1.   

REITERATES its unwavering commitment to equipping current and future generations with the knowledge, skills, competences and values necessary to navigate the defining challenges of our time, united in its vision of a resilient, prepared, innovative and prosperous Europe. As global shifts reshape our societies – armed conflicts at Europe’s borders and beyond, the environmental crisis picking up speed, and technological transformations challenging industries and labour markets – we recognise the need for a forward-looking, coordinated and ambitious approach that strengthens Europe’s competitiveness while preserving the richness of its cultural, artistic and intellectual heritage and diverse educational traditions.

2.   

RECOGNISES that the future of Europe depends on the strength of its citizens – educated, engaged and empowered to shape and take part in a dynamic and just society, and COMMITS to fostering generations of Europeans prepared to meet global challenges and an unpredictable future with resolve and innovation.

3.   

ACKNOWLEDGES the pivotal role of higher education institutions and alliances of higher education institutions, such as, for example, the ‘European Universities’, in driving academic and scientific excellence, pioneering technological breakthroughs and cultivating the essential knowledge, skills and competences required in the evolving world of work, including through interdisciplinary approaches that integrate diverse fields of study; RECOGNISES their key role in lifelong learning as a response to labour market transitions, in particular by developing flexible and tailored learning pathways, including, where appropriate, smaller learning units such as micro-credentials; and UNDERSCORES the need for renewed and ambitious European cooperation on higher education which sustains Europe’s competitive edge and leadership on the global stage.

4.   

COMMITS to identifying and implementing strategic solutions that reinforce Europe’s capacity to attract talent, retain expertise and lead the way in emerging sectors while removing obstacles to free movement of talent. This endeavour must be rooted in a strong educational foundation, facilitating transnational cooperation among institutions, fostering balanced, high-quality mobility and enhancing the adaptability of teaching and learning frameworks to the demands of the future, in particular by making full use of the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ programme in all Member States.

5.   

AFFIRMS that education must serve not only as a tool for economic advancement, but above all as a means of nurturing the democratic, social and cultural fabric that unites society by strengthening a positive and inclusive sense of identity and belonging at local, regional, national and EU level, based on common European values.

6.   

REAFFIRMS that the European Union has a significant role in supporting education and training, while fully respecting the responsibility of Member States to shape their education and training policies, and STRESSES the importance of taking into account national, regional and local needs and circumstances when designing European initiatives.

7.   

HIGHLIGHTS that the European Education Area and the European Research Area, in synergy with the European Higher Education Area, are essential cooperation frameworks designed to support, enhance and drive education, teaching, creativity, research, knowledge transfer and innovation across Europe.

8.   

TAKES NOTE of the Letta report, which proposes the introduction of a fifth freedom encompassing research, innovation and education, as well as the development of a European degree to enhance transnational cooperation in higher education and to foster the circulation of talent across Europe in a more integrated single market. Furthermore, ACKNOWLEDGES the Draghi report, which emphasises that innovation is key to pursuing the green and digital transitions necessary to reinforce Europe’s resilience, STRESSES the urgency of closing the innovation gap and HIGHLIGHTS the need for education and training systems to become more responsive to changing skill needs.

9.   

UNDERLINES that while discussions on the joint European degree are ongoing, a decision on its possible introduction has not yet been taken by the Council of the European Union, and that any reference to a joint European degree in this Council Resolution should be understood in this sense.

10.   

EMPHASISES the need to safeguard the autonomy and diversity of higher education institutions and, subject to EU law, equitable access to resources, including available Union funding, regardless of their form of operation, while respecting budgetary principles and the Union values enshrined in Article 2 TEU relevant in the implementation of the budget, and ADVOCATES an inclusive approach that enables all higher education institutions to benefit from European and international cooperation, ensuring that no institution is left behind in the pursuit of excellence.

11.   

UNDERLINES that any new initiative aimed at achieving the European Education Area – including the implementation of a joint European degree label and next steps towards a joint European degree – must be guided by a common, step-by-step approach, avoiding additional administrative burden for higher education institutions and national quality assurance agencies and financial commitments going beyond existing financial means, without prejudice to the negotiations on the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, and ensuring that progress is shared among all Member States, and COMMITS to advancing these efforts with coherence, ambition and an unwavering dedication to ensuring that education serves as the foundation for personal, social and professional fulfillment, as well as for active citizenship for all Europeans.

12.   

TAKES NOTE that the final outcomes of the Erasmus+ policy experimentation projects on the joint European degree label offer an opportunity for further discussions on how to make it easier for higher education institutions engaging in transnational cooperation to provide joint programmes and award joint degrees, in accordance with the Bologna instruments, including through relevant initiatives such as the joint European degree. The rollout of the European degree label has the potential to increase the number of joint study programmes so that a critical mass is achieved and there is greater impetus for Member States to remove a number of obstacles concerning the provision of joint study programmes.

13.   

AGREES that the joint European degree label and the outcomes of the next steps towards a joint European degree can have the potential to increase the attractiveness of joint study programmes, mobility and eventually automatic recognition, to create a forward-looking educational environment that nurtures innovation and fosters cross-border collaboration, and to strengthen European higher education and its global standing, for the benefit of today’s citizens and the generations that will shape Europe’s future.

14.   

EMPHASISES that the actions set out in this Resolution should be pursued while taking into account the education and training systems in the different national legal frameworks.