Arqus Welcomes the European Council’s Vision for a Joint European Degree Label
The European Council has set out its vision for the future of European Higher Education in a recommendation and a parallel resolution, published on 12 May 2025, which lays the groundwork for the implementation of a joint European Degree label and sets out the next steps towards the possible introduction of a joint European Degree. The Arqus Alliance welcomes this roadmap, in accordance with the Arqus position paper on the European Degree published in October 2024, and reaffirms its dedication to advancing systemic change and fostering a sustainable, inclusive, and high-quality European Higher Education Area.
The European Council’s resolution sets out the member states’ vision for a joint European Degree label and plans a possible joint European Degree, with three phases to be carried out by 2029:
- Finalising preparations for rollout (2025–2026),
- Implementation, monitoring and feasibility studies (2026–2028), and
- A final decision on the joint European degree (2029).
The Council’s recommendation indicates the criteria for awarding the joint European Degree label. The label would be granted to joint programmes delivered via transnational cooperation between universities from different countries, including at least two EU member states. Guaranteed quality standards across all participating universities would be key: ensuring quality assurance processes are agile, internationalised and fit for purpose, and supporting the implementation of automatic mutual recognition of qualifications.
A joint European Degree would boost the attractiveness and competitiveness of European Higher Education on a global scale. This qualification would be awarded by multiple European universities and automatically recognised throughout the Union. Joint programmes would have to comply with a series of criteria, such as excellence in education, joint course management, student mobility, interdisciplinary and employability, and adherence to European values.
Arqus has supported the potential added value of a European Degree (label), as proved when it coordinated the EDLab project from March 2023 to April 2024. EDLab was one of the six policy experimentation projects funded by the European Commission to explore the viability of the implementation of the European Degree label. Three other alliances participated: ENLIGHT, EUTOPIA and SEA-EU.
The EDLab project brought together 13 universities and 35 associate partners. It tested the implementation of European and international joint degree programmes and the European Degree label, with special emphasis on France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. This project provided valuable insights and practical testing to support the realisation of the European Degree vision.
European University alliances are committed to implementing joint study programmes, developing excellent educational integration and promoting mobility and collaboration between Higher Education institutions in Europe.
Their achievement and insights, as well as EDLab’s proposals, have contributed greatly to the European Commission’s blueprint towards the future awarding of European Degrees as a self-standing qualification and the full internationalisation of the Higher Education system.
Arqus published its comprehensive Position Paper on the European Degree last October, aiming to contribute to the policy debate on the European Degree and the European Degree label after the European Commission’s Higher Education Package was published on 27 March 2024. This paper draws on the conclusions of the EDLab project and the Alliance’s experience. It emphasises the transformative potential of the European Degree label as a benchmark of excellence in joint international programmes and the importance of equitable access, robust funding mechanisms, and simplified quality assurance processes to ensure the success of this ambitious framework across all educational levels.
Arqus celebrates the European Council’s resolution and recommendation, an important step towards the implementation of a joint European Degree label and a possible future European Degree. The Alliance reinforces its commitment to the European Degree, which would facilitate the cohesion between European educational systems, enhance the quality and comparability of degrees, increase innovation in academia, and offer students a more versatile and internationally competitive education.
Read the full European Council’s press release here.