Maltese to get easier access to European job market

A new EU directive, just endorsed by the European Parliament, should facilitate access to Maltese citizens wanting to work in another EU member state.

Although in theory Maltese workers earned the right to work in other European countries following Malta's membership of the EU just over a year ago, in practice many are still facing bureaucratic obstacles. This happens to all EU citizens. It is a widely known secret that individual member states can still make it difficult, at times even impossible, for foreigners to practise their chosen profession, a situation the EU is set to resolve.

The adoption of a report on Wednesday by the European Parliament, giving the green light to a new directive, should do away with a mishmash of 15 different EU directives and replace it with a single one that makes professional qualifications issued in one member state valid across all the union's 25 members by 2007.

Sources close to the Employment and Training Corporation told The Times this will mean that qualifications issued by a Maltese educational institution will now be automatically recognised in all the other 24 member states of the EU. This will also happen on Malta's side.

The sources said that currently, many Maltese citizens were finding it difficult to have their qualifications recognised by certain countries as foreign employment authorities were arguing that certain Maltese qualifications were not in line with their own standards. This is more common in non-university related qualifications, such as technical and trade credentials.

Parliament's rapporteur on this directive, Stefano Zappala, said the directive creates a general system which makes, for the first time, the free movement of professionals such as vets, architects and nurses within Europe really automatic. He said the directive facilitates the free movement of professionals while safeguarding training standards and protecting the consumer.

The new regulations distinguish between five different types of credentials for all professions. Qualifications would be divided by jobs that require no training; professions that require a technical education and secondary school diploma and the final levels would differentiate between three-year and four-year post-secondary training programmes.

Certain professions, especially in the health care industry, will also carry minimum education requirements and all professionals planning to work outside their native state for more than two years will have to register with established authorities as a way of protecting patients and customers.

Even though their native qualifications are recognised, the new directive requires foreign workers to abide by the host country's laws. They will also be held legally responsible in their adopted country.