The drafting of the Council of Europe Student Rights Charter has entered its final stage. The Working Group set up by the Steering Committee for Education (CDEDU) will hold its last meeting in Strasbourg in December 2026 to finalise the text, which will be submitted to the CDEDU for approval at its plenary session in March 2027. The Committee of Ministers will then be invited to adopt the Charter as a recommendation to the 46 member States.
The Charter responds to the call made by European ministers of education at the 26th session of the Standing Conference (Strasbourg, 2023) for a Council of Europe instrument on student rights, developed together with the European Students’ Union (ESU). It will be the first pan-European standard setting out a minimum set of rights for all higher education students, whatever their nationality, cycle or mode of study.
Grounded in the Council of Europe’s human rights acquis, the Charter rests on a simple idea: student rights, student participation and democratic governance of higher education reinforce one another. Students are full members of the academic community, and their meaningful participation strengthens the quality, transparency and accountability of higher education systems.
The draft text covers seven areas: the protection of rights and access to remedies; participation and representation; equitable access, participation and completion; quality education, academic freedom and academic integrity; mobility and recognition; the digital learning environment, including the use of artificial intelligence; and student well-being, dignity and safety. It sets out the corresponding responsibilities of students, student organisations, higher education institutions and public authorities, and the mechanisms through which the rights are to be monitored and reviewed at national, institutional and European level.
The Charter does not replace national law or limit the autonomy of higher education institutions. It provides a common European reference point to guide member States in developing or strengthening national systems of student rights, preferably through national student rights charters or consolidated legislation, developed in partnership with student organisations.
The draft has been prepared by the CDEDU Working Group, with the participation of ESU, and takes account of the feasibility study commissioned by the CDEDU, existing Council of Europe standards on higher education, the commitments of the European Higher Education Area and national student rights charters already in force in several member States. It has been the subject of consultation with CDEDU delegations and the ESU Board.
The Charter forms part of the Council of Europe Education Strategy 2024-2030 “Learners First”, which places democratic participation at the heart of education policy.
