The European Federation of National Engineering Associations has yesterday presented www.feani.org to Commissioner Barnier (DG Internal Market) on the Green Paper on Modernising the Professional Qualifications Directive.
FEANI represents more than 3,5 million engineers in Europe. The profession is in some EU-countries regulated, in others partially regulated or not at all regulated. Where the profession is not regulated, there are no Competent Authorities.
FEANI as the European Professional Engineering Organisation proposes the EU to be the “de facto” Competent Authority through its National Members in those countries. FEANI agrees that a professional card would facilitate the recognition process, not replace it. It furthermore proposes its EngineerING-card as the professional card for engineers, since it provides a collection of verified information carried out by peer decision in committee and not by civil servants carrying out an administrative task, with or without using IMI. For the engineering profession criteria of educational accomplishments, professional experience and continuous professional development are considered to be of paramount importance.
FEANI believes that Art. 11 should be phased out as duration is not a reliable proxy for knowledge and skills : the number of years of study is not as relevant as the content of the training. FEANI recommends a transition to EQF.
In addition to this, FEANI is not in favour of the introduction of a common platform which is for the engineering profession unrealistic in view of the many different disciplines and the heterogeneous regulations in the different member states. It encourages the EU to research whether the profession is not overregulated in those countries where the engineering profession is regulated and what the reasons are for the regulation.
