The chapter sheds light on the construction of a European higher education policy. Beginning with the historical context, we stress the importance of the intellectual and political climate that has led EU member states to reconsider their national take on educational policies and to contemplate joint action. We then take a closer look at the structural arrangements and actor constellations that have developed over time and explain some of the political intricacies of European higher education policy. Interpretive accounts of educational policy making enable us to capture the emergence and transnational circulation of narratives concerning higher education reform as well as to understand why European governments feel increasingly bound by rules developed outside of the realm of domestic policy.