No C 116/38 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 30.9.74 
Opinion  on the 'Draft  for a Council  resolution  on guidelines  for the mutual  recognition 
of diplomas,  certificates  and  other  evidence  of formal  qualifications  by virtue  of 
Article  57 of the EEC  Treaty* 
The text  referred  to the  Committee  has  been  published  in Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities  No  C 58 of 18 May  1974,  page  22. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 20 March  1974,  the Council  referred  the abovementioned  proposal  to the Economic 
and Social  Committee  in accordance  with  Article  198  of the  Treaty  establishing  the 
European  Economic  Community. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its Opinion  on the above  matter  at its 
121st  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 26 and  27 June  1974. 
The full  text  of the Opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE: 
Having  regard  to the Decision  of the Council  of the 
European  Communities,  dated  22 March  1974,  to 
consult  the Economic  and  Social  Committee  on the 
'Draft  for a Council  resolution  on guidelines  for the 
mutual  recognition  of diplomas,  certificates  and other 
evidence  of formal  qualifications  by virtue  of Article 
57 of the EEC  Treaty'; 
Having  regard  to  Article  198  of  the  Treaty 
establishing  the European  Economic  Community; 
Having  regard  to the Decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
26 March  1974,  entrusting  the  Section  for  Social 
Questions  with  the preparation  of the main  opinion 
on this  subject; 
Having  regard  to  the  supplementary  Opinion 
delivered  by the  Section  for  Industry,  Commerce, 
Crafts  and Services  on 8 May  1974; 
Having  regard  to the  Opinion  delivered  by  the 
Section  for Social  Questions  at its meeting  on 13 June 
1974; 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  presented  by Dr. 
A. E. Sloman,  the rapporteur; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 121st  plenary 
session,  held  on 26 and  27 June  1974,  sitting  of 
27 June  1974; Whereas  action  to speed  up the full  implementation 
of Article  57 of the Treaty  is now  long  overdue; 
Whereas  it should  be an objective  of measures  taken 
in the field  of mutual  recognition  to ensure  not only 
that standards  are not impaired  but  that  also,  where 
possible,  they  are improved, 
HAS  ADOPTED  THE  FOLLOWING  OPINION 
unanimously,  less  one  abstention: 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  approves  the 
draft  resolution  and  guidelines  subject  to the 
following  comments: 
1. GENERAL  COMMENTS 
1.1. It  stresses  the  urgent  need  to bring  about 
freedom  of establishment  in accordance  with  Article 
57 of the EEC  Treaty  and  for this  purpose  to achieve 
the mutual  recognition  of diplomas,  certificates  and 
other  evidence  of formal  qualifications. 
1.2. It  deplores  the fact  that  the  Council  has  not 
adopted  a single  Directive  concerning  freedom  of 
establishment  for the professions,  mainly  because  of 
difficulties  over  the  mutual  recognition  of 
30.9.74 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities No C 116/39 
qualifications.  It is a matter  of great  importance,  on 
economic,  scientific,  technical  and  professional 
grounds,  that  progress  be made  here,  and  the 
Committee  therefore  - calls  upon  the  Community 
authorities  to do everything  possible  to ensure  rapid 
progress. 
1.3. The  delay  is all the more  regrettable  because 
the basic  assumption  behind  the resolution  is that  the 
final  qualifications  which  give  access  to the  same 
fields  of activity  are,  generally,  though  not  always, 
comparable. 
1.4. It  welcomes  the Commission's  acknowledge-
ment  of the urgent  need  to work  for a solution  to 
this problem,  by making  a proposal  for a Council 
resolution  on guidelines  for the mutual  recognition  of 
qualifications. 
1.5. It  emphasizes  the importance  of ensuring: 
1.5.1.  That  any  measures  adopted  to promote 
greater  mobility  must  contain  provision  for 
guaranteeing  the  competence  of those  obtaining 
qualifications  which  give  access  to the professions. 
1.5.2.  That  the  Directives  for  the  mutual 
recognition  of  professional  qualifications  are 
sufficiently  flexible  to allow  for variations  in practice 
between  institutions  as regards  the  academic  and 
practical  training  which  they  provide  for access  to the 
professions. 
1.6. The  Committee  also  wishes  to draw  attention 
to the  question  of associating  practical  work  with 
academic  training  (other  than  those  cases  where 
practical  experience  forms  an integral  part  of training 
for a final  qualification)  in the context  of the mutual 
recognition  of professional  qualifications.  It suggests 
that the completion  of a period  of practical  work 
could  be an important  factor  during  the transitional 
period  in the case  of persons  holding  qualifications 
obtained  some  years  previously. 
2. SPECIFIC  COMMENTS 
2.1. On the first  guideline  of the draft  resolution 
While,  as the  Commission  states,  there  is broad 
comparability  with  regard  to final  qualifications 
giving  access  to identical  fields  of activity,  despite differences  in the courses  of study  between  different 
countries  and  sometimes  within  different  countries, 
the Committee  believes  that  this is true  mainly  for the 
liberal  professions.  It is not true  for other  fields  of 
activity.  The  Committee  therefore  questions  the 
appropriateness  of the two  words  'given  that'  at the 
beginning  of this  guideline.  The  Committee  welcomes 
the emphasis  on comparibility  based  on the standard 
achieved  in the final  qualification,  with  the detailed 
training  requirements  kept  to a minimum. 
2.2. On the second  guideline 
The Committee  would  wish  to see  this  guideline 
expanded  to make  clear  that  not  only  should 
Community  solutions  not  lead  to any  reduction  in 
the quality  of training,  but that  such  solutions  should 
result  in an improvement  in the quality. 
2.3. On the third  guideline 
The Committee  endorses  the  guideline  that 
Community  rules  and  procedures  should  take 
account  of changes  in training  which  may  come  to 
seem  desirable.  It calls  attention  to the  fact  that 
society  makes  demands  on education  as well  as on 
the practising  professions. 
2.4. On the fourth  guideline 
The Committee  endorses  the guideline,  which  draws 
attention  to the importance  of ensuring  continuous 
and organized  consultation  with  practitioners  and 
teachers  in the light  of social  changes. 
2.5. On the fifth  guideline 
The Committee  endorses  the concept  of an advisory 
committee  with  the tasks  of assisting  and advising  the 
Commission  with  regard  to the  promotion  of the 
appropriate  standard  (rather  than  a 'high'  standard  as 
in the Commission's  document)  of training,  as one of 
the factors  for access  to a particular  profession.  In 
addition,  it believes  that  judgements  as to standards 
of training  should  be made  by those  practising  the 
profession  concerned  and  by those  responsible  for 
providing  the training.  The  Committee  suggests  that 
an advisory  committee  should  be composed  primarily 
of practitioners  and  teachers,  but  that  provision 
could  also  be made  for including  other  groups  as 
may be considered  appropriate.  It is noted  that,  so far 
No C 116/40 Official  Journal  of the European  Communities 30. 9.74 
as the draft  Directives  on doctors  are concerned,  a 
plenary  session  of the Standing  Committee  of Doctors 
was held  on 17 and  18 May  1974,  as a result  of 
which  a recommendation  for the establishment  of an 
advisory  committee  for medical  education  and  train-
ing is being  sent  to the Commission. 2.6. On the sixth  guideline 
The Committee  endorses  the  need  to extend  the 
benefit  of the  provisions  of the  Directives  on the 
mutual  recognition  of professional  qualifications  to 
all salaried  workers  in the relevant  profession. 
Done  at Brussels,  27 June  1974. 
The Chairman 
of the Economic  and  Social  Committee 
Alfons  LAPP  AS 
Opinion  on the 'Development  of the social  situation  in the Community  in 1973' 
The text  referred  to the Committee  has not been  published  in the Official  Journal  of the 
European  Communities. 
A. LEGAL  BASIS  FOR  THE  OPINION 
On 9 April  1974,  the Commission  of the European  Communities  referred  the above-
mentioned  document  to the Economic  and Social  Committee. 
B. OPINION  OF  THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE 
The Economic  and  Social  Committee  prepared  its Opinion  on the above  matter  at its 
121st  plenary  session,  held  in Brussels  on 26 and 27 June  1974. 
The full text of the Opinion  is as follows: 
THE  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  COMMITTEE: 
Having  regard  to the request  from  the Commission, 
dated  9 April  1974,  for an opinion  on the 'Develop-
ment  of the  social  situation  in the Community  in 
1973'; 
Having  regard  to Article  198  of the  Treaty 
establishing  the European  Economic  Community; 
Having  regard  to the Decision  taken  by its Bureau  on 
29 January  1974,  entrusting  the Section  for Social 
Questions  with  the preparation  of an opinion; 
Having  regard  to the  oral  report  given  by the 
rapporteur,  Mr De Bruyn; Having  regard  to the discussions  at its 88th  meeting, 
on 13 June  1974; 
Having  regard  to the discussions  held  on 26 and  27 
June  1974  at its 121st  plenary  session,  sitting  of 
27 June  1974; 
Whereas  the development  of the social  situation  in 
the Community  in 1973  was  marked  by — often 
significant  — changes  in both  the economic  and  the 
social  field; 
Whereas  the Community  bodies  still do not appear  to 
be equipped  with  the  most  appropriate  legal  or 
political  machinery  for  drawing  up  a genuine 
Community  social  policy;