Directive Qualifications

La Directive européenne sur la reconnaissance des qualifications professionnelles, qui entrera en vigueur en octobre 2007, engendrera la suppression de la Directive spécifique relative à la reconnaissance des qualifications d'architectes. Ceci amènera des changements dans la manière avec laquelle les qualifications des architectes seront notifiées à la Commission européenne et dans la manière dont elles seront évaluées pour s'assurer qu'elles répondent aux conditions de la Directive " Qualifications ". Conscient du risque qui existe que les nouvelles procédures puissent abaisser les standards de formation des architectes, le CAE a créé ce Groupe de travail pour traiter spécifiquement de la mise en ?uvre de la Directive " Qualifications " au sein des Etats membres de l'UE

Introduction du Président du groupe de travail

Toal Ó Muiré, 12 Dec 2006

Aims of the ACE in relation to the Qualifications Directive are:

1. Collaboration with Member Organisations, so that the new Directive will uphold as far as possible existing safeguards for architects? qualifications in national measures to transpose and implement it. Transposition laws are being drafted in many countries, and need to be in all countries, so as to achieve the deadline of October 2007.

2. To seek to guarantee that the new interface for transposition and implementation of the Directive, between the profession, the European Commission and the Member States, effectively provides for the adequate consultation of the profession in the new comitology procedure ? and through the coordinators appointed by Member States ? to reinforce its input.

3. To enhance administrative cooperation between Member Organisations ? and between MOs, (other) registration bodies/competent authorities, contact points and Member State Governments generally ? and to anticipate in that cooperation also the demands of the Services (SIM) Directive.

This area of the Website is intended to:

- Help all ACE Members to familiarise themselves with key aspects of the Directive, so that they may interact effectively with their national Governments and other national authorities during the urgent process of transposition;

- Act as a resource for members and correspondents of ACE Expert Work Group on the Qualifications Directive (WGQD).

If you are using this part of the website for the first time, we suggest:

1. Open Reference Document QD1.13, and print it at A3 size. This is the table presented by Toal Ó Muiré at the November 2006 ACE General Assembly, to summarise the structure of the Directive. It highlights parts of the Directive relevant to architects, particularly where they change the position under the old Architects? Directive 85/384, which is repealed by the new Directive.

2. Read the ACE Information and Lobby Note, Document QD1.4, and consider how to use this Note to best effect at national or State level. Certain provisions of the Directive need no transposition law at national level. But other important provisions (some of them essential to uphold existing safeguards for architects? qualifications) are optional for national Governments, and so will only apply if national law transposes them: -- these are the key provisions which the Note aims to highlight.

3. Some provisions of the Directive may be incorporated in national or State law relating to each profession (e.g. architects), while others could be in a law covering Title III Chapter III of the Directive (?the sectoral professions?) or even the whole of the General System (Title III, Chapters I and II) also. Look ? even cursorily ? at the abridged version of the European Commission?s Draft Transposition Guide as updated in November 2006, which is Reference Document QD3.1. Note the references to your country, especially in Annexes V, VI and VII of document QD2.1. The Commission is expected to publish is final version of this Guide in early 2007.

Request for feedback

It is difficult for the ACE to get comprehensive information about transposition measures in each country ? or indeed in any country. Feedback from you is essential so that the ACE Secretariat, WGQD and Executive Board can learn what transposition measures are in place, and which appear to work well as a model for other countries. If a Member Organisations obtains any national or EU documents which you believe are relevant to our work, we would ask you to let us know. Please help us to help you.

The ACE Secretariat and WGQD plan to contact each Member Organisation, so as to develop and improve the website for the benefit of all. At the end of November 2006, the Website contains only limited documentation obtained in July 2006 on transposition in the United Kingdom, Germany and Ireland. Some other national and European Commission documents, too confidential to be placed on the website, may be made available by email from the ACE Secretariat.

We want to hear from you by email, whether with general news of what is happening in your country, with questions or comments on any aspect of the Directive or website, or with documents which we may use either on the website or on a confidential basis.

Toal Ó Muiré, Chairman
ACE Work Group Qualifications Directive
Email: tomuire@gmail.com