In 2002, the European Commission created an Expert Group on lifelong guidance.
At the end of 2005, the Commission initiated a discussion with its Expert Group for Lifelong Guidance on Member-State-driven European Network as a suitable mechanism to take forward work on guidance at EU level.
On November 2006, during Finnish EU Presidency Conference on Lifelong Guidance Policies and Systems, first exchange of views on the future mandate took place and the participating Member States expressed their interest to set up a network of interested countries
On March 2007 the Commission invited representatives of the countries eligible for assistance under the Lifelong Learning Programme 2007-13 for a preparatory meeting to explore the potential for the Network.
On May 2007, the inaugural meeting of the ELGPN agreed to establish a European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network and expressed their willingness to participate in the network as members or observers.
The role of the ELGPN was strengthened and described in more detail in the EU Council Resolution on ‘Better Integrating Lifelong Guidance into Lifelong Learning Strategies’ passed in 2008 under the French EU Presidency.
As an outcome of the 2007-15 Work Programmes the ELGPN developed a comprehensive range of EU reference tools and publications for European lifelong guidance policy and systems developments at EU and national levels.
