Easier recognition of professional qualifications acquired abroad
Simpler procedures for the recognition in Poland of professional qualifications acquired abroad and introduction of a European professional card in Poland are envisaged by the law signed on January 7 by President Andrzej Duda.
The law adjusts Polish law to EU directive on the recognition of professional qualifications. It also ensures application of EU regulation on administrative cooperation through the Internal Market Information System IMI. The new provisions will facilitate the flow of personnel, employees within the European Union.
This will be facilitated by the introduction in Poland of electronic document, so-called European Professional Card (EPC). It is an electronic certificate issued to representatives of selected professions (for example nurses, pharmacists and real estate agents), controlled in many EU countries. The certificate will replace the existing decision on the recognition of professional qualifications and the statement of intention to provide cross-border services.
In the case of introducing common training framework and common training tests, it will not be necessary to carry out the recognition procedure. In practice, this means automatic recognition of professional qualifications in our country.
The law introduces the right to partial access to the profession in Poland - where it will be possible to separate certain professional activities, for example if in Poland the profession requires more skill, and a person from another country - in the same profession - is qualified to perform fewer operations, this person will be allowed to perform those operations also in our country.
Under the new regulations, Poland will recognize apprenticeships completed abroad in occupations in which they are required to obtain a full qualification.
The law also defines the principles of verifying language skills among foreign professionals who want to work in Poland; knowledge of language will be checked only after the recognition of professional qualifications of the person, or issuing the European Professional Card.
The new rules also introduce in Poland the "alert mechanism" that functions in other EU Member States. This means the obligation to inform other countries, for example, about doctors or teachers who lost their license to practice. The mechanism will be based on the Internal Market Information System.
Functions relating to information on matters related to granting professional qualifications (previously performed by the Bureau for Academic Recognition and International Exchange and the Ministry of Science) will be transferred to a single contact point for the Services Directive. The point will operate in the form of a website. This solution will allow to take advantage of new technologies and improve providing information to citizens on the Member States of the recognition of education in Poland.
PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland