PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS : COMMISSION LAUNCHES IDEA OF EUROPEAN PROFESSIONAL CARD.

What aspects of Directive 2005/36/EC on professional qualifications should be simplified, updated or made more user-friendly? That is the question the European Commission presents to stakeholders in a broad public consultation launched on 7 January. It invites them to submit their views on how to better integrate professionals in the single market, boost cooperation between member states and increase awareness of EU legislation in this area. The executive suggests different options, in particular the creation of a European professional card and a European curriculum, already mentioned in other forms in the 2005 directive but never applied to date.

This consultation marks the first stage of revision of the legislative text, set for 2012. The contributions from stakeholders will provide input for an evaluation report and for the Commission's green paper, to be adopted in autumn 2011.

In October 2010, the Commission published its first report on the functioning of the professional qualifications directive. The record is hardly brilliant: late transposition; non-application of the code of conduct for competent authorities; no common platform and no professional cards, despite the measures contained in the 2005 directive.

The usefulness of this legislative text is nonetheless recognised: it enables professionals to look for a job or practice their activity in another member state. Certain...

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