This Eurydice report analyses the relation between the policies that regulate the teaching profession in Europe, and the attitudes, practices, and perceptions of teachers. The analysis covers aspects such as, initial teacher education, continuing professional development, transnational mobility, as well as teacher demographics, working conditions, and the attractiveness of the profession. The report focuses on almost two million lower secondary education teachers employed in the 28 EU Member States, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, and Turkey. It is based on Eurydice and Eurostat/UOE data, as well as on a secondary analysis of TALIS 2013, combining qualitative and quantitative evidence. The reference year is 2013-14.