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EU facilitates skills portability for over 185,000 professionals

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The Commission has published a report assessing the implementation of the Professional Qualifications Directive (2005/36/EC). The report highlights that, between 2020 and 2024, the EU rules on the recognition of professional qualifications have allowed over 185,000 professionals to have their qualifications recognised in another EU country, with around 140,000 employed in essential sectors such as healthcare and education. 

The findings confirm that the Directive continues to facilitate the portability of professional qualifications across all sectors and skill levels, supporting the functioning of the Single Market and helping address skills shortages across the EU. 

Key findings 

  • The Professional Qualifications Directive works well overall. It provides a solid legal basis for professional mobility across all sectors and skills levels.
  • The user experience can be improved. Recognition procedures remain complex and time-consuming due to lengthy procedures, uneven digitalisation and extensive documentation requirements. There is scope to expand automatic recognition to professions currently not covered and to streamline procedures through targeted interventions.
  • Maintaining trust is crucial. Rigorous enforcement and regular updates reflecting scientific and training developments are essential. Mutual trust between Member States, supported by tools such as the Internal Market Information System (IMI) and the alert mechanism, remains essential to ensure the framework's effectiveness.
  • Digitalisation as a catalyst for simplification. The report highlights that embracing digital tools could significantly reduce administrative burden for both applicants and competent authorities, creating a more efficient and responsive professional recognition system. 
     

Next steps 

The insights from this report will inform future policy initiatives, including the Skills Portability Initiative announced by President von der Leyen and included in the 2026 Commission Work Programme. The ongoing public consultation on this initiative is open for comments until 27 February 2026.   
 

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