The European Commission DG Internal Market organised a Conference with Commissioner Barnier on the modernisation of the professional qualifications Directive with a view to provide an opportunity to discuss the changes introduced by the modernisation process, namely: the European Professional Card; the Alert Mechanism and knowledge of languages; the recognition of traineeships and the importance of diversity in education systems; and the Common Training Principles.
Bernadette Vergnaud emotionally addressed the conference next to EFN President, Marianne Sipilä, and the Legal advisor, Head of the Centre of Recognition of Qualifications at the Polish Supreme Chamber of Physicians and Dentists, Marek Szewczyński. At this stage we can say that everybody is in favour of implementing the European Professional Card. Bernadette Vergnaud highlighted the positive aspects it will bring in, simplifying the process for the professionals, and enhancing security and trust in the system, and stressed that this card will go way beyond mutual recognition. It is about Europeanization, building trust in the EU. Mobility is key! Mr Szewczyński specified that “the professional card will be beneficial for professionals and competent authorities”. The EFN President, Marianne Sipilä, took this opportunity to reinforce the added value of Directive 2013/55/EU (former Directive 2005/36/EC) and in particular the European Professional Card that will help nurses, mainly women, to move around the EU. “Nurses want to be more mobile than before, nurses see the implementation Act as key to have a solid framework and with all the positive energy put together we can launch the European Professional Card easily beginning 2016”, she said. Working together with professional associations, regulators, commission, and competent authorities is the next step forward to deliver a successful tool at a moment where austerity has imposed many difficulties for the nursing profession.
Raising the importance of unemployment in the EU, Mr Pierre Delsaux (Deputy Director-General, DG MARKT, European Commission) welcomed the result and thanked Bernadette Vergnaud for the solid text achieved. He stressed the need to boost professionals’ mobility and highlighted the key new elements of the Directive, which are the better access to information, electronic facilities, updated requirements for recognition enlarged automatic recognition, traineeship recognition, promotion of CPD, and clarified language requirements.
During the ‘Questions & Answers’ session, ESNO President, Françoise Charney-Sonnek, addressed the importance of recognising the specialist nurses through the common platforms. Harmonised study programs are key to boost mobility, security and quality, and the trust between the EU Members States is key to boost trust! “Pragmatism, safety & mutual trust are the core of free mobility”, argued Bernadette Vergnaud. The Swedish Engineers highlighted that they missed the voice of the consumers and the employers as they perceive the card as a hindrance, especially the private sector who needs to see the card as an advantage. Replying to some questions, Marianne Sipilä, explained that the European Professional Card needs to be a tool to fight against unemployment and an important way to build confidence between the regulators, the government services for mutual recognition and the professional associations.
Finally, safety is crucial when being mobile. As such, patient safety and fraud will be addressed by the IMI system. As host Member State you can control the authenticity of the request and the documents submitted for recognition. The EFN is keen on working with the regulators in the development of this card.
In terms of what is next, the European Professional Card is one of the first activities that the European Commission will take forward. A focus Group has already been put in place and a Public Consultation will be launched soon to get the needed features and steps to prepare the implementing acts. Further activities will relate to the Common Training Frameworks and the Alert Mechanism. The EFN President observed that it is fundamental that, together with the European Professional Card, we focus on the implementation of the updated competences and education (update of Annexe V). Jurgen Tiedje and Martin Frohn (Head of Unit, Free movement) moderated the discussions on the new regime for traineeships recognition and the Common Training Frameworks, which are seen as the beginning of the extension of the automatic recognition to other professions.
Finally, Commissioner Michel Barnier closed the event by saying that Directive 2013/55/EU is seen of great help to give young professionals more chances to find job opportunities within the EU. The free movement and this modernisation foster quality and simplification in professionals’ mobility. Now it is time to work together to make Directive 55 a reality to the EU citizens. Being engaged in the process of the modernisation of the Directive since 2011, collaborating very closely with the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council, the EFN will continue following this process very closely to see how the Directive will be implemented into all the Nursing Schools in the EU and the three EEA countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway), now that the revised Directive came into force. The Member States have two years to transpose it into their national legislation.
