The European Union has united a continent from the Atlantic to the Black Sea. Its membership has risen from six original members to 27 today. Membership of the Union is potentially open to any European country which is democratic, runs a market economy and can handle the rights and obligations of membership. A number of other countries aspire to eventual EU membership in the long term.
Education in the EU is supported with the biggest qualification-recognition programme in Irish history. The Member States – with Ireland in a leading position – are working to make all educational qualifications recognised in the EU.
The European Qualifications Framework (EQF), and a range of other initiatives like credit transfers for people in education and training and Europass, are making it easier for people to make their skills understood everywhere in Europe. Those initiatives are getting us closer to the point where we’ll have mutual recognition across the Union allowing European citizens to continue their education and training throughout Europe and to have their qualifications accepted throughout the EU.
The EQF is one of a series of ambitious initiatives the European Union is working on to improve mobility in education for our citizens.