Decision-making in the Bologna Process is carried out ‘intergovernmentally’. It is not administered by the European Commission. Decisions are reached by the consensus of the Ministers for higher education of the 46 participating countries involved. This approach acknowledges the diversity in Europe’s higher education systems.

The most important forum in the decision-making process is the two-yearly ministerial review of Bologna, where the Ministers in charge of higher education in each of the participating countries meet to assess progress and to plot the course for the near future. The next ministerial summit will take place in Bucharest on 27-28 April 2012,  following on from those in Prague in 2001, in Berlin in 2003, in Bergen in 2005, in London in 2007 and in Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve in April 2009. An extraordinary summit will take place in Vienna and Budapest on 11-12 March 2010 to mark the creation of the European Higher Education Area

The ministerial meetings are in turn supported by two groups: The Bologna Follow-Up Group and the Bologna Process Board. They are organised and administered by the Bologna Secretariat. The Benelux countries currently hold the Secretariat. The Secretariat was previously held by the UK, who hosted the ministerial summit in May 2007.

The Bologna Follow-Up Group is made up of ministerial representatives from all 46 Bologna participating countries and representatives of other European-level organisations including: the European Commission, European University Association (EUA), European Students’ Union (ESU), European Association of Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE) and the Council of Europe. Since the 2005 Bergen summit, the Education International Pan-European Structure and the Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confederations attend the Bologna Follow-Up Group. Officials from the Scottish Government also attend. The Group’s role is to follow up on the recommendations made at the ministerial meetings. It produces a Work Programme of events, projects and Working Group activity on specific aspects of the Process. Countries are also free to pursue their own follow-up activities according to the ministerial communiqué.

The Bologna Board is smaller. It consists of the hosting countries of the previous and forthcoming ministerial summits, and representatives of the acting, previous and succeeding EU Presidencies. Also involved again are the European Commission, the organisations listed above and representatives of two countries from outside the EU. The Group is chaired by the host of the next ministerial meeting.

In both groups, the Council of Europe, the EUA, EURASHE, ESU, Education International Pan-European Structure and the Confederation of European Business take part as consultative members.