The Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council meeting has ended with an agreement to foster the efforts to increase higher education attainment levels to achieve the Europe 2020 education headline target of 40% of 30-34 year olds in the EU having completed tertiary or equivalent education. In addition, it should be Member States' priority developing clear progression routes into higher education from vocational and other types of education, as well as mechanisms for recognising prior learning and experience gained outside formal education and training.

The Council meeting on Education, Youth, Culture and Sport issues has ended with several conclusions regarding higher education in the EU. Firstly, according to the Council, the main responsibility for delivering and supporting reforms in higher education rests with Member States and education institutions themselves. However, the Bologna Process and consequent development of the European Higher Education Area, the EU agenda for the modernisation of higher education systems and the creation of the European Research Area show that the challenges and policy responses required transcend national borders and that European cooperation has a valuable contribution to make in terms of funding support, evidence-based policy analysis and the exchange of best practice.

Accordingly the Council invites the Member States, in line with national practice, to work with higher education institutions, while recognising their autonomy, as well as with all relevant stakeholders, in order to step up efforts to increase higher education attainment levels to achieve the Europe 2020 education headline target of 40% of 30-34 year olds in the EU having completed tertiary or equivalent education, given the estimate that - by 2020 - 35% of all jobs in the EU will require high-level qualifications. Furthermore, the Council also asks Member States to develop clear progression routes into higher education from vocational and other types of education, as well as mechanisms for recognising prior learning and experience gained outside formal education and training, especially by tackling challenges related to the implementation and use of national qualification frameworks linked to the European Qualification Framework. According to a report published by the Commission last September, European countries need to adapt their higher education systems to meet the challenges resulting from rapid societal change,

On the other hand, the Council also welcomes the Commission's intention to support the Member States in their efforts to reform their higher education systems, making full use of EU programmes in the field of education and training, and by means of an improved evidence base, detailed analysis and increased transparency. For instance, the Council welcomes the Commission's proposal of an Erasmus Masters degree mobility scheme, in order to promote mobility, excellence and access to affordable finance for students taking their Masters degree in another Member State, regardless of their social background, without prejudice to the forthcoming negotiations on the future EU programme in the fields of education training and youth.