The Lisbon Recognition Convention and the ENIC Network

The issue of recognition of qualifications is one of the main activities of the Council of Europe in the field of higher education and research.

On the one hand, the Council of Europe developed, together with UNESCO, the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region, the so-called Lisbon Recognition Convention (as it was adopted in Lisbon in 1997). The Convention is the key legal instrument for recognition of qualifications across Europe.

On the other hand, in 1994 two separate networks of information centres of the Council of Europe and UNESCO have merged to form the ENIC Network. The ENIC Network, together with EU supported NARIC Network are working on the spot on the practical and day-to-day implementation of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and are providing information on the issues of recognition at their home countries and abroad.

Recent news

Annual meeting of the ENIC/NARIC networks, June 2008
New publication: New challenges in recognition, March 2008
Netherlands ratifies Council of Europe/UNESCO Recognition Convention, March 2008
Germany and Israel ratify the Lisbon Recognition Convention, September 2007
News from the Lisbon Convention Committee, July 2007
Alert: The Council of Europe does not recognize higher education institutions, July 2006
New publication: Recognition in the Bologna Process, June 2006
Publication: Standards for Recognition, January 2006
Malta ratifies the Lisbon Recognition Convention, November 2005
ENIC Training Course for South-East Europe, August 2005
Regional ENIC Conference, Mostar, 2005
Annual meeting of the ENIC/ NARIC networks, 2005

Main documents

Convention

full text of the Convention,
explanatory report of the Convention
legal glossary
updated list of signatures and ratifications
Recommendation on the Recognition of Joint Degrees and its Explanatory Memorandum (2004)
Code of Good Practice in the Provision of Trans-national Education (2001)
Recommendation on Criteria and Procedures for the Assessment on Foreign Qualifications (2001)
Recommendation on International Access Qualifications (1999).

ENIC network

Code of Good Practice in the Provision of Information on Recognition (2004)
Information Strategy for the ENIC and NARIC Networks (2004)
Joint ENIC NARIC Charter (2004)
Strasbourg statement ENIC/ NARIC (2004)

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