Ready for the Joint European Degree Label (EDL-Ready)

The European Commission committed to the launch of the Joint European Degree Label as part of the Council Recommendation on a European quality assurance and recognition system in higher education. The criteria for the Joint European Degree Label were agreed and presented in Annex II to the Recommendation.  In May 2026 the Operational Guide for the Joint European Degree Label was finalised.

The Guide foresees that the label is to be awarded either directly by EQAR-registered agencies based in EU or EEA EFTA States or, in the case of fully self-accrediting programme consortia, by an institution that has been authorised to act as an awarding body through an external validation by an EQAR-registered EU or EEA EFTA based-agency.

Certain specificities of the guide require further careful consideration regarding their practical implementation. The criteria and methodology for awarding the label build on the European Approach for the quality assurance of joint programmes. The role of quality assurance agencies in making the label a success is critical. It requires their willingness and work to offer label assessments and ex ante external validations for the authorisation of higher education institutions to self-award the label. In addition, there will be a need for communication and peer learning between quality assurance agencies to ensure that the processes are consistent, robust and proportionate in order to foster trust in the label and its awarding process across and beyond the higher education sector.