PhD student: Mrs Dr L.S.J. Kortese

Promotors: Mrs Prof H.E.G.S. Schneider, Mrs Dr S.L.T. Schoenmaekers, Dr S.J.F.J. Claessens

Duration: 1/10/2015 - 30/9/2019

PhD defence: Maastricht, 28/5/2020

Abstract:

Making sure qualifications can be used abroad is an important aspect of mobility. In the European Union, the recognition of qualifications is an important prerequisite to work or study in another Member State. When it comes to the recognition of qualifications in the EU, different sets of legal instruments and cooperation initiatives are applicable to EU citizens depending on whether their move to a second Member State is for work or study purposes. Indeed, professionals wanting to work in another Member State need professional recognition whereas students correspondingly need academic recognition. This theoretical distinction into two recognition types (professional and academic) is paired with a division in EU competences. On the one hand, professional recognition is an EU shared internal market competence. As the EU has already made extensive use of this competence through the years the EU can be considered the main actor for professional recognition. On the other hand, academic recognition falls within the ancillary EU competence on education and culture. This difference in competences has allowed multiple actors to become active on academic recognition. This variety of actors and their legal instruments and cooperation initiatives has introduced a factor complicating the recognition of qualifications in the EU, namely EU Member States taking part in and transposing various legal instruments and cooperation initiatives on recognition. This situation gives rise to questions as to what the consequences of the recognition of qualifications legal disparity are and what influence this has on the EU free movement of persons. This PhD research seeks to provide answers to such questions while striving to provide recommendations to facilitate recognition practice.

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