Locations
The European Commission adopted the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/983 on the procedure for issuance of the European Professional Card and the application of the alert mechanism pursuant to the Professional Qualifications Directive.
The Commission carried out an assessment on the suitability of introducing the European Professional Card (EPC) for doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, mountain guides, real estate agents and engineers. The selected professions have been deemed as meeting the 3 conditions set in Article 4a(7) of Directive 2005/36/EC:
- "There must be significant mobility or potential for significant mobility in the profession concerned";
- "Parties with a legitimate interest must have expressed sufficient interest";
- "The occupation, or the education and training associated with it, must be regulated in a significant number of EU countries".
In January 2016, the EPC will be available for nurses responsible for general care, pharmacists, physiotherapists, mountain guides and real estate agents
The purpose of the EPC will be to make it easier for professional qualifications to be recognised and for members of a regulated profession to practise elsewhere in the EU. This will be achieved by involving the relevant authorities in professionals’ home countries.