Implementing the Community Lisbon Programme - Proposal for a Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning {SEC(2006) 1093} {SEC(2006) 1094}
Date: 2006-09-05
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU employment policy, adult education, competitiveness, continuing education, continuing vocational training, education policy, recognition of vocational training qualifications

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 5.9.2006 
COM(2006) 479 final 

2006/0163 (COD) 

Implementing the Community Lisbon Programme 

Proposal for a 

RECOMMENDATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 
AND OF THE COUNCIL  

on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning 

(presented by the Commission) 

{SEC(2006) 1093} 
{SEC(2006) 1094} 

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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1) CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

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Grounds for and objectives of the proposal 

In a Europe characterised by rapid technological and economic change and an ageing 
population,  lifelong  learning  has  become  a  necessity.  The  need  for  a  continuous 
renewal  of  citizens'  knowledge,  skills  and  competences  is  crucial  for  the  EU's 
competitiveness and social cohesion. Lifelong learning, however, is complicated by the 
lack  of  communication  and  co-operation  between  education  and 
training 
providers/authorities at different levels and in different countries. The resulting barriers 
hinder individual  citizens from accessing  education and training  and  from combining 
qualifications  from  different  institutions.  They  make  it  difficult  for  citizens  to  move 
within  the  European  labour  market  and  to  pursue  genuine  lifelong  and  lifewide 
learning (i.e. through all levels of education and training and using formal, non-formal 
and informal learning). 

Consequently,  the  Lisbon  European  Council  in  2000  concluded  that  increased 
transparency  of  qualifications  and  lifelong  learning  should  be  two  of  the  main 
components in the efforts to adapt Europe's education and training systems both to the 
demands of the knowledge society and to the need for an improved level and quality of 
employment. This was further underlined by the Barcelona European Council in 2002 
which - as an element in the strategy to make European education and training a world 
quality  reference  by  2010  -  called  for  the  introduction  of  instruments  to  ensure  the 
transparency  of  qualifications.  The  2002  Council  Resolution  on  lifelong  learning 
invited  the  Member  States  to  encourage  cooperation  and  to  build  bridges  between 
formal,  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  This  was  seen  as  a  prerequisite  for  the 
creation of a European area of  lifelong learning, building on the achievements of  the 
Bologna  process  in  higher  education  and  for  promoting  similar  action  in  the  area  of 
vocational training.  

Calls for the development of a European qualifications framework were further made 
in  the  2004  Joint  Interim  Report  of  the  Council  and  of  the  Commission  on  the 
implementation  of  the  Education  and  Training  2010  work  programme  and,  in  the 
context of the Copenhagen process, in the Conclusions of the Council of 15 November 
2004  on  the  future  priorities  of  enhanced  European  Cooperation  in  Vocational 
Education and Training (VET). In the context of the Bologna process, the conference 
of ministers responsible for higher education held in Bergen in May 2005 underlined 
the importance of ensuring complementarity between the framework for the European 
Higher Education Area and the proposed European Qualifications Framework (EQF). 
Finally, in the context of the revised Lisbon Strategy, also the Employment Guidelines 
2005-2008  stress  the  need  to  ensure  flexible  learning  pathways  and  to  increase 
opportunities for the mobility of students and trainees, by improving the definition and 
transparency  of  qualifications,  their  effective  recognition  and  the  validation  of  non-
formal  and  informal  learning.  The  EQF  is  central  to  the  fulfilment  of  the  EU’s 
objectives in the Lisbon Partnership for Growth and Jobs. 

This  proposal  responds  to  the  political  mandate  described  above  and  its  emphasis  on 
lifelong  learning.  The  main  purpose  of  the  EQF  is  to  act  as  a  translation  device  and 

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neutral  reference  point  for  comparing  qualifications  across  different  education  and 
training systems and to strengthen co-operation and mutual trust between the relevant 
stakeholders.  This  will  increase  transparency,  facilitate  the  transfer  and  use  of 
qualifications across different education and training systems and levels. 

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General context 

Europe is characterised by a great diversity of education and training institutions and 
systems.  This  mirrors  a  widespread  and  strong  consensus  that  education  and  training 
should reflect and respond to learning needs at local, regional and national level. This 
richness  and  variety  of  European  education  and  training  can  be  seen  as  an  important 
asset  and  something  which  makes  it  possible  to  react  rapidly  and  efficiently  to 
technological and economic change.  

The European Councils in Lisbon and Barcelona recognised increased transparency of 
qualifications  as  a  necessary  precondition  for  turning  this  diversity  into  an  asset.  A 
situation  where  education  and  training  systems  and  institutions  operate  in  isolation 
from each other could lead to fragmentation and hinder rather than enable citizens to 
develop their knowledge, skills and competences. 

Transparency  of  qualifications  is  defined  as  the  degree  to  which  the  value  of 
qualifications can be identified and compared on the labour market, in education and 
training  and  in  a  wider  social  setting.  Transparency  can  thus  be  seen  as  a  necessary 
precondition for recognition of learning outcomes leading to qualifications. Increasing 
transparency is important for the following reasons: 

- It enables individual citizens to judge the relative value of qualifications. 

-  It  is  a  prerequisite  and  condition  for  transfer  and  accumulation  of  qualifications. 
Pursuing  lifelong  and  lifewide  learning  requires  that  individuals  are  able  to  combine 
and  build  on  qualifications  acquired  in  different  settings,  systems  and  countries. 
Transparent systems make it possible to judge how qualifications can be linked and/or 
combined. 

-  It  improves  employers’  ability  to  judge  the  profile,  content  and  relevance  of 
qualifications on offer in the labour market.  

- It allows education and training providers to compare the profile and content of their 
own  offers  to  those  of  other  providers  and  thus  also  is  an  important  precondition  for 
quality assurance in education and training.  

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Existing provisions in the area of the proposal 

Several  initiatives  have  been  taken  at  EU  level  to  increase  transparency,  support 
transfer and facilitate the valuing of learning outcomes.  

Council  Decision  85/368/EEC  of  16  July  1985  introduced  a  system  for the 
comparability of vocational education and training (VET) qualifications. Based on this 
decision, a total of 219 VET qualifications in 19 sectors were compared and the results 
of  this  process  published  in  the  Official  Journal  of  the  European  Union.  This  work 
proved  resource-intensive  and  unsustainable,  partly  due  to  the  centralised  approach 

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chosen  and  the  constant  and  rapid  evolution  of  qualifications.  Therefore,  the  work 
carried out at the European level had little impact at the level of national and sectoral 
stakeholders  and  the  implementation  of  the  Decision  was  abandoned.  However,  the 
EQF now addresses the limitations of the 1985 Decision by focusing on improving the 
transparency  of  qualifications  and  by  introducing  a  decentralised  approach  for  co-
operation which reflects the increasing complexity of qualifications in Europe.  

In Higher Education, significant steps have been taken towards the establishment of an 
overarching framework for qualifications. Building on previous agreements in Bologna 
(1999)  and  Berlin  (2003),  Ministers  responsible  for  higher  education  in  45  European 
countries  agreed  in  Bergen  in  May  2005  on  the  adoption  of  an  overarching 
qualifications  framework.  This  contains  learning  outcomes-based  descriptors  for  the 
three higher  education  cycles  and  introduces credit ranges for the first and second of 
these  cycles.  Furthermore,  Ministers  committed  themselves  to  elaborate  national 
qualifications frameworks for higher education by 2010 and underlined the importance 
of  ensuring  complementarity  between  the  framework  for  the  European  Higher 
Education Area and the EQF.  

Decision  No  2241/2004/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  15 
December  2004  on  a  single  Community  framework  for  the  transparency  of 
qualifications and competences (Europass) introduced a set of European instruments to 
be  used  by  individuals  to  describe  their  qualifications  and  competences.  The  future 
development  of  Europass  will  need  to  reflect  the  establishment  of  the  EQF.  All 
relevant  Europass  documents,  in  particular  the  Europass  diploma  supplement  and  the 
Europass  certificate  supplement,  should  contain  a  clear  reference  to  the  appropriate 
EQF level.  

The  existing  European  Credit  transfer  system  for  higher  education  (ECTS)  and  the 
emerging  European  Credit  Transfer  System  for  Vocational  Education  and  Training 
(ECVET)  will  make  it  easier  for  individuals  to  combine  education  and  training 
provisions from different countries. While the ECTS has been developed over a period 
of  more  than  10  years  and  is  already  widely  used  in  higher  education,  ECVET  is 
currently being tested and a public consultation process will be launched shortly. Both 
these  instruments  are  important  initiatives  providing  direct  support  to  individual 
citizens  trying  to  transfer  qualifications  or  units  of  qualifications  across  institutional 
and  national  borders.  The  EQF,  by  introducing  common  reference  levels  and 
promoting mutual trust, will provide a basis for strengthening and taking forward these 
systems.  

In  the  field  of  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning,  a  set  of  European 
principles  for  the  identification  and  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning 
were agreed by the Council in 2004. These principles provide a basis for strengthening 
cooperation  in  the  field  of  validation  and  encourage  the  Commission,  the  Member 
States  and  social  partners  to  introduce  more  systematically  methods  and  systems  for 
validation. The implementation of the EQF must take into account these principles, in 
particular  as  the  EQF's  approach  based  on  learning  outcomes  will  facilitate  the 
validation of non-formal and informal learning. 

The  'Ploteus'  portal  on  learning  opportunities  (http://ec.europa.eu/ploteus)  contributes 
to  a  better  transparency  of  qualifications  by  providing  information  about  education, 
training and learning  opportunities in European countries. The future development of 

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'Ploteus' will take into account the reference levels introduced by the EQF.  

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Consistency with other policies and objectives of the Union 

The mutual recognition of qualifications in the area of regulated professions is ensured 
by  Directive  2005/36/EC  adopted  on  7  September  2005.  This  Directive,  which 
consolidates, modernises and simplifies 15  existing Directives adopted between 1975 
and  1999,  provides  for  a  system  of  automatic  recognition  of  qualifications  for 
professions  with  harmonised  training  requirements  (doctors,  nurses,  midwives, 
dentists,  veterinarians,  pharmacists)  and  also  for  architects.  For  the  other  regulated 
professions  (currently  around  800  professions  are  regulated  by  one  or  more  Member 
States in the EU) the systems is based on mutual recognition, i.e. a person qualified to 
exercise  a  profession  in  a  Member  States,  should  also  be  authorised  to  practise  this 
profession in another Member State. 

The scope of Directive 2005/36/EC and of the EQF differ in that the EQF is not a tool 
granting  rights  to  migrants  for  recognition  of  their  qualifications  acquired  in  one 
Member  State  with  a  view  to  exercising  a  regulated  profession  in  another  Member 
State.  In  such  a  case,  only  Directive  2005/36/EC  imposes  legally  binding  obligations 
on Member States' authorities.  

Mutual  recognition  is  also  the  aim  of  the  Directive  1996/26/EC  on  access  to  the 
occupation  of  road  haulage  operator  and  road  transport  operator.  A  proposal  for 
revision  of  this  Directive  to  be  examined  by  the  Commission  in  2007  will  need  to 
reflect the establishment of the EQF. 

Finally,  the  European  Council  of  15-16  October  1999  stated  that  the  legal  status  of 
third-country nationals holding a long-term residence permit should be granted a set of 
uniform rights as near as possible to those enjoyed by EU-citizens. Council Directive 
2003/109/EC1 provides therefore that ‘long term residents shall enjoy equal treatment 
with nationals as regards: c) recognition of professional diplomas, certificates and other 
qualifications,  in  accordance  with  the  relevant  national  procedures’,  including  when 
they exercise their right to intra-EU mobility granted by this Directive. The EQF will 
therefore  contribute  to  the  effective  application  of  this  right  in  situations  where 
Directive 2005/36/EC does not apply. 

2) CONSULTATION OF INTERESTED PARTIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT 

Consultation of interested parties 

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Consultation methods, main sectors targeted and general profile of respondents 

In July 2005 the European Commission launched a Europe-wide consultation process 
on  the  EQF  based  on  Commission  Staff  Working  Document  SEC(2005)  957. 
Addressing the 32 countries participating in the "Education and Training 2010" work 
programme, the European social partners, sector and branch organisations, educational 
institutions  and  associations  as  well  as  NGOs,  an  EQF  blueprint  was  submitted  for 
comment. As part of this consultation process, the EQF blueprint was also presented to 

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OJ L 16, 23.1.2004, p. 44. 

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and  debated  in  a  range  of  meetings  organised  by  national  authorities,  social  partners, 
sectoral bodies and others during autumn 2005. The results of the consultation process 
were discussed at a conference organised in Budapest in February 2006.  

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Summary of responses and how they have been taken into account 

The  consultation  process,  resulting  in  extensive  feedback  from  a  wide  range  of 
stakeholders in 31 European countries, including the candidate countries, confirmed a 
broad support for the EQF. The majority of respondents agreed that there is a need for 
a common European reference framework. However, support was made conditional to 
a series of requirements and recommendations, which have been taken into account by 
this proposal. Particular emphasis has been given to the refinement and simplification 
of the reference level descriptors.  

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An  open  consultation  was  conducted  over  the  internet  from  5  July  2005  to  31 
December  2005.  The  Commission  received  125  responses  including  the  results  of 
national  consultations.  The  results  are  available  on 
the  following  website: 
http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/educ/eqf/index_en.html. 

Collection and use of expertise 

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Scientific/expertise domains concerned 

The  development  of  the  EQF  proposal  was  made  possible  through  extensive 
involvement  of  a  range  of  international  experts  with  experiences  in  the  field  of 
qualifications and qualifications frameworks. 

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Methodology used 

A  series  of  studies  launched  by  Cedefop  and  the  Bologna  Process  Follow  Up  Group 
have contributed directly to the formulation of the EQF proposal. The Cedefop (2004) 
report on 'European reference levels for education and training' builds extensively on 
relevant,  international  research  in  this  field  and  presents  the  first  outline  of  a 
framework covering the full range of qualifications. The report of the Bologna Follow 
Up Group on 'a Framework for qualifications in the European Higher Education Area' 
helped to identify and clarify functions of the EQF, in particular as to the relationship 
between the national and European level.  

The EQF blueprint presented in July 2005 was based on the work of an expert group 
which  held  7  meetings  between  autumn  2004  and  spring  2005.  The  expert  group 
focussed  on  the  overall  objectives  and  functions  of  the  EQF  but  paid  particular 
attention  to  the  development  of  learning  outcomes  based  reference  levels.  The  group 
included  representatives  of  all  main  areas  of  education  and  training  (general,  adult, 
vocational,  higher  education  and  training)  as  well  as  representatives  of  sectors  and 
social  partners  thus  making  it  well  suited  to  address  the  challenge  of  developing  a 
framework  covering  the  entire  scope  of  qualifications,  from  the  end  of  compulsory 
education to the highest level of academic and professional education and training. 

Following  the  consultation  process,  a  separate  expert  group  was  set  up  to  produce  a 
simplified and revised set of reference level descriptors. This group agreed a new set of 
reference level descriptors which are used in Annex I of this proposal as well as a set 

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of key definitions underpinning this Recommendation.  

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Main organisations/experts consulted 

Membership  of  the  EQF  expert  group  is  set  out  in  Commission  Staff  Working 
Document  SEC(2005)  957.  For  the  second  group  which  worked  on  a  revised  set  of 
reference level descriptors, Member States, candidate and EEA countries were asked to 
appoint competent experts, as were the European social partners. 

Two external contracts were issues to support the preparations of the EQF proposal and 
to support the Commission in analysing the responses to the consultation process. 

Cedefop  and  the  European  Training  Foundation  contributed  actively  to  the  work, 
working closely with the Commission, the external experts and the expert groups. 

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Summary of advice received and used 

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The existence of potentially serious risks with irreversible consequences has not been 
mentioned. 

Expert  advice  was  in  particular  used  to  prepare  the  reference  level  descriptors 
contained in Annex I of this proposal. 

Means used to make the expert advice publicly available 

The  reference  level  descriptors  agreed  by  the  expert  group  were  part  of  a  document 
submitted to the Advisory Committee for Vocational Training, which gave a positive 
opinion on the main elements of the proposal in its meeting on 21 June 2006.  

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Impact assessment 

The  first  option  considered  involves  taking  no  action  (that  is,  no  action  by  the 
European  Union)  and  would  entail  allowing 
the  current  arrangements  for 
comparability,  transparency  and  transfer  of  qualifications  to  continue.  Directive 
2005/36/EC  on  the  mutual  recognition  of  qualifications  would  continue  to  facilitate 
mobility for specified professionals whose occupations are regulated, but there would 
be no further action for occupations which do not fall within the scope of the Directive. 
In  this  respect,  Member  States  would  continue  to  cooperate  to  a  limited  extent  and 
where  advantageous  through  bilateral  agreements  but  this  would  be  complex  and 
uncoordinated.  Stakeholders  would  be  able  to  continue  to  use  transparency  and 
mobility  instruments  such  as  the  'Europass'  and  the  European  Credit  Transfer  and 
Accumulation  System  (ECTS)  in  higher  education,  but  none  of  these  provide  an 
overall framework for cooperation. This option would therefore not meet the demands 
of Member States for a common European reference point or instrument.  

A second option is a Communication from the Commission. However, a Commission 
Communication is not a legal instrument and would not involve the Member States or 
European  Parliament  in  its  adoption.  This  option  would  therefore  not  generate  the 
necessary political commitment from the  Member States, which have worked closely 
with the Commission in developing the EQF. It would thus not have real impact and 
added value in terms of implementation at the national level.  

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A  third  option  is  a  Commission  Recommendation  under  Article  150  of  the  Treaty 
(vocational training). However, this would not  be  based on  Article 149 of the Treaty 
(education) and therefore would not reflect the dual education and training components 
and  aims  of  the  EQF  within  a  lifelong  learning  perspective.  It  would  entail  using  a 
legal instrument but, as with option 2, it would not involve the Member States or the 
European Parliament in the formal adoption of the proposal and so would still lack the 
commitment to implementation at the national level, which is crucial to the success and 
continued momentum of the EQF. 

The fourth option considered is to establish the EQF via the legislative instrument of a 
Recommendation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council,  under  Articles  149 
and  150  of  the  Treaty;  this  instrument  would  recommend  that  the  EQF  be  used  by 
Member States on a voluntary basis as a translation device for comparing qualifications 
and facilitating their transparency and transfer throughout Europe. 

A fifth option is to implement the EQF via the legislative instrument of a Decision of 
the European Parliament and of the Council, under Article 150 of the Treaty. Without 
Article  149,  this  would  have  the  same  disadvantage  as  option  3  (i.e.  excluding 
education) and would also be a Decision adopting principles and obligations for those 
Member States which relate their national qualifications systems to the EQF. However, 
the  overwhelming  consensus  of  stakeholders  (Member  States,  social  partners,  sectors 
and others) is that an EQF should be entirely voluntary.  

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The Commission carried out an impact assessment, whose report will be accessible on 
the Commission’s website. 

3) LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSAL 

305 

Summary of the proposed action 

The  proposed  Recommendation  establishes  the  EQF  as  reference  tool  for  the 
comparison  of  qualification  levels  in  national  qualifications  systems  as  well  as 
qualifications  systems  developed  by  international  sectoral  organisations.  The  EQF's 
main components are a set of European reference levels described in terms of learning 
outcomes, and mechanisms and principles for voluntary cooperation. 

It  is  recommended  that  Member  States  use  the  EQF  as  a  reference  tool  to  compare 
qualification  levels  used  in  different  qualifications  systems,  relate  their  qualifications 
systems  to  the  EQF  by  linking  qualification  levels  to  the  corresponding  EQF  levels 
and,  where  appropriate,  develop  a  national  qualifications  framework.  Moreover,  new 
qualifications  and  "Europass"  documents  should  contain  a  clear  reference  to  the 
appropriate EQF level. However, in the situations covered by Directive 2005/36/EC on 
the  recognition  of  professional  qualifications,  these  references  should  not  affect  the 
migrant’s  rights.  Member  States  are  also  recommended  to  use  a  learning  outcomes-
based approach when defining and developing qualifications, to promote the validation 
of non-formal and informal learning, and to designate a national EQF centre to support 
and  coordinate  the  relationship  between  the  national  qualifications  system  and  the 
EQF,  in  particular  by  ensuring  the  use  of  quality  assurance  mechanisms  and 
transparent procedures. 

The  proposal  invites  the  Commission  to  support  Member  States  and  international 

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sectoral organisations in using the EQF, to establish an EQF advisory group ensuring 
the overall coherence of the co-operation process, and to monitor the implementation 
of the EQF with a view to a possible review of the Recommendation five years after its 
adoption.  This  group  will  consist  of  representatives  of  the  national  EQF  centres,  the 
European social partners and other stakeholders, as appropriate.  

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Legal basis 

The EQF is proposed under both Articles 149 and 150 because it has a dual purpose, 
comprising  components  and  encompassing  objectives  for  both  education  and 
vocational training which are of equal importance within  the EQF’s  lifelong  learning 
perspective.  It  supports  education  and  vocational  training  by  encouraging  mobility 
through  citizens’  transfer  of  qualifications  between  national  systems  and  between 
general education, higher education and vocational training. It encourages cooperation 
between Member States and supports and supplements their action. 

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Subsidiarity principle 

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The  subsidiarity  principle  applies  insofar  as  the  proposal  does  not  fall  under  the 
exclusive competence of the Community. 

The  objectives  of  the  proposal  cannot  be  sufficiently  achieved  by  the  Member  States 
for the following reasons. 

The  main  function  of  the  EQF  is  to  facilitate  translation  between  and  comparison  of 
qualifications awarded by national authorities. As a transnational problem this cannot 
be achieved by the Member States, in particular since the lack of mutual trust between 
national  and  sectoral  stakeholders  has  been  defined  as  one  of  the  main  problems 
causing lack of transparency and preventing transfer of qualifications. 

Community action will better achieve the objectives of the proposal for the following 
reasons: 

–  The challenges related to transparency and the transfer of qualifications are shared 
by all Member States and cannot exclusively be solved at national or sectoral level. 

–  If  all  25  Member  States  were  to  negotiate  bilateral  agreements  on  the  subject 
covered by this Recommendation with all other Member States separately and in an 
uncoordinated way, this would result in an extremely complex and non-transparent 
overall structure at the European level.  

–  The  proposal  provides  a  common  reference  point  and  shared  framework  for 
cooperation between Member States. These functions cannot be provided by action 
at the national level.  

The proposal therefore complies with the subsidiarity principle. 

Proportionality principle 

The proposal complies with the proportionality principle for the following reason: 

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331 

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This Recommendation conforms to the principle of proportionality because it does not 
replace  or  define  national  qualifications  systems  and/or  qualifications  and  leaves  the 
implementation of the recommendation to the Member States.  

Existing reporting systems will be used, minimising the administrative burden.  

Choice of instruments 

Proposed instrument: Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council. 

Other means would not be as effective. In particular, in addition to a Recommendation, 
the  Commission  also  considered  a  Communication  from  the  Commission  and  a 
Decision of the European Parliament and the Council. See under the impact assessment 
section above. 

4) BUDGETARY IMPLICATION 

409 

The proposal has no implication for the Community budget. 

5) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

Review/revision/sunset clause 

The proposal includes a review clause. 

European Economic Area 

531 

560 

The proposed act concerns an EEA matter and should therefore extend to the European 
Economic Area. 

570 

Detailed explanation of the proposal 

The core element of the EQF is a set of 8 reference levels which will act as a common 
and  neutral  reference  point  for  education  and  training  authorities  at  national  and 
sectoral  level.  The  eight  levels  cover  the  entire  span  of  qualifications  from  those 
achieved  at  the  end  of  compulsory  education  and  training  to  those  awarded  at  the 
highest  level  of academic  and professional and vocational education and training. As 
an instrument for the promotion of lifelong learning, the EQF encompasses general and 
adult education, vocational education and training as well as higher education. Levels 
5-8 contain a clear reference to the levels defined in the framework for the European 
Higher Education Area in the context of the Bologna process. 

The description of the 8 EQF reference levels is based on learning outcomes - in the 
EQF understood as the statements of what a learner knows, understands and is able to 
do  on  completion  of  a  learning  process.  This  reflects  an  important  shift  in  the  way 
education, training and learning is conceptualised and described. The shift to learning 
outcomes introduces a common language making it possible to compare qualifications 
according to their content and profile and not according to methods and processes of 
delivery.  In  the  EQF  learning  outcomes  are  defined  by  a  combination  of  knowledge, 
skills  and  competence.  The  balance  between  these  elements  will  vary  from 
qualification  to  qualification  as  the  EQF  covers  all  qualifications  at  all  levels  and 

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academic  as  well  as  vocational  qualifications.  The  use  of  learning  outcomes  in 
describing  qualification  levels  will  facilitate  the  validation  of  learning  taking  place 
outside  formal  education  and  training  institutions,  which  is  in  general  seen  as  a  key 
element of lifelong learning. 

The  EQF  is  also  a  framework  for  cooperation  and  an  instrument  for  strengthening 
mutual trust between national stakeholders and also international sectoral organisations 
involved  in  education  and  training.  The  successful  implementation  of  the  EQF 
requires,  however,  that  national  education  and  training  authorities  and  sectoral 
stakeholders commit to it on a voluntary basis.  

The  primary  users  of  the  EQF  will  be  bodies  in  charge  of  national  and/or  sectoral 
qualification  systems  and  frameworks.  The  EQF  will  only  be  relevant  to  individual 
citizens, employers and education and training providers after the referencing process 
has been carried out at national and/or sectoral level. 

As to the involvement of sectors, the EQF will provide an opportunity for international 
sectoral  organisations  to  refer  their  qualification  systems  to  the  EQF.  The  main 
objective  in  relation  to  sectors  is  to  develop  stronger  links  between  the  national 
qualifications systems and emerging international sectoral qualifications.  

The development of mutual trust in the cooperation between the different stakeholders 
involved in education and training must be based on shared procedures and criteria. To 
achieve this, decisions regarding the referencing of a national or sectoral qualification 
to  the  EQF  must  be  made  public.  In  addition,  the  setting  up  of  a  European  advisory 
body  consisting  of  representatives  from  all  countries  using  the  EQF  is  another 
important element promoting common approaches. 

The  decision  at  national  and  sectoral  level  to  use  the  EQF  must  be  based  on  a 
commitment  to  quality  assurance.  Introducing  systems  for  quality  assurance  at  all 
relevant  levels  of  education  and  training  -  and  in  relation  to  the  cooperation  process 
itself  -  is  crucial  for  developing  mutual  trust.  The  implementation  of  the  EQF  must 
therefore  take  into  account  the  conclusions  on  quality  assurance  in  vocational 
education and training adopted by the Council on 28 May 2004 and Recommendation 
2006/143/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 February 2006 on 
further European cooperation in quality assurance in higher education. 

The  implementation  of  the  EQF  requires  coordination  at  national  level.  From  the 
perspective of the EQF, the development of national qualifications frameworks would 
increase the potential for success. 

Particular attention must be paid to the development - through testing, experimentation 
and  direct  cooperation  -  of  support  and  guidance  material  to  be  used  at  sectoral, 
national  and  European  level  contributing  to  the  consistency  of  the  implementation 
process,  in  particular  as  regards  the  referencing  of  national  and  sectoral  qualification 
levels to the EQF levels. The proposal recommends that national qualifications systems 
be  related  to  the  EQF  by  2009  and  that  new  qualifications  and  Europass  documents 
contain a reference to their EQF level by 2011. 

Particular attention must also be paid to the impact of a learning outcomes approach as 
used  in  the  EQF  on  classifications  of  knowledge,  skills  and  competences.  Future 

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developments of existing statistical classifications and nomenclatures allowing for the 
measurement  of  education  and  training  attainment  such  as  the  ISCED  97  should 
therefore take this into consideration. 

These  processes  will  have  to  be  facilitated  and  supported  at  European  level  by  the 
Commission  and  supported  by  agencies  like  Cedefop  and  the  European  Training 
Foundation. 

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2006/0163 (COD) 

Proposal for a 

RECOMMENDATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 
AND OF THE COUNCIL  

on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning 

(Text with EEA relevance) 

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 
149(4), and Article 150(4) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission2, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee3, 

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions4, 

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty5, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

The  development  of  citizens’  knowledge,  skills  and  competence  is  crucial  for 
competitiveness  and  social  cohesion  in  the  Community.  Participation  in  lifelong 
learning  and  the  use  of  qualifications  should  therefore  be  promoted  and  improved  at 
the national and Community levels. 

The  Lisbon  European  Council  in  2000  concluded  that  an  increased  transparency  of 
qualifications  should  be  one  of  the  main  components  that  are  necessary  to  adapt 
education  and  training  systems  in  the  Community  to  the  demands  of  the  knowledge 
society.  Furthermore  the  Barcelona  European  Council  in  2002  called  for  both  closer 
cooperation  in  the  university  sector  and  the  improvement  of  transparency  and 
recognition methods in the area of vocational education and training. 

(3) 

The Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 on lifelong learning6 invited the Commission, 
in close cooperation with the Council and the Member States, to develop a framework 
for  the  recognition  of  qualifications  for  both  education  and  training,  building  on  the 

2 
3 
4 
5 
6 

OJ C , , p. . 
OJ C , , p. . 
OJ C , , p. . 
OJ C , , p. . 
OJ C 163, 9.7.2002, p. 1. 

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(4) 

(5) 

(6) 

(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

achievements  of  the  Bologna  process  and  promoting  similar  action  in  the  area  of 
vocational training. 

The  Joint  Reports  of  the  Council  and  the  Commission  on  the  implementation  of  the 
Education  and  Training  2010  work  programme,  adopted  in  2004  and  2006,  stressed 
the need to develop a European Qualifications Framework. 

In  the  context  of  the  Copenhagen  process,  the  Conclusions  of  the  Council  and  the 
Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council 
of 15  November  2004 on  the  Future  priorities of enhanced European Cooperation in 
vocational  education  and  training  gave  priority  to  the  development  of  an  open  and 
flexible  European  Qualifications  Framework,  founded  on  transparency  and  mutual 
trust, which should stand as a common reference covering both education and training. 

The  Brussels  European  Councils  of  March  2005  and  March  2006  underlined  the 
importance of adopting a European Qualifications Framework. 

This Recommendation takes into account Decision No 2241/2004/EC of the European 
Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  15  December  2004  on  a  single  Community 
framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences (Europass)7 and the 
Recommendation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  [...]  on  key 
competences for lifelong learning8. 

This  Recommendation  is  compatible  with  the  framework  for  the  European  Higher 
Education  Area  and  cycle  descriptors  adopted  by  the  ministers  for  higher  education 
meeting in Bergen in May 2005.  

This Recommendation does not apply to situations covered by Directive 2005/36/EC 
of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition 
of  professional  qualifications9  which  confers  rights  and  obligations  on  both  the 
relevant national authority and the migrant. Reference to the European Qualifications 
Framework  levels  on  qualifications  should  not  affect  access  to  the  labour  market 
where  professional  qualifications  have  been  recognised  in  accordance  with  Directive 
2005/36/EC. 

(10)  The  objective  of  this  Recommendation  is  to  create  a  common  reference  framework 
which  should  serve  as  a  translation  device  between  different  qualifications  systems 
and their levels, whether for general and higher education or for vocational education 
and  training.  This  will  increase  the  transparency,  comparability  and  portability  of 
citizens’  qualifications  in  different  Member  States.  The  European  Qualifications 
Framework should moreover enable international sectoral organisations to relate their 
qualifications systems to a common reference point and thus facilitate the placing of 
these  qualifications  within  national  qualifications  systems.  This  Recommendation 
therefore  contributes  to  the  wider  objectives  of  promoting  lifelong  learning  and 
increasing the mobility of workers and learners.  

7 
8 
9 

OJ L 390, 31.12.2004, p. 6. 
COM(2005) 548. 
OJ L 255, 30.9.2005, p. 22. 

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(11)  This Recommendation conforms to the principle of subsidiarity referred to in Article 5 
of  the  Treaty  insofar  as  its  objective  is  to  support  and  supplement  Member  States’ 
action by facilitating further cooperation between them to increase transparency and to 
promote  mobility  and  lifelong  learning.  This  Recommendation  conforms  to  the 
principle  of  proportionality  referred  to  in  that  Article  because  it  does  not  replace  or 
define  national  qualifications  systems  and/or  qualifications.  The  European 
Qualifications Framework does not describe specific qualifications or an individual’s 
competences  and  a  particular  qualification  should  be  placed  at  the  appropriate 
European  Qualifications  Framework  level  via  the  relevant  national  qualifications 
system. 

HEREBY RECOMMEND THAT MEMBER STATES: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

Use  the  European  Qualifications  Framework  as  a  reference  tool  to  compare  the 
qualification  levels  of  different  qualifications  systems  within  a  lifelong  learning 
perspective; 

Relate their national qualifications system to the European Qualifications Framework 
by  2009,  in  particular  by  referencing  in  a  transparent  manner  their  qualification 
levels  to  the  levels  set  out  in  Annex  I,  and  by  developing  a  national  qualifications 
framework, where appropriate according to national legislation and practice; 

Ensure that, by 2011, all new qualifications and “Europass” documents issued by the 
competent  authorities  contain  a  clear  reference  to  the  appropriate  European 
Qualifications Framework level; 

Use  an  approach  based  on  learning  outcomes  when  defining  and  describing 
qualifications,  and  promote  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal  learning 
according to the common European principles agreed in the Council conclusions of 
28 May 2004; 

Designate  a  national  centre  to  support  and  coordinate  the  relationship  between  the 
national qualifications system and the European Qualifications Framework. 

This centre’s tasks should include: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

referencing levels of qualifications within the national qualifications system to 
the European Qualifications Framework levels described in Annex I; 

promoting  and  applying  the  principles  for  quality  assurance  in  education  and 
training set out in Annex II when relating the national qualifications system to 
the European Qualifications Framework ; 

ensuring that the methodology used to refer national qualifications levels to the 
European  Qualifications  Framework  is  transparent  and  that  the  resulting 
decisions are published; 

providing guidance to stakeholders on how national qualifications relate to the 
European  Qualifications  Framework  through  the  national  qualifications 
system; 

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(e) 

ensuring  the  participation  of  all  relevant  national  stakeholders  including, 
according to national legislation and practice, higher education and vocational 
education  and  training  institutions,  social  partners,  sectors  and  experts  on  the 
comparison and use of qualifications at the European level; 

6. 

For  the  purposes  of  the  Recommendation,  the  definitions  which  apply  are  the 
following: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

(g) 

(h) 

‘qualification’  means  a  formal  outcome  of  an  assessment  and  validation 
process  which  is  obtained  when  a  competent  body  determines  that  an 
individual has achieved learning outcomes to given standards;  

‘national qualifications system’ means all aspects of a Member States’ activity 
related to the recognition of learning and other mechanisms that link education 
and  training  to  the  labour  market  and  civil  society.  This  includes  the 
development  and  implementation  of  institutional  arrangements  and  processes 
relating  to  quality  assurance,  assessment  and  the  award  of  qualifications.  A 
national  qualifications  system  may  be  composed  of  several  subsystems  and 
may include a national qualifications framework;  

‘national qualifications framework’ means an instrument for the classification 
of  qualifications  according  to  a  set  of  criteria  for  specified  levels  of  learning 
achieved.  This  aims  to  integrate  and  coordinate  national  qualifications 
subsystems  and  improve  the  transparency,  access,  progression  and  quality  of 
qualifications in relation to the labour market and civil society; 

‘sector‘ means a grouping of professional activities on the basis of their main 
economic function, product, service or technology; 

‘international  sectoral  organisation’  means  an  association  of  national 
organisations, including for example employers and professional bodies, which 
represents the interests of national sectors; 

‘learning  outcomes’  means  statements  of  what  a  learner  knows,  understands 
and is able to do on completion of a learning process and are defined in terms 
of knowledge, skills and competence; 

‘knowledge’  means  the  outcome  of  the  assimilation  of  information  through 
learning. Knowledge is the body of facts, principles, theories and practises that 
is  related  to  a  field  of  study  or  work.  In  the  European  Qualifications 
Framework, knowledge is described as theoretical and/or factual; 

‘skills’  means  the  ability  to  apply  knowledge  and  use  know-how  to  complete 
tasks and solve problems. In the European Qualifications Framework, skills are 
described  as  cognitive  (use  of  logical,  intuitive  and  creative  thinking)  and 
practical (involving manual dexterity and the use of methods, materials, tools 
and instruments); 

(i) 

‘competence’ means the proven ability to use knowledge, skills and personal, 
social  and/or  methodological  abilities,  in  work  or  study  situations  and  in 

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professional  and/or  personal  development.  In  the  European  Qualifications 
Framework, competence is described in terms of responsibility and autonomy. 

ENDORSE THE COMMISSION’S INTENTION TO: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

Support  Member  States  in  carrying  out  the  above  tasks  and  international  sectoral 
organisations  in  using  the  reference  levels  and  principles  of  the  European 
Qualifications  Framework  as  set  out  in  this  Recommendation,  in  particular  by 
facilitating cooperation and testing, and developing support and guidance material; 

Establish  a  European  Qualifications  Framework  advisory  group  (including 
representatives  of  the  national  centres,  the  European  social  partners  and  other 
stakeholders,  as  appropriate)  in  order  to  monitor,  co-ordinate  and  to  ensure  the 
quality and overall coherence of the process of relating qualifications systems to the 
European Qualifications Framework; 

Monitor the action taken in response to this Recommendation and report, five years 
after  its  adoption,  to  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  on  the  experience 
gained and implications for the future, including, if necessary, a possible review of 
this Recommendation.  

Done at Brussels,  

For the European Parliament 
The President 

For the Council 
The President 

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ANNEX I 

Descriptors defining levels in the European Qualifications Framework 

Each of the 8 levels is defined by a set of descriptors indicating the learning outcomes relevant to qualifications at that level in any system of 
qualifications.  

Knowledge  
In 
is 
the  EQF,  knowledge 
described as theoretical and/or 
factual. 

 basic general knowledge  

basic  factual  knowledge  of  a 
field of work or study  

learning  outcomes 

Level 1 
The 
relevant to Level 1 are 
Level 2 
The 
relevant to Level 2 are 

learning  outcomes 

Level 3 
The 
relevant to Level 3 are 

learning  outcomes 

knowledge of facts, principles, 
general 
and 
processes 
concepts, in a field of work or 
study.  

Level 4 
The 
relevant to Level 4 are 

learning  outcomes 

and 

theoretical 
factual 
knowledge  in  broad  contexts 
within a field of work or study  

thinking) 

Skills 
In  the  EQF,  skills  are  described  as 
cognitive  (use  of  logical,  intuitive  and 
creative 
practical 
(involving manual dexterity and the use 
tools  and 
of  methods,  materials, 
instruments). 
basic skills required to carry out simple 
tasks  

and 

basic  cognitive  and  practical  skills 
required  to  use  relevant  information  in 
order  to  carry  out  tasks  and  to  solve 
routine problems using simple rules and 
tools 
a  range  of  cognitive  and  practical  skills 
required  to  accomplish  tasks  and  solve 
problems  by  selecting  and  applying 
basic  methods, 
tools,  materials  and 
information 
 a range of cognitive and practical skills 
required to generate solutions to specific 
problems in a field of work or study 

Competence 
In  the  EQF,  competence  is  described  in 
terms of responsibility and autonomy. 

work or study under direct supervision in 
a structured context 

work  or  study  under  supervision  with 
some autonomy  

take  responsibility  for  completion  of 
tasks in work or study  
adapt own behaviour to circumstances in 
solving problems 

the 
exercise  self-management  within 
guidelines of work or study contexts that 
are usually predictable, but are subject to 
change  
supervise  the  routine  work  of  others, 
the 
taking 

responsibility 

some 

for 

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Level 5* 
The 
relevant to Level 5 are 

learning  outcomes 

specialised, 
comprehensive, 
factual 
theoretical 
and 
knowledge  within  a  field  of 
work 
an 
study 
awareness of the boundaries of 
that knowledge 

and 

or 

a comprehensive range of cognitive and 
practical  skills  required 
to  develop 
creative solutions to abstract problems 

evaluation  and  improvement  of  work  or 
study activities 
exercise  management  and  supervision  in 
contexts of work or study activities where 
there is unpredictable change 

review  and  develop  performance  of  self 
and others 

Level 6** 
The 
relevant to Level 6 are 

learning  outcomes 

advanced knowledge of a field 
of  work  or  study,  involving  a 
of 
critical 
theories and principles 

understanding 

innovation, 

advanced  skills,  demonstrating  mastery 
and 
solve 
complex  and  unpredictable  problems  in 
a specialised field of work or study 

required 

to 

complex 

technical 

manage 
or 
professional  activities  or  projects,  taking 
in 
for  decision-making 
responsibility 
unpredictable work or study contexts  
take 
for  managing 
professional  development  of  individuals 
and groups  

responsibility 

Level 7*** 
The 
relevant to Level 7 are 

learning  outcomes 

highly  specialised  knowledge, 
the 
some  of  which 
forefront  of  knowledge  in  a 
field  of  work  or  study,  as  the 
basis for original thinking 

is  at 

problem-solving 

specialsed 
skills 
required in research and/or innovation in 
order  to  develop  new  knowledge  and 
procedures  and  to  integrate  knowledge 
from different fields  

awareness 

critical 
of 
knowledge issues in a field and 
between 
interface 
the 
at 
different fields 

manage  and  transform  work  or  study 
contexts  that  are  complex,  unpredictable 
and require new strategic approaches 
take  responsibility  for  contributing  to 
professional  knowledge  and  practice 
strategic 
reviewing 
for 
and/or 
performance of teams 

the 

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Level 8**** 
The 
relevant to Level 8 are 

learning  outcomes 

the  most 
at 
knowledge 
advanced  frontier  of  a  field  of 
work  or  study  and  at 
the 
interface between fields  

the most advanced and specialised skills 
and  techniques,  including  synthesis  and 
evaluation,  required  to  solve  critical 
problems  in  research  and/or  innovation 
and  to  extend  and  redefine  existing 
knowledge or professional practice 

substantial 

integrity  and 

authority, 
demonstrate 
innovation,  autonomy,  scholarly  and 
professional 
sustained 
commitment  to  the  development  of  new 
ideas  or  processes  at  the  forefront  of 
work  or 
including 
research.  

contexts 

study 

Compatibility with the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area  

The  Framework  for  Qualifications  of  the  European  Higher  Education  Area  provides  descriptors  for  cycles.  Each  cycle  descriptor  offers  a  generic 
statement of typical expectations of achievements and abilities associated with qualifications that represent the end of that cycle. 

*  The  descriptor  for  the  higher  education  short  cycle  (within  or  linked  to  the  first  cycle),  developed  by  the  Joint  Quality  Initiative  as  part  of  the 
Bologna process, corresponds to the learning outcomes for EQF level 5 

** The descriptor for the first cycle in the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area corresponds to the learning outcomes 
for EQF level 6  

The descriptor for the second cycle in the Framework for Qualifications of the European Higher Education Area corresponds to the learning 

*** 
outcomes for EQF level 7  

****  The  descriptor  for  the  third  cycle  in  the  Framework  for  Qualifications  of  the  European  Higher  Education  Area  corresponds  to  the  learning 
outcomes for EQF level 8 

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ANNEX II 

Principles for Quality Assurance in Education and Training 

Quality Assurance which is necessary to ensure accountability and improvement of education 
and training should be carried out in accordance with the following principles. 

–  Quality assurance policies and procedures should cover all levels of education and training 

systems. 

–  Quality assurance should be an integral part of the internal management of education and 

training institutions. 

–  Quality  assurance  should  include  regular  evaluation  of  institutions  or  programmes  by 

external monitoring bodies or agencies. 

–  External monitoring bodies or agencies carrying out quality assurance should be subject to 

regular review. 

–  Quality  assurance  should  include  context,  input,  process  and  output  dimensions,  while 

giving emphasis to outputs and learning outcomes; 

–  Quality Assurance systems should include the following elements 

–  clear and measurable objectives and standards; 

–  guidelines for implementation, including stakeholder involvement; 

–  appropriate resources; 

–  consistent evaluation methods, associating self-assessment and external review; 

–  feedback mechanisms and procedures for improvement; 

–  widely accessible evaluation results. 

–  Quality  Assurance  initiatives  at  international,  national  and  regional  level  should  be 
coordinated in order to ensure overview, coherence, synergy and system-wide analysis. 

–  Quality Assurance should be a cooperative process across education and training levels and 
systems,  involving  all  relevant  stakeholders,  within  Member  States  and  across  the 
Community. 

–  Quality  Assurance  guidelines  at  Community  level  may  provide  reference  points  for 

evaluations and peer-learning. 

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