Brussels, 15/11/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 15 November, the Council adopted the compromise reached in informal trialogue on review of the directive relating to professional qualifications, the parliamentary committee on the internal market having already signed up to the informal agreement (see EUROPE 10939).
The review assures the roll-out of an electronic professional card to facilitate mutual recognition of certification in Europe, as is the case for accountants or doctors of medicine, for example. While 740 professions are currently regulated in Europe, the review will also make it possible to reduce this number thanks to evaluation by member states of the need for regulation. Also, the new casting of the directive highlights the definition of minimum training for seven key professions (doctors of medicine, dentists, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, veterinarians and architects) which already benefit from automatic mutual recognition. Furthermore, an alert system will exist to show health or education professionals that have been suspended or have been banned from exercising their profession in a member state. The Parliament is expected to complete the co-decision procedure with a plenary vote next week. (MD/transl.jl)