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’ ) Text with EEA relevance

• Published date: 28 December 2013
• Subject Matter: Freedom of establishment
• Official Gazette Publication: Official Journal of the European Union, L 354, 28 December 2013

28.12.2013 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 354/132

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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’)

(Text with EEA relevance)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Articles 46, 53(1) and 62 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1),

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (2),

Whereas:

(1) Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications (3) consolidated a system of mutual recognition which was initially based on 15 Directives. It provides for automatic recognition for a limited number of professions based on harmonised minimum training requirements (sectoral professions), a general system for the recognition of evidence of training and automatic recognition of professional experience. Directive 2005/36/EC also established a new system of free provision of services. It should be recalled that third-country family members of Union citizens benefit from equal treatment in accordance with Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States (4). Third-country nationals may also benefit from equal treatment with regard to recognition of diplomas, certificates and other professional qualifications, in accordance with the relevant national procedures, under specific Union legal acts such as those on long-term residence, refugees, ‘blue card holders’ and scientific researchers.

(2) In its Communication of 27 October 2010 entitled ‘Single Market Act, Twelve levers to boost growth and strengthen confidence, ‘Working together to create new growth’, the Commission identified the need to modernise Union law in this area. On 23 October 2011, the European Council in its conclusions supported such a modernisation and urged the European Parliament and the Council to reach a political agreement on the revision of Directive 2005/36/EC by the end of 2012. In its resolution of 15 November 2011 on the implementation of the Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EC) (5), the European Parliament also invited the Commission to come forward with a proposal. The EU Citizenship report 2010 of 27 October 2010 entitled ‘Dismantling the obstacles to EU citizens’ rights’ underlines the need to lighten the administrative burden linked to the recognition of professional qualifications.

(3) Notaries who are appointed by an official act of government should be excluded from the scope of Directive 2005/36/EC in view of the specific and differing regimes applicable to them in individual Member States for accessing and pursuing the profession.

(4) For the purposes of strengthening the internal market and promoting the free movement of professionals while ensuring a more efficient and transparent recognition of professional qualifications, a European Professional Card would be of added value. In particular, that Card would be useful to facilitate temporary mobility and recognition under the automatic recognition system, as well as to promote a simplified recognition process under the general system. The purpose of the European Professional Card is to simplify the recognition process and to introduce cost and operational efficiencies that will benefit professionals and competent authorities. The introduction of a European Professional Card should take into account the views of the profession concerned and should be preceded by an assessment of its suitability for the profession concerned and its impact on Member States. That assessment should be conducted together with Member States, where necessary. The European Professional Card should be issued at the request of a professional and after submission of necessary documents and completion of related verification procedures by the competent authorities. Where the European Professional Card is issued for the purpose of establishment, it should constitute a recognition decision and be treated as any other recognition decision under Directive 2005/36/EC. It should complement rather than replace any registration requirements associated with access to a particular profession. There is no need to introduce a European Professional Card for the legal professions for which professional cards are already implemented under the system provided for in Council Directive 77/249/EEC of 22 March 1977 to facilitate the effective exercise by lawyers of freedom to provide services (6) and Directive 98/5/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 1998 to facilitate practice of the profession of lawyer on a permanent basis in a Member State other than that in which the qualification was obtained (7).

(5) The functioning of the European Professional Card should be supported by the Internal Market Information System (IMI) established by Regulation (EU) No 1024/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (8). The Card and IMI should enhance synergies and trust among competent authorities, while at the same time eliminating duplication of administrative work and recognition procedures for the competent authorities, and creating more transparency and certainty for professionals.

(6) The process for the application and issuing of the European Professional Card should be clearly structured and incorporate safeguards and the corresponding rights of appeal for the applicant. Implementing acts should specify translation requirements and the methods of payment of any fees to be provided by an applicant so that the workflow in IMI is not disrupted or impaired and the processing of the application is not delayed. Setting the level of fees is a matter for Member States. Member States should however notify the Commission about the level of fees set. The European Professional Card and the related workflow within IMI should ensure the integrity, authenticity and confidentiality of the data stored and avoid unlawful and unauthorised access to information contained therein.

(7) Directive 2005/36/EC applies only to professionals who want to pursue the same profession in another Member State. There are cases where, in the host Member State, the activities concerned are part of a profession with a larger scope of activities than in the home Member State. If the differences between the fields of activity are so large that a full programme of education and training would be required from the professional to compensate for shortcomings, and if the professional so requests, a host Member State should under these particular circumstances grant partial access. However, where there are overriding reasons of general interest, as defined by the Court of Justice of the European Union in its case-law relating to Articles 49 and 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and which may continue to evolve, a Member State should be able to refuse partial access. This may in particular be the case for health professions if they have public health or patient safety implications. Granting partial access should be without prejudice to the right of social partners to organise themselves.

(8) In the interest of protecting local consumers in the host Member State, temporary and occasional provision of services in Member States should be subject to safeguards, in particular a requirement of a minimum of one year’s professional experience during the last 10 years preceding the provision of services, in cases where the profession is not regulated in the home Member State. In the case of seasonal activities, Member States should have the possibility to carry out controls in order to verify the temporary and occasional nature of the services provided on their territory. To that end, the host Member State should be able to require, once a year, information about the services actually provided on its territory, in cases where such information has not been already communicated on a voluntary basis by the service provider.

(9) Directive 2005/36/EC allows Member States to check the professional qualifications of the service provider prior to the first provision of service in the case of regulated professions that have public health or safety implications. This has led to legal uncertainty leaving it to the discretion of a competent authority to decide on the need for such a prior check. In order to ensure legal certainty, professionals should know from the outset whether a prior check of professional qualifications is necessary and when a decision can be expected. In any event, the conditions for such prior checks of professional qualifications under the free provision of services should not be more stringent than under the establishment rules. In the case of regulated professions that have public health or safety implications, Directive 2005/36/EC should be without prejudice to the possibility for Member States to impose an insurance cover obligation related to the professional acts in accordance with the rules applicable under Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (9) and Directive 2006/123/EC of

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