The Bureau of the Council of Europe's Steering Committee for Education is discussing the creation of a European observatory for ethical integrity and transparency in Higher Education, a landmark initiative against educational fraud. The observatory aims to tackle the growing problem of fake diplomas with objectives such as data collection, promotion of ethical practices, prevention of corruption and international cooperation. Despite bureaucratic, financial and legal challenges, this initiative offers considerable potential benefits for the quality and reputation of higher education in Europe.

The recent ETINED plenary in Paris gathered representatives from 35 European countries to discuss the significance of integrity in higher education. They emphasized the need for ethical principles, transparency, and integrity in education, alongside measures to counter education fraud. The platform shared good practices, including a recommendation on countering education fraud and a forthcoming publication on legal responses and case studies related to education fraud. Discussions covered AI's impact on education, student-centric approaches, and plans for an observatory to combat education fraud.

A forger spotted in 2019 by the Ministry of Higher Education has been charged with forgery, counterfeiting and sale of official documents, fraud and money laundering. Since 2015, he had been selling fake diplomas by the thousands at €200 each. With the complicity of a taxi-ambulance driver who photographed patients' documents, he bought pre-paid cards under these false identities, which were then paid for by electronic transfers by the purchasers of the false diplomas via their own pre-paid cards.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19, the HEC business school has introduced an online monitoring system for exams that detects the slightest move and tracks down suspected cheaters. The National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties, seized by students from several higher education institutions, will ensure the legality of these virtual monitors.