Between Ministerial Conferences, the Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG), where all members and consultative members are represented, develops, adopts and implements the work programme of the EHEA, in accordance with the priorities set by Ministers.

The Bologna Process, launched with the Bologna Declaration of 1999, is currently implemented in 49 states, which define the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

Every two or three years, ministerial conferences are organised to assess the progress made within the EHEA and to decide on new steps to take. Ministers identify the policy areas and measures through the declarations and Communiqués they adopt at their regular Ministerial Conferences or in any other setting they may find appropriate for decision making. They may decide to establish frameworks, standards, guidelines, and other mechanisms to further and ensure implementation through coordination, cooperation and mutual support at European level. To ensure the implementation of the commitments upon which the Ministers have decided, the EHEA makes use of several structures:

• Bologna Follow-Up Group - BFUG
• BFUG Board
• EHEA Secretariat
• Working structures

The EHEA is governed by the EHEA Rules of Procedure adopted by the ministers, complimented and detailed by BFUG Rules of Procedure, which are adopted by the BFUG. The current EHEA & BFUG Rules of Procedure can be found here.

The current EHEA & BFUG Rules of Procedure superseded the 2021 - 2024 BFUG Rules of Procedure and its annexes. 

Role of the Bologna Follow-Up Group

The Bologna Follow-Up Group - BFUG - is the executive structure supporting the Bologna Process in between the Ministerial Conferences. It has been in place since the autumn of 1999. Among others, the BFUG is entrusted with:

• The development, adoption and implementation of its work programme based on the priorities decided by the Ministerial Conference.
• The organisation of its work, in order to implement the work programme, including by setting up working structures, conducting or commissioning studies and projects, and collaboration with any other parties, such as policy makers, organisations, experts etc. in the field of higher education, or related issues.
• Preparation of the draft Communiqué for the Ministerial Conference and the draft statement for the Global Policy Forum.
• Regulations and guidelines for its own work and that of its subordinate bodies, including the Secretariat.
• Oversight and steering of the work of the Secretariat. 

Membership

BFUG membership is based on the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) membership. The EHEA currently has three membership categories: member, consultative member and partner.

• EHEA/BFUG Member: the members are the 49 countries and the European Commission. Following the decision of the BFUG, maintained by the ministers at the Tirana Ministerial Conference, Belarus and the Russian Federation are suspended from all structures and activities of EHEA.
• Consultative member: this is a non-voting category of members who represent stakeholder organisations and other institutions that have a European scope to their work and are instrumental in the implementation of the Bologna Process.
• Partner: organisations that wish to be associated with the Bologna Process/the BFUG but are not included in the Consultative member category.
• Further technical experts, such as Eurostat, Eurostudent or Eurydice may be associated to the BFUG and invited to events upon specific request.

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Chairmanship: BFUG Co-chairs and BFUG Vice-chair

The current chairing arrangements foresee that the Bologna Process will be co-chaired by the country holding the EU presidency and a non-EU member country. Moreover, the host country of the next Ministerial conference is nominated as the Vice-Chair.

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BFUG Meetings

The BFUG meetings play an important role in overseeing the implementation of the ministerial Communiqués and in developing the Bologna Process. The BFUG meets at least once every six months, usually for one-and-a-half days.

BFUG meetings are, in principle, hosted by one of the EHEA Co-Chairs and are convened at least once every six months.

‌All BFUG and Board meetings

Work Programme

The BFUG sets up working groups to deal with specific topics more thoroughly. Such structures have no decision-making authority but submit proposals and provide advice to enable the BFUG to take decisions, develop recommendations, reports, instruments, etc. for Ministers to adopt.

The current Work Programme (2024-2027)  was adopted by the XCIII BFUG meeting in Budapest in September 2024.

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BFUG Board

A Board oversees the work between two meetings of the Bologna Follow-up Group.

The BFUG Board is an advisory committee of the BFUG to support it in its activities, including the preparation of its meetings, to enhance efficiency in the management of the EHEA, and to ensure its continuity. As such, the responsibilities of the Board consist of coordinating and monitoring the effective implementation of the work programme. The BFUG defined the responsibilities of the Board during its meeting in Rome on 14 November 2003. 

The current members of the Board are:

• the BFUG Co-Chairs double Troika (the outgoing, present and incoming Co-Chairs of the BFUG);
• the BFUG Vice-Chair;
• the European Commission;
• four of the consultative members (Council of Europe, EUA, ESU, EURASHE);
• one of the co-chairs of each working structures, invited as a guest.

The Co-Chairs and Vice-Chair of the BFUG are the same for the Board.

The Board meets at least one month (preferably six weeks) before each BFUG meeting. The host of the Board is one of the EHEA Co-Chairs.

‌‌‌All BFUG and Board meetings