Universities in the “ANECA Territory” meet with the Agency

Universities in the “ANECA Territory” meet with the Agency to analyze the impact of recent regulatory changes

  • 17/04/2026

On April 13, the group of university presidents from the so-called “ANECA Territory” (the 16 Spanish universities whose degree programs and centers are evaluated by this Agency) met with ANECA’s leadership team to discuss strategies for implementing the changes that Royal Decree 905/2025 imposes on quality assurance processes.

This regulation, which took effect on October 28, 2025, substantially modifies the current legislative framework for higher education by introducing changes to other regulations that, in turn, govern institutional accreditation of universities, university registration, the issuance of official university degrees, and university quality assurance procedures.

Although this Royal Decree was enacted with the purpose of “ensuring the overall quality of the entire university system as a fundamental objective of Spanish society,” its implementation presents a series of regulatory, organizational, and planning challenges, particularly regarding the quality assurance of academic programs and universities.

Variations in Deadlines Based on the University’s Location

Under this royal decree, universities are required to ensure the quality of all their academic programs through their institutions’ quality assurance systems, which must be certified by the relevant agency based on the institution’s location, provided that the agency is listed in the European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies.

In the case of newly established universities, these institutions commit to certifying the design of their quality systems within one year and will have two years to certify their implementation at the institution.

It should also be noted that the report prepared by the quality agencies prior to the establishment of the institution will be mandatory and binding, and that, if the outcome is unfavorable, a new application may not be submitted until at least two years have elapsed from the date of notification of said decision.

For their part, universities and university centers that are already authorized have up to three years to certify at least the design of the quality assurance systems at the centers that offer official degrees or continuing education programs.

Varied Situations Among Universities in the ANECA Region

Against this backdrop, the meeting highlighted the diversity of situations among universities in the ANECA Territory regarding the certification of their quality assurance systems. While some institutions have most of their centers already certified or institutionally accredited, others are in the early stages of the process, which until now was not mandatory. Added to this is the complexity arising from the large number of university research institutes and affiliated centers that also offer official courses or continuing education.

ANECA’s Response to New Challenges

This framework presents challenges for both universities and ANECA itself, which will have to handle a significant volume of evaluations as a result of new applications for quality system certification.

For this reason, ANECA has developed a detailed map of quality certification coverage at universities within its jurisdiction, with the aim of identifying institutions that currently meet the requirements and those that will need to address them in the coming years. This analysis will enable effective management of the anticipated volume of evaluations and ensure compliance with the deadlines established in the regulations.

Collaboration between Universities and Quality Agencies

Both the top representatives of universities and ANECA staff agreed on the importance of jointly addressing the management and planning of these procedures. 

This commitment to working in a coordinated manner strengthens the quality assurance system and enables continued progress in the ongoing improvement of the Spanish university system.