WRITTEN QUESTION E-2815/00 by Bill Miller (PSE) to the Commission. University degree convalidation.
Date: 2000-09-05
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Spain, United Kingdom, access to a profession, psychology, single market

20.3.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 89 E/223

(2001/C 89 E/254)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2790/00

by Phillip Whitehead (PSE) to the Commission

(1 September 2000)

Subject: Comparative drug licensing systems in EU Member States

In the UK, the Medicines Control Agency grants a licence for a new drug after determining that it is safe to
be used, but it does not give any consideration to the charge made by the manufacturer for that drug.
Do other Member States operate under a similar drug licensing system, or do they, in addition to licence
approval, set a price ceiling for the manufacturer? If so, might this provide the main explanation as to why
prices for newly licensed drugs vary considerably between the UK and other Member States?

Answer given by Mr Liikanen on behalf of the Commission

(10 October 2000)

legislation is based upon the separation of

the considerations by public
European pharmaceutical
authorities of the safety, quality and efficacy of a given pharmaceutical product on the one hand and the
arrangements for negotiating pricing and reimbursement conditions within the health systems on the
other. This separation is therefore practised throughout the Community. The negotiation of marketing
conditions with the pharmaceutical companies (cid:129) including price negotiations in the Member States where
these are conducted (cid:129) is a matter for the Member States. These pricing and reimbursement negotiations
must take account of the principles underlying the single market and in particular must be in accordance
with the terms of Council Directive 89/105/EEC of 21 December 1988 relating to the transparency of
measures regulating the prices of medicinal products for human use and their inclusion in the scope of
national health insurance systems (1) which establishes procedural constraints, including requirements of
transparency and objectivity of criteria used, time constraints for responding to a company request for
price or reimbursement and a right for companies to appeal a given pricing or reimbursement decision.

(1) OJ L 40, 11.2.1989.

(2001/C 89 E/255)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2815/00

by Bill Miller (PSE) to the Commission

(5 September 2000)

Subject: University degree convalidation

Are degrees in psychology awarded by UK universities valid in Spain or would further studies have to be
completed before a graduate can operate in Spain?

Answer given by Mr Bolkestein on behalf of the Commission

(27 September 2000)

According to the information available to the Commission, the profession of psychologist is regulated both
in Spain and in the United Kingdom, a regulated profession being defined as a profession for the pursuit of
which the possession of a diploma or certain professional qualifications is an essential legal requirement.

C 89 E/224

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.3.2001

In this context, the two main legal instruments of Community law aimed at facilitating the free movement
within the Community of professionals pursuing regulated professions are, depending on the level of
studies attested by the diploma concerned, Council Directive 89/48/EEC of 21 December 1988 on a
general system for recognition of higher-education diplomas awarded on completion of professional
education and training of at least three years(cid:146) duration (1), and 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 (2).

However, Directives 89/48/EEC and 92/51/EEC did not establish a system of automatic equivalence
between diplomas and there is no list of diplomas which is automatically recognised at European level.
In fact, a diploma is recognised not in its own right, but in terms of the profession to which it gives access
in the Member State which awarded it. It is up to the person concerned to apply individually to the
national authority, stating clearly the profession they wish to pursue. The decision of the national authority
is also taken individually, on duly substantiated grounds.
there is no
Community mechanism by which the diplomas obtained in one Member State are automatically
recognised officially in the other Member States.

In others words, at present

The basic principle of the above-mentioned Directives is that the host Member State is responsible for
authorising the pursuit of a regulated profession on its territory by a professional in possession of the
diploma prescribed in the Member State of provenance for taking up that profession. In order to be
covered by the Directives, the person concerned must be a fully qualified professional who is able to
pursue, without any further training, the profession concerned in the Member State of provenance.

However, the recognition provided for by the Directives in question is not automatic and the authority in
the host Member State may,
in certain circumstances, require of migrant professionals compensatory
measures such as an aptitude test or an adaptation period not exceeding three years. Professional
experience may also be required in certain cases.

Consequently, the Spanish authorities may, whilst observing the terms set out in the Directives, make the
professional recognition of psychology diplomas awarded in the United Kingdom subject to certain
compensatory measures.

(1) OJ L 19, 24.1.1989.
(2) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.

(2001/C 89 E/256)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2817/00

by Jens-Peter Bonde (EDD) to the Commission

(4 September 2000)

Subject: Fulfilment by applicant countries of the convergence and stability pact criteria

Will the Commission state which of the EMU convergence criteria and which of the stability and growth
pact criteria countries applying for EU membership are required to meet in full before they can be
admitted to the EU, and from which of them they could expect to be granted derogations?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(28 September 2000)

Respect of the convergence criteria has never been a requirement for membership of the Community but
is necessary for adoption of the single currency and entry to the euro area. Applicant countries will not be
assessed for their readiness to adopt the euro until after their accession to the Community. While progress
towards real convergence and macro-economic stability should be pursued by applicant countries during
the pre-accession period, respect of the convergence criteria and of the stability and growth pact objectives
is therefore not a pre-condition for Community membership. The accession treaty will need to confirm the