European Commission

• Professionals/consumers having an interest in the question of regulated professions and consumer associations.
• The regulated professions and the professional associations.
• Industry and business associations.
• Ministries and authorities responsible for the various regulated professions such as, in particular, ministries of Economy, Education, Public Health, Agriculture, Tourism, Transport etc.
• Other interested parties

The public consultation was aimed at gathering stakeholders’ views on a modernisation of the Professional Qualifications Directive (Directive 2005/36/EC).

This Directive, adopted in 2005, sets the rules for mutual recognition of professional qualifications between Member States. Beyond a few innovations, it mainly consolidated and simplified 15 previous Directives, some of which dated back to the 1960s.

The reform of the system of recognition of professional qualifications as a means to facilitate mobility is one of the priority actions proposed by the Commission in the Single Market Act. With the view to preparing this reform, the Commission launched in March 2010 a major evaluation of the Professional Qualifications Directive.

As a first step in the evaluation process, the Commission reached out to competent authorities and national coordinators, who draw “experience reports” giving valuable information on how the rules work in practice. The consultation constituted the second step of the evaluation process. The main objective was to consult stakeholders on three major challenges for the reform of the system of recognition of professional qualifications:

• simplifying the existing rules to the benefit of individual citizens;
• integrating professions into the Single Market;
• injecting more confidence into the system.

• Consultation paper

• Commission staff working paper on the transposition and implementation of the Directive.
• Experience reports from national competent authorities.
• Directive 2005/36/EC   – User Guide.
• Code of conduct as approved by the Group of Coordinators.

• Programme
• Presentations
  • Mr Tjalling De Vries (European Parliament)
  • Panel 1
    • Antoine FOBE, Your Europe Advice
    • Kitty WIGLEVEN, National Contact Point (The Netherlands)
    • Mafalda DE SIQUEIRA, SOLVIT Centre (Portugal)
    • Florent TOURNOIS, Point of Single Contact (France)
  • Panel 2
    • Michal JANEBA, Minister for Regional Development (Czech Republic)
    • Andrew VAN DER LEM, Department for Business Innovation & Skills (United Kingdom)
    • Miguel FERNANDEZ DIEZ, Ministry of Economy & Enterprises (Spain)
  • Panel 3
    • Lars BYTOFT, FEANI (European Federation of National Engineering Associations)
    • Frans AJ BURGERING, CEPI (European Council of Real Estate Professions)
    • Anton BAUCH, ZDH (German Confederation of Skilled Crafts and Small Business)/ UEAPME (The European Association of Craft, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises)
  • Panel 4
    • Roger THOMPSON, Nursing & Midwifery Council (United Kingdom)
    • Frank Ulrich MONTGOMERY, German Medical Association (Germany)
    • Robert NICODEME, Conseil National de l'Ordre des Médecins (France)
    • Lesley WILSON, EUA (European University Association)
    • James HORAN, Dublin School of Architecture (Ireland)
    • Argyro KAVADELLA, ADEE (Association for Dental Education in Europe)

• Summary of the contributions received.
• Contributions authorised for publication