Brussels, 26/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth Ján Figel officially launched the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning (EQF) at a major education conference entitled "Valuing Learning: European experiences in validating non-formal and informal learning", which was organised by the Portuguese presidency in Lisbon on Monday,. The political agreement on this issue by ministers at the Education Council meeting on 15 November 2007 and by the European Parliament in first reading on 27 September 2007, will allow the new rules to be transposed into national legislation in 2010 and be up and running in 2012. The 32 countries that have agreed to introduce the EQF (the 25 member states and other countries involved in the Bologna process) have been urged to use the EQF as a conversion device between their different qualification systems. By 2012, every new qualification issued in the EU should have a reference to the appropriate EQF reference level, explained John R. Macdonald, Figel's spokesperson. He explained that thus far, four countries have already joined the scheme - the United Kingdom, Malta, Ireland and France. At the core of the EQF are its eight reference levels, covering basic to most advanced qualifications. These describe what a learner knows, understands and is able to do, regardless of the system in which the learner's qualification was acquired. The EQF therefore shifts the focus away from learning inputs (such as the length of a learning experience, or the type of institution), to learning outcomes. It should facilitate greater mobility of students and potential students in the member states, thanks to individuals and employers being able to use the EQF as a reference tool to compare the qualification levels of different countries and different education and training systems. It should also lead to a better match between education and training supply and labour market demands. (I.L.)