Annex 1

EUROPEAN CREDIT TRANSFER SYSTEM / DIPLOMA SUPPLEMENT

Point 3.2.A.5 of the Invitation to Submit: Assistance in the preparation and assessment of ECTS and DS labels applications –2010 and 2011 rounds

In 2008, the Commission decided to re-launch the ECTS and DS labels in the framework of the Bologna Experts exercise, after a consultation process involving the main stakeholders.

Under this Invitation to submit for 2009-2011, it is up to each country to decide whether or not the active promotion of the ECTS and DS labels is a national priority. In other words, there is flexibility on the inclusion of the labels in the activity plan and budget under the Bologna experts' action.

Please take note that under this Invitation to submit, two consecutive annual application rounds for the ECTS and DS labels will be organised.

It is up to the Higher Education Institutions to apply for the ECTS label, the DS label or for both labels in parallel.

A. The assessment of the ECTS and DS label within a two-step procedure:

1. Label promotion and decentralised pre-selection coordinated by the National Agencies, assisted by national Bologna Experts on recognition issues, who will act as "ECTS/DS Counsellors

Label promotion and counselling

·  ECTS/DS Counsellors establish contacts with Higher Educations Institutions, in order to promote the ECTS and DS labels, and provide counselling, explaining the conditions and criteria.

Screening and pre-selection

·  The Executive Agency will provide standard application documents for the ECTS label and the DS label by June 2009 for the 2010 round and by June 2010 for the 2011 round.

·  Those Higher Education Institutions showing interest in obtaining the ECTS label and/or the DS label fill in the appropriate application form and submit it to their respective National Agency. Deadlines: 15 January 2010 for the 2010 round, 15 January 2011 for the 2011 round.

·  The National Agency will assess the applications with the assistance of ECTS/DS Counsellors, respecting the timetable set out below.

·  The National Agency forwards those applications which are favourably assessed to the Executive Agency.

To the extent possible, the National Agency will ensure that the tasks of assisting the Higher Education Institution in their label application and the subsequent assessments of the label applications will not be performed by the same ECTS/DS counsellors.

2. A central verification by the Executive Agency, in consultation with the Commission, assisted by a jury of independent experts

·  The Executive Agency in consultation with the Commission will nominate an ECTS / DS jury, who will screen the applications for the ECTS/DS label put forward by the National Agencies, and will advise the Executive Agency. The Executive Agency, in consultation with the Commission, then takes the final decision about the designation of the label – based on the independent experts' recommendations - informs the successful applicants, and may organise an annual award ceremony.

·  In order to streamline the process, a yearly timetable for applications will be set (see section C below)

·  The ECTS and DS labels will behonorary distinctions, and will be awarded for a three-year period (2010 – 2013 and 2011 – 2014 respectively).

B Quality Criteria – Conditions for the label

The quality criteria will be published in the application forms for the 2010 and the 2011 round, due in June 2009 and June 2010 respectively.

C Tentative timetable (tentative)

Application for an ECTS and/or DS label – 2010 round
Activity / Months
EACEA publishes application form documents / June 2009
ECTS Counsellors to promote the labels amongst Higher Education Institutions and assist in preparation / July – December 2009
Higher Education Institutions to prepare label applications / September– mid-January 2010
Deadline for label applications to National Agencies / 15 January 2010
Screening by national ECTS/DS Counsellors (National Agencies to coordinate) / January – February 2010
National Agencies to inform the Executive Agency about pre-selected candidates / 1 March 2010
ECTS/DS jury to screen pre-selected applications / March 2010
Award Ceremony / June 2010
Application for an ECTS and/or DS label – 2011 round
Activity / Months
EACEA publishes Application forms / June 2010
ECTS Counsellors to promote the labels amongst Higher Education Institutions and assist in preparation / July – December 2010
Higher Education Institutions to prepare label applications / September– 15 January 2011
Deadline for label applications to National Agencies / 15 January 2011
Screening by national ECTS/DS. Counsellors (National Agencies to coordinate) / January – February 2011
National Agencies to inform the Executive Agency about pre-selected candidates / 1 March 2011
ECTS/DS jury to screen pre-selected applications / March 2011
Award Ceremony / June 2011