At the 26th Session of the Council of Europe Standing Conference of Ministers of Education, Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening democratic values in education. A key decision emerging from the session was the promotion and protection of students’ rights, particularly in relation to non-discriminatory access to higher education, student-centred learning, privacy, data protection, freedom of expression, and social rights. Recognising the role of education in fostering democratic participation, Ministers supported the development of a legal instrument on student rights in collaboration with the European Students’ Union.

The European Student Rights Charter would provide an essential framework aimed at safeguarding the rights and responsibilities of students across Europe. This initiative aligns with the broader vision of establishing a European Space for Citizenship Education, which aims to ensure that all learners are equipped with the competences necessary to engage in democratic societies.

At its session in March 2025, the CDEDU approved the mandate and timeline of the dedicated Working Group. The working group which is co-lead by the Council of Europe and the European Student Union held its launching meeting on 3-4 July 2025, in Paris. The Group agreed that the European Student Rights Charter would aim to consolidate and protect students’ rights across Europe, ensuring that every student, regardless of their background or country of residence, has access to quality education, is empowered to participate democratically in their academic community, and can contribute to societal change.

While many member States have national policies safeguarding student rights, there is no single, unified pan-European framework that comprehensively addresses these needs. The Council of Europe, with its extensive experience in advancing human rights and democratic values, is uniquely positioned to draft and implement such a framework, ensuring that the European Student Rights Charter aligns with the CoE’s broader education and democratic participation strategies.

The European Student Rights Charter would be a fundamental document that sets out the rights and responsibilities of students across Europe to ensure that students receive an education that is inclusive, high-quality, and aligned with human rights standards. Rooted in the core values of the Council of Europe, particularly as outlined in the Education Strategy 2030, the Charter would serve as one of the key tools for strengthening democracy, equality, and access to education.

The group agreed that the proposed Charter would explicitly articulate the rights and responsibilities of students across Europe and could work alongside existing frameworks to ensure the protection of students’ academic freedom, freedom of expression, access to affordable education, and their right to participate in university governance.