Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education diplomas and the outcomes of learning periods abroad
Date: 2018-05-22
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: cooperation in the field of education, diploma, educational exchange, higher education, mutual recognition principle, recognition of diplomas, recognition of studies, recognition of vocational training qualifications, secondary education, vocational training

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 22.5.2018 COM(2018) 270 final 2018/0126 (NLE)  Proposal for a COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary education diplomas and the outcomes of learning periods abroad {SWD(2018) 170 final}  
 
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

• 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal 

The  objective  of  the  proposed  Council  Recommendation  is  to  ensure  that  any  student, 
apprentice  or  pupil  who  has  a  learning  experience  abroad,  whether  for  a  qualification  or 
learning  mobility,  has  that  experience  automatically  recognised  for  the  purposes  of  further 
study.  This  shall  not  prejudice  the  right  of  an  education  and  training  institution  to  make 
decisions on admission. 

This goal is a core element of the ambition to work towards a European Education Area by 
2025, which calls for “a Europe in which learning, studying and doing research would not be 
hampered by borders. A continent, where spending time in another Member State – to study, 
to learn, or to work – has become the standard and where, in addition to one's mother tongue, 
speaking  two  other  languages  has  become  the  norm;  a  continent  in  which  people  have  a 
strong sense of their identity as Europeans, of Europe's cultural heritage and its diversity”. 
Our ambition is to enable Member States to intensify and accelerate their cooperation in these 
various  areas,  and  thus  also  to  provide  inspiration  to  other  non-EU  countries  to  follow. 
Furthermore,  the  European  Education  Area  will  be  based  on  a  life-long  learning  approach, 
covering all age groups, all forms of learning and all sectors in education and training. 

By  adopting  this  Council  Recommendation,  Member  States  will  be  invited  first  to  make  a 
political  commitment  to  automatic  recognition.  Then  they  will  be  invited  to  implement  a 
technical step-by-step approach to build trust in each other’s education and training systems. 
This takes account of the situation in different education and training sectors, as procedures 
and tools for recognition are more developed in higher education than in secondary education. 
The  proposal  sets  out  the  conditions  that  must  be  fulfilled  for  automatic  recognition  to 
become a reality, as well as the EU tools that can support Member States, and their education 
and training institutions, in the realisation of this goal. 

Learning mobility fosters competences and experiences that are crucial for active participation 
in society and the labour market. It can also foster labour mobility and thereby contribute to 
better  living  standards,  as  well  as  individual  and  economic  resilience.  The  recent  mid-term 
evaluation  of  the  Erasmus+  programme1  reported  on  the  positive  impact  of  mobility  on 
learners’  confidence,  independence,  social  capital  and  transition  to  employment.  In  the 
context of a globalised education and employment environment, it is imperative that learners 
are able to make the best possible use of all learning opportunities across the EU. However, 
the  lack  of  automatic  recognition  of  qualifications  and  the  outcomes  of  learning  periods 
abroad is hampering this mobility.  

To date, the only legal text in this area is the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications 
concerning  Higher  Education  in  the  European  Region  (Lisbon  Recognition  Convention)2, 
developed  by  the  Council  of  Europe  and  UNESCO  and  adopted  in  1997.  It  has  since  been 
ratified  by  53  countries3.  It  covers  both  school-leaving  and  higher  education  qualifications. 
Mutual recognition of higher education qualifications within the European Higher Education 
Area is also one of the fundamental goals of the Bologna Process4, which was established in 
1998  and  is  comprised  of  48  countries,  including  all  Member  States.  In  the  Bucharest 

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https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/documents.evaluations_en  
https://www.coe.int/t/dg4/highereducation/recognition/lrc_en.asp  
Including all Member States with the exception of Greece. 
http://www.ehea.info/  

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Communique  of  2012,  Ministers  committed  to  the  long-term  goal  of  automatic  recognition. 
However, despite reaffirmation of this commitment in the Yerevan communiqué5 of 2015, in 
which Ministers committed to ensuring that “qualifications […] are automatically recognised 
at the same level as relevant domestic qualifications”, tangible progress continues to be slow 
or non-existent.  

There  are  still  too  many  cases  in  higher  education  where  complicated,  expensive,  time-
consuming recognition procedures hinder the free movement of learners. In some cases, these 
procedures  can  take  several  months  and  be  very  costly6,  with  inconsistency  and  a  lack  of 
transparency  adding  to  the  difficulties  learners  face.  One  of  the  reasons  for  this  is  that 
decisions on recognition are often left to the discretion of the higher education institution to 
which the learner is applying, with varying institutional practices and a lack of uniformity in 
criteria. 

In general upper secondary education, mutual recognition processes, of both upper secondary 
qualifications  and  outcomes  of  learning  periods  abroad,  are  underdeveloped.  Holders  of 
qualifications  giving  access  to  higher  education  in  one  Member  State  often  lack  certainty 
about  access  to  higher  education  in  another  Member  State.  Furthermore,  while  shorter 
learning  periods  abroad  create  no  recognition  problems,  uncertainty  remains  an  important 
challenge for periods between three months and one year. This is having a negative impact on 
the  learning  mobility  of  people  entering  higher  education7,  and  also  at  secondary  education 
level.  Moreover,  in  view  of  an  expansion  of  pupil  mobility  at  secondary  level  in  the  future 
generation  of  the  Erasmus+  programme,  recognition  issues  at  this  level  will  become  even 
more important.  

Recognition  of  individual  mobility  in  upper  secondary  vocational  education  and  training  is 
more  developed.  Such  learners  can  use  tools to  have  their  learning  outcomes  recognised  by 
their home institution. On the other hand, graduates of upper secondary vocational education 
and training who have access to higher education in their country do not have certainty that 
they  will  have  the  same  access  in  other  Member  States,  as  national  practices  vary.  This 
uncertainty about access clearly has a negative impact on learning mobility.  

However, considerable progress has been made between groups of Member States that have 
come  together  to  make  agreements  on  automatic  recognition.  One  of  the  examples  is  the 
Benelux8 Decision on automatic recognition signed on 25 January 2018, in which all higher 
education qualifications – from short cycle programmes to doctorates – are included. Similar 
arrangements apply amongst the Nordic countries9, and a further agreement is expected to be 
signed by the Baltic states10 in 2018. Both of these include upper secondary qualifications that 
give access to higher education. In addition, some Member States, such as Austria and Italy, 
automatically  recognise  the  outcomes  of  learning  periods  spent  in  any  country  during 
secondary education and training. 

A positive example of cooperation between Member States regarding the recognition of upper 
secondary qualifications giving access to higher education is the European Baccalaureate, the 

5 
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http://bologna-yerevan2015.ehea.info/files/YerevanCommuniqueFinal.pdf.  
Making  Integration  Work,  Organisation  for  Economic  Co-operation  and  Development  (2017): 
http://www.oecd.org/migration/making-integration-work-humanitarian-migrants-9789264251236-
en.htm 
This encompasses both short cycle and Bachelor levels.  
Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands. 
Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. 
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. 

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diploma awarded by the European Schools11. European Baccalaureate diploma holders enjoy 
the same rights and benefits as other holders of secondary school-leaving certificates in their 
countries,  including  the  same  right  as  nationals  with  equivalent  qualifications  to  seek 
admission to any higher education institution in any Member State. 

The added value of this proposal for a Council Recommendation is to build on these examples 
to spread automatic recognition to all Member States. It will support Member States and their 
education  and  training  organisations  in  implementation,  while  respecting  that  they  are 
responsible for their education and training systems. This important step towards the creation 
of the European Education Area can then act as an inspiration for progress to be made in other 
fora, for example, within the geographically wider European Higher Education Area.  

For the purposes of this Council Recommendation, automatic recognition of a qualification is 
understood  as  the  right  for  holders  of  a  qualification  that  has  been  issued  by  one  Member 
State  to  be  considered  for  access  to  a  programme  for  education  or  training  in  any  other 
Member  State,  without  having  to  go  through  a  separate  recognition  procedure.  Automatic 
recognition of the outcomes of a learning period abroad is understood as the right to have the 
outcomes  of  a  learning  period  in  one  Member  State  recognised  in  any  other  Member  State 
when the learning outcomes have been appropriately documented. A glossary of terms used in 
this document is provided in the annex.  

• 

Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area 

Proposing  a  Council  Recommendation  on  promoting  the  automatic  mutual  recognition  of 
higher education and upper secondary education diplomas and study periods abroad was one 
of  the  key  elements  in  the  European  Commission's  contribution  to  the  Leaders'  meeting  in 
Gothenburg on 17 November 2017: the Communication on Strengthening European Identity 
through Education and Culture12. It is strongly linked to the ambition of creating a European 
Education Area by 2025, and was endorsed through the European Council conclusions of 14 
December 201713, which called for work to  be taken forward in  “promoting cooperation of 
Member  States  on  mutual  recognition  of  higher  education  and  school  leaving  diplomas  at 
secondary education level in the appropriate framework”.  

Work  on  automatic  mutual  recognition  also  takes  forward  work  under  the  priority  area  on 
“transparency  and  recognition  of  skills  and  qualifications  to  facilitate  learning  and  labour 
mobility”, as  identified in  the 2015 Joint Report of the Council and the Commission  on the 
implementation  of  the  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in  education  and 
training14.  

Within  the  framework  of  the  European  Union's  education  and  training  policy,  work  on 
automatic mutual recognition of qualifications and outcomes  of learning periods abroad can 
rely on a number of building blocks, including: 

(a) 

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The  Council  Recommendation  of  22  May  2017  on  the  European  Qualifications 
Framework  for  Lifelong  Learning,  which  aims  to  improve  the  transparency, 
comparability  and  portability  of  people's  qualifications.  It  created  a  common 

European  Schools  are  governed  by  the  cooperation  between  all  the  EU  Member  States  and  the  EU 
under the Convention defining the Statute of the European Schools, Official Journal L 212, 17/08/1994 
P. 0003 - 0014. 
COM(2017) 
final: 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2017%3A673%3AFIN 
EUCO  19/1/17  REV  1:  https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/32204/14-final-conclusions-rev1-
en.pdf  
2015/C 417/04: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52015XG1215%2802%29  

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

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reference framework of eight levels of qualifications, expressed as learning outcomes 
with  increasing  levels  of  proficiency.  They  serve  as  a  translation  device  between 
different qualifications systems and  their levels. Member States  have developed, or 
are developing, national qualifications frameworks based on learning outcomes and 
are relating these to the European Qualifications Framework; 
The  Europass  Decision15  on  a  common  framework  for  the  provision  of  better 
services  for  skills  and  qualifications,  which  will  establish  a  comprehensive  and 
interoperable  framework  of  tools  and  information,  in  particular  for  transnational 
employment and learning mobility purposes; 

The  Commission  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  key  competences  for 
lifelong  learning16  of  17  January  2018,  which  updates  the  Recommendation  of  the 
European Parliament and of the Council on key competences for lifelong learning17 
of December 2006. It recommends supporting and further developing the assessment 
and  validation  of  key  competences to  enable individuals  to  have  their competences 
recognised and obtain full, or where applicable, partial qualifications; 

The  Council  Recommendation  on  the  validation  of  non-formal  and  informal 
learning18  of  December  2012,  which  invited  Member  States  to  have  in  place 
arrangements for the validation of non-formal and informal learning by 2018; 

Quality assurance processes, which allow Member States’ higher education systems 
to demonstrate quality and increase transparency, thus helping to build mutual trust 
and  better  recognition  of  their  qualifications,  programmes  and  other  provisions.  In 
line with the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 
February 2006 on further cooperation in quality assurance in higher education19, the 
Commission  and  Member  States  support  cooperation  between  higher  education 
institutions, quality assurance and accreditation agencies, competent authorities and 
other bodies active in the field. The bases for trust and recognition are a common set 
of  Standards  and  Guidelines  for  Quality  Assurance  in  the  European  Higher 
Education  Area,  which  have  been  developed  by  the  Bologna  Process,  and  the 
European  Quality  Assurance  Register  for  Higher  Education20,  which  provides 
reliable  information  on  quality  assurance  agencies  that  have  demonstrated  their 
substantial compliance with these standards and guidelines; 

The  European  Quality  Assurance  Reference  Framework  for  Vocational  Education 
and  Training21,  adopted  in  2009,  which  supports  the  improvement  of  quality 
assurance arrangements in vocational education and training programmes. This helps 
to  increase  transparency  and  thereby  trust  in  the  vocational  education  and  training 
systems of the Member States; 

Adopted in the European Parliament on 14 March 2018 and by Member States on 12 April 2018.  
https://ec.europa.eu/education/sites/education/files/recommendation-key-competences-lifelong-
learning.pdf  
2006/962/EC: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32006H0962  
2012/C 398/01: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012H1222(01)  
2006/143/EC: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32006H0143  
18 Member States use quality assurance agencies that have been registered with the European Quality 
Assurance Register. 
2009/C 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.C_.2009.155.01.0001.01.ENG  

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

155/01: 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

(e) 

(f) 

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(g) 

The  Recommendation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  18  June 
2009 on a European Credit System for Vocational Education and Training  22, which 
facilitates  the  recognition  of  learning  outcomes  in  accordance  with  national 
legislation, including  through such  tools  as  learning agreements and  memoranda  of 
understanding.  

• 

Consistency with other Union policies 

By supporting the improvement of recognition of qualifications and the outcomes of learning 
periods carried out across the European Union, and thereby increasing access to opportunities 
for  education,  training  and  employment  mobility,  this  proposal  will  contribute  to  the 
realisation of the Commission's priority on boosting jobs and growth23. 
The  proposal  is  also  in  line  with  the  Rome  Declaration24,  which  calls  for  “a  Union  where 
young people receive the best education and training and can study and find jobs across the 
continent”. 
It  will  also  contribute  to  the  first  principle  of  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights25,  which 
states that “[e]veryone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long 
learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society 
and successfully manage transitions in the labour market”. 
The proposal is also consistent with Guideline 7 of the 2018 Employment Guidelines26, which 
states: “[t]he mobility of learners and workers should be promoted with the aim of enhancing 
employability skills and exploring the full potential of the European labour market. Barriers 
to mobility in education and training […] and in the recognition of qualifications should be 
removed”.  
It  is  consistent  with  the  Commission’s  New  Skills  Agenda27  and  the  Action  Plan  on  the 
integration  of  third-country  nationals28,  which  recognise  the  need  for  further  measures  to 
faciliate  the  recognition  of  skills  and  qualifications,  as  well  as  learning  mobility,  of  third 
country  nationals  residing  in  the  EU.  It  is  consistent  also  with  the  Recast  Directive  on 
Students  and  Researchers29,  whose  objective  is  to  facilitate  intra-EU  mobility  for  third-
country researchers and students.  

The proposal is also in line with the Commission’s Communication on boosting growth and 
cohesion  in  EU  border  regions30,  which  encourages  Member  States  to  give  serious 

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final: 

155/02: 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

2009/C 
content/EN/ALL/?uri=OJ%3AC%3A2009%3A155%3ATOC  
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/jobs-growth-and-investment_en.  
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/03/25/rome-declaration/  
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/deeper-and-fairer-economic-and-monetary-union/european-
pillar-social-rights/european-pillar-social-rights-20-principles_en  
COM(2017) 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52017PC0677  
COM(2016)381final:https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/regdoc/rep/1/2016/EN/1-2016-381-EN-F1-
1.PDF  
COM(2016)377final:https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-
do/policies/european-agenda-migration/proposal-implementation-
package/docs/20160607/communication_action_plan_integration_third-country_nationals_en.pdf  
Directive  (EU)  2016/801  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  on  the  conditions  of  entry  and 
residence  of  third-country  nationals  for  the  purposes  of  research,  studies,  training,  voluntary  service, 
pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing (recast): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32016L0801  
COM(2017) 
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docoffic/2014/boosting_growth/com_boosting_borders.pdf 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

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consideration  to  greater  coordination,  more  mutual  recognition  and  closer  alignment  with 
each neighbour. 

2. 

• 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

The initiative is in conformity with Articles 165 and 166 of the Treaty on the Functioning of 
the European Union. Article 165 states that the Union shall contribute to the development of 
quality  education  by  encouraging  cooperation  between  Member  States  and,  if  necessary,  by 
supporting  and  supplementing  their  action,  while  fully  respecting  the  responsibility  of  the 
Member  States  for  the  content  and  organisation  of  their  education  systems.  In  particular, 
Article  165(2)  explicitly  calls  for  Union  action  aimed  at  “encouraging  mobility  of  students 
and teachers, by encouraging, inter alia, the academic recognition of diplomas and periods of 
study”.  

Article  166  states  that  the  Union  shall  implement  a  vocational  training  policy  which  shall 
support  and  supplement  the  action  of  the  Member  States,  while  fully  respecting  the 
responsibility of Member States for the content and organisation of vocational training. 

The  initiative  does  not  propose  any  extension  of  EU  regulatory  power  or  binding 
commitments  on  Member  States.  Member  States  will  decide,  according  to  their  national 
circumstances, how they implement the Council Recommendation.   

• 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)  

The  objective  of  the  proposed  recommendation  is  an  intrinsically  transnational  issue.  It 
requires  further  cooperation  between  Member  States,  cannot  be  achieved  sufficiently  by 
Member States acting alone and can therefore be achieved better at Union level.  

While the Lisbon Recognition Convention and commitments made under the Bologna Process 
provide  a  framework  for  automatic  mutual  recognition,  and  there  are  some  regional 
agreements  amongst  smaller  groups  of  Member  States,  barriers  continue  to  impede  full 
automatic recognition across the Union. 

• 

Proportionality 

The  proposal  envisages  a  step-by-step  approach  to  achieving  automatic  mutual  recognition 
between  Member  States.  The  proposed  recommendation  does  not  go  beyond  what  is 
necessary to achieve its objectives insofar as it is a non-binding instrument that leaves each 
Member  State  in  charge  of  the  approach  to  take  in  working  towards  automatic  mutual 
recognition. 

• 

Choice of the instrument 

To  contribute  to  the  achievement  of  the  objectives  referred  to  in  Articles  165-166  of  the 
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Treaty prescribes that the Council, on a 
proposal from the Commission, shall adopt recommendations. 

3. 

• 

RESULTS 
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

EX-POST 

EVALUATIONS, 

OF 

STAKEHOLDER 

Ex-post evaluations/fitness checks of existing legislation 

Not applicable. 

• 

Stakeholder consultations 

In order to ensure that the stakeholders most concerned by the proposal were able to provide 
their  input  and  expertise,  and  to  add  to  the  Commission's  evidence  base  in  this  area,  the 

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Commission carried out a targeted online consultation of Member States and stakeholders31. 
Nearly  1,000  responses  were  received  from  individuals  and  organisations  working  in 
recognition, education and research across Europe and beyond. 

According  to  the  respondents,  the  main  obstacles  to  achieving  full  automatic  mutual 
recognition  are:  a  lack  of  transparency  and  varying  rules  and  procedures;  lack  of 
comparability  of  learning  outcomes;  lengthy  and  complex  administrative  procedures;  and 
language and translation issues. The consultation confirmed that the necessary framework and 
EU  tools  to  ensure  recognition  exist,  but  further  support  is  necessary  for  their  full 
implementation, with a need to build more trust across the European  Education Area. There 
was  strong  support  for  action  at  both  EU  and  national  level.  Furthermore,  the  consultation 
revealed support for an ambitious Council Recommendation. 

These  results  were  further  reinforced  during  a  dedicated  meeting  where  stakeholders  and 
Member  State  representatives  reaffirmed  the  need  for  the  Council  Recommendation  to  be 
ambitious  and  to  set  a  clear  target  for  achieving  automatic  mutual  recognition.  They 
recommended also the inclusion of references to alternative pathways, such as recogniton of 
prior learning and of professional experience, and of taking into account access arrangements 
to tackle socio-economic disadvantage. The potential of digital solutions, such as blockchain 
and artificial intelligence, should also be explored. 

In  addition,  the  Commission  carried  out  several  rounds  of  consultation  with  the  network  of 
National  Academic  Recognition  Centres,  the  network  of  recognition  authorities  in  Member 
States,  the  European  Economic  Area  and  Turkey,  as  well  as  the  European  Network  of 
National  Information  Centres  on  academic  recognition  and  mobility,  which  includes  all 
parties to the Lisbon Recognition Convention. They indicated support for Union action in this 
area; emphasised the importance of the implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention 
and  adherence  to  the  Bologna  Process  structures  and  highlighted  the  crucial  role  of  quality 
assurance  in  building  trust.  They  also  pointed  to  the  need  for  a  reliable  database  of 
qualifications,  especially  for  upper  secondary  education  and  vocational  education  and 
training. In addition, they recommended strengthening the capacity of recognition authorities 
and considering an expansion of their role to encompass other education and training sectors.  

These consultations were followed by further discussions at meetings of the Directors General 
for  higher  education  and  Directors  General  for  schools.  Directors  General  for  vocational 
education and training were consulted in writing. 

• 

Collection and use of expertise 

Several  studies  prepared  in  the  context  of  the  Bologna  Process  and  the  Lisbon  Recognition 
Convention32  have  highlighted  continued  challenges  and  inconsistencies  in  recognition 
procedures.  Recommendations  included  the  improvement  of  procedures  and  national 
legislation  where  appropriate.  They  proposed  support  for  credential  evaluators  in  order  to 
reduce  time  taken  in  recognition  decisions  and  appeal  procedures.  Improvements  to  the 
Diploma Supplement to strengthen its references to learning outcomes and the examination of 
the potential for system-level recognition on a regional basis were also proposed. Most of the 
recommendations  identified  in  the  Bologna  Process  context  were  endorsed  by  the  Bologna 
Ministerial Conference in 2015.  

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The results of the consultations are outlined in the accompanying Staff Working Document. 
The  2015  and  upcoming  2018  Bologna  Implementation  Reports,  the  2015  report  by  the  European 
Higher Education Area Pathfinder Group on Automatic Recognition and the 2016 report on monitoring 
the impact of the Lisbon Recognition Convention. 

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Previous  works  of  the  Commission  in  the  area  of  recognition  of  qualifications,  involving 
Member States and stakeholders, highlighted a low degree of awareness of recognition tools 
and  the  need  for  a  'recognition  system'  for  all  types  of  education  and  training.  It  concluded 
that  the  ease  with  which  learners  could  have  their  qualifications  recognised  in  another 
Member State remained a cause for concern. 

The  European  Federation  for  Intercultural  Learning  presented  in  2018  an  overview  of  the 
legal and other national provisions for recognition of the outcomes of learning periods abroad. 
It confirmed the vast diversity of legal provisions,  where they exist, and differing practices, 
resulting in unequal opportunities for mobility of secondary pupils in Member States. 

• 

Impact assessment 

No impact assessment was carried out, given the complementary approach of the activities to 
Member State initiatives, the voluntary nature of the proposed activities and the scope of the 
impacts expected. The development of the proposal was instead informed by previous studies, 
a  consultation  of  recognition  authorities  and  a  targeted  consultation  of  Member  States  and 
stakeholders. 

• 

Regulatory fitness and simplification 

Not applicable. 

• 

Fundamental rights 

Member States will commit to ensuring that they will develop initiatives that respect Article 8 
of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which states that everyone has 
the  right  to  the  protection  of  personal  data  concerning  him  or  her;  that  such  data  must  be 
processed fairly for specific purposes and on the basis of the consent of the person concerned 
or some other legitimate basis laid down by law; and that everyone has the right of access to 
data which has been collected concerning him or her, and the right to have it rectified.  

Through the provision of improved recognition, the proposed Council Recommendation will 
also contribute to the realisation of Article 14, on the right to access education and vocational 
education and training, and Article 15, on the right to access employment. 

The  measures  shall  be carried  out  in  accordance  with  EU  law  on  the  protection  of personal 
data, in particular Directive 95/46/EC33, to be replaced on 25 May 2018 with Regulation (EU) 
2016/67934 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of natural persons 
with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (General 
Data Protection Regulation).  

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

The  use  of  existing  EU  funding,  such  as  Erasmus+  or  European  Structural  and  Investment 
Funds,  to  support  the  realisation  of  the  commimtents  made  in  this  proposal  will  be 
encouraged,  where  appropriate  and  in  line  with  their  legal  basis,  as  well  as  their  respective 
financial resources.  

No additional budget or staff resources will be required from the EU budget. 

Moreover, this initiative shall not prejudge the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial 
Framework and future programmes.  

33 
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5. 

• 

OTHER ELEMENTS 

Implementation plans and monitoring, evaluation and reporting arrangements 

Member States will commit to reporting regularly to the Commission on their implementation 
and  evaluation  of  the  measures  within  the  Council  Recommendation,  beginning  within  two 
years  of  its  adoption,  while  the  Commission  will  report  to  the  Council  on  the  overall 
implementation of the Council Recommendation within five years of its adoption, on the basis 
of national reports from the Member States issued four years after its adoption. 

In addition, progress, including any challenges, will be monitored through discussions in the 
current  sectoral  Education  and  Training  2020  Working  Groups  covering  higher  education, 
vocational education and training and schools, which will provide a forum for mutual learning 
and  exchange  of  good  practice.  Without  prejudice  to  agreement  with  Member  States  on  the 
mandate of future working groups, the Commission shall continue to support Member States 
in the implementation of this Council Recommendation beyond 2020.  

• 

Explanatory documents (for directives) 

Not applicable. 

• 

Detailed explanation of the specific provisions of the proposal 

The  proposed  Council  Recommendation  suggests  a  step-by-step  approach  that  will  support 
Member States in putting in place the necessary conditions to result in automatic recognition 
for the purposes of further study. It builds on what has already been done in higher education, 
but with a more ambitious and EU-driven approach. It covers not only higher education, but 
also secondary education and vocational education and training.  

Paragraph 1 

Member States will be invited to commit to ensuring that qualifications or the outcomes of a 
learning  period  abroad  are  automatically  recognised  on  the  same  basis  as  national 
qualifications or learning periods.  

Paragraphs 2-4 

In higher education, Member States will be invited to put in place the conditions necessary to 
build trust in each other’s education and training systems. They will also be invited to commit 
to developing national guidance to support the implementation and use of transparency tools 
in higher education institutions. 

Paragraphs 5-6 

In  secondary  education  and  training,  Member  States  will  be  invited  to  put  in  place  the 
conditions necessary to build trust in each other’s education and training systems. They will 
also  be  invited  to  produce  national  guidance,  promote  the  use  of  transparency  criteria  and 
tools, exchange information on quality assurance systems in school education, and to develop 
further quality assurance instruments in vocational education and training.  

Paragraph 7 

Member States will be invited to strengthen the capacity of National Academic Recognition 
Centres and credential evaluators. 

Paragraph 8 

In recognition of the importance of improving access for under-represented groups to learning 
mobility opportunities, Member States will be invited to explore good practice with regard to 
recognition of prior learning and permeability between education and training sectors.  

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Paragraphs 9-10 

Member States will be invited to improve the evidence base by collecting and disseminating 
data on recognition cases, and to report to the Commission on progress in the implementation 
of this Council Recommendation. 

Paragraphs 11-19 

The  Commission  will  support  Member  States  in  the  implementation  of  this  Council 
Recommendation through: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mutual learning and exchange of good practices; 

targeted support where necessary; 

user-friendly  online  information  service  of  upper  secondary  qualifications  that  give 
access to higher education; 

synergies  between  EU  transparency  tools,  in  order  to  improve  cooperation  and 
mobility between education and training sectors; 

exploring  the  potential  of  digital  technologies,  including  blockchain,  to  facilitate 
automatic recognition; 

exploring an extension of the scope of National Academic Recognition Information 
Centres; 

Union funding instruments; and  

reporting on progress in the implementation of the Council Recommendation. 

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2018/0126 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION 

on promoting automatic mutual recognition of higher education and upper secondary 
education diplomas and the outcomes of learning periods abroad 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union,  and  in  particular 
Articles 165 and 166 thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

Learning  mobility  fosters  knowledge,  skills,  competences  and  experiences,  including 
personal  and  social  competences  and  cultural  awareness,  that  are  crucial  for  active 
participation  in  society  and  the  labour  market,  as  well  as  for  promoting  a  European 
identity. 

The European Commission, in its Communication on Strengthening European Identity 
through  Education  and  Culture35,  set  out  a  vision  for  the  creation  of  a  European 
Education Area by 2025 in which learning, studying and carrying out research will not 
be  hampered  by  borders,  including  by  removing  obstacles  to  the  recognition  of 
qualifications, both at the level of schools and higher education. 

The  European  Council  Conclusions  of  14  December  2017  called  on  Member  States, 
the  Council  and  the  Commission,  in  line  with  their  respective  competences,  to  take 
work forward in “promoting cooperation of Member States on mutual recognition of 
higher education and school-leaving diplomas at secondary education level”36. 

The  1997  Convention  on  the  Recognition  of  Qualifications  concerning  Higher 
Education  in  the  European  Region  (Lisbon  Recognition  Convention),  developed  by 
the Council of Europe and UNESCO, provides a legal framework for the recognition 
of  higher  education  and  upper  secondary  qualifications  that  give  access  to  higher 
education.  

(5)  Ministers  for  Education  of  the  European  Higher  Education  Area  committed  to  the 
long-term  goal  of  automatic  recognition  of  comparable  academic  degrees  in  the 
Bucharest  Communiqué  of  2012.  Progress  was  made  through  the  work  of  the 
Pathfinder  Group  on  Automatic  Recognition,  but  the  goal  is  still  far  from  being 
reached.  

(6)  Ministers  responsible  for  vocational  education  and  training  in  Member  States 
committed in 2002 to the Copenhagen Process, a process of enhanced cooperation that 
promotes recognition of qualifications and competences.  

35 

36 

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COM(2017) 
final: 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM%3A2017%3A673%3AFIN 
EUCO  19/1/17  REV  1:  https://www.consilium.europa.eu/media/32204/14-final-conclusions-rev1-
en.pdf 

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(7) 

(8) 

(9) 

Quality assurance in particular has a key role to play in improving transparency, thus 
helping  to  build  mutual  trust.  It  is  therefore  important  to  build  on  the  work  already 
accomplished  in  the  context  of  the  European  Standards  and  Guidelines  for  Quality 
Assurance  in  the  European  Higher  Education  Area  and  the  European  Quality 
Assurance Reference Framework for Vocational Education and Training.  

To facilitate the recognition of the learning outcomes in national legislation, including 
in  the  framework  of  mobility,  the  work  on  the implementation  of  a  European  Credit 
Transfer  and  Accumulation  Systems  and  European  Credit  System  for  Vocational 
Education and Training should continue. 

The  Council  Recommendation  of  22  May  2017  on  a  European  Qualifications 
Framework for Lifelong Learning37 set out to improve the transparency, comparability 
and portability of qualifications, thus facilitating their recognition.  

(10)  The European Parliament, in its Resolution of 20 April 2012 on Modernising Europe's 
higher  education  systems,  calls  for  additional  efforts  on  the  part  of  the  EU  and  its 
Member  States  to  ensure  more  effective  recognition  and  greater  harmonisation  of 
academic qualifications38. 

(11) 

In  an  increasingly  globalised context,  it  is  important  that  students  can make  the  best 
possible  use  of  all  learning  opportunities  across  Europe.  For  this  to  happen,  a 
qualification awarded by a competent authority in one Member State should be valid 
in any other Member State for the purpose of accessing further learning activities. This 
includes third-country nationals who hold a qualification from one Member State and 
move  to  another  Member  State.  However,  the  lack  of  this  automatic  recognition  of 
qualifications  and  the  outcomes  of  learning  periods  abroad  is  hampering  mobility. 
Only a Union-wide approach to automatic recognition will provide the needed clarity 
and consistency to overcome the remaining barriers.  

(12) 

In  higher  education,  recognition  procedures  often  remain  too  complicated  or  too 
expensive and too many mobile students do not obtain full recognition of successfully 
achieved learning outcomes. However, several Member States have taken the initiative 
to  make  progress  towards  automatic  recognition,  including  through  the  signature  of 
regional agreements. These initiatives can serve as models for the creation of a Union-
wide system.  

(13)  At  secondary  education  level,  holders  of  qualifications  giving  access  to  higher 
education in one Member State often lack certainty about access to higher education in 
another  Member  State.  In  particular,  some  Member  States  do  not  recognise  the 
qualifications  that  open  access  to  higher  education  for  holders  of  secondary 
qualifications  in  vocational  education  and  training  in  other  Member  States. 
Furthermore,  while  shorter  learning  periods  abroad  do  not  necessarily  create 
recognition problems, uncertainty remains an important challenge for periods between 
three months and one year.  

(14)  A step-by-step approach will support Member States in putting in place the conditions 
that  will  make  automatic  recognition  possible.  This  approach  will  build  on  the  tools 
already  in  place  for  higher  education  and  vocational  education  and  training,  but  will 

37 

38 

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2017/C 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32017H0615%2801%29  
P7_TA(2012)0139: 
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189/03: 

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improve their use and progressively raise the level of ambition. In general secondary 
education and training, a cooperation process aimed at building the necessary level of 
trust  between  Member  States’  different  education  and  training  systems  will  be 
launched.  This  Recommendation  provides  a  complementary  approach  to  Member 
States’ initiatives, and commitments are of a voluntary nature. 

(15)  This  Recommendation  is  without  prejudice  to  the  system  for  mutual  recognition  of 
professional qualifications and harmonised minimum training requirements for several 
professions  pursuant  to  Directive  (EC)  2005/36  of  the  European  Parliament  and  the 
Council  on  the  recognition  of  professional  qualifications39  as  amended  by  Directive 
(EU) 2013/5540. 

HEREBY RECOMMENDS THAT MEMBER STATES: 

In  accordance  with  national  and  European  Union  legislation,  available  resources  and 
national circumstances, and in close cooperation with all relevant stakeholders: 

Key Principle 

1. 

Put in place the steps necessary to achieve, by 2025, automatic recognition of higher 
education  and  upper  secondary  qualifications41,  as  well  as  recognition  of  the 
outcomes  of  learning  periods,  so  that,  without  having  to  go  through  a  separate 
recognition procedure: 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

a  qualification  at  higher  education  level  gained  in  one  Member  State  is 
automatically recognised, for the purpose of granting access to further studies, 
in  the  others,  without  prejudicing  a  higher  education  institution’s  right  to  set 
specific admission criteria for specific programmes;  

an  upper  secondary  qualification  giving  access  to  higher  education  in  one 
Member State is automatically recognised, for the purpose of granting access to 
higher  education,  in  the  others,  without  prejudicing  a  higher  education 
institution’s right to set specific admission criteria for specific programmes; 

the  outcomes  from  a  learning  period  abroad  at  higher  education  level  in  one 
Member  State  are  automatically  and  fully  recognised  in  the  others,  either  as 
agreed in the Learning Agreement and confirmed in the Transcript of Records, 
or  according  to  the  learning  outcomes  of  the  modules  completed  aboad,  as 
described  in  the  Course  Catalogue,  in  line  with  the  European  Credit  and 
Accumulation System; and 

the outcomes from a learning period of up to one year abroad during secondary 
education and training in one Member State are fully recognised in any other, 
with the learner not being required to repeat the programme year in the country 
of origin, provided that the competences acquired are broadly in line with the 
competences defined in the national curricula.  

39 

40 

41 

L 

p. 

22: 

30.9.2005, 

OJ 
255, 
content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A32005L0036 
Directive (EU) 2013/55 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2005/36/EC 
on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative 
cooperation  through  the  Internal  Market  Information  System  (  ‘the  IMI  Regulation’)  OJ  L  354 
28.12.2013, p. 132: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=celex%3A32013L0055  
For  the  purposes  of  this  Council  Recommendation,  qualifications  at  upper  secondary  level  comprise 
level  4  and  qualifications  at  higher  education  level  comprise  levels  5-8  within  the  European 
Qualifications Framework. 

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-

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Higher Education  

2. 

In recognition of the importance of fostering transparency and building trust in each 
other's  higher  education  systems  to  achieve  automatic  recognition,  commit  to 
fulfilling the following conditions, in which: 

(a)  national  qualifications  frameworks  or  systems  are  referenced  to  the  European 
Qualifications  Framework  and  self-certified  to  the  Qualifications  Framework 
of the European Higher Education Area;  

(b)  higher education systems are organised in line with Bologna Process structures, 
comprising  a  three-cycle  framework  and,  where  applicable  to  the  Member 
State, a short cycle; and 

(c) 

external  quality  assurance  is  carried  out  by  independent  quality  assurance 
agencies  registered  with  the  European  Quality  Assurance  Register  and  which 
thus  operate  in  line  with  both  the  Standards  and  Guidelines  for  Quality 
Assurance in the European Higher Education Area and the European Approach 
for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes. 

3. 

In  cooperation  with  National  Academic  Recognition  Information  Centres,  higher 
education  institutions,  quality  assurance  agencies  and  other  key  stakeholders, 
develop national guidance to support higher education institutions in producing and 
effectively implementing the following transparency tools: 

(a)  up-to-date  Course  Catalogue,  with  descriptions  of  all  degree  programmes, 

single educational units and grade distribution tables; 

(b)  Diploma Supplements for all graduates, issued automatically and free of charge 

in a widely used language and in a digital format; and 

(c) 

transparent  criteria  for  recognition  that  are  applied  consistently  throughout 
each higher education institution.  

4. 

Provide  expert  support  to  higher  education  institutions  to  implement  such  national 
guidance, and monitor its implementation. 

Secondary Education and Training  

5. 

In  order  to  achieve  automatic  recognition  of  upper  secondary  qualifications,  foster 
transparency and build trust in each other's secondary education and training systems 
by: 

(a) 

(b) 

ensuring  that  national  qualifications  frameworks  or  systems  are  referenced  to 
the European Qualifications Framework; 

exchanging  information  and  promoting  mutual  learning  on  quality  assurance 
systems  in  school  education,  while  fully  respecting  different  national 
approaches in quality assurance; and 

(c)  developing  further  quality  assurance  instruments  in  vocational  education  and 
training  in  line  with  the  European  Framework  for  Quality  Assurance  in 
Vocational Education and Training. 

6. 

Facilitate mobility and recognition of the outcomes of learning periods abroad during 
secondary education and training by: 

(a)  producing  national  guidance  material  for  secondary  education  and  training 

institutions on general principles and tools for recognition; 

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14 

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(b)  promoting the use of transparent criteria and tools, such as competence-based 
learning agreements between the sending and hosting institutions. In vocational 
education  and  training,  extending  the  use  of  EU  tools,  such  as  the  Europass 
Mobility document, the European Credit System for Vocational Education and 
Training Memorandum of Understanding and Learning Agreement, and others 
the  Europass  online  platform  for  skills  and 
made  available 
qualifications; and 

through 

(c)  promoting  the  benefits  of  mobility  among  secondary  education  and  training 
institutions  and  learners  and  their  families  and  promoting  the  benefits  of 
hosting mobility among employers. 

National Academic Recognition Centres 

7. 

Develop  the  capacity  of  National  Academic  Recognition  Centres  and  credential 
evaluators, in particular with regard to information dissemination, the use of online 
tools to improve efficiency and consistency, and the goal of reducing administrative 
and financial burden for users of their services. 

Permeability and mobility 

8. 

Explore  good  practice  with  regard  to  the  recognition  of  prior  learning  and 
permeability between education and training sectors, in particular between vocational 
education and training and higher education. 

Evidence Base 

9. 

Improve the evidence base by collecting and disseminating data on the number and 
type of recognition cases. 

Reporting and Evaluation 

10. 

Within  two  years  from  the  adoption  of  this  Recommendation,  and  regularly 
thereafter, report through existing frameworks and tools on experiences and progress 
towards  achieving  automatic  mutual  recognition of qualifications  and the outcomes 
of learning periods abroad. 

HEREBY WELCOMES THE COMMISSION’S INTENTION TO: 

11. 

12. 

13. 

14. 

Promote  mutual  learning  and  exchange  of  good  practices  and  cooperation  between 
Member  States  and  with  stakeholders,  recognition  authorities  and  international 
organisations. This EU cooperation shall aim to ensure the full implementation of the 
Bologna  Process  instruments  for  higher  education  in  the  EU,  as  well  as  the 
Copenhagen Process instruments for vocational education and training.  

In  the  field  of  general  secondary  education,  launch  an  EU  cooperation  process, 
jointly  with  Member  States,  to  initiate  closer  cooperation  among  Member  States  at 
secondary education level to achieve the objectives of this recommendation to foster 
transparency and build trust in school education systems across the Union. 

Provide  targeted  support  for  education  and  training  institutions  that  report  higher 
than average problems with the recognition of learning periods abroad.  

Establish  a  user-friendly  EU  online  information  service  of  upper  secondary 
qualifications giving access to higher education in each Member State. 

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15. 

16. 

17. 

18. 

Explore synergies between EU transparency tools42 and, where appropriate, develop 
them  further,  with  the  objective  of  improving  cooperation  and  mobility  between 
education and training sectors.  

Explore  the  potential  of  new  technologies,  such  as  blockchain  technology,  to 
facilitate automatic recognition. 

Explore, in cooperation with Member States and the National Academic Recognition 
Information  Centres,  an  extension  of  their  role  to  encompass  other  sectors  of 
education and training. 

Support  the  use  of  European  sources  of  funding,  such  as  Erasmus+  or  European 
Structural  and  Investment  Funds,  where  appropriate  and  in  line  with  their  financial 
capacity,  legal  basis,  decision-making  procedures  and  priorities  defined  for  the 
period  2014-2020,  without  any  prejudice  to  negotiations  on  the  next  Multiannual 
Financial  Framework.  Strengthen  mobility  in  secondary  education  and  training 
within the Erasmus + Programme. 

19. 

Report  to  the  Council  on  the  follow-up  of  the  Recommendation  through  existing 
frameworks and tools. 

HAS ADOPTED THIS RECOMMENDATION: 

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 

The President 

42 

Such  as  the  Diploma  Supplement,  European  Credit  Transfer  and  Accumulation  System,  European 
Credit  System  for  Vocational  Education  and  Training,  European  Qualifications  Framework  and 
Europass. 

EN 

16 

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