Malta is to harmonise its education qualifications system with that of the EU by 2010, under a new directive that enters into force early next year.

The harmonisation should facilitate the mobility of Maltese citizens to work and study in the EU.

Called the European Qualification Framework for lifelong learning (EQF), the system was launched yesterday by Education Commissioner Jan Figel.

The core of the EQF system is its eight reference levels, spanning from basic to the highest level qualifications.

According to the EU recommendation, all EU member states should relate their National Qualifications Systems to the EQF by 2010.

By 2012, every new qualification should have a reference to the appropriate EQF reference level, so the benefits to mobility and lifelong learning that the EQF brings with it will be visible and available to every EU citizen.

Commissioner Figel said yesterday that people in Europe too often face obstacles when trying to move from one country to another to learn or work.

"The EQF will make different qualifications more easily readable between different European countries, and so promote increased mobility for learning and working," he said.

As an instrument of promoting lifelong learning, the EQF encompasses general and adult education, vocational education and training as well as higher education.

The European Parliament has already approved the Commission's proposal and a political agreement at EU Council level was reached last October.