In defining quality of higher education, competences achieved by graduates are interpreted as essential criteria. There are two political processes in education dealing, among other issues, with competence development: the Bologna Process in European Higher Education Area and a global process--the United Nations (UN) Decade (2005-2014) of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). This article presents the desired learning outcomes and the strategic principles for achieving them based on both the Bologna-2020 action lines and the UNECE Strategy for ESD as the regional strategy for the UN Decade. A possible interplay and synergy between these processes could bring a new insight to the development of the quality assurance concept within the Bologna Process. Key principles of ESD such as a value-orientation, a holistic approach, reflexivity and achieving transformation provide a learning philosophy and a strategy relevant to emerging qualities of the postmodern society. (Contains 1 table.)