

For more information on the Bologna Process: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/educ/bologna/bologna_en.html

Webpage of the Bergen Conference: http://www.bologna-bergen2005.no/ 

^[1] COM(2004) 642 final of 12.10.2004
^[2] EUR-ACE-Accreditation of European Engineering Programmes and Graduates http://www.feani.org/EUR_ACE/EUR_ACE_Main_Page.htm
^[3] The Chemistry Eurobachelor Label CEBL http://www.uni-dortmund.de/web/en/index.html

^[4] Council of the European Union, Presidency Conclusions, 23 March 2005, point 35; ‘The European Council would point to the importance (...) of adopting (...) a European Qualifications framework by 2006’.