The recommendations of the Berlin Communiqué were directed at national authorities, institutions and organisations. Countries and organisations have launched relevant follow-up activities in accordance with the Communiqué. This active participation of all partners is of great importance to the long-term success of the Bologna Process.

To co-ordinate activities, the BFUG developed a Work Programme for the period from Berlin to Bergen, decided in its final form in March 2004. Members and consultative members of the BFUG have initiated most of the actions included in the Work Programme, and as such, it is basically a bottom-up process. However, the Follow-up Group has ensured that the Work Programme related in the best possible way to the Berlin Communiqué as a whole and that it had a reasonable balance between the various action lines of the Bologna Process.

Seminars were the main vehicle for the follow-up of the Prague Communiqué, and have also been important in the follow-up after Berlin. The European Commission has supported a number of Bologna Follow-up Seminars in priority areas under the Socrates and Tempus programmes. Fourteen Bologna Follow-up Seminars were included in the BFUG Work Programme. Responsibility for organising these seminars was widely spread among participating countries and organisations. Condensed reports from the seminars have been included in this report.

The intermediate priorities defined in the Berlin Communiqué have been central in the Work Programme.

It was clear from the Berlin Communiqué that the Ministers wished for the BFUG to take responsibility for actions in the following areas:

• monitoring the ENQA project on quality assurance;
• developing an overarching framework of qualifications;
• carrying out the stocktaking exercise.

As may be seen in the general report, these projects have received special attention from the BFUG.
For each project a Working Group was established:

• For the quality assurance project ENQA, EUA, EURASHE and ESIB worked together in the “E4” group.
• For the qualifications framework project and for the stocktaking project the BFUG appointed separate Working Groups.

The work of these groups has been essential to the success of the projects.

The General Report contains an overview of the activities carried out and decisions taken under the responsibility of the BFUG up to the Ministerial Conference in Bergen in May 2005. The report has been written by the Secretariat of the Bologna Process set up by Norway as the host country of the upcoming conference, and has been discussed by the BFUG in the process of writing. Under the mandate given by the BFUG, the final version has been authorised by the BFUG Board.

Source: General Report to the Bologna Follow-Up Group to the Conference of European Ministers Responsible for Higher Education - Bergen 19/20 May 2005
Bologna Process between Berlin and Bergen