In the debate on vocational training in Europe the sectoral approach has been referred to for some time now, as the authorities expect that this will ensure, above all, a greater involvement of the social partners. But it remains unclear exactly what is understood by the term "sector". It is used in discussions as a standard, pragmatic phrase rather than as the result of particular research. An attempt is made below to define this term for the purposes of vocational training policy and to demonstrate the opportunities offered by the use of sector references for European vocational training, including reference to the debate on the European Qualification Framework (EQF) and the European Credit Transfer Systems (ECVET) for vocational training. (Contains 10 footnotes.)