Safeguarding the highest standards for health professionals in the EU
[Brussels, 30 September 2011] “Health Professionals’ education must not be compromised in name of the Single Market”, states the EWL in a Joint Statement issued on 30 September 2011 with the European Public Health Alliance (EPHA), the European Patients’ Forum and the European Consumers’ Organisation (BEUC) in the context of the public consultation on the Green Paper on Modernising the Professional Qualifications Directive, adjacent to the Single Market Reform (for more information see: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/top_layer/single_market_forum_en.htm).
See also EPHA website for more background information.
In the Joint Statement, the organisations warn against a downgrade of professional qualifications, especially in the healthcare/nursing sector where the majority of women work. The economic objectives of boosting the Single Market could lead to lowering the levels of qualifications for health professionals in an attempt to modernise and remove existing barriers to mobility. The organisations call on the European Commission and Member States to maintain the current standards for healthcare professionals, reinforce and improve minimum education and training standards and to not apply the principle of ‘partial access’ to sectoral professions, in order to ensure the highest health care standards for health care professionals and the safety of all patients through the whole EU.
Download the Joint Statement in PDF format:
- joint statement epha epf ewl beuc final
