The 4th Plenary Session of the Council of Europe Platform on Ethics, Transparency and Integrity in Education (ETINED) was held on 5 February 2021.

The plenary meeting focussed on the discussion of the Draft Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers on countering education fraud and its Explanatory Memorandum, that were presented by the Working Group on Education Fraud. The group started drafting a policy framework document in 2018 and met three times in 2019.

Throughout 2020, the group worked on the draft recommendation and the development of a draft explanatory memorandum. Purpose of the recommendation: to promote, develop and encourage quality education free from fraud. Risks are identified in the preamble to the Draft recommendation: international reputation, national security and public safety, trust placed in the education systems of member states, the economy of each member state, the credibility of regulated professions, equal treatment and opportunities for learning.

A roundtable on the greatest challenges regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic took place. Panelists mentioned the public funding and financing of education, the recognition of qualifications, the professional integration of students and access to quality education as the biggest concerns.