Brussels Moves to Ease Recognition of Non-EU Professional Qualifications

The European Commission this week proposed new legislation aimed at making the recognition of professional qualifications held by non-EU citizens easier across the European Union, according to The Local Italy. The outlet reports that the difficulty of getting foreign degrees and professional titles accepted is a common complaint among people who have moved to the bloc from outside it.

Recognition is currently handled largely at national level, which means a qualification accepted in one member state may carry no weight in another. The proposal, as The Local describes it, addresses that fragmentation rather than any single country's procedure.

For Italy, where the foreign-resident population is large and unevenly distributed, the practical effect would depend on how national professional bodies implement whatever is agreed. The wire does not state which professions are covered or on what timetable.