NATIONAL ACTION PLANS FOR RECOGNITION Informal Ministerial conference Strasbourg, December 12 - 13, 2006

BACKGROUND Commitment in Bergen Communiqué Proposal by Convention Committee Bureau, ENIC Bureau and NAB Adopted by Bologna Follow Up Group Deadline December 15, 2006 Plans must be followed up once elaborated

PLANS CONCERN Ministries, as the bodies responsible Ministries could call upon ENICs to help with elaboration and implementation Higher education institutions

FOUR MAIN AREAS Legislation Recognition practice Provision of information Structures NB Also consult the explanatory report

LEGISLATION The legal framework of the bison Recognition Convention Review of national legislation Bilateral or regional recognition agreements

RECOGNITION PRACTICE Criteria and procedures Joint degrees Overview of institutional practice Transparency tools for recognition Borderless/transnational recognition

INFORMATION PROVISION Provision of information on recognition Information package for applicants

The Legal Framework of the Lisbon Recognition Convention

Lisbon Recognition Convention principles Concerns HE qualifications and access qualifications Right to fair assessment Mutual trust between countries Recognition if there are no substantial differences the burden of proof is on the competent authority

STRUCTURES National information centers Cooperation recognition/quality assurance bodies

The Legal Framework of the Lisbon Recognition Convention Recommendation on Criteria and Procedures (2001), Code of Good Practice in the Provision of Transnational Education (2001) Recommendation on the Recognition of Joint Degrees (2004) Recommendation on the Recognition of International Access Qualifications (1999)

“Criteria and Procedures” is a step forward from Lisbon Convention Recommendations clarify the issue of substantial differences apply Convention principles to "de facto" recognition for the labour market; extend the recognition to Transnational qualifications; emphasis on the output (learning outcomes, competencies) rather than input (curricula, course programmes, duration) suggest measures for partial or alternative recognition where full recognition is not possible

Code of Good Practice in the Provision of Transnational Education Responsibility of awarding institution Request for transparency Quality of staff and requirements for admission and graduation should be sufficient and at least comparable to those of the mother institution Recognition under the Convention if these requirements are

Recommendation on the Recognition of Joint Degrees Gives a definition of joint degrees Sets requirements for quality Each part of joint programmes must be quality assessed or at least be part of a national HE system Each member of the consortium should be a trustworthy institution Brings joint degrees under the Lisbon Recognition Convention

CONCLUSION The action plan is important in promoting recognition and hence mobility Therefore it is a key part of the implementation of “Bologna” Good follow up of the plan will be important once it has been adopted. Your ENIC could be a key in the follow up