Brussels, 12/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - Adding a new element to the debate on the "mobility" of workers, to be held this week at the Barcelona Summit, the European Commission adopted, on Tuesday, a proposal of directive that aims to create a single legal framework for recognition of professional qualifications. The aim is to simplify the current system, replacing with a single text the fifteen directives set in place in forty years of harmonisation. Simplification had been requested by the Stockholm Summit and prepares for EU enlargement, the Commission stresses in a press release.
The proposal covers the three existing recognition systems: 1) automatic recognition of training qualifications on the basis of coordinated minimum training conditions for doctors, nurses responsible for general healthcare, dentists, veterinarians, midwives, pharmacists and architects; 2) automatic recognition of qualifications attested by professional experience for a series of industrial, craft and commercial activities set out in the proposal; 3) a general mutual recognition system for the other professions, which leaves States the right to apply compensatory measures when training required in the State of origin and the host State are substantially different. These compensatory measures may be adjustment courses or an aptitude test. They should, however, be eliminated once qualification criteria have been fixed by Community rules, on the basis of common standards defined by "common platforms" of professional associations in the sector concerned.
The draft directive specifies the list of documents and certificates that may be required by the relevant authorities of the host Member State. These authorities must send an acknowledgement of receipt within one month and point out any missing documents. They should also take a decision within three months from the date of reception of the complete dossier and give reasons for refusal.
Furthermore, the Commission foresees a procedure for updating rules in order to take scientific and technological progress into account.
Only the recognition of lawyers' qualifications will continue to be regulated by the two existing specific directives. This can be explained by the fact that there is "no equivalence in their training, as the law is different depending on the Member State. The current system, however, is very liberal", assures the Commission's Head of Unit for the freedom of service and establishment, Jonathon I Stoodley. He stresses, moreover, that the new directive gives the regulated professions the freedom to ensure occasional or temporary service, without having to go through official recognition of qualifications by the host State. The Commission proposal is founded on the results of a consultation carried out between June and September last year. This consultation has shown that the Member States wanted to preserve the current safeguard mechanisms and the compensation system, and that there is considerable fear about equivalence of training when it comes to enlargement, said Jonathon Stoodley.
According to the statistics provided by the Commission, 11,582 diploma acceptances were granted by the Member States in 1997/98 for the seven professions (health and architecture) allowing automatic recognition, of which 6,517 are for doctors. Under the general regime, 10,639 equivalences were granted in 1997/98 and 8,118 in 1999/2000, including 2,145 for teachers and 1,192 for physiotherapists.