This paper explores current policy arrangements of supporting development of teachers’ social, emotional and diversity awareness (SEDA) competencies in international comparative perspective across five European countries (Austria, Croatia, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden) that are a part of HAND Empowering Teachers European project. Research (e.g. Cefai et al., 2018; Štremfel, 2020) show that development of SEDA competencies in schools across the Europe is not systematically policy supported. The preliminary analyses (Kozina et al., 2020) confirm that each country, participating in this study, is facing its own challenges in supporting SEDA competencies of teachers at the system level and revealed lack of in-depth research across the Europe in the field. In order to fill the research gap and get this in-depth insight, HAND Empowering Teachers Policy questionnaire was developed. It is designed in a form of open questions with four subsections: a) statistical data on teachers and teachers’ initial and continuing education (3 questions); b) national, regional, local and school policies supporting teachers’ SEDA competencies (8 questions); evidence-based policy making (1 question); d) policy-research evidence (3 questions). It is based on national reviews of formal national/regional/local/school policy documents (legislation, strategies, operational documents), statistical information, formal national reports to international networks and organisations and policy-oriented research studies. The results demonstrate, whether and how teachers’ SEDA competencies are put on the policy agenda, whether and how they are embedded in teachers initial and continuous education and other policy measures, and whether and how they are systematically monitored in participating states. Analysed national policy frameworks are discussed in comparative perspective. In time, when teacher profession in Europe is facing several challenges (e.g. European Commission, 2020) and teachers SEDA competencies are recognized as key factor of supporting and navigating teaches’ professional career (e.g. Collie, 2017; Vorhaus, 2010), this research brings valuable insights in current state of system-level support to development of teachers’ SEDA competencies in Austria, Croatia, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden. Being complemented with wider policy review in all 27 EU member states and the policy experimentation results in the latter stages of the HAND: ET project, this research presents an important base of policy recommendations on how to effectively systemically support the development of the SEDA competencies of teachers at the EU level and in particular EU member states.

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