EU streamlines diploma recognition to boost worker mobility
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The European Commission proposed new Fair Labour Mobility rules on September 15 to speed up the process of recognizing professional qualifications across the European Union.
Currently, workers often face lengthy delays when seeking to have their diplomas accepted in another EU country, creating barriers to cross-border employment. The Commission aims to reduce the recognition time for in-demand professions like doctors, nurses, and engineers from three months to five weeks.
Other qualifications will now have an 11-week deadline, a reduction from four months. To further simplify procedures, the Commission plans to make diplomas and social security and health insurance documents available through European digital identity wallets, mobile apps that securely store personal identification. EU member states must implement these changes across the bloc by the end of the year. The Commission also addressed the recognition of qualifications earned outside the EU.
They propose reducing the average wait time for non-EU diplomas from 14 months to four months, and automatically recognizing the diplomas of doctors and nurses trained at accredited institutions outside of Europe. The European Labour Authority (ELA) will also receive expanded powers to monitor working conditions for both EU and non-EU workers, with a focus on preventing underpayment and excessive hours. EU governments and the European Parliament must now review and approve the proposed rules.
If approved, digital social security documents could be available within one year, health insurance cards within three years, and simplified recognition of non-EU qualifications within two years.
