Comparability of qualifications

Education systems across Europe are different in many respects. People admitting students and recruiting employees are not always familiar with education and training in other countries. Improving the comparability of qualifications requires transparency, in order for people to be able to interpret applicants’ competences better. The Europass Certificate and Diploma Supplements help people assess qualification-holders’ competence.

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Europass Certificate Supplement

In 1998, the European Commission and CEDEFOP launched a joint venture known as the European Forum on Transparency of Vocational Qualifications with a view to bringing social partners and national education and training authorities together to increase recognition and transparency of qualifications. The project resulted in development of a document template that was used to prepare the Certificate Supplement for vocational qualifications. This Supplement provides information on the competences conferred by qualifications completed through vocational education or training programmes within the European Union and on the knowledge and skills required to complete qualifications.

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Europass Diploma Supplement

The Bologna Declaration of 1999 on higher education started the process of making degree structures within higher education consistent and understandable throughout Europe. As a result of this process, European countries are launching a common credit accumulation system, while the higher education sector is aiming to create a common degree structure. The Diploma Supplement is a document developed jointly by the European Commission, the Council of Europe and UNESCO for use by higher education institutions throughout Europe and elsewhere to complement the diplomas that they award. It includes additional information about the qualification concerned, the higher education institution and the education system in the country where it was awarded.

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The Europass Certificate and Diploma Supplements neither replace the original certificate or diploma nor guarantee formal recognition of the original qualification by authorities in other countries. The Supplements aim to facilitate appreciation of diplomas and certificates and enable comparison of competence of those job-seekers and applicants to education and training programmes who use Europass within the single framework for the transparency of qualifications and competences.