With the kick-off meeting on 20 November 2025 in Riga, Latvia the Erasmus+ project “Qualifications Frameworks for trust, transparency and diversity – TPG A 2” (QUATRA – TPG A 2) was launched. The project builds upon the previous QUATRA – TPG A project (2022-2025), further supporting the TPG A on Qualifications Framework in advancing the implementation of the first Bologna key commitment. Running from 1 September 2025 to 31 August 2028, the project aims to create opportunities for TPG A members to exchange experiences and learn from peers in the development of higher education qualifications frameworks, while strengthening consistency, transparency, and compatibility among higher education systems.
The meeting brought together all project partners – the Academic Information Centre (Latvia), Malta Further and Higher Education Authority, the Department of Education of the Republic of San Marino, European Association for the Applied Sciences in Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of France and the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement of Georgia.
Through a series of peer learning activities, dedicated working groups, and international conference, QUATRA – TPG A 2 will explore priority topics in greater depth, promoting shared understanding and best practices on self-certification, transparency and flexibility of qualifications frameworks, study programmes outside the Bologna three-cycle structure, and the use of qualifications databases and registers, while also addressing the role of frameworks in automatic recognition and flexible learning pathways. These activities directly contribute to key commitment 1 of the European Higher Education Area.
The TPG A on Qualifications Framework, working under coordination of the Bologna Implementation Coordination Group and in synergy with the other thematic peer groups, fosters cooperation among countries of the European Higher Education Area to advance the development and alignment of national qualifications frameworks, and to strengthen the coherence of higher education systems. The TPG A for the 2024–2027 term is co-chaired by France, Georgia, and Latvia, and consists of 35 members representing 31 countries and four organisations.
A series of four peer learning activities, to be held in person, will be organised alongside the TPG A meetings, in Riga, Latvia (spring 2026), in Malta (autumn 2026), Brussels, Belgium (spring 2027), and in Tbilisi, Georgia (autumn 2027). These activities will provide structured opportunities for all members to exchange experiences, identify challenges, and develop practical recommendations to enhance transparency and the recognition of qualifications. Discussions will focus on the successful implementation of the self-certification process, the transparency and flexibility of qualifications frameworks to support recognition of transnational and joint programmes, the inclusion of study programmes outside the Bologna three-cycle structure to make national qualifications frameworks and the qualifications framework of the European Higher Education Area more open to other types of qualifications, as well as the use of databases and registers of qualifications that reflect qualifications frameworks.
Two thematic working groups will be established to explore key priority areas. One group will focus on supporting the automatic recognition of higher education qualifications in terms of qualifications frameworks, in line with the European Council Recommendation on promoting automatic recognition (2018). The other working group will address qualifications frameworks for flexibility of learning, examining how qualifications frameworks can support flexible pathways, short-cycle qualifications, and lifelong learning, and how institutions translate their offerings into frameworks to enhance recognition and inclusion.
The TPG A members already held second meeting online on 26 November 2025, which outlined the future steps and activities of the group. The event also provided an overview of TPG A’s ongoing work and set the context for exchanges on core thematic priorities. Members also further discussed planned project activities in 2026 and received updates from TPG B on the Lisbon Recognition Convention and TPG C on Quality Assurance. A key highlight was the introduction of the new structure and proposed indicators for the 2027 Bologna Process Implementation Report, ensuring comprehensive and policy-relevant monitoring of progress on key commitments.
By facilitating peer learning, collaboration, and the exchange of best practices, QUATRA – TPG A 2 will continue to support the implementation of the Bologna Process priorities and foster greater trust and transparency among EHEA member countries. The outcomes and recommendations will be presented at Bologna Process events and shared through the final international conference in 2028. Through discussions, knowledge exchange, and good practices, the project aims to make qualifications frameworks a practical tool for transparency, mobility, and lifelong learning, contributing to an inclusive, innovative, and interconnected EHEA, reflecting the priorities and commitments set out in the Tirana Communiqué.
QUATRA – TPG A 2 Kick-off meeting, 20 November 2025, AIC office, Riga, Latvia.