It has also been ratified by the Council of Europe non-member states Australia, Belarus, Canada, the Holy See, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and New Zealand.
The Convention stipulates that degrees and periods of study must be recognised unless substantial differences can be proved by the institution that is charged with recognition.
It is named after Lisbon, Portugal, where it was signed in 1997, and entered into force on 1 February 1999 (or later in some countries, subject to ratification date).
As for the ENIC Network, it upholds and assists the practical implementation of the convention by the competent national authorities.
The possibility for students to study abroad has been recognised as an essential element of European integration since the foundation of the Council of Europe in 1949.