TIRANA, Aug. 28 /ATA/ – The Ministry of Education has launched a public consultation on a draft law aimed at aligning Albania’s system for recognising professional qualifications with European Union rules and facilitating the mobility of regulated professionals after the country joins the bloc.
The draft law covers the recognition of professional qualifications obtained in EU member states, the European Economic Area and Switzerland, as well as a proportionality assessment of rules governing access to and the practice of regulated professions in Albania.
The legislation is part of Albania’s commitments under its Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU to gradually align national legislation with the bloc’s acquis and ensure its effective implementation.
The draft seeks to fully transpose two EU directives on the recognition of professional qualifications and proportionality assessments for regulations governing regulated professions.
Under EU rules, mutual recognition of professional qualifications allows a person qualified to practise a regulated profession in one member state to exercise the same profession in another, subject to applicable requirements.
Albania has already taken steps in this area, including agreements under the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) on mutual recognition of qualifications in certain sectoral professions, aimed at facilitating professional mobility.
The government has also aligned minimum training requirements for seven regulated professions – doctors, nurses, dentists, veterinary surgeons, midwives, pharmacists and architects – with EU standards.
However, the broader system for recognising professional qualifications and applying proportionality assessments has yet to be fully incorporated into Albanian law, according to the draft.
The proposed legislation aims to establish a unified system for recognising professional qualifications and a clear framework for assessing the proportionality of new rules governing regulated professions, in line with EU standards.
It also seeks to fulfil Albania’s commitments under regional agreements on mutual recognition of professional qualifications and to facilitate the free movement of professionals within the EU once Albania becomes a member.
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