The European Qualifications Framework (EQF) is an 8-level, learning outcomes-based framework for all types of qualifications that serves as a translation tool between different national qualifications frameworks. This framework helps improve transparency, comparability and portability of people's qualifications and makes it possible to compare qualifications from different countries and institutions. The European Qualifications Framework is maintained by DG EMPL and published by the Publications Office of the European Union on the EU Vocabularies website.