120208 EFLA_Prof.Qual.Dir_Report (2)

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EUROPEAN FEDERATION FOR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE THE EUROPEAN REGION OF IFLA FEDERATION EUROPEENNE POUR L’ARCHITECTURE DU PAYSAGE LA REGION EUROPEENNE DE L’IFLA

PQD REPORT : MODERNISING THE PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS DIRECTIVE Background: As the working age population in many Member States shrinks, demand for highly skilled people between now and 2020 is projected to rise by over 16 million jobs. If Europe is to meet this demand, gaps in labour shortages need to be filled – for example through mobile and well-qualified professionals from other EU Member States. They can be a key source of growth, but only if they can easily go to where jobs are and this requires their qualifications in the EU to be recognised in a fast, simple and reliable way.

That is why the Commission has in December 2011 adopted a proposal for modernising the Professional Qualifications Directive (Directive 2005/36/EC) – (available in all languages by the following link:

http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/11/1562&format= HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/qualifications/docs/policy_developments/m odernising/COM2011_883_en.pdf

WHY should Landscape Architects act?

1.The Professional Qualifications Directive is essential to enabling professionals to start a new business or to find a job in another Member State requiring a specific qualification for a specific professional activity. The modernisation is one of the twelve levers for growth set out in the Single Market Act (IP/11/469).

2. The profession of Landscape Architecture is developed in different levels in European countries. There are countries with a long tradition and countries where the profession is very young. Therefore the status of the profession across Europe is very different. There are countries where Stage 3: the title is protected, a state registration is obligatory and at least on certain projects, clients have to use a state registered professional Stage 2: the title is protected, no state registration Stage 1: title is not protected but allowed Stage 0: Landscape Architects are not even allowed to use such a title The integration of the profession of landscape architects in the Professional Qualifications Directive is very important to reach also better legal conditions for professional work on a national level.

Proposed outcome: • •

Automatic Recognition of Professional Qualification Possibility to get market access in EU countries

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Improvement of the legal conditions of professional landscape architects on a national level, especially in countries where the profession is young or not recognised

What possibilities are offered by the modernisation?

The Commission proposes different measures which are of importance for architects and landscape architects.   

Changes in automatic recognition for architects Modification of the process of notification of architecture study courses European Professional Card

And the most important issue for landscape architects: The introduction of common training frameworks and common training tests, replacing common platforms, should offer the possibility to extend the mechanism of automatic recognition to new professions. Interested professions could benefit from automatic recognition on the basis of a common set of knowledge, skills and competences or on a common test assessing the ability of professionals to pursue a profession. In detail: Article 49a of the proposed directive defines the relevant preconditions: o

the common training framework enables more professionals to move across Member States in comparison to the general system for recognition (Art. 11 2005/36/EC Relevant for Landscape Architects

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the profession concerned is already regulated in at least one third of all Member States; Fulfilled for Landscape Architects

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the common set of knowledge, skills and competences combines the knowledge, skills and competences defined in the systems of education and training applicable in at least one third of all Member States; Has to be reached by lobbying at a national level

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the knowledge, skills and competences for such a common training framework shall refer to levels of the European Qualifications Framework, as defined in Annex II of the Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of the European Qualifications Framework for lifelong learning fulfilled by academic education of Landscape Architects and EFLA/IFLA education standards

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the profession concerned is neither covered by another common training framework nor regulated already under Chapter III of Title III; Landscape Architecture is not included

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the common training framework has been prepared following a transparent due process, including with stakeholders from Member States where the profession is not regulated; Fulfilled by EFLA/IFLA education guidelines

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the common training framework permits nationals from any Member State to be eligible for acquiring the qualification under such framework without being required to be a member of any professional organisation or to be registered with such organisation Has to be fulfilled by national regulations

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WHAT to do?

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National professional associations should contact their governments and o inform them about the position of the profession; o inform them about the intention of Landscape Architects to reach automatic professional recognition of professional qualification by setting up a common training framework (at least by 9 EU countries) Make contact with national members of the European Parliament, for example by sending the position paper; French national association should arrange meeting with Bernadette Vergnaud (Rapporteur in the European Parliament) together with Mr.Jobi Nigel Thorne arrange meeting with Emma Mc Clarkin (member of the Committee on Internal Markets in the European Parliament) together with Mr.Jobi

YOUR Activity!

Please report to Prof. Practice Committee member Fritz Auweck using the attached form BEFORE March 31, 2012 about: 1. Your decision on how to act at a national level via your national association 2. Your proposed contacts with Members of the EU Parliament 3. Your proposed contacts with national ministries 4. Your proposed public relations work Munich 08.02.2012 Fritz Auweck / Joachim Jobi BAK liaison office Brussels PQD Reports you should have received in 2011/12: 110504 Positionpaper_ILS_english.pdf 110809 BARL Jobi Auweck_en.nt.docx 110917 EFLA response PQD Greenbook.pdf 110922 mailinfo_EFLAmembers.docx 111212_EFLAProf.Recognition_Report_Au.pdf

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