On 5 November 2026, the Bologna Follow-Up Group (BFUG) approved the final draft of the ESG 2027 at their meeting in Dublin (Ireland). This version will be tabled for adoption by the EHEA Ministers responsible for higher education in the European Higher Education Area at the Iași-Chișinău Ministerial Conference, 26-27 May 2027. Following that adoption, the ESG 2027 will come into use and will formally supersede the ESG 2015.
ENQA has published a transition policy for agencies that are due to have an external review in period following the introduction of the ESG 2027. ENQA will also organise dissemination and training events for agencies and peer-review experts in 2027.
The new version of the ESG reflects the current higher education context, including references to other tools of the Bologna Process that have been developed or updated since 2015. It also acknowledges advancements in current quality assurance practice at institutions and agencies, which can be seen in part by the transfer of some aspects from guidelines (good practice) to standards (requirements). Standards and guidelines have been updated to address current and emerging issues, such as cross-border quality assurance, digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, and the latest expectations on student-centred learning, teaching staff, learning environments and support services. The revision has aimed to make the enhancement side of quality assurance more visible, while still providing clear requirements to serve accountability purposes.
The approval of the final draft ESG 2027 by the (BFUG) represents the culmination of a two year revision process, following the mandate given to the authors in the Tirana Ministerial Communiqué in 2024. The revision was conducted by a Steering Committee and Drafting Group, composed of representatives of the ESG authoring organisations. ENQA was represented in the Steering Committee by Cristina Ghițulică (ARACIS, Romania) and in the Drafting Group by Doris Herrmann (AQAS, Germany), both members of the ENQA Board during the drafting process. ENQA Director, Anna Gover, was the Secretary of the Steering Committee. ENQA also established an internal reference group to coordinate ENQA’s consultations with members and affiliates and agree input to the revision. Full details of the revision process can be found on the ENQA website.
ENQA would like to thank its members and affiliates, BFUG delegates and all other stakeholders for their active and constructive input to the revision process, as well as to the other authors of the ESG for the cooperation over the past two years.