Membership Criterias

CRITERIA FOR NEW CONSULTATIVE MEMBERS AND BFUG PARTNERS

In its meeting 1-2 March 2005, the Bologna Follow-up Group (BFUG) adopted criteria for consultative members. The BFUG will advise Ministers that consultative membership of the BFUG should remain restricted and that potential new consultative members should satisfy these criteria. Decisions are made by the Ministerial Conference. The BFUG also decided that relevant organisations may be accepted as BFUG Partners, receiving information and invitations to seminars, being invited to participate under relevant agenda points at BFUG meetings, and also being invited to send an observer to the Ministerial Conferences. Such decisions will be made by the BFUG. The criteria for new consultative members and for BFUG Partners focus on the added value to the Bologna Process, relevance of the stakeholder group, representativeness of the organization and its organisational form.

1. Added value to the Bologna Process 
Present consultative members are either inter-governmental organisations active in higher education or organisations representing higher education institutions or students. Any new consultative member or partner of the BFUG should give the process an added value, meaning that their contribution should be relevant to the work of the BFUG.

1.1 Additional criteria on added value for new consultative members 
Any new consultative members should also meet the following criteria:
 their contribution cannot be easily covered by an existing consultative member;

• cooperation with the BFUG may not be better covered at another level.

2. Relevance of the stakeholder group
Organisations that may contribute to stronger links between higher education and the labour market are relevant to the Process. Organisations that may contribute to stronger links between higher education and other educational fields may also be relevant. Organisations representing special professions do not match the BFUG, which deals with general principles and structures in higher education.
 Organisations should have higher education as a central field of interest.

•  The stakeholder group should be relevant to the principles, action lines and goals of the

• Bologna Process.

3. Representativeness
A new consultative member or a partner should not be a sub-organisation of a member or consultative member of the Bologna Follow-up Group.

3.1 Additional criteria on representativeness for new consultative members 
Any new consultative member should:
 be the most representative organisation in its field of interest,

• be a European organisation, or a European branch of an organisation,

• accept organisations from all the Bologna member states as full members,

• have full members from no less than 50 % of the Bologna countries,

• have full members from countries outside the EU/EEA and EU candidate countries.

4. Organisational form 
A new consultative member or a partner should either be a non-governmental organisation (NGO) or an inter-governmental organisation.

4.1 Additional criteria on organisational form for new consultative members
Its mandate should reflect its relevance to the Bologna Process and its right to give an opinion on behalf of its members on matters relating to the Bologna Process.

5. Procedures
Potential new consultative members should send an application to the Secretariat of the BFUG, documenting that they satisfy the listed criteria for consultative members. The Secretariat will place the application on the agenda of the BFUG, which will advise Ministers. Decisions are made by the Ministerial Conference.

Relevant organisations may be accepted by the BFUG as BFUG Partners, provided they satisfy the listed criteria for such partnership.

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