European Commission, endorsing the Bologna Process

Although the Bologna Process is not an EU program, the EU has undoubtedly provided enormous support since the beginning.
When the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) was established, the European Union became a member under the same conditions as participating countries.

 In fact, the country that holds the presidency of the EU also chairs the BFUG. The existence of the EU has clearly helped the Process and the financial support of the European Community in many of its activities has been vital.

Although it is true that the content of the Bologna Process and its future affect on the European Higher Education Area is not a creation of the European Union (in fact the Bologna Process has many more signatory countries), it is easy to forget that the EHEA is clearly linked to the objectives of the EU and to European integration in general. Indeed, the Process is a fundamental element to achieving peace and wellbeing in Europe, which are also the end goals of European integration.

The five links between the EU and the Bologna Process

1. To achieve the objectives of the EU contemplated in Article 2 of the Treaty of the European Community (TEC) or in the articles of the Lisbon Treaty, which will probably be valid from 2010, the EU will contribute to a quality training and education system.
2. Both the TEC and the Lisbon Treaty state that the EU has a responsibility to support, coordinate and supplement the actions of Member States in the field of education, even though the harmonisation of the legal provisions and regulations of Member States in relation to education are excluded from this.
3. According to Article 149 of the TEC (also reproduced in the Lisbon Treaty), the EU shall contribute to developing a quality education system, promoting cooperation between Member States, and if necessary, supporting and supplementing their actions, fully respecting their responsibilities for educational content and the organisation of their education systems, as well as their cultural and linguistic diversity.
4. The aforementioned article states that the actions of the EU must specifically be orientated towards the core elements of the EHEA:

• To develop the European dimension of education, through learning and the dissemination of the languages of Member States in particular.

• Encourage the mobility of students and lecturers, promoting academic recognition of qualifications and study durations in particular.
• Promote cooperation between education centres.
• Increase the exchange of information and experiences about common issues in Member States’ education systems.

Finally, to highlight one of the explanations why the EHEA encompasses many more countries than the EU and the significance of its international nature, the same article states that the EU and Member States will encourage cooperation with third countries and with the competent international organisations in the field of education, especially with the Council of Europe (all States that form part of the EHEA are members of the Council of Europe).