The European Commission has put forward a proposal for a Directive to clarify and simplify the rules in order to facilitate the free movement of qualified people between the Member States, particularly in view of an enlarged European Union.
The proposed Directive would replace fifteen existing Directives in the field of the recognition of professional qualifications. The proposal constitutes the first comprehensive modernisation of the Community system since it was conceived forty years ago.
A number of changes are proposed compared with the existing rules, including greater liberalisation of the provision of services, more automatic recognition of qualifications and increased flexibility in the procedures for updating the Directive. The Commission also proposes to develop its cooperation with the Member States in order to keep citizens better informed about their rights and give them more help in getting their qualifications recognised.
The Directive has been approved on 07.09.2005.