The third volume of the Council of Europe higher education series brings together in a single tome the Council of Europe's legal standards for the recognition of qualifications, developed jointly with UNESCO.It makes the current European legal standards readily available for credential evaluators and others who make recognition decisions and for policy makers and others interested in recognition issues.The introductory article provides the background for these legal texts, puts them into context and provides a more accessible explanation of their significance. It is, however, no substitute for reading the convention itself and its subsidiary texts.