Guiding principles for protecting fundamental academic values

Final report

What better day to bring you a report on academic values than the #InternationalDayOfEducation? 📚

Its message supports democratic and academic values, reminding us of the shared responsibility in defending academic freedom.

More: https://t.co/LvWj62qRQY pic.twitter.com/wRwA6SUOcf

— Erasmus+ (@EUErasmusPlus) January 24, 2026

This report puts forward a proposal for establishing Guiding Principles on fundamental academic values and outlines the background for this proposal.

The Guiding Principles proposed in this report further build on and constitute an important part of the EU’s contribution to and enhancement of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

They are based on the EHEA Ministerial Communiques (Paris 2018, Rome 2020, Tirana 2024) which outline and define six fundamental academic values:

(1) Academic freedom; (2) Academic integrity; (3) Institutional autonomy; (4) Staff and student participation in higher education governance; (5) Public responsibility for higher education; (6) Public responsibility of higher education.

The Guiding Principles consider also the work conducted within other contexts (both within and beyond the EU) and avoid duplication of efforts. These include standards and projects developed by the Council of Europe and UNESCO, the Magna Charta Universitatum, the Autonomy Scorecard developed by the European University Association and the Academic Freedom Index, many of which represent the higher education community of institutions, staff and students.

The Guiding Principles also work in synergy to the work done in the context of the European Research Area (ERA) and the commitment in the Regulation establishing Horizon Europe that the Programme is committed to promoting respect for academic freedom in all countries benefiting from its funds.

The proposed Guiding Principles have been the subject of consultations with stakeholders, including academic experts, rectors and university networks.

They have also been considered by the EEA Strategic Framework Working Group on Higher Education and the Working Group on Fundamental Values of the European Higher Education Area.

The Guiding Principles address the main institutional actors in European higher education: higher education institutions, national public authorities and the European Union itself.

These principles pertain to:

(1) implementing the commitments on fundamental values undertaken by Ministers within the European Higher Education Area;

(2) protecting the fundamental academic values through legislation;

(3) the role of higher education leadership;

(4) structures and practises to address violations of fundamental academic values and to protect staff and students;

(5) raising awareness of the fundamental academic values and of their importance to both democracy and high-quality learning, teaching and research;

(6) putting fundamental academic values at the heart of the higher education community;

(7) confidentiality clauses conditioning the funding of teaching and research projects;

(8) encouraging student and staff engagement in building a culture of fundamental academic values;

(9) integrating fundamental academic values in international partnerships;

(10) funding for higher education and research;

(11) quality assurance in respect of fundamental academic values.

European Commission: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture and Bergan, S., Guiding principles for protecting fundamental academic values – Final report, 2026, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2766/5503022