Recognition of professional qualifications

By EP Library. Difficulties in recognition of professional qualifications (RPQ) continue to be one obstacle to mobility of workers. In order to facilitate and accelerate the RPQ process the European Commission proposed to modernise the 2005 Directive and introduce the voluntary European Professional Card using the system for electronic exchange of administrative information.
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Anerkennung beruflicher Qualifikationen
Reconocimiento de las cualificaciones profesionales
Reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles
Riconoscimento delle qualifiche professionali
Uznawanie kwalifikacji zawodowych
Recognition of professional qualifications
Recognition of qualifications in the EU
In total, across the EU Member States (MS) there are about 800 categories of regulated professions. Access to these is often based on differing national laws, which can make exercising a profession in another country difficult. A 2011 Eurobarometer survey identified non-recognition of qualifications as one of the key obstacles to working abroad. Citizens expect RPQ to be easy and automatic, yet only 70% of requests meet with a quick and successful outcome. The EU problem-solving network (SOLVIT) reports RPQ problems as the third most common complaint. The Agenda for New Skills and Jobs, one of the Europe 2020 strategy’s flagship initiatives, concluded that facilitating RPQ would contribute to a better match of skills and jobs on the EU labour market. The 2010 Citizenship Report identified inability to apply electronically for RPQ, delays in processes and resistance at national level as the main problems. Furthermore, the last three Annual Growth Surveys and the Single Market Act found obstacles to RPQ to be persistent. More...