In many countries in both the Mediterranean region and the European Union (EU), interest in the quality of, and improvements to, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) systems has increased progressively in recent years. The main reason underlying this interest is a growing awareness of the key role played by education and training in economic competitiveness and social inclusion. Broad-based education systems, workforces that are upskilled on a continuing basis and lifelong learning are in great demand as a consequence of the dynamics of globalisation. This report, written by Prof. Erwin Seyfried, has two main sections providing a general overview of the political objectives for TVET reform. The first part describes achievements in the European Union, whereas the second part analyses the current state of reform in the Mediterranean countries. Nevertheless, the main focus of this report is quality and quality assurance in TVET; in other words, the intention is not to provide a systematic analytical overview of TVET systems in EU member states and Mediterranean countries. The systems view is limited to the more urgent challenges and main features associated with quality and quality assurance in TVET, with the main aim of the report ultimately being to examine common challenges and potential synergies for common actions in TVET, by the Mediterranean countries themselves and between the Mediterranean region and the European Union. Appended are: (1) Common principles for quality assurance in education and training; (2) Quality criteria and indicative descriptors for developing and implementing the European Quality Assurance Reference Framework; and (3) A reference set of quality indicators. A bibliography is included. (Contains 2 figures, 11 boxes, and 11 footnotes.)