All EU professionals are equal

Health workers looking for temporary work in another EU country may still have to prove they are qualified, but most other sectors will be exempt, say EU officials.

In behind-the-scenes negotiations on Friday, EU ambassadors showed their liberal colours in letting most professions off the hook, in talks over the plans for the 'recognition of professional qualifications.'

The proposals in principle would mean that no questions would be asked if an estate agent, for example, qualified in France would seek to dip his toes into some business in Germany.

There had been talk in the run-up to Friday's top-level weekly 'Coreper' meeting that there should be a list of professions where 'prior verification' of qualifications would be needed when seeking temporary work in a fellow EU member state.

This could have included financial services, crafts and trade, legal services, taxation, patents, education and recreation, culture, real estate, forestry, agriculture, landscaping, architects, and 'personal services.'

But during Friday's talks there was a "trend," said officials close to the meeting, towards only making prior checks necessary in work with 'human health or safety implications.'

A further technical 'working group' of national officials will try to polish off the dossier - which also includes provisions for establishing as a professional in another EU country - with a view to gaining government approval at a 'competitivity' ministerial council meeting on May 17/18.

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