Brussels, 13/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament recently adopted by a comfortable majority (572 to 89 with 8 abstentions) a resolution on the European institutions' contribution to progress in the Bologna Process. The MEPs called for a boosting of the European higher education area and called for the removal of all administrative obstacles to the international recognition of diplomas and a harmonisation of university standards. Rapporteur Luigi Berlinguer (S&D, Italy), commented that “the guiding aim and fundamental requirement of the Bologna Process is to allow any student studying anywhere in the European Union to graduate and see their qualifications recognised throughout the European Union”. The recognition of university qualifications improves the quality of higher education and the European nature of university study needs to be increased. One of the biggest challenges at present in the Bologna Process is the complex issue of mutual recognition of credits and university qualifications by universities themselves, said MEP Gianni Vattimo (ALDE, Italy), who is a stalwart of the Bologna Process. He added that “the EU member states should finally adopt a clear and urgent decision on this issue.”
Berlinguer hopes that with the resolution, the European Parliament can send a clear signal to the biannual ministerial Bologna Process meeting in Bucharest (Romania) on 26-27 April to get Brussels more involved in the process by introducing incentives for European universities and setting up joint degrees. “To strengthen European integration, the EU institutions and member states must take action to implement the European Higher Education Area, with the goal of establishing a truly European university system”, argued Berlinguer.
The Bologna Process introduced a three-pronged series of study (degree, Master's and Doctorate), aiming to guarantee high quality and mutual recognition of qualifications and periods of study. In a debate on Monday 12 March, the Liberal Group at the European Parliament (ALDE) called for an increase in public investment in higher education to ensure sustainable growth based on high-level skills, knowledge and the promotion of partnerships between universities and businesses. ALDE says that reducing funding for education has a negative impact on the social aspects of education and calls on member states and EU institutions to develop new funding mechanisms to support growth, the pursuit of excellence and the special vocation of universities. (IL/transl.fl)