European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education
Budget
€1,387,252
EP Access
0
accredited persons
Staff
9
8.25 FTE
EU Grants
€175,000
Mission & Goals
The mission of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) is to contribute significantly to the maintenance and enhancement of the quality of European higher education at a high level, and to act as a major driving force for the development of quality assurance across all the Bologna signatory countries As the association of the European quality assurance agencies, ENQA contributes to this goal especially by promoting European co-operation in the field of quality assurance (QA) in higher education in order to develop and share good practice in QA and to foster the European dimension of QA. ENQA’s purposes are essentially threefold: - to represent its members at the European level and internationally; - to function as a think tank for developing further quality assurance processes and systems in the EHEA; - to provide services to members and other stakeholders
EU Legislative Interests
ENQA was created following the Recommendation of the Council on European co-operation in quality assurance in higher education of 1998 and the Bologna Process in 1999. ENQA has been involved in the Bologna Process since the beginning. ENQA takes part in the Bologna Follow-UP Group (BFUG) meetings on a regular basis as a consultative member. In 2003, the Ministers of the Bologna Process invited ENQA, through its members, in cooperation with EUA, EURASHE and ESIB (now ESU) to develop "an agreed set of standards, procedures and guidelines on quality assurance". The result of this cooperation is the "European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG)" which were presented to the Bologna Follow-Up Group on 1 March 2005 and submitted at the European Ministers of Education meeting in Bergen in May 2005. Currently, a new version "the ESG 2015" adopted by the Ministerial Conference in May 2015, Yerevan is being used for cyclical evaluations of quality assurance and/or accreditation agencies or bodies. The Tirana Ministerial Communiqué of May 2024 gave the authors of the ESG the mandate to revise the document. It is expected that the final text of the ESG 2027 should be approved by the Bologna Follow-up Group at their meeting in autumn 2026, with no further changes to be made before adoption by EHEA Ministers at the Ministerial Conference in Romania/Moldova in spring 2027. ENQA holds two statutory events on an annual basis: 1) ENQA General Assembly and 2) ENQA Members' Forum. These events present an opportunity for ENQA to present to its members and affiliates the recent developments in QA on the European level as well as ENQA past activities' results and to agree on the future activities. It is also a communication platform for members and affiliates who gather and share their ideas and good practices. In addition, ENQA is involved in EU-funded projects as partner (https://www.enqa.eu/projects/condition/current-projects/).
Communication Activities
ENQA was created following the Recommendation of the Council on European co-operation in quality assurance in higher education of 1998 and the Bologna Process in 1999. ENQA has been involved in the Bologna Process since the beginning. ENQA takes part in the Bologna Follow-UP Group (BFUG) meetings on a regular basis as a consultative member. In 2003, the Ministers of the Bologna Process invited ENQA, through its members, in cooperation with EUA, EURASHE and ESIB (now ESU) to develop "an agreed set of standards, procedures and guidelines on quality assurance". The result of this cooperation is the "European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG)" which were presented to the Bologna Follow-Up Group on 1 March 2005 and submitted at the European Ministers of Education meeting in Bergen in May 2005. Currently, a new version "the ESG 2015" adopted by the Ministerial Conference in May 2015, Yerevan is being used for cyclical evaluations of quality assurance and/or accreditation agencies or bodies. The Tirana Ministerial Communiqué of May 2024 gave the authors of the ESG the mandate to revise the document. It is expected that the final text of the ESG 2027 should be approved by the Bologna Follow-up Group at their meeting in autumn 2026, with no further changes to be made before adoption by EHEA Ministers at the Ministerial Conference in Romania/Moldova in spring 2027. ENQA holds two statutory events on an annual basis: 1) ENQA General Assembly and 2) ENQA Members' Forum. These events present an opportunity for ENQA to present to its members and affiliates the recent developments in QA on the European level as well as ENQA past activities' results and to agree on the future activities. It is also a communication platform for members and affiliates who gather and share their ideas and good practices. In addition, ENQA is involved in many EU-funded projects as partner (http://www.enqa.eu/index.php/projects/enqa_projects/).
Interests Represented
Does not represent commercial interests
Member Of
Founding member of the EQAR - European Quality Assurance Register Member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) https://www.enqa.eu/representation/
Organisation Members
Link to the list of ENQA Members and Affiliates: https://www.enqa.eu/membership-database/
Commissioner Meetings
No recorded meetings with EU commissioners.