The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of an epoxyethyl carboxylate or glycidyl carboxylate, including reacting a vinyl carboxylate or an allyl carboxylate using an oxidant and a water-soluble manganese complex in an aqueous reaction medium, and the water-soluble manganese complex comprises an oxidation catalyst, characterized in that the water-soluble manganese complex is a mononuclear species of the general formula (I) [LMnX3]Y (I), or a binuclear species of the general formula (II): [LMn(μ-X)3MnL]Yn (II), wherein Mn is a manganese; L is a ligand and each L is independently a polydentate ligand, each X is independently a coordinating species and each μ-X is independently a bridging coordinating species, Y is a non-coordinating counter ion, and wherein the epoxidation is carried out at a pH in the range of from 1.0 to 7.0.