Professions and Mobility in Europe

Abstract

Citizens of the EU are entitled to travel to any other EU country — to live, to study and to work. With unimportant exceptions, EU citizens are entitled to be treated by employers and public bodies, in other EU member states, in exactly the same way as the nationals of the country where they wish to settle, study or work. Considerable effort has been invested by the European Commission in making it possible for EU citizens to travel, in search of work, throughout the EU. The process of guaranteeing unfettered access, for European citizens, to labour markets throughout Europe has also been supported by the ECJ, in a series of judgements which have entrenched rights of access to employment, irrespective of nationality, throughout the EU (Nielsen and Szyszczak, 1997: 65-135). Difficulties do remain, indeed difficulties with the mutual recognition and transferability of professional qualifications have been identified as the source of the ‘most common problems experienced by intending migrant workers within the [European] Single Market’ (DfEE and DTi, 1997: 1). But in terms of European law and EU regulations health care professionals now have a realistic expectation that their skills and qualifications will be recognised and accepted anywhere in the EU.