Brussels Moves to Ease Recognition of Non-EU Qualifications

The European Commission this week proposed new legislation intended to make the recognition of professional qualifications easier for citizens of non-EU countries, according to The Local Italy, which reported that the difficulty of getting foreign credentials accepted is a common complaint among people who have moved to the bloc from abroad.

The proposal concerns a procedure that sits at the centre of European labour-market policy: a doctor, engineer, nurse or teacher trained outside the European Union must normally have that training assessed by a national authority in the member state where they wish to work. The Commission's stated aim is to reduce the friction in that process, though the reporting does not specify the timetable, the scope of the professions covered, or whether the rules would be binding on national regulators.