A scientific - research approach to the concept of the European dimension in education is a challenging issue. It is a key term in defining a new epistemiological framework, which sets conditions for the establishment of a peaceful and a modern Europe and presents a change of perspective in educaton (Barthelemy, 1999, according to Ledić, Miočić, Turk, 2016).

We are close to the definition of Europeisation as the horizontal transfer, construction, diffusion and institutionalization of regulations and procedures related to work methods and shared beliefs that are primarily defined by the decisions of the European Union, and  consequently interpolated into the logic of national discourse, identity and public policies (Bulmer, Radaelli, 2004, according to Žiljak, 2013). In this, Europeisation is, above all, understood as the logic of national factors, as "a European grammar for national political activities" (Radaelli, 2008).

The  European Union´s efforts to create a unified education system represent a paradigm shift that is, due to its nature, a complex and protracted process. In order for these efforts to develop, it is necessary to understand the processes of social trends and the mutable circumstances in which they manifest (Goodson, 2014). This paradigm shift is a controversial experiment that must be open to constant re-examination through open discourse and discussion, which includes examination of the context in which it occurs (Elliott, 1998).

Although it is a member of the European Union, Croatia faces significant difficulties when it comes to the manner, speed and content of the Europeisation of its education system. The reasons for this are many: from historical, sociopolitical, cultural, economic and other differences, to an aversion to the more radical reforms that the Europeisation of education demands. This has triggered passionate responses from the public, evoked by the skepticism of certain groups regarding the feasibility of the idea of forming a common European education area, together with a fear of losing the specific features of the national education system.

The theoretical framework for understanding the interrelationships between Europeisation and national education policies is established through C.Radaelli´s concept and focuses on the problem of endogenisation and the adoption of the international within a national framework.

Radaelli depicts learning through the open method of coordination as learning through socialisation, which allows creators of public policies to bring their interdependence to awareness. This method has learning potential, but this potential has not yet been fully developed, particularly as bottom-up learning, due to limited participation, the political aspects of learning and insufficient critical discussion about benchmarking. The network of civil servants and experts is the key to learning, however, they are more likely to strengthen the technocratic nature of European processes than they are to open the doors to more democratic decisions (Žiljak 2013).

Due to the aforementioned reasons, this work places an emphasis on the problem of perception of the European physionomy of education (through the relationship between European and national identity) in the population of participants - civil servants in the bodies of national education policy. In countries with a strongly pronounced national identity, such as Croatia, these questions are particularly important and function as a  "shadow in the dark"  of sorts, which influences the quality of the process of the implementation of the concept of Europeisation and, consequently, the creation of national policies and practices for the formation of a European dimension of education.

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