The impact of European developments on professional accreditation

1
The impact of European developments on
professional accreditation recognition and on
HE QA processes

• Howard Davies
• Senior Adviser
• European University Association
• IHEQN, Dublin, October 2006

2
never the twain shall meet?

• a Greek dentist delivering professional
  services in Poland to Irish clients holding a
  qualification awarded by a Romanian HEI,
  validated by a British university accredited by
  UK and US agencies

3
Multiple discontinuities

• the inter-governmental Bologna Process and the
  EU
• the European Higher Education Area EHEA and
  the European Research Area ERA
• the segmentation of the European Commission
• the location of HE at all levels of EU legal
  competence
• the three qualifications frameworks

4
Recent EU legislation

• Directive 2005/36/EC on the Recognition of
  Professional Qualifications
• Decision 2241/2004/EC on a single Community
  framework for the transparency of qualifications
  and competences (EUROPASS)
• Recommendation 2006/143/EC on further European
  cooperation in quality assurance in higher
  education
• Proposal for Recommendation on the establishment
  of the European Qualifications Framework for
  lifelong learning (COM2006479)

5
The three qualifications frameworks

• Bologna Process Bachelor, Master, Doctorate
• European Qualifications Framework for lifelong
  learning
• vocational education and training higher
  education
• Directive on the Recognition of Professional
  Qualifications 2005/36/EC
• three categories of profession sectoral,
  transitional, general

6
The Bologna QF

• Bachelor, Master, Doctor a three-tier QF
  facilitating recognition, transparency and
  mobility
• Bergen 2005 adopted the ENQA standards and
  guidelines
• the principle of peer review agreement on
  process at institutional and agency levels
• Bergen also mandated E4 ENQA, ESIB, EUA,
  EURASHE to explore the concept of a register of
  QA agencies
• current debates independence from government,
  ENQA membership, exclusion of rogue operators,
  location and management

7
Involvement of EU in the Bologna quality
assurance regime 1

• 1998 the first Recommendation on cooperation
  98/561/EC
• 2000 the establishment of ENQA
• 2004 the draft second Recommendation on further
  cooperation free choice of primary accreditation
  agency
• 2005 the Bergen inter-ministerial meeting
• 2006 the second Recommendation free choice of
  supplementary agency, if allowed by national
  legislation

8
Involvement of EU in the Bologna quality
assurance regime 2

• 2004 the draft Recommendation proposed
  accreditation agencies in the fields of
  chemistry, engineering, music
• a proposal now resurfacing as European Quality
  Labels
• see http//www.cpe.fr/ectn-assoc/eurobachelor -
  chemistry http//www.feani.org/EUR_ACE/EUR_ACE_Mai
  n_Page.htm - engineering
• http//www.aecinfo.org music

9
The European Qualification Framework for lifelong
learning

• a framework of eight levels, to which national
  frameworks are to be referenced by 2009
• levels 6-8 are congruent with Bologna, but
  specified in a manner which is not coterminous
  with the Dublin Descriptors
• no specification of course duration no precise
  linkage to ECTS
• full articulation with Diploma Supplement to be
  in place by 2011
• recent call for proposals to test national and
  sectoral QFs against EQF, with decision in
  October 2006
• EQF does not apply to situations covered by
  Professional Qualifications Directive but
  progressive alignment implied

10
The Professional Qualifications Directive 1

1. to facilitate mobility of established and
   temporary service providers
2. to progress the Lisbon Agenda by contributing to
   the integration of the market in services
3. to guarantee high standards of health, safety and
   consumer protection
4. to clarify the rights and responsibilities of
   home and host countries vis-à-vis migrant
   professionals
5. to streamline the acquis

11
The Professional Qualifications Directive 2

• Three categories of professional qualification
• 1. the sectoral doctor, dentist, general care
  nurse, midwife, veterinary surgeon, pharmacist,
  architect
• recognition via agreed minimum training
  conditions
• 2. the transitional craft professions
• recognition by duration and recency of
  professional experience
• 3. those in the general system not covered
  elsewhere
• recognition by reference against a 5-level grid
  and by disparity management (adaptation periods,
  aptitude tests)

12
Current trends

• The Lisbon Agenda and the completion of the
  internal market in services by 2010
• Pressure from the Commission to dismantle
  protectionism in the liberal professions
• The Commissions agenda for the modernisation of
  HE
• Increasing transparency of costing and pricing in
  HE
• Increasing portability of grants, loans and debt
• Growth of for-profit private HE sector, joint
  ventures, PPPs

13
The Services Directive

• Derogation of professional qualifications from
  country of origin principle
• The historic compromise a balance between
  market opening, public services and social and
  consumer rights
• Second Reading by European Parliament now in
  train
• Healthcare services excluded from scope of
  Directive
• Education also excluded by virtue of case law
  263/86
• Is sectoral legislation possible in the field of
  education?

14
Services of general economic interest

• The definitions of service, service of general
  interest and service of general economic
  interest lack consistency
• An eventual Framework Directive on SGEIs?
• The Commission Communication on social services
  of general interest SEC(2006)177 poses the key
  question
• How to strike a balance between fundamental
  rights, social cohesion, subsidiarity, public
  good, competitiveness and economic efficiency?
• HE and the professions in building a strong
  consensus must follow this debate

15
Where the twain shall meet?

• updating existing legal instruments in line with
  Bologna and EQF?
• putting all professional qualifications into the
  general system?
• using ECTS for disparity management in the
  general system?
• regulating entry to specific professions at the
  same academic level in all territories covered by
  the Directive?
• generalising the generic and specific competences
  specified by Tuning?
• using the common platforms?
• using European Quality Assurance Forums to
  address the alignment of professional
  qualifications with Bologna?

16
Thank you for your attention

• howard.davies_at_eua.be
• www.eua.be