The leaders of the Western Balkans Six (WB6) have recognized the importance of development of automatic recognition procedures of the academic qualifications in the region under the Mobility pillar of the Multiannual Action Plan on the Regional Economic Area (MAP REA) with an aim of endorsing a model for  automatic recognition of academic qualifications at the next Prime Ministers Summit to be held in July 2019 in Poland. To this end the participants agreed on the intense and dynamic plan aimed at defining and agreeing on the model for automatic recognition of academic qualifications ahead of the Summit.

Ministers in charge of education from the Western Balkan economies endorsed a set of key principles on automatic recognition of academic qualifications in the region at the 7th Ministerial meeting of the Western Balkans Platforms on Education and Training & Research and Innovation, organised by the European Commission (EC), in Brussels on 26th June 2018. These principles build upon the work of the Joint Regional Cooperation Council (RCC)  and Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE) Working Group on Recognition of Academic Qualifications (WG RAQ).

Joint Working Group on Recognition of Academic Qualifications (WG RAQ) has initiated steps towards recognition exercise for the Western Balkans (WB) as well as an online system to support fast-track recognition between Western Balkans economies, at its 3rd meeting held in Brussels on 14th June under auspices of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) & Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE).

The Joint Working Group on Recognition of Academic Qualifications (WG RAQ) adopted the Group’s Terms of Reference and the Plan of Work, at their second meeting jointly organized by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and Education Reform Initiative of South Eastern Europe (ERI SEE) in Podgorica on 26 March 2018.