The Bologna Declaration marked a milestone in European education. However, despite the ambitious goals of the Bologna Process, numerous issues have arisen. At the end of March 2024, the European Commission introduced a new approach: plans for a European university degree. But how realistic is this proposal?
Twenty-five years ago, on June 19, 1999, the Bologna Declaration initiated a groundbreaking process by European education ministers. While the goals of the Bologna Process, including the comparability of degree programs and increased student mobility, promised significant improvements over the previous conditions, the implementation was fraught with many challenges.
Even today, there are still many unresolved issues regarding mobility and the recognition of credits earned abroad. The process of determining which academic achievements and exams can be recognized often only becomes clear after lengthy internal procedures at universities. The fact that, in some places, students must decide on the courses to take before going abroad removes much of their flexibility, freedom, and autonomy. Problems with the recognition of university degrees still persist across Europe.
New Approach by European Commission: Plans for European University Degree
The EU Commission, led by Education Commissioner Iliana Ivanova, has apparently recognized these issues. The proposed solution, presented at the end of March by Ivanova and Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, is noteworthy: according to the Commission’s plans, European universities are expected to network in the coming years to offer a new, uniform degree across Europe through joint programs.
This new degree, however, would not replace bachelor’s and master’s degrees but would instead be an additional option. The Commission envisions that with the European degree, credit transfer within the EU would be guaranteed. According to the plan, studying in at least two different member states within the relevant program would be a basic requirement for obtaining an EU degree. Nevertheless, the Commission has not allocated specific funds for the development of this initiative.
Students could, however, receive support through existing Erasmus funds. The project, which will be discussed in the coming months in the EU Council and with “key stakeholders in higher education,” is expected to gain real momentum in 2025. It remains to be seen whether the Commission, in its current composition, will continue to push this topic forward. Both public and private universities could participate in the realization of such EU degrees. The overall goal of harmonizing the different education systems among European countries, recognizing degrees, and creating a European educational internal market is also among the goals of the liberal Renew Europe group in the European Parliament. The best path to achieving this goal now needs to be discussed.
The success of the Commission’s initiative largely depends on the universities themselves. The Bologna reform, in particular, has shown how much effort and how many detailed questions arise when implementing new degree programs. Without additional financial resources, enthusiasm at universities is likely to remain limited. Nevertheless, there are already many international programs and collaborations, especially in European border regions. It will be interesting to see how easily the “EU degree” label can be integrated into these existing frameworks.
Critical Reflection on Approach
To ensure the overall success of this project, the bureaucratic burden must be minimized for all parties involved. This newly conceived degree is unlikely to revolutionize the higher education landscape overnight. The existing systems across Europe are too sluggish for that. Therefore, we are not dealing with a new reform comparable to the Bologna Process. If successfully implemented, however, there will likely be competition between the established degree programs and the EU degree based on the number of students alone.
Moreover, the value of such degrees comes into question. Will graduates with an EU degree have better job prospects? How will the labor market react to these new degrees? How many resources are individual universities willing and able to allocate for this purpose? These are just some of the questions raised by the EU Commission’s proposal.
New Path for European Education?
Overall, one must ask why the Commission, in its correct analysis of the existing issues, did not advocate for resolving them within the current structures. The creation of parallel structures does not promise simplification or streamlining. The Commission could have used its time and energy much more effectively by optimizing the Bologna structures—although whether this would have equally served the Commission’s profile-building ahead of the European elections and the selection of Commission members is debatable.
Written by Benno Schulz
