MFPA HOSTS EUROPEAN COUNCIL OF LIBERAL PROFESSIONS – 15/06/2012

The Malta Federation of Professional Associations recently hosted a visit by The European Council of Liberal Professions (CEPLIS), during which a seminar on the Professional Qualifications Directive was organised. The seminar was attended by forty members representing local professional organisations, civil society, various authorities, as well as members of the CEPLIS delegation.
The keynote speaker was Ms Shirley Micallef, Mutual Recognition Coordinator, Malta Qualifications Council, who discussed the local perspective on the Professional Qualifications Directive. This Directive, adopted in 2005, sets the rules for mutual recognition of professional qualifications between Member States. A Green Paper consultation was undertaken by the EU Commission with the objective of ‘modernising’ the Directive, one of the priority areas being the facilitation of mobility within the Single Market Act.
In its submission as part of the consultation process, the Federation stated that throughout the Green Paper and in the Directive itself, the wide definition of professional qualifications leads to a lack of adequate distinction between professions which require a tertiary qualification and trades that require vocational training. Provisions for mutual recognition therefore become more complex.
The Federation supported the roles of the competent authorities being put forward, as long as the competent authorities were independent in their operations and had as their primary objective the safeguarding of the citizens’ interests. In this regard, the Federation recommended that any revision of the Directive that establishes new roles for the competent authorities should also establish a framework governing the composition and operation of such authorities.
On the issue of the Professional Card, which allows for mobility of professionals between EU Member States, the Federation stated that where the card holder moves on a temporary basis, the declaration regime should be maintained but the card could be presented in place of any accompanying documents. Where the card holder seeks automatic recognition of their qualifications, the Federation highlighted its concern that the reduced timeframes being proposed would be difficult to achieve realistically, given the complexity of a number of the professions and the operational capacity of the competent authorities. Additionally the Federation suggested that there should be mechanisms introduced to safeguard the validity and verification of the Card to protect against fraud and falsification.
Parallel to its position, the Federation has been lobbying in various quarters to strengthen formal cooperation between competent authorities and its members which co-operation supports the better regulation of delivery of professional services to the benefit of the general public and society in general.