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French Social Democrat Bernadette Vergnaud, who is responsible for steering the plans through Parliament, wrote a report with recommendations, which was approved by the internal market committee on 23 January. EP News spoke to her about the benefits of those new rules.
Why do we need to update the current Directive?
Most professions develop so quickly in terms of science and technology that the directive is completely out of date. The goal of this modernisation is to achieve a harmonisation of training, competencies and practices in the EU so that it becomes easier and quicker to have professional qualifications recognised in another member state. At the moment only seven out of 800 professions have their qualifications recognised automatically.
The object of this Directive is to restore citizens' trust, whether they are professionals, customers or patients. To show them that Europe is very much involved in their daily lives, but also that it is there to protect them.
How will it benefit Europeans?
It will encourage mobility. At the moment many young people from Spain, Greece or Portugal do not necessarily want to migrate but they are practically forced to look for work elsewhere. The rules introduced by this new directive will assure them as well as those who deal with them, especially in the health sector. Having people take their expertise elsewhere and share it with others will help to find work, but it will also boost growth.
What is the professional card introduced by the Directive about?
It is a great tool to strengthen the rights of professionals and their customers and should help to reassure them. The professional card will also offer more possibilities to get professional qualifications recognised while speeding up the process. In addition it will include a warning mechanism in case there is a professional problem. Currently no system offers the possibility of combining in an efficient way all the information concerning professionals working away from their home country.