To ensure that the work, necessary to achieve the objectives set by the Bologna Declaration, was done, the European Union’s Ministers, assembled in Tampere in September 1999, decided to establish two groups. These are the steering (or restricted) and the enlarged follow-up groups.

Enlarged follow-up group

The enlarged group is composed of the representatives of the 29 signatory countries, the European Commission, the European University Association (the Confederation of EU Rectors’ Conferences and the Association of European Universities - CRE have merged, originating the EUA). This group met for the first time in Helsinki, on the 16th November 1999, under Finnish Presidency, and defined a draft programme of events.

The work programme agreed in Helsinki included, besides the Prague Conference, three international seminars. The first one was held in Leiria, Portugal, in November 2000, on the issue of “Credit Accumulation and Transfer Systems”. The second one was held in Helsinki, Finland, in February 2001, on “Bachelor-Level Degrees”. And the third one was held in Malmö, Sweden, in March 2001, and was on “Transnational Education”.

In 2000, the Council of Europe, a Student Platform and EURASHE were added, as observers, to the enlarged group.

Steering follow-up group

The steering group is composed of representatives of the EU enlarged troika countries (the Presidency, the previous and the two successive presidencies), the Czech Republic, the European Commission, the European University Association. This group met for the first time in Lisbon, on the 31st of January 2000, under Portuguese Presidency.

The Confederation of EU Rectors’ Conferences and Association of European Universities offered to jointly organise what became the Convention of European Higher Education Institutions, held in Salamanca, Spain, at the end of March 2001. This convention was also the opportunity for the formal constitution of the European University Association (EUA), a merger of the two organisations.

Numerous other seminars and conferences, international or national, have taken place in the time mediating from Bologna to Prague.

The report commissioned by the Follow-up group of the Bologna Process, rapported by Prof. Pedro Lourtie, gives a short overview of the follow-up, reviews succinctly the developments since Bologna and dwells on scenarios for the future.
Furthering the Bologna Process