data for countries in the european statistical system come from the pilot eu adult education survey aes the eu aes surveys were carried out between and by countries in the eu efta and eu candidate countries the eu aes is a pilot exercise which proposed a common framework for the first time including a standard questionnaire tools and quality reporting oecd b they do not however indicate anything about the actual quality of the competences gained by people and therefore about how the qualifications earned contribute to individual wellbeing eg by improving access to the labour market