Five education ministers have approved the framework for the recognition of higher education degrees across the Benelux, which will make studying and working in neighbouring countries easier

Qualifications endowed by Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg will now be automatically recognised in all three countries. That is the result of a Benelux agreement signed yesterday by all five ministers for higher education, including Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits

The other signatures came from Jean-Claude Marcourt of the Walloon-Brussels federation, Harald Mollers of the German Community and Jet Bussemaker and Marc Hansen of the Dutch and Luxemburg governments, respectively.

The agreement puts an end to complicated and time-consuming recognition procedures, which took up to four months and cost €200. It is a first in the EU, which aspires to become a single higher education region. Ministers who signed the agreement emphasised that trust, based on common quality standards, should be the basis for further progress on the issue.

The automatic degree recognition will make it easier for employers to find adequately educated staff and for employees to find a job on the labour market across borders. Students will also be able to more easily study in other Benelux countries, Crevits said.

Photo by Hilde Christiaens/UGent