ECIU welcomes the 12 May agreement by the EU education ministers to lay the groundwork for the introduction of a common European Degree label. This milestone marks a significant moment for European higher education and opens the door for further institutional collaboration across borders.

In their adopted resolution, ministers outlined a structured pathway for the coming years, organised into three phases:

• Phase 1 (2025- 2026): Preparatory work for the launch of the European Degree label will begin, supported by a series of European Degree Policy Labs. These labs will bring together policymakers, institutions, and stakeholders to co-develop a comprehensive framework.
• Phase 2 (2026–2028): The official launch of the label, followed by active monitoring and evaluation of its implementation. Feasibility studies and exploratory work on a potential common European Degree will also be initiated.
• Phase 3 (2029): A final phase of reflection and evidence-based decision-making will determine the future trajectory of the European Degree.

This outcome is the result of strong coordinated efforts at both European and national levels. Following a meeting in March 2025 between ECIU and the European Commission, representatives of the ECIU Board and member universities engaged in national level dialogue and advocacy. Their input was explicitly acknowledged by the European Commission as a key influence on the resolution.

ECIU has also played a central role in shaping the criteria for the European Degree through the FOCI project, where ECU Partners Lodz University of Technology and Kaunas University of Technology have contributed as key partners. The project highlighted essential elements such as social relevance, stakeholder engagement, the inclusion of lifelong learners, and strong links to the micro-credentials movement and degree modularisation.

The adopted resolution not only advances the formal European Degree initiative but also provides fresh momentum to expand flexible learning pathways, lifelong learning, and micro-credentials — areas where ECIU has long been active. These developments will be further discussed within the ECIU, especially in view of possible participation in the upcoming European Degree Policy Labs, expected to be launched after summer 2025.

As ECIU continues to drive innovation in European higher education, we look forward to contributing to the next chapter of the European Degree — one that is inclusive, flexible, and built on real societal needs.