Quality assurance plays a central role in achieving the Bologna objective to enhance the international competitiveness of European higher education. European cooperation in quality assurance will make it easier to compare qualifications across Europe. All Bologna ministerial communiqués have made reference to quality assurance but it was made a priority at the Berlin summit. Ministers stressed that primary responsibility for quality assurance lies with each institution. Ministers set down requirements for national quality assurance systems which are broadly compatible with arrangements across the UK.

European standards and guidelines for quality assurance

Also at Berlin, Ministers gave a mandate to the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), a European forum for exchange of practice in quality assurance. They called on them “to develop an agreed set of standards, procedures and guidelines on quality assurance, to explore ways of ensuring an adequate peer review system for quality assurance and/or accreditation agencies or bodies, and to report back through the Follow-up Group to Ministers in 2005.”

In doing this, ENQA has cooperated with European representatives of higher education institutions and students: European University Association (EUA); European Association of Institutions in Higher Education (EURASHE); and the European Students' Union (ESU). Peter Williams, Chief Executive of the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) is the President of ENQA and plays an active role in European debates on quality assurance, as does Universities UK through the EUA and GuildHE through EURASHE.

ENQA succeeded in preparing a report on standards and guidelines for quality assurance which was adopted at the 2005 Bergen summit. The report reflects the views of EUA, EURASHE and ESIB. It refers to:

• standards for internal and external quality assurance arrangements for higher education institutions;
• internal quality assurance standards for quality assurance agencies;
• cyclical review of national quality assurance agencies; and
• a European register of quality assurance agencies.

The European standards and guidelines are on the whole compatible with existing quality assurance arrangements. The UK's QAA is incorporating them into the UK's institution-led quality assurance. The standards and guidelines will not create an additional layer of evaluation for UK higher education institutions.

At the London summit, Ministers agreed to setting up a Register of European Higher Education Quality Assurance Agencies (REHEQA). It is hoped that quality assurance at European level will contribute to constructive quality assurance developments throughout the UK. Quality assurance arrangements in many European countries are based on subject review and accreditation. There is a need to explain the UK approach of institution-led quality assurance with a clear focus on quality enhancement. The Scottish HE sector is implementing the so-called 'enhancement-led institutional review (ELIR)' approach to quality assurance. Subject accreditation is carried out by professional bodies in as light a form as possible. A single, intrusive or bureaucratic quality assurance agency at European level is undesirable.

The EUA’s Quality Culture Project contains useful recommendations for European quality assurance. The project focuses on embedding systematic and coherent quality culture in HEIs in line with Bologna objectives. The project findings have a helpful emphasis on the improvement and development of quality.

The European Consortium for Accreditation in Higher Education (ECA) is an association of 15 agencies in 10 countries where quality assurance arrangements are based on subject review and accreditation. ECA is playing an active role in European quality assurance debates.

European Commission activity

The European Commission participates in Bologna debates on quality assurance. The Commission published a 'Proposal for a Recommendation on further cooperation in quality assurance in higher education' in October 2004. The Proposal recommends five steps to achieve mutual recognition of quality assurance systems across Europe:

• A requirement for internal quality assurance mechanisms
• A common set of standards, procedures and guidelines
• A European ‘Register of quality assurance and accreditation agencies’
• Freedom for higher education institutions to choose their quality assurance or accreditation agencies
• A requirement for member states to accept the judgments of any agency on the register for purposes of licensing or funding

The Europe Unit worked closely with the DFES (now DBIS), QAA, UUK and other key stakeholders on the UK’s response to the Commission’s proposals. The final wording of the Recommendation is compatible with Bologna Process developments and UK quality assurance arrangements.