EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/332

(2004/C 78 E/0350)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-3890/03

by Stavros Xarchakos (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(10 December 2003)

Subject: Recognition in Greece of diplomas of Community universities

Thousands of Greek students study at (state and other recognised) universities in many EU countries. These students are awarded diplomas which are recognised in Greece only after being submitted to and approved by the Inter-University Centre for the Recognition of Foreign Qualifications (DI.K.A.T.S.A.). This entails long delays (owing to bureaucracy and the number of diplomas submitted) and substantial costs for applicants.

Are Member States obliged under Community legislation to have bodies such as DI.K.A.T.S.A. to which diplomas from Community universities are submitted? Do such bodies exist in all the other Member States as a result of this obligation?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(14 January 2004)

There are two types of procedures for recognition of qualifications and they have different objectives: the academic recognition procedure and the professional recognition procedure.

Academic recognition aims to allow people to pursue their studies in another Member State.

Professional recognition aims to facilitate the free movement of workers within the Union. It concerns the recognition of qualifications required for access to the professions in different Member States and is governed by Community law (Directives 89/48/EEC (1) and 92/51/CEE) (2).

At the present stage of development of Community law, the recognition of diplomas for academic purposes falls within the competence of Member States. There are no Community rules imposing mutual recognition of diplomas. Each Member State is responsible for the content and organisation of its educational system. There are currently no diplomas that are recognised at European level. Universities that are autonomous institutions are responsible for the content of their curricula and for awarding diplomas and certificates to students. The authorities of the Member States have the right to require the academic recognition of qualifications before allowing access to education and they can evaluate whether the content of the education received by the holder of a diploma corresponds to the level that is required by the national legislation. They are equally free to fix the rules governing this type of procedure. They are obliged, however, not to apply any direct or indirect discrimination on grounds of nationality, in accordance with Article 12 of the EC Treaty.

In most Member States the higher education institutions take their own decisions on the admission of foreign students. Some Member States have set up bodies responsible for the academic recognition of diplomas, similar to Dikatsa.

As regards recognition for professional purposes, the different Member States have set up competent authorities dealing with the professional recognition of diplomas.

In the countries participating in the Socrates programme a network of national information centres for the recognition of diplomas (NARIC) operates, which provides information on national recognition procedures. Most NARICs do not take decisions but offer on request information and advice on foreign education systems and qualifications.

The Commission is aware of the problem of the excessively long delays and other malfunctions of the academic recognition procedure in Greece.

Although, as stated above, the academic recognition of diplomas falls within the competence of the Member States, the Commission is of the opinion that the delays caused by purely administrative reasons in the academic recognition procedure in Greece can discourage students from exercising their right to free movement. The excessive length of the administrative procedure can raise obstacles to the free movement of students.

The Commission has already contacted the Greek authorities asking what are the reasons that justify the delays in the academic recognition procedure. The Greek authorities have informed the Commission that the delays were in part due to the large number of applications received by Dikatsa. In order to expedite the process of recognition, the Greek authorities have reviewed the relevant national regulations and proposed to put new procedures in place. Dikatsa has been restructured in order to be able to deal with the large number of applications effectively.

The Commission continues to follow the evolution of the process of academic recognition in Greece.

(1) Council Directive 89/48/EEC of 21 December 1988 on a general system for the recognition of higher-education diplomas awarded on completion of professional education and training of at least three years' duration, OJ L 19, 24.1.1989.

(2) Council Directive 92/51/EEC of 18 June 1992 on a second general system for the recognition of professional education and training to supplement Directive 89/48/EEC, OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.