Official documents

Policies

Use and Interpretation of the ESG

This general policy explains how the EQAR Register Committee has used and interpreted the ESG for the European Register of quality assurance agencies. It addresses quality assurance agencies seeking inclusion on the Register and all those involved in the external review of quality assurance agencies.

Policy on Targeted Reviews

The policy explains the eligibility, scope, focus and the process for targeted reviews. This document is addressed to both quality assurance agencies and review panel members preparing for a targeted review. These reviews are made available for those agencies that have previously renewed their registration on EQAR successfully at least once.

Merger Policy

This policy addresses the registration status of EQAR-registered quality assurance agencies after a merger, including the conditions, requirements and timeframes for merged agencies to remain on the Register.

Code of Conduct

The Code of Conduct serves as a reference for EQAR committee members and staff in exercising their functions.

Complaints Policy

Individuals or organisations that have substantiated doubts whether a registered agency does comply substantially with the ESG, may address these in line with EQAR’s Third-Party Complaints Policy.

Eligibility of Review Coordinators and Panels

The policy elaborates on the Register Committee’s specific understanding and application of the requirements for external reviews of quality assurance agencies. Quality assurance agencies seeking to choose a review coordinator other than ENQA should be guided by these minimum requirements.


Procedures

Appeals and Complaints Procedure

Applicants can file an appeal against decisions of the Register Committee on procedural grounds or in the case of perversity of judgment and aims to change the decision. The official rules thereof are specified in Section 1: Appeals.

Applicants may also complain and express a dissatisfaction with regards to EQAR’s processes or those carrying it out, without specifically aiming to change the decision. The rules and provisions are specified in Section 2: Complaints.

Procedures for Applications

The binding regulations for applications are laid down in the EQAR Procedures for Applications.


Other

EQAR Strategy 2018-2022

The following Strategy was adopted at the General Assembly of 2018:

The first Strategic Plan was adopted at the 2013 General Assembly:

Statutes (Articles of Association)

After the founding assembly in 2008, a first, minor, statutory revision took place a few months later. The next statutory revision took place in 2017 and was held at the notary’s office, in order to allow for the implementation of the “office” of an EQAR President.

The most recent statutory revision took place in 2023. This review of the Statutes was required to align them with the new Companies and Associations Code (CAC), which entered into force in 2019; the review had to be completed in 2023 at the latest. At the same time, following the external evaluation of 2021, a few specific revisions to the EQAR Statutes  were introduced to provide for more clarity in the structures as well as to improve stakeholder involvement.

Rules of Procedure

The Rules of Procedure are adopted by the General Assembly and provide further specification in areas not regulated by the Statutes.

EHEA documents

The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) serve as criteria for inclusion on the Register.

The European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes was adopted by ministers responsible for higher education in order to ease the external quality assurance of these programmes.

COVID-19 consequences

For information on how the EQAR Procedures and existing Policies were understood and applied in light of the exceptional circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, please refer to the page COVID-19 consequences.