MEMO/06/318
Brussels, 5 September 2006
Frequently asked questions: why does the EU need a European Qualifications Framework? 1. Why is the Commission proposing the EQF?
While there is a broad consensus about the need for lifelong learning, people too often still face obstacles when they try to move to another country to learn or work, or when they want to build upon previous learning experiences. Better transparency of qualifications will promote access to education and training as well as occupational and geographical mobility.
For example, a company in Ireland may hesitate to recruit a job applicant from, say, Sweden, simply because it does not understand the level of the qualifications presented by the Swedish candidate. Thanks to the EQF, the Irish company will henceforth be able to see what EQF level the Swedish qualification has been allocated to, and thus make the comparison to domestic Irish qualifications (which will also have been allocated to EQF levels). The benefits of the EQF in this example are clear: the barrier to mobility that used to exist in the employment market — lack of understanding about other Member States’ qualifications — need not be an issue any longer.
2. Why not build on existing reference levels and frameworks (for example ISCED[1])?
Because the EQF introduces, for the first time, a set of reference levels based on learning outcomes (defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competences). The EQF shifts the focus from input (lengths of a learning experience, type of institution) to what a person holding a particular qualification actually knows and is able to do. Shifting the focus to learning outcomes
supports a better match between the needs of the labour market (for knowledge, skills and competences) and education and training provision facilitates the validation of non-formal and informal learning facilitates the transfer and use of qualifications across different countries and education and training systems.
3. Who is the EQF for?
The primary users of the EQF will be bodies in charge of national and/or sectoral qualification systems and frameworks. Once they have related their respective systems to the EQF, the EQF will help individuals, employers and education and training providers to compare individual qualifications from different countries and education and training systems.
4. How can individuals and employers benefit from the EQF?
For individuals, the European Qualifications Framework will:
make it easier to describe their broad level of competence to recruiters in other countries; make it simpler to read across from one qualification system to another, e.g. when looking for further education and training opportunities;
For employers, the EQF will make it easier to interpret the qualifications of foreign applicants (see also Question 6). If implemented at the national level, the EQF will also facilitate lifelong learning and so assist staff in developing their skills and acquiring new qualifications.
5. What levels and what types of education does the EQF cover?
As an instrument for the promotion of lifelong learning, the EQF encompasses general and adult education, vocational education and training as well as higher education. The eight levels cover the entire span of qualifications from those achieved at the end of compulsory education to those awarded at the highest level of academic and professional or vocational education and training.
6. What is the relationship with Directive 2005/36/EC on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications?
The EQF Recommendation does not apply to situations covered by Directive 2005/36/EC on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications. This Directive has established rules that Member States are obliged to respect when they receive an application for recognition by a migrant holder of another Member State's qualification, with a view to exercising a profession which is regulated in their territory. At the end of the recognition procedure, a certificate is issued confirming that the migrant's qualification is equivalent to the qualification required by the host Member State. This certificate provides transparency on the labour market concerning regulated professions without the need for further comparison based on any other tool.
7. What is the relationship with “Europass”?
Europass introduced a portfolio of documents to be used by individuals to describe their qualifications and competences. Europass does not, however, ensure the comparability of levels of qualifications. The further development of Europass will need to reflect the establishment of the EQF. In the future, all relevant Europass documents, in particular the Europass diploma supplement and the Europass certificate supplement, should contain a clear reference to the appropriate EQF level.
8. What is the relationship with the Bologna process in higher education?
The EQF takes account of the development of the qualifications framework for Higher Education developed under the Bologna Process. Specifically, the EQF descriptors at levels 5-8 refer to the higher education descriptors agreed under the Bologna Process. EQF level 5 corresponds to the descriptor developed for the higher education short cycle, EQF level 6 to the descriptor developed for the first cycle (Bachelor level), EQF level 7 to the descriptor developed for the second cycle (Masters level) and EQF level 8 to the descriptor developed for the third cycle (PhD level). However, the formulation of the EQF level descriptors differs from the Bologna level descriptors developed specifically for higher education needs because the EQF also encompasses vocational education and training (VET) and work contexts, including at the highest levels. This approach – which is absolutely vital if the EQF is to be a truly lifelong learning framework – was agreed by stakeholders at the Budapest conference on the EQF in February 2006.
9. Do Member States need a National Qualifications Framework to make the EQF work?
They do not necessarily need to create a framework. Although the Commission believes that the optimum approach would be for each country to create its own national framework, based on learning outcomes, which would be related to the EQF, the most important point is that countries relate their qualifications system (defined more broadly than a framework) to the EQF.
10.How can a voluntary framework like the EQF make any real difference?
Experience from the Bologna process (for higher education) and the Copenhagen process (for vocational education and training) shows that common solutions can be identified and implemented efficiently and in a relatively short period of time. For such a voluntary framework to work in practice, stakeholders will need to commit to the common framework and develop mutual trust over time.
11. Does the EQF award qualifications?
No, the EQF describes levels of qualifications in terms of learning outcomes. The awarding of qualifications will remain a matter for national qualifications bodies.
[1] International standard for classification of education
