The external auditor of the EU has warned that a proposed agreement between the UK and EU allowing lawyers, bankers, or architects to work more easily across the continent will not solve the mobility issues faced by professionals after Brexit.
Rachel Reeves is Labour’s shadow chancellor. She has proposed that London and Brussels work together to negotiate mutual recognition so British professionals can use their skills with greater ease. This proposal is part of her plan to gradually move the UK closer towards the EU.
The European Court of Auditors has found that additional exams, legal paperwork, and fees can make it difficult for workers to move countries, even within the EU.
It said that each EU member state regulates on average 212 professions. This is equivalent to 5,700 professions in the whole bloc. These range from pilots and engineers to ski instructors.
Stef Blok was the ECA member who conducted the audit.
He said that UK workers would still be able to benefit from any reciprocal recognition agreement. “The EU system will be better for people coming from outside.”
In its manifesto, the UK’s Labour Party, which leads the Conservatives in Thursday’s elections, stated that it would “tear down”, barriers to trade, and strike deals to recognise qualifications. Reeves said such a move could boost the UK’s services sector.
The EU-UK trade agreement already includes a clause that allows both sides to negotiate on qualifications. However, the EU Commission has already refused a request to begin talks about architects. This shows how difficult it is to achieve such agreements in practice.
European officials have warned of the need for prolonged negotiations to reach any agreement, regardless of whether Labour or Conservatives is in power in Britain.
According to a recent report from the UK’s Changing Europe think tank , such agreements have “minimal economic benefits” in general.
Deals on professional qualifications are notoriously slow to come about. It took nine rounds of negotiation, spanning almost a year, to reach an agreement that allowed EU and Canadian architects the opportunity to work in one another’s country. Candidates still need to meet certain requirements, such as having 12 years of training and experience, and receiving permission from local authorities. EU architects working in Canada must complete a 10-hour course online.
The single market allows for free movement of workers in theory, but individual countries may protect their national standards. The ECA stated that they are allowed to set rules for the access to certain “regulated professions”.
Most countries regulate healthcare workers, but also tour guides and architects.
The government could require a test, or impose an adaptation period during which a profession may be practiced but only under supervision. Payment may be required. Pilots who want to fly in Holland, for example, must pay administrative fees of €17,500.
The Czech Republic will require sworn and translated documents, as well as a visit to their embassy.
In Spain, France, and Germany, you can still wait four months for a final decision after filing paperwork.
There are many unnecessary bureaucratic obstacles, which can be intentional or just not well thought out.
He suggested that the Commission use its legal power to force the countries to improve their process. “For some professions, it’s quite effective in certain countries.”
The ECA estimated that approximately 6 per cent (or 141,000) of EU citizens aged between 20 and 64 who moved to another EU member state required permission for a profession regulated by the EU.
Post Disclaimer