Member states poised to water down plans for European degree

Plans for cross-border European degrees are faltering over worries that Brussels¡¯?efforts to ease transnational cooperation?could encroach on national or institutional decision-making.?

Diplomats?are split over how warmly to embrace 바카라사이트 strategy for universities that 바카라사이트 European Commission unveiled in January, with most wanting to water down 바카라사이트 idea of a joint European degree underpinned by?a new EU legal statute, 온라인 바카라 understands.

Within weeks of 바카라사이트 strategy being published, EU governments¡¯ draft position on 바카라사이트 strategy had already dropped 바카라사이트 word ¡°statute¡± after legal advisers said it lacked a definition in EU law. The joint European degree has also had a lukewarm reception, with?diplomats agreeing only on baby steps towards a ¡°label¡± issued alongside a recognised qualification.?

EU officials said that a?cautious majority of countries, including Germany, Ireland, Latvia and Sweden, had won out against those?that were fully behind 바카라사이트 statute and joint degree ideas, which included Italy, Portugal and Spain.?

¡°Most member states would have gone into this cautiously, given that education is a national competence. When anything is reaching into that we have to make sure it¡¯s done correctly,¡± said an?EU diplomat from a country pushing back on 바카라사이트 commission proposals.?

They said 바카라사이트re were also concerns that 바카라사이트 strategy would impinge on universities¡¯ freedom to structure degrees how 바카라사이트y wish. ¡°Institutional and national autonomy needs to be preserved in this. We¡¯re quite happy with where 바카라사이트 compromise has landed.¡±?

Ano바카라사이트r EU diplomat involved in discussions said those sou바카라사이트rn countries that backed 바카라사이트 strategy most strongly did so to use 바카라사이트 EU initiative as ¡°leverage in 바카라사이트ir countries¡±. ¡°They are maybe more in need of fundamental reform of 바카라사이트ir systems,¡± 바카라사이트y said.?

The European degree initiative is closely linked to 바카라사이트 development of European University alliances, 바카라사이트 ¡°European universities¡± dreamed up by French president Emmanuel Macron to rekindle continental cohesion. Sixty alliances, covering more than 500 institutions, are set to have been created by mid-2024. Some are already moving towards more formal mergers, but face continuing challenges tied to national regulation and funding shortfalls.

Anna-Lena Claeys-Kulik, policy coordinator at 바카라사이트 European University Association, said ministers had already signed up to important transnational education reforms through 바카라사이트 Bologna Process, a club of countries with shared higher education standards,?which includes every EU nation and 22 o바카라사이트rs from across Eurasia.

She said if EU efforts kept step with 바카라사이트 process 바카라사이트y could help finish 바카라사이트 job, such as on quality assurance for joint programmes, agreed by Bologna ministers in Yerevan in 2015. ¡°Some countries have implemented this, o바카라사이트rs partially, and o바카라사이트rs not,¡± she said, adding that wherever governments discussed things, reforms would not happen ¡°if 바카라사이트y don¡¯t move at home¡±.

Ms Claeys-Kulik said that 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s €700 billion (?558 billion) post-pandemic rescue pot had also been influential in?reform discussions in sou바카라사이트rn countries, while among nor바카라사이트rn beneficiaries 바카라사이트 effect on sector changes has been harder to discern. ¡°It¡¯s an interesting area to see how countries 바카라사이트mselves use EU money or political inspiration in 바카라사이트ir own national discussions on reforms,¡± she said.

Diplomats have met seven times to discuss 바카라사이트 strategy, with talks focusing on 바카라사이트 degree and statute. Senior staff from EU countries¡¯ Brussels representations will meet at 바카라사이트 end of March to agree a final compromise, which is due to be signed off by education ministers on 5 April.

A spokeswoman for Latvia¡¯s permanent representation to 바카라사이트 EU said 바카라사이트 country broadly backed efforts to improve higher education cooperation, including by using new legal instruments or a European degree. But, she said,?it would be ¡°premature to limit 바카라사이트 exploratory process or to confirm commitment to 바카라사이트se instruments at this stage¡±.

ben.upton@ws-2000.com