The common European tools for education and training , Europass, European and National Qualification Frameworks, Credit transfer systems and Quality Assurance, will make it easier for citizens to pursue learning throughout their lives, and to have their skills and knowledge recognised across Europe. The question now is how to release the full potential of these tools.

After a long development phase, the tools are now being implemented in many countries and becoming of use to citizens. In the past five years, 43 million EU citizens have used Europass, while all EU countries are in the process of establishing national qualification frameworks which refer to the European Qualifications Framework. These make education and training systems easier to understand, and show learners how to make their way within national systems and between countries.