Commission staff working paper impact assessment accompanying document to the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications and regulation on administrative cooperation through the internal market information system

Mobility of professionals is currently low in the European Union (EU): 10 per cent of EU citizens have worked abroad. Between 2007 and 2010, Member States took decisions on approximately 105 000 requests for recognition. However, according to a Eurobarometer survey from 20103, 28 per cent of EU citizens are actually considering working abroad. These figures show a clear potential for greater mobility. Risk of increasing unemployment in some Member States will be a further driver for such mobility between economies in the Member States. From an economic point of view, mobility within regulated professions concerns mainly the health sector (representing 9.5 per cent of the [gross domestic product] GDP in the European Union), the construction sector (representing 7 per cent of the GDP in the EU), business services, the education sector (notably teachers), trade, transport and tourism. Efficient recognition of qualifications between Member States could bring additional flexibility to the labour markets: enhanced mobility of skilled workforce has the potential to contribute to the alleviation of forthcoming shortages of workforce in Member States. The Professional Qualifications Directive of 2005 consolidates a system of mutual recognition which was initially based on 15 Directives in this area. The need for a modernisation is supported by the outcome of an internal evaluation of the Directive which the Commission services conducted and published in July 2011. It has also been highlighted as a priority in the EU Citizenship Report 20109 and the New skills for new jobs initiative of the Commission. The purpose of this impact assessment (IA) is to provide analytical input for further action of the European Commission.

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