Commission rolls out plans for a European degree

The European Commission has presented three initiatives to advance transnational cooperation between higher education institutions, with the ultimate goal of creating a European degree.

The three initiatives tackle the legal and administrative barriers to partner universities setting up competitive joint degree programmes at Bachelor, Master or Doctoral levels. The proposals build on universities' institutional autonomy and academic freedom. They fully respect the competences of Member States and regional governments in the area of higher education.

The package comprises a Communication on a blueprint for a European degree and two proposals for Council recommendations to support the higher education sector: one to improve quality assurance processes and automatic recognition of qualifications in higher education, and the other to make academic careers more attractive and sustainable.