This project of the European University Association analysed the possibilities of joint degree programmes in Europe as innovative examples of inter-university cooperation and as pillars of the future European higher education development. EMLE was among the eleven programmes that were selected for this pilot project.

In August 2004, the EMLE programme in Rotterdam and Ghent was accredited by the NVAO, the Dutch Flemish Accreditation Agency. The NVAO is the official agency in the Netherlands and Flanders to certify that a programme meets the quality criteria as formulated by the Dutch and Flemish government.
In February 2005 the EMLE programme in Hamburg was accredited by the ZEvA, the Central Accreditation Agency of the Federal State of Lower Saxony. The ZEvA is one of the official agencies in Germany to certify that a programme fulfils the national German quality standards set by the German Conference of the Ministers of Education.

The Erasmus Mundus programme is a co-operation and mobility programme in the field of higher education. It aims to enhance quality in European higher education and to promote intercultural understanding through co-operation with third countries. The programme is intended to strengthen European co-operation and international links in higher education by supporting high-quality European Masters Courses, by enabling students and visiting scholars from around the world to engage in postgraduate study at European universities, as well as by encouraging the outgoing mobility of European students and scholars towards third countries.