ROLE AND FUNCTIONS

Moldova and Romania host the current EHEA Secretariat from July 2024 to June 2027. The Secretariat's headquarters are at the Romanian Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research and Innovation Funding in Bucharest. The primary function of the EHEA Secretariat is to provide neutral support to the work of the EHEA and its further consolidation. It carries out its activity in close communication with the BFUG and under its authority. The Secretariat supports the BFUG, its Board and working structures, and the organisation of the Ministerial Conference. It acts independently of the countries hosting it, acting exclusively under the mandate given by the BFUG.

The main tasks of the Bologna Follow-Up Group Secretariat are:

• to assist the BFUG, its Board, and working structures in implementing the 2024-2027 Work Programme and in the follow-up work, including planning activities and following up on the BFUG decisions;

• to provide administrative and operational support for the BFUG, its Board and working structures, including planning meetings, preparing background papers and minute- taking;

• to revise and maintain the European Higher Education Area website and to maintain archives up-to-date and accessible;

• to administer the European Higher Education Area social media accounts and its newsletter, in coordination with the Co-chairs and the Vice-chair;

• to act as an external and internal contact point for the European Higher Education Area;

• to ensure the internal communication within the BFUG and its working structures;

• to support the organisation of the Ministerial Conference and Bologna Policy Forum in Iași and Chișinău in 2027 by ensuring logistical preparations and supporting the preparation of the background documents, under the supervision of the BFUG and in close cooperation with the Vice-chair;

• to provide representation at external events, upon request of the organisers and in consultation with the BFUG Co-chairs;

• to support the interaction and liaison with the European Education Area (EEA) and the European Research Area (ERA) and promote the Work Programme of EHEA to organisations and third parties;

• to prepare and provide appropriate information and dissemination materials about the EHEA for the European and international higher education community and stakeholders, and for the general public;

• to carry out any special tasks concerning the implementation of the Work Programme of the European Higher Education Area as mandated by the BFUG or the BFUG Co-chairs, within the scope of these ToRs; 

Terms of Reference

Read more about the role of the EHEA Secretariat in Terms of Reference of the EHEA Secretariat 2024 - 2027

Other documents of the EHEA Secretariat

Guidelines for minuting and formatting documents
General rules regarding secondments at the EHEA Secretariat 

Rules of Procedure

The Rules of Procedure for the European Higher Education Area and for the Bologna Follow-Up Group consist of two parts:

Part 1 sets out the Rules of Procedure for the European Higher Education Area (RoP-EHEA), which provide the overall framework. Any change of these rules shall be subject to the decision of Ministers. The RoP-EHEA also include the annexes 1-4. The RoP-EHEA was adopted on 30 May 2024 at the EHEA Ministerial Conference in Tirana. 

Part 2 sets out the Rules of Procedure of the Bologna Follow-up Group and its sub-structures (RoP-BFUG). It can be subject to changes, decided by BFUG, as far as these are in full compliance with the RoP-EHEA (Part 1). Otherwise, such changes require change in the RoP- EHEA and endorsement by Ministers. The RoP-EHEA shall prevail over the RoP-BFUG.

Work Programme 2021 - 2024

 The 2021-2024 Work Programme has been adopted by the BFUG at its XCIII meeting in Budapest (September 2024). The Work Programme can be found here.

PREVIOUS SECRETARIATS

When the Bologna Secretariat was first established following the Berlin meeting of Ministers responsible for higher education, the Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG) agreed, after discussion, upon its role and functions. These proposals for a Secretariat were accepted by the BFUG Meeting in Rome in November 2003. The terms of reference for the Secretariat were first modified in 2005 at the BFUG Meeting in Manchester in October 2005 for the period 2015-2018 at the BFUG Meeting in Luxembourg in September 2015 and the Board Meeting in Chisinau in January 2016, and last modified for the period 2018-2020 at the BFUG Meeting in Vienna in September 2018. The terms of reference for the Secretariat for the period 2021-2024 were last modified at the BFUG Meeting in Portugal in April 2021.