The European Association of Conservatoires (AEC) is a European cultural and educational network with almost 300 member institutions for higher music education and professional music training in 55 countries, including all Bologna signatory countries. Its aims are to promote European cooperation in the higher music education sector and to represent the interests of its members.

In addition to regular meetings and conferences, the AEC is coordinating various projects funded by various European programmes such as ERASMUS, ERASMUS MUNDUS and CULTURE. Its ERASMUS Network for Music ‘Polifonia’ was chosen as an ‘ERASMUS Success Story’ in 2007. The AEC also maintains a high profile in relation to the Bologna Declaration developments: on its trilingual website www.bologna-and-music.org information can be found on the European sectoral qualifications framework for higher music education and the AEC Institutional and Programme Review Scheme, as well as many other activities related to the Bologna process. In addition, the AEC has launched a series of small-scale, highly focused training seminars for senior management staff in conservatoires.