EUROPA

SUMMARY

Objectives

With a view to increasing and improving cooperation between Member States in the field of education, and to making it easier to draft initiatives at national and Community levels, the EURYDICE network is the main instrument for information on national and Community structures, systems and developments in the field of education. EURYDICE thus serves to highlight both the diversity of education systems and their common trends.

Activities and composition

EURYDICE prepares and publishes the following:

• readily comparable and regularly updated monographs on the organisation of education systems;
• comparative studies on specific topics of Community interest;
• indicators.

The information submitted by the national units is processed and analysed by the European unit based in Brussels, which has a very detailed database on education systems in Europe, EURYBASE. EURYDICE produces and publishes descriptive and comparative analyses as well as indicators and surveys on the education systems of the participating countries.

The network consists of national units and a European unit set up by the Ministries of Education. The countries participating in the network are:

• the Member States of the European Union (EU);
• Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland;
• Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania.

Cooperation with other insitiutions

Eurydice closely cooperates with the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) as well as with the European Training Foundation.

Background

As early as 9 February 1976 the European Council was already in favour of implementing a network for the exchange of information on and experience in organising higher education (Official Journal C 38 of 19.02.1976), but it was not until 1980 that this wish was fulfilled by the creation of the EURYDICE network. Ten years later, in 1990, the Council adopted a resolution relating specifically to EURYDICE, with a view to expanding its services.

Thanks to the introduction of Article 149, the Treaty on European Union, signed in Maastricht in 1992, was a significant step forward, as it underlined the importance of exchanging information and experience on matters common to the Member States' education systems. Since 1995, EURYDICE has been developed by the SOCRATES programme.