On 19 September 2003, Ministers responsible for higher education from 33 European countries met in Berlin in order to review the progress achieved and to set priorities and new objectives for the coming years, with a view to speeding up the realisation of the European Higher Education Area.

Programme

2003 Berlin Ministerial Conference - Programme
2003 Berlin Ministerial Conference - Participants

Plenary session

• Opening addresses (Minister Bulmahn, State Minister Wolff, Minister Moratti)
• Decision on the accession of new countries
• Presentation of the report of the General Rapporteur, presentation of the Trends III report, messages of EUA, EURASHE, Council of Europe and ESIB

Bologna Process between Prague and Berlin

EUA Trends Report III

Ministers’ Meeting

• Discussion of the reports and messages starting with the message of the European Commission
• Discussion of Draft Communiqué “Realising the European Higher Education Area”

Discussion groups parallel to the Ministers’ meeting

• Quality Assurance and Accreditation (Chair: Prof. Erichsen, Council for Accreditation, Germany)
• Doctoral Studies and Mobility (Chair: Prof. Jacques Pertek, University of Lyon, France)
• Bachelors and the European Labour Market (Chair: Heikki Soumalainen, UNICE)
• Joint Degrees: A Hallmark of the European Higher Education Area (Chair: Prof. Roderick Floud, London Metropolitan University, EUA)

Discussion Group - Berlin 2003 - Quality assurance and accreditation

Discussion Group - Berlin 2003 - Doctoral studies and mobility - 1
Discussion Group - Berlin 2003 - Doctoral studies and mobility - 2
Discussion Group - Berlin 2003 - Doctoral studies and mobility - 3

Plenary session

• Welcome by the Minister of State Kerstin Müller, reports from the discussion groups
• Finalisation and Adoption of the Berlin Communiqué
• Closing statements (Minister Bulmahn, State Minister Wolff, Minister Moratti)
• Declaration by the next host country

2003 Berlin Communique - English

Press Conference

• Minister Bulmahn, State Minister Wolff, Minister Moratti, next host country, European Commission, Council of Europe, EUA, ESIB

New memberships

Ministers decide to accept the requests for membership of:

• Albania,
• Andorra,
• Bosnia and Herzegovina,
• Holy See,
• Russia,
• Serbia and Montenegro,
• “the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”

and to welcome these states as new members thus expanding the process to 40 European Countries.