Equivalence of professional and technical qualifications

Recommendation 479 (1967)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly Debate on 26th January 1967 (23rd Sitting) (see Doc. 2167, report of the Legal Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 26th January 1967 (23rd Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Considering the importance of making full use of qualified and specialised manpower ;

2. Considering therefore the desirability of achieving between member States the greatest possible freedom of movement, which implies the right not only to reside but also to work in another State ;

3. Considering that before professionally and technically qualified persons can establish themselves and work in other member States, their qualifications must be recognised as equivalent to national qualifications ;

4. Recognising that before professional and technical qualifications acquired in one member State can be considered equivalent to the corresponding qualification in another member State, a study should be made as to the quality and quantity of specialised knowledge and skill required in order to obtain this qualification ;

5. Considering that such studies have been made of certain academic qualifications by the Directorate of Education, Cultural and Scientific Affairs of the Secretariat of the Council of Europe ;

6. Considering that the Convention on Establishment does not at present permit a right of establishment for professionally and technically qualified manpower except in very limited circumstances, whereas the European Social Charter affirms the right of nationals of any one of the Contracting Parties to engage in any gainful occupation in the territory of any one of the others on a footing of equality with the nationals of the latter, subject to restrictions based on cogent economic or social reasons ;

7. Taking into account the work done on this subject by the Commission of the European Economic Community ;

8. Reserving the right to put forward at a later stage more detailed proposals,

9. Recommends the Committee of Ministers to provide, in the next Intergovernmental Programme of Work of the Council of Europe, for detailed studies to be made as to the comparability of professional and technical qualifications, to serve as a basis for deciding what progress can be made towards prompting freedom of movement and right of establishment between member States of the Council of Europe, and to keep the Assembly informed at appropriate intervals of the progress made in this matter.