Prague Communiqué
Overview: On May 18, 2001, thirty-two European ministers met in Prague to evaluate the progress made since the Bologna Declaration and to reaffirm their commitment to continuing their efforts in promoting mobility while maintaining diversity for students, teachers, scholars, and administrators. They asked that universities and other higher educational bodies, national agencies and the European Network of Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), cooperate with their peers from countries not yet affiliated with ENQA and to foster effective ways to establish quality-oriented collaborative modes and to disseminate best practices in education.
Signatories: The thirty-three members participated, establishing the Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG) to foster the continued development of the Bologna Process. The BFUG consists of representatives of the Bologna signatories plus the European Commission. This group is chaired by the rotating EU presidency. Observers taking part are the Council of Europe, the European University Association, the European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) and the National Unions of Students in Europe (ESIB). The group accepted the applications of Croatia, Cyprus, Liechtenstein and Turkey.
Mission, Goals, and Achievements: The ministers reaffirmed the six goals of the Bologna Declaration:
- Adoption of a system of transparent and comparable degrees
- Adoption of a degree system essentially based on two main cycles: bachelor's and master's
- Establishment of a European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) or ECTS-compatible
- Promotion of student, teacher, researcher, and administrative staff mobility
- Promotion of European cooperation in quality assurance with ENQUA
- Promotion of the European dimensions in higher education
In addition, they stressed the need for the following:
- Promotion of lifelong learning as a means of supporting Europe's knowledge-based society and economy
- Active interaction of higher education institutions and students for developing educational systems and curricula
- Promoting the global appeal of the European Higher Education Area to students
