European Commission proposes easier work and diploma recognition across EU states
In mid-September the European Commission presented a package of five legislative proposals to cut red tape and speed up qualification recognition in the EU. The European Parliament and the Council of the EU still have to adopt them.
The European Commission, the EU's executive body, unveiled the "Fair Labour Mobility Package" in mid-September. It contains five legislative proposals aimed at reducing bureaucracy and making it easier for skilled professionals to have their diplomas recognised when working in another EU member state. The European Parliament and the Council of the EU must still approve the proposals.
Why it matters
In 2024, 14 million Europeans lived in another EU country, more than 10 million of them of working age. A recent Eurobarometer survey found that 18% of respondents would like to work abroad. At the same time, many European countries face a shortage of skilled workers.
Many professions are regulated, and a diploma earned in one country does not automatically grant the right to practise the same profession in another. The general recognition system is lengthy and complex, while automatic recognition covers only seven professions, mainly in medicine. Workers also face problems with social protection and health insurance.
What the proposals include
- ESSPASS regulation: social and health insurance documents, including the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and the A1 form for posted workers, would be available digitally in the EU Digital Identity Wallet.
- Skills Portability Act: qualifications would be issued in a standardised digital format, and a new tool would compare qualifications using national databases.
- European Labour Authority powers: the agency would receive extra powers to fight violations and illegal employment.
- Amendment to the professional qualifications directive: recognition times for doctors, nurses, engineers and teachers would be cut from three months to five weeks. Automatic recognition would extend to ten more professions, physiotherapists first.
- Directive on third-country qualifications: recognition of education obtained outside the EU would be shortened from an average of 14 months to four.
When changes could be felt
Digitalisation of the A1 form is planned one year after the ESSPASS regulation is adopted, while the EHIC and other documents would reach the digital wallet within three years. Simplified qualification recognition is to be fully implemented within 2–3 years of the acts being adopted.
