Proposal for modernising the Professional Qualifications Directive

The Commission has adopted a legislative proposal for modernising Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications.

The proposal aims at simplifying rules for the mobility of professionals within the EU. It is essential to enabling professionals to start a new business or to find a job in another Member State requiring a specific qualification for a specific professional activity

Key elements of the proposal are:

• The introduction of a European professional card
• Better access to information on the recognition of professional qualifications
• Updating minimum training requirements for doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, veterinary surgeons and architects
• The introduction of an alert mechanism for health professionals benefiting from automatic recognition
• The introduction of common training frameworks and common training tests
• Mutual evaluation exercise on regulated professions