DG GROW of the European Commission organised a large-scale conference in Brussels on the introduction of the European Professional Card (EPC). The event was a chance to discuss the challenges and advantages of the EPC.
The modernised Directive on Professional Qualifications (2005/36/EC) introduced the EPC, a fully electronic recognition procedure which helps professionals to move across the EU. It is based on the IMI-system, an electronic system that allows public authorities in different Member States to communicate with each other. Through the EPC the individual nurse can now communicate directly with those public authorities electronically, which makes the entire process more transparent, efficient and quick.
Among the different panellists, was the EFN Secretary General, Paul De Raeve, who talked about the role of nurses in the EPC. He highlighted the advantages of this electronic procedure; increased efficiency and speed of the procedure, the opportunity to gather reliable and comparable data on mobility, and safeguards that the alert mechanism guarantees. For many years now, the EFN advocates for getting data; this is the chance to get them!
“The correct implementation of the modernised Directive is of vital importance”, the EFN Secretary General stated. The EPC is a very innovative procedure but it requires trust to function properly. It is not blind trust that is needed, but trust that emanates from compliance with EU law. This is not the responsibility of one government or one regulator but a collective responsibility of nursing schools, regulators, professional associations, competent authorities and last but not least, the individual applying for mutual recognition. Mr. De Raeve therefore insisted that a delegated act would heavily influence this trust as the high level education set out in the Directive needs to be implemented in all curricula. The day was also marked by the first nurse receiving her EPC!