Physiotherapists could obtain automatic recognition of their qualifications in other EU member states

The European Commission has created the first common training framework for physiotherapists, which would allow the automatic recognition in participating states of qualifications that meet common European criteria. Training must include at least 240 ECTS credits and 1,000 hours of clinical training. Separately, the Commission proposes shortening recognition procedures for regulated professions to five weeks in automatic cases and 11 weeks for other applications.

Physiotherapists with a qualification that meets a new set of European requirements could obtain automatic recognition when they wish to practise their profession in another participating Member State. The European Commission adopted the first common training framework for this profession on 15 September, and Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President responsible for social rights and skills, presented the mechanism to MEPs from the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL) on 12 October. The change does not mean the immediate and unconditional recognition of all physiotherapy diplomas in the EU.

In brief

The common framework sets, for eligible qualifications, a minimum of 240 ECTS credits, at least level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework and a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised clinical training.

Qualifications that meet the criteria and are notified under the mechanism would benefit from automatic recognition in participating Member States.

Qualifications that do not fall within the common framework will continue to be assessed through the general system for the recognition of professional qualifications.

Separately, the Commission proposes reducing the time limit for automatic recognition procedures from three months to five weeks and for other procedures from four months to no more than 11 weeks.

The framework for physiotherapists is a delegated act and does not yet have the effect of general automatic recognition. Parliament and the Council exercise the control provided for delegated acts, and the Member States must then adapt their legislation within the period set by the directive.

Physiotherapy currently falls under the general system established by the Directive on the recognition of professional qualifications. A physiotherapist qualified in one Member State who wishes to practise in another country where the profession is regulated must, in principle, request recognition of the qualification from the competent authority in that country. Physiotherapists can already use the European Professional Card, an electronic procedure for managing the application, but the existence of this instrument does not turn the qualification into one that is automatically recognised.

The common framework adopted by the Commission seeks to change this situation for qualifications that meet a common core of training. The document establishes a minimum of 240 ECTS credits and at least level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework. In countries where an internship is mandatory for access to the profession, it must also be completed. Clinical training must constitute an identifiable component of the programme, with a minimum of 1,000 hours carried out under supervision, in appropriate clinical settings and in direct contact with patients. The requirements cover anatomy, physiology and movement sciences, as well as clinical fields such as orthopaedics, neurology, cardiology, paediatrics, geriatrics, oncology, women's health and pre- and post-operative rehabilitation.

The mechanism does not harmonise university programmes across Europe. States may retain higher educational and professional requirements. The framework identifies the common threshold that allows certain qualifications to be treated, for access to the profession, in the same way as a qualification obtained in the host state. The Commission also specifies the conditions under which a state may be exempted, for example when it does not provide the relevant training, when applying the framework would seriously affect its own education system or when substantial differences in training would create a serious risk to public health or safety.

Nor would a physiotherapy diploma issued in a Member State automatically enter this system merely by virtue of its title. The qualification must comply with the framework's requirements and be notified to the Commission and the other Member States. Qualifications that do not meet the criteria will remain in the general recognition system. The same applies when the application is submitted in a state that benefits from an exemption from the common framework.

This distinction is also relevant for a physiotherapist trained in Romania who wishes to work in Belgium, France or another Member State. The European rule does not automatically turn any Romanian diploma into authorisation to practise the profession. It must be established whether that qualification falls within the common framework, whether the state in which the person wishes to work participates in the mechanism and which other legitimate national conditions remain applicable, for example those concerning professional registration, language or professional conduct.

Alongside the framework for physiotherapists, the Commission is proposing a broader reform of the Directive on professional qualifications. For applications benefiting from automatic recognition, the time limit would fall from a maximum of three months to five weeks. For other recognition applications, the proposed ceiling is 11 weeks, compared with a maximum of four months under the current system. A common digital procedure would allow the submission of the file and the exchange of documents between authorities, and applications could be submitted in all official EU languages.

The reform also includes digital qualifications. The new documents would be able to be issued in a standardised European format and stored in the European Digital Identity Wallet. Employers and authorities could verify their authenticity more easily, while a Europass tool would allow comparison of the content of qualifications from different states. Digitalisation does not, however, change the legal nature of the document: for a regulated profession, a diploma stored in the digital wallet does not replace professional recognition when this is required.

Physiotherapists are the first test of a mechanism that the Commission wants to extend. The seven professions for which EU legislation already provides automatic recognition systems based on minimum training conditions include sectoral medical professions and architects. The Commission has identified a further ten professions for which it intends to examine the possibility of common frameworks, especially in areas where there are staff shortages. A common framework can be introduced only where there is sufficient similarity between the education and training requirements of the participating states.

Procedurally, the two changes must be kept separate. The general reform of the recognition of qualifications is a legislative proposal that must be negotiated and adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. The framework for physiotherapists was adopted by the Commission in the form of a delegated directive, on the basis of powers already provided for in Directive 2005/36/EC. The act provides that, after the European procedure has been completed and it has been published, the Member States must adopt the necessary national measures within 18 months. The qualifications that will effectively benefit from the mechanism must then be identified through notifications by the states and through the implementing acts provided for by the legislation.

For professionals, the intended result is for two different problems to be resolved separately. In the case of physiotherapists who meet the common standard, verification of the comparability of training could be eliminated through automatic recognition. For the remaining regulated professions and for qualifications that do not fall within such a framework, recognition would remain necessary, but the Commission wants the file to be submitted digitally and processed within a much shorter period.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/fizioterapeutii-ar-putea-obtine-recunoasterea-automata-a-calificarii-in-alte-state-ue