The European Commission has just issued the results of the evaluation of two key EU initiatives, which make an important contribution to learners’ and workers’ mobility and support the visibility and transparency of skills and qualifications in Europe:

• European Qualifications Framework - EQF (Council Recommendation 2017/C 189/03 of 22 May 2017).

• Europass framework (Decision (EU) 2018/646 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 April 2018)

The evaluations look at the achievements of the initiatives and possible future improvements, contributing to the broader debate on skills in the context of the European Year of Skills. 

European Qualifications Framework: a snapshot

• The EQF has been implemented to a very large extent and contributes to increased transparency of qualifications, especially from the formal domain. Progress, albeit more limited, is observed in relation to qualifications outside the formal domain. 

• The EQF contributes to national debates on modernising education and training, with a focus on the National Qualifications Frameworks (NQFs) and is perceived as an international benchmark, and source of inspiration for the development of regional and national qualifications frameworks in third countries. 

• The EQF serves as a backbone of national and EU policies and instruments for transparency of skills and qualifications. 

Looking ahead, it would be necessary to maintain the existing EQF structures and processes, and further focus on support for the integration in NQFs of qualifications outside the formal domain, to maintain and strengthen synergies with other transparency tools and instruments, and to bring the EQF closer to workers, employers, students. 

Find out more by consulting the Commission Staff Working Document, its Executive Summary, the external supporting study.

Europass: a snapshot

• Europass is seen as a valuable one-stop-shop bringing together skills, qualifications and labour market mobility tools. It is most popular with young users at the early stages of their careers.

• The potential of Europass can be further increased by providing more information on qualifications and learning opportunities as well as information in the areas of career guidance, validation opportunities and recognition of qualifications with stronger links to national services.

• Europass has proven to be effective in facilitating mobility for work and study in the EU, as a solution to present knowledge, skills, and competencies in a standardized format. This is because Europass offers tools, services, and information especially relevant to those seeking job and learning opportunities across borders. 

• Stronger connections between Europass and EURES, the European cooperation network of Employment Services, could strengthen the impact of both platforms. Moreover, synergies with other EU platforms are seen as advantageous.

• The European Digital Credentials for Learning are seen as highly relevant to ensure interoperability and to support Member States in their digital transformation of credentials.

• Further developments in data analysis and AI could support the provision of more tailored services to Europass users and unlock the platform’s potential to address skills and labor shortages.

Find out more by consulting the Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, the accompanying Staff working document, and the external supporting study.