WRITTEN QUESTION E-3344/03 by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Recognition of Greek citizens' university degrees.
Date: 2003-11-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU national, Greece, administrative formalities, education policy, recognition of diplomas, technical barriers to trade, university

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the recognition of higher-education diplomas awarded on completion of professional education and
training of at least three years’ duration (1) (A-levels or equivalent + three years) or Council Directive 92/51/
EEC of 18 June 1992 on a second general system for the recognition of professional education and
training (2) which covers diplomas, certificates and other vocational training titles at a lower level than
those covered by Directive 89/48/EEC (General System).

Thanks to these Directives, Union citizens have the right to pursue a specific regulated profession in any
Member State under the same conditions as the holders of diplomas from that Member State. Whenever
substantial differences exist between the applicant’s qualifications and experience and the requirements of
the host State, the host State may require a compensation measure from the applicant in the form of a
period of relevant professional experience, an aptitude test or a period of supervised practice. In particular,
when the profession at stake is one which is regulated in the host Member State, but not in the Member
State from which the applicant comes, the host Member State can not refuse to authorise the applicant to
take up or pursue the profession on the same conditions as those which apply to its own nationals, if the
applicant has pursued that profession in another Member State for a sufficiently long period of time.
Nevertheless, the host Member State may also require the applicant to undergo compensation measures
where, despite that period of practice, substantial differences are identified between the competencies of
the person and local qualification requirements (see Directive 89/48/EEC, Articles 3 (b) and 4.1 (b), and
Directive 92/51/EEC, Articles 3 (b) and 4.1 (b)).

The proposal for a Directive on the recognition of professional qualifications (3), which is currently at the
stage of first reading in the Parliament, consolidates the existing mechanism aimed to ensure professional
In this context, Article 15 of the proposal gives the
recognition, while simplifying and clarifying it.
possibility to professional associations to create professional platforms aimed to facilitate the recognition
procedure through qualification standards. Once a platform has been adopted in a Commission decision,
professionals fulfilling the relevant standard will have the right not to have any compensation measure
applied.

This mechanism, which could also apply to the profession of commercial divers, is therefore very flexible
and seems to be particularly appropriate for situations concerning professions which are not regulated in
all Member States.

(1) OJ L 19, 24.1.1989.
(2) OJ L 209, 24.7.1992.
(3) OJ C 181, 30.7.2002.

(2004/C 70 E/279)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3344/03

by Christos Folias (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(13 November 2003)

Subject: Recognition of Greek citizens’ university degrees

Dikatsa is the organisation in Greece responsible for the recognition of university degrees such as Bachelor,
Masters, PhD, or the equivalent, awarded to Greek citizens by universities both in countries outside the EU
and in some Member States.

As a result of delays, red tape, controversial decisions and subsequent complaints to the organisation,
many young graduates in Greece have problems with their career development.

Will the Commission, therefore, say:

1. what system is used in the other Member States,

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2. what provision is made at EU level in regard to the recognition of university degrees awarded by

Member States or third countries,

3. whether it has looked into the problems relating to Dikatsa and, if so, what conclusions it drew?

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(11 December 2003)

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

At the present stage of Community law, the recognition of diplomas for academic purposes falls within the
competence of Member States. There are no Community rules regulating mutual recognition of diplomas.
Each Member State is responsible for the content and organisation of its own educational system. There
are currently no diplomas that are recognised at European level. Universities, which are autonomous
institutions, are entirely 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 may 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 may not, however, apply any direct or
in accordance with Article 12 of the EC Treaty.

indirect discrimination on grounds of nationality,

In Greece, many of the holders of diplomas that are issued by other Member States are Greek nationals
who have followed studies in another Member State and wish to pursue their studies 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 excessive 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 academic recognition procedure can raise obstacles to
the free movement of students.

Freedom to move within the territory of the Member State is one of the fundamental freedoms guaranteed
by the EC Treaty (Article 18).

Article 8 of the EC Treaty confers the status of citizen of the Union to every person holding the nationality
of a Member State. As the European Court of Justice has stated in case C-224/98 (D’Hoop): ‘A citizen of
the Union must be granted in all Member States the same treatment in law as that accorded to the
nationals of those Member States who find themselves in the same situation. It would, therefore, be
incompatible with the right of freedom of movement were a citizen, in a Member State of which he is a
national, to receive treatment less favourable than he would enjoy if he had not availed himself of the
opportunities offered by the EC Treaty in relation to freedom of movement. Those opportunities could not
be fully effective if a national of a Member State could be deterred from availing himself of them by
obstacles raised on his return to his country of origin …’ Article 149(2) of the EC Treaty aims at
encouraging mobility of students.

On the basis of the above-mentioned considerations, the Commission has contacted the Greek authorities
asking for 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 more effectively.

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