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Revision of the Recognition of Professional Qualifications: European curricula to facilitate professionals mobility?

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the revision of the Recognition of Professional Qualifications Directive, looking for ways of simplifying the current system. CEPI participated in the discussions last year concerning the evaluation of the Directive, and continues to involve itself in policy discussions about its revision, notably on the question of Article 15 on the common platforms.

CEPI has long worked on the question of Article 15 of the Directive and the possibility of establishing common platforms to avoid the necessity of having to deal with each application on a case-by-case basis. It is clear that, on the present wording of Article 15, it is not possible for any professional association to meet the requirements to create a common platform. In the consultation the Commission now puts forward an alternative suggestion. Instead of aiming for the harmonization of compensation measures, European curricula for various professions could be developed, for example on the basis of common sets of competence. This would create a European training programme which exists in addition to national training programmes for a given profession to be used to facilitate mobility of professionals. This could be along the lines of CEPI's EUREDUC Programme, and is a suggestion which CEPI finds very interesting.

The Commission also recognizes that there are problems with the movement of professionals from countries in which a profession is not regulated to a country in which it is regulated. The proposed European professional card is mentioned in the consultation, which sets out its possible features. CEPI is closely involved in discussions concerning its development.

The consultation finally mentions the need to simplify the rules on temporary mobility of professionals and the importance of continuing professional development and whether it should feature in the Directive. CEPI will prepare a response to the consultation addressing these priority issues.

Further information (and the consultation document) is available here. The results will be used by the Commission in the preparation of an evaluation report and the Green Paper planned for autumn 2011. The deadline for replies is 15 March 2011, and there will be a public hearing on 21 February.
18/01/2011