Professional Qualifications Directive with regard to architects

176 Pages·2016·6.22 MB·English

Ref. Ares(2016)738622 - 11/02/2016
Evaluation of the
Professional Qualifications Directive
2005/36/EC
Experience reports from national authorities
with regard to architects

Evaluating the Professional Qualifications Directive
Experience reports from competent authorities
(ARCHITECTS)
This questionnaire does not need to be answered in full, and respondents are welcome to
address topics not included in the questions. The purpose of the questionnaire is to prompt
the expérience reports which are a key part of the fact-finding phase of the evaluation.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR EACH SECTORAL PROFESSION
A. RECOGNITION PROCEDURE IN CASE OF MIGRATION ON A PERMANENT BASIS
1. (a) Do you accept applications from EU citizens for the recognition of foreign diplomas
sent by email or requests made on line? (b) Under which conditions can they send
documents and declarations electronically? (c) What are your experiences in this respect?
2. What is the yearly number of applications for recognition from 2000 to 2009? Please
submit specific data for applications for automatic recognition based on diplomas,
automatic recognition based on acquired rights (as from 2005), and recognition based on
the general system1. Please verify first the data in the Regulated Professions Database.
3. (a) To what extent have the system of automatic recognition and the general system been a
success? (b) How do you see the costs and benefits? Specify in particular whether
automatic recognition based on diploma, Annex Y and the current notification system
represent an efficient way to facilitate automatic recognition. Please submit comments for:
• automatic recognition based on diploma
• automatic recognition based on acquired rights (Art. 49 - Annex VI)
• recognition based on the general system.
4. (a) Is the general system applied in your country each time the conditions for automatic
recognition are not met? (b) What are in your view "specific and exceptional reasons" as
provided in Art. 10 (1)? (c) Are there major difficulties in the recognition procedure under
the general system (e. g. burden of proof)? Please include any comments you may have on
the implementation of compensation measures.
5. What is your experience with the recognition procedure for EU citizens with professional
qualifications obtained in a third country and already recognised in a first Member State
(see Articles 2(2) and 3(3))?
6. Please describe the government structure of the competent authority or authorities in
charge of the recognition.
Please provide this information unless it has already been provided to the Commission in the Database or the
implementation reports.
В. TEMPORARY MOBILITY (OF A SELF-EMPLOYED OR AN EMPLOYED WORKER)
7. Are EU citizens interested in using the provisions for exercising their professional
activities on a temporary and occasional basis in your Member State? How many citizens
used this new system in 2008 and 2009 (per month, per year)2?
8. How are the provisions of Directive 2005/36/EC concerning temporary mobility applied
by the competent authorities in practice taking into account the relevant provisions of the
Code of Conduct? For instance:
β How is the "legal establishment" criteria foreseen by Article 5(1) (a) interpreted in
practice? What conditions does a migrant need to fulfil in his home Member State in
order to be able to provide services?
β How are the "temporary and occasional basis" criteria foreseen by Article 5.2
interpreted in practice? Do Member States assess duration, frequency, regularity and
continuity of an activity and if so according to which criteria?
9. (a) Do you have a prior declaration system? (b) If so, please indicate why it is necessary?
(c) What do competent authorities do with the information received? (d) Are other
possibilities conceivable?
C MINIMUM TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
10. To what extent are the common minimum requirements for training set out in Title III
Chapter III of Directive 2005/36/EC in line with scientific progress and professional
needs in the last ten years? Are the knowledge and skills outlined in Article 46 still
relevant and up to date? Please specify.
11. (a) How long is the duration of the training for architects under your national law? (b) In
how many years do you cover all 11 items as listed in Article 46?
12. The Directive is based on mutual trust between Member States, (a) To what extent is such
trust actually achieved? (b) Are training programmes accredited by external bodies in
your country? (c) Does accreditation of a training program in another Member State
enhance trust or is it not relevant?
13. (a) To what extent are the existing Directive provisions (see recital 39 and Article 22(b)
on continuous professional development (continuous training) adequate? (b) Is
continuous training mandatory in your country and what are the exact conditions?
D. ADMINISTRATIVE COOPERATION
14. To which extent does administrative cooperation, as outlined in Articles 8, 50, and 56 of
the Directive, simplify procedures for the migrant professionals?
2 Please provide this information unless it has already been provided to the Commission in the Database on
Regulated Professions
15. (a) Is the competent authority in your country registered with IMI? (b) Under which
circumstances does your competent authority use IMI? (c) What are your experiences?
(d) If not registered, why not and what would be the conditions for changing this
situation?
16. (a) How could a professional card (see Recital 32 of the Directive) facilitate recognition
of professional qualifications and provision of temporary services? (b) Under which
conditions could it be issued by professional associations?
17. How do you share information about suspensions/restrictions with competent authorities
in other Member States?
E. OTHER OBSERVATIONS
18. (a) How and when are the necessary language skills of migrants checked after
recognition of the professional qualifications? (b) Are you aware of any complaints
(especially from patients/clients/employers) about insufficient language skills of
migrants? (c) If serious doubts about language skills have arisen which action do
competent authorities undertake towards the migrant?
19. Are there any considerable cost implications for the migrant? Please specify the fees
involved with establishment and the fees involved with temporary services.
20. What is your experience with training provided by franchising universities?
21. Have you encountered particular problems with non-EU nationals with qualifications
listed in Annex V being treated differently to EU nationals with the same listed
qualifications?
22. (a) What are the experiences of (outgoing) architects from your country who (would like
to) practice in another Member State? (b) Are there in particular problems if the
profession of an architect is not regulated in your country? (c) What feedback do you
have from incoming migrants on the assistance they have been given by their home
Competent Authority? (a general response without naming any Competent Authority in
particular is expected)

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This questionnaire does noi need to be answered in full, and respondents are welcome to address
topics not included in the questions. The purpose of the questionnaire is to prompt the expérience
reports which are a key part of the fact-finding phase of the evaluation.
POSSIBLE QUESTIONNAIRE FOR EACH SECTORAL PROFESSION
A. RECOGNITION PROCEDURE IN CASE OF MIGRATION ON A PERMANENT BASIS
l.(a) Do you accept applications from EU citizens for the recognition of foreign
diplomas sent by email or requests made on line? (b) Under which conditions can
they send documents and declarations electronically? (c) What are your experiences
in this respect?
BG:
Yes, we accept applications for recognition of foreign diplomas of EU nationals sent by e-mail.
Conditions: The application shall follow the sample approved by the Chamber of Architects in
Bulgaria and all the required documents shall be attached to it, namely: a copy of the diploma,
translation in Bulgarian certified by a notary; a copy of the identity document, evidence of non­
criminal conviction and evidence of fee paid for the service.
Experience: The professional qualification of two citizens of the United Kingdom who have
completed their higher education in Bulgaria has been recognized.
Note: There are no unified criteria and therefore no answer to the following question: The competent
authority of which Member State recognizes the professional qualification of applicants who are
nationals of a Member State, on the grounds of what principals and indications?
a) The competent authority of the country where the applicant shall pursue the profession;
b) The competent authority of the county of origin;
c) The competent authority of the country where the applicant has completed his/her higher
education.
The answer to this question would lead to unification of the procedures which shall facilitate
applicants in the recognition of their professional qualification.
If the procedure of mutual recognition of professional qualifications stipulated under Article 51 of the
Directive requires that the competent authority of the host Member State recognize the professional
qualification, why has this requirement not been observed?
Example: Should the competent authority of Bulgaria recognise the professional qualification of
applicants who have obtained their professional qualification in Bulgaria and who are not Bulgarian
nationals but nationals of another Member State and do not wish to pursue the profession in Bulgaria
but in their countiy of residence and whose nationals they are?
2.What is the yearly number of applications for recognition from 2000 to 2009?
Please submit specific data for applications for automatic recognition based on
diplomas, automatic recognition based on acquired rights (as from 2005), and
recognition based on the general system1. Please verify first the data in the Regulated
Professions Database.
BG:
For 2008 - 3 applications, for 2009 - 11 applications.
Such information has been available to us since 2008 as the Professional Qualifications Recognition
Act was adopted in that year.
3. (a) To what extent have the system of automatic recognition and the general
system been a success? (b) How do you see the costs and benefits? Specify in
particular whether automatic recognition based on diploma, Annex V and the
current notification system represent an efficient way to facilitate automatic
recognition. Please submit comments for:
• automatic recognition based on diploma
• automatic recognition based on acquired rights (Art. 49 - Annex VI)
• recognition based on the general system.
BG:
• The automatic recognition of a professional qualification based on a diploma obtained is
regulated both in the Directive and in the Professional Qualifications Recognition Act adopted
by the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria.
We consider that this provision should be applied provided that the duration of the
architectural education is at least 5 years and the training ends with a final examination. As for
the acquisition of access to and pursuit of the professional activities as architect we think that
3 years of practical experience shall be required apart from the diploma.
• The automatic recognition based on the obtamed rights shall be applied only to cases when the
applicants have obtained their diplomas before the academic reference year of the respective
higher school and the diplomas are accompanied by certificates issued by the competent
authority. This procedure shall be continuously abated and shall be abandoned after a certain
period.
The general system for recognition of professional qualifications is vague and unclear. The
architecture is not painting and the access to this profession should not be allowed without
obtaining the required education and the adequate professional experience.
4.(a) Is the general system applied in your country each time the conditions for
automatic recognition are not met? (b) What are in your view "specific and exceptional
reasons" as provided in Art. 10 (1)? (c) Are there major difficulties in the recognition
procedure under the general system (e. g. burden of proof)? Please include any
comments you may have on the implementation of compensation measures.
BG:
a) No application forms for recognition of professional qualification under the general system
have been submitted in this country.
b) The probable reasons can be the following:
"The specific and exceptional reasons" which the candidates shall specify in order to justify their
application evidenced by documents have not been laid down.
c) The competent authority or the authority responsible for recognition do not have legally
stipulated criteria and rules on the grounds of which the professional qualification can be
recognized and subjective assessment can be avoided.
5.What is your experience with the recognition procedure for EU citizens with professional
qualifications obtained in a third country and already recognised in a first Member State (see
Articles 2(2) and 3(3))?
BG: We do not have such experience.
6.Please describe the government structure of the competent authority or authorities in charge
of the recognition.
BG: The Professional Qualifications Recognition Act of the Republic of Bulgaria designates the Chair
of the Chamber of Architects in Bulgaria as the authority responsible for recognition of the
professional qualification of the architect.
B. TEMPORARY MOBILITY (OF A SELF-EMPLOYED OR AN EMPLOYED WORKER)
7.Are EU citizens interested in using the provisions for exercising their professional activities on
a temporary and occasional basis in your Member State? How many citizens used this new
system in 2008 and 2009 (per month, per year)
BG: We have an approved procedure for recognition of professional qualification and acquisition of
design capacity for exercising the architects professional activities on a temporary and occasional
basis, but no such application have been submitted so far.
S.How are the provisions of Directive 2005/36/EC concerning temporary mobility
applied by the competent authorities in practice taking into account the relevant
provisions of the Code of Conduct? For instance:
β How is the "legal establishment" criteria foreseen by Article 5(1) (a) interpreted
in practice? What conditions does a migrant need to fulfil in his home Member
State in order to be able to provide services?
BG: The migrant has to fulfil the condition in his own country, and to be registered by the Chamber of
Architects in Bulgaria.
β How are the "temporary and occasional basis" criteria foreseen by Article 5.2
interpreted in practice? Do Member States assess duration, frequency, regularity
and continuity of an activity and if so according to which criteria?
BG: NO, the competent authority doesn't asses duration, frequency, regularity and continuity of the
architect's activity.
9. (a) Do you have a prior declaration system? (b) If so, please indicate why it is
necessary? (c) What do competent authorities do with the information received? (d)
Are other possibilities conceivable?
BG: NO. If necessary, the competent authority'll operate according to art.7 of the directive
2005/36/EC
C MINIMUM TRAINING REQUIREMENTS
IO.TO what extent are the common minimum requirements for training set out in Title
III Chapter III of Directive 2005/36/EC in line with scientific progress and
professional needs in the last ten years? Are the knowledge and skills outlined in
Article 46 still relevant and up to date? Please specify.
BG: The duration of higher education in architecture in Bulgaria is five years full-time study ending
with a university-level state examination. The requirements stipulated in Article 46 of the Directive are
sufficient.
ll.(a)How long is the duration of the training for architects under your national law?
(b) In how many years do you cover all 11 items as listed in Article 46?
BG: a)The requirements under the Higher Education Act stipulate five years of full-time study (there
are no studies on a part-time basis). The duration of the training is sufficient in order to satisfy the
requirements of Article 46. However, the duration shall not in any case be shorter than that.