Work programme of the Bologna Follow-Up Group 2005-2007
The European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies
In the Bergen Communiqué, Ministers adopted the standards and guidelines for quality assurance in the European Higher Education Area as proposed by ENQA and welcomed the principle of a European register of quality assurance agencies based on national review. Ministers asked that the practicalities of implementation be further developed by ENQA in cooperation with EUA, EURASHE and ESIB with a report back through the Follow-up Group.
E4’s Work on the European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies
Since the Bergen Ministerial meeting of May 2005, ENQA has followed the mandate of elaborating, in cooperation with EUA, EURASHE and ESIB (E4 Group), the practical aspects of the European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies and of reporting back on the respective developments through the BFUG. The E4 Group has met nine times since the Bergen summit. The Chair of the meetings has rotated amongst the four organisations, while the secretarial functions as well as the reporting to BFUG, have been undertaken by ENQA.
The first stage of the process consisted of a consultancy exercise. A consultant studied the Register proposal included in the report Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA (BFUG4_3 Report on Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the EHEA - European Quality Assurance Standards - May 2005) and interviewed various quality assurance stakeholders in Europe. On that basis the consultant produced a report on the possible forms and practicalities of the Register. The consultancy project was funded through grants from the Socrates programme and from the Swiss Confederation.
During the second stage, the E4 Group discussed further the proposals contained in the consultant’s report and consulted a law firm on the legal aspects of the Register. ENQA also consulted the views of its members at its General Assembly of September 2006.
The third stage included the drafting of the E4 report on the Register that was submitted to the BFUG meeting in March, and further discussed in April 2007. European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies 2007
Peter Williams, ENQA
Source: Bergen to London 2007 - Secretariat Report on the Bologna Work Programme 2005-2007
Bologna Process between Bergen and London
EQAR
In 2007, the European Ministers of Education, having received the E4 London report agreed that the E4 should proceed to setting up the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR).
European cooperation
The E4 project was initiated in the 2003-2005 period.
Forum
The first European Forum for Quality Assurance co-organised by ENQA, ESIB, EUA and EURASHE, provided an opportunity for the Quality Assurance and Higer Education communities and stakeholders to discuss internal quality processes in the context of current higher education trends and policy developments.
RELATED DOCUMENTS
- BFUG11_6b E4 report Covering Letter
- BFUG11_6c E4 Group Report
- E4 Group Quality Assurance Report 2007
- BFUG10_7a Progress Report on European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies
- BFUG9_11a E4 Group - Interim Report
- BFUG9_11b E4 Group - Interim Report Annex
- BFUG9_11a E4 Group - Interim Report - presentation
- BFUG8_9a Report of E4 Group on Quality Assurance
- BFUG7_5b ENQA letter on E4 update
- European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies 2007
- Handbook of Standards for Quality Management in French Higher Education Institutions
- European Quality Assurance Standards - May 2005 - French