The Prague seminar on lifelong learning organised by EURASHE (16-17 October 2008) represented a valuable opportunity for its members to meet and discuss the various key issues that threaten the development and implementation of a coherent lifelong learning strategy in Europe at the moment, while also exchanging good practice and reinforcing ideas of future cooperation. The contributions to the seminar clearly expressed what the purposes of lifelong learning should be in the current European and global context. That is to say the lifelong learning should represent a major instrument of contribution to the development of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), while also contributing to the development of the national and European knowledge economy through provision of skilled and flexible labour force. Its contribution to the full development of the individual as an active member of a democratic society was also taken into account.