Recognition of Professional Qualifications Modernising Directive 2005/36/EC

1. Recognition of Professional QualificationsModernising Directive 2005/36/EC András Zsigmond (DG MARKT/E.4) HEE England Brussels, 18 February 2014

2. Directive 2005/36/EC in a nutshell • Beneficiaries: EU/EEA nationals wishing to pursue a profession which is regulated in the host MS • Considered fully qualified professionals in the home MS • Employees or self-employed • Unless other sector-specific EU legislation applies (for example seafarers) • Effects of recognition: access to profession under the same conditions as nationals

3. Permanent establishment: 3 regimes • Automatic recognition based on harmonised minimum training requirements (7 "sectoral professions": doctors, nurses, dentists, veterinary surgeons, pharmacists, midwives, architects) • Automatic recognition based on professional experience (mainly crafts, industry and commerce) • General system of mutual recognition (primary or subsidiary application)

4. GENERAL SYSTEM OF RECOGNITIONPermanent establishment • Comparison between migrant's qualifications and qualifications required in the host MS • 5 levels of qualifications used • In case of substantial differences: compensatory measures (adaptation period or aptitude test) • 2 years of experience required if profession not regulated in home MS • Strict deadlines for MS (4 months)

5. Temporary provision of services • Assessment of the temporary and occasional nature on a case by case basis • Principle of free and immediate access to the profession if: • Legal establishment in a MS • 2 years experience if profession not regulated in the MS of establishment • Possibility for host MS to request a prior declaration and accompanying documents

6. Temporary provision of services • Derogation: • Prior check of qualifications possible for professions having health or safety implications, if not automatically recognised (Art. 7§4) • Exercise of the profession: • Professional and disciplinary rules of the host MS apply

7. Modernisation of Dir. 2005/36 (timing) March 2010 – May 2011 Evaluation of the Directive June 2011 – Dec.2011 Preparation of the legislative proposal January 2012 – Feb. 2013 Discussions in the EP and Council March 2013 – June 2013 Public consultation January 2011 Trilogues July 2013 – November 2013 Consolidation and adoption Green Paper adopted on 22/06/2011 (public consultation) Legislative proposal adopted on 19/12/2011 Vergnaud report adopted on 23/01/2013 Political agreement - trilogue on 12/06/2013 Vote in EP 09/10/2013 Vote in Council 15/11/2013 Steering group EPC Jan – Sept 2011

8. Directive 2013/55/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 amending Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System (‘the IMI Regulation') • published on 28 December 2013 in the Official Journal L354, p. 132.

9. Most important issues • European Professional Card • Alert mechanism • Sectoral professions • Common Training Principles • Language requirements • Partial access • Mutualevaluation - transparency • Other subjects

10. European Professional Card (EPC) • Articles 4a to 4e and Article 60(2)(a) • Electronic certificate transmitted via the Internal Market Information System • What does it do in case of permanent establishment? • Accelerates recognition procedures • Validation by host Member State remains but challenge of tacit recognition • What does it do in case of temporary mobility? • EPC replaces declaration for 18 months and is valid on the entire territory of the MS concerned • Valid at the same time in all MS requested for

11. European Professional Card (EPC) • Need for implementing actsforspecificprofessions (criterias of theDirective) • Interested professions • 18 October 2013 – Call for expression of interest in EPC • 7 preselectedprofessions: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, realestateagents, engineers, mountain guides • Public consultation • Implementation • EPC to be ready by the end of transposition period • Work on the implementing acts (2014), technical development (2015)

12. Alert mechanism • Alert • To all Member States • Restriction or prohibition, even if temporarily; fake diplomas • Within 3 days • Limited information • Data protection • All sectoral professions; professions with patient safety implications; education of minors, including childcare and early childhood education • Implementing act

13. Sectoral health professions • Continuous Professional Development (GoC to exchange information) • Doctors: 5 years and 5500 hours; partial exemptions for specialist medical training; new medical specialties; Italian acquired rights • Nurses: two-tier system, common list of competences; Romanian nurses with review mechanism; Polish nurses

14. Sectoral health professions • Dentists: 5 years and 5000 hours; new dental specialties; Spanish doctors • Midwives: 12 years of general education; update of knowledge and skills; list of activities; implementation • Pharmacists: derogation; list of activities

15. Partial access • Principle developed by the Court • Principle to be decided in individual Member States on a case-by-case basis • The professional is fully qualified • If compensation measure = full programme of education and training • Activity can objectively be separated (home MS situation to be taken into account) • Possibility to reject partial access in case of overriding reasons of general interest • Does not apply to sectoral professions • Use of the professional title / information to service recipients

16. Common Training Principles • Common training frameworks / common training tests • Conditions for the introduction • Initiative of the professional organisations / competent authorities from 1/3 of Member States; discussion in the GoC • Procedure: delegated act / possibility of exemptions / implementing act • Applies to specialties

17. Language knowledge • Professionals shall have the necessary knowledge of languages • Control in case of serious and concrete doubt • Systematic control possible for professions with patient safety implications • Safeguards for the professional • Only one official or administrative language of the MS but MS can encourage learning a 2nd language; role of the employers • Check only after a recognition of a qualification but before accessing the profession • Proportionality and possibility of appeal

18. Mutual evaluation exercise - Context • March 2012 European Council conclusions • EP resolution of 14 June 2012 • European Semester: several country specific recommendations on professional services in 2012 and 2013 • Article 59 of revised Professional Qualifications Directive: MS agreed to transparency and mutual evaluation • 2nd October Communication on evaluating national regulations on access to professions

19. Mutual evaluation - Facts • Professional Services = 9% of EU GDP • Eurostat July 2013: 26.65m unemployed across EU • Around 740 categories of regulated professions from florists to detectives, librarians to welders…: • Constitutes a barrier to free movement? • Proportionate and necessary? • Different forms of access control have different impacts on the business environment: • Access restrictions – Regulatory forms: Qualifications and reserved activities, certification, protection of titles. • Other restrictions on the exercise of the professions: Legal form, shareholding, tariff setting, membership of professional bodies

20. Objectives of mutual evaluation • Modernise, simplify and improve access to professions across MSs to: • Promote mobility and encourage cross border service development • Improve competitiveness and employment in professional services • Maintain the best interests of consumers • To achieve this we need to ask ourselves: • Are current systems fit for purpose? • Are they achieving their policy outcomes? • Are there unintended consequences? • Are there alternative ways to achieve the outcomes we desire?

21. The Process As a first step transparency will map the whole landscape: • Give complete transparency on regulated professions and entry restrictions to interested professionals • European map of regulated professions Case-by-case examination of the professional access restrictions in Member States: • Ensure that entry barriers are justified and proportionate to protecting the public interest (health and consumer safety). • Consider the impact on mobility / quality / wages / costs to consumers/ innovation / employment & economic growth. Mutual evaluation will target best practice to ensure that professional access frameworks are meeting objectives that are in the best interests of European citizens. Member States to present national action plans in April 2015 and June 2016

22. Timing

23. Other subjects • Free provision of services • Transparency exercise • General system (educational levels; professional experience; scope; compensation measures) • Recognition of traineeships • Access to information / e-governance • Craft / trade / industry • Implementing / delegated acts

24. Useful links • Professional Qualifications Directive in practice: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/qualifications/directive_in_practice/index_en.htm • Latestpolicydevelopments: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/qualifications/policy_developments/index_en.htm

25. Thank you for your attention! • Markt-E4@ec.europa.eu