The Council of Europe is advancing work on a new Convention on the conditions required for the automatic recognition of higher education qualifications.

The Intergovernmental Drafting Group responsible for drafting the Convention met yesterday in Strasbourg for its fourth meeting. Discussions focused on the enabling conditions for automatic recognition, including transparency, quality assurance, reliable information and the effective use of key Bologna Process tools.

The future Convention is intended to strengthen the mutual trust necessary for automatic recognition to operate effectively across Europe.

The initiative aims to respond to the uneven implementation of automatic recognition by establishing common standards to reduce administrative burdens and support the mobility of qualification holders.

The Convention will also address the importance of national qualifications frameworks referenced to the QF-EHEA, as well as safeguards for academic freedom, institutional autonomy and integrity.

The draft Convention and its Explanatory Report are expected to be finalised in 2026, with a view to adoption in 2027.