INEQUALITY OF TREATMENT BETWEEN THEM AND BELGIAN STUDENTS IS THUS BASED ON NATIONALITY .
11 SUCH UNEQUAL TREATMENT MUST BE REGARDED AS DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED BY ARTICLE 7 OF THE EEC TREATY IF IT FALLS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE TREATY . AS THE COURT HELD IN ITS JUDGMENT OF 13 FEBRUARY 1985, THE CONDITIONS OF ACCESS TO VOCATIONAL TRAINING DO FALL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE TREATY .
12 IT MUST THEREFORE BE DETERMINED WHETHER UNIVERSITY STUDIES IN VETERINARY MEDICINE CONSTITUTE VOCATIONAL TRAINING .
13 THE DEFENDANTS AND THE KINGDOM OF BELGIUM SUBMIT THAT FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 128 OF THE EEC TREATY THE TERM "VOCATIONAL TRAINING" REFERS NOT TO UNIVERSITY EDUCATION, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY ACADEMIC IN NATURE, BUT TO APPRENTICESHIP OR TECHNICAL TRAINING . WITH REGARD TO UNIVERSITY STUDIES IN BELGIUM, THEY ARGUE THAT STUDIES LEADING TO THE PRELIMINARY DIPLOMA (" CANDIDATURE ") CANNOT IN ANY EVENT BE REGARDED AS VOCATIONAL TRAINING SINCE IN ORDER TO TAKE UP AND PURSUE AN OCCUPATION A STUDENT MUST COMPLETE A FURTHER PERIOD OF STUDY (" DOCTORAT ") TO OBTAIN HIS FINAL DEGREE .
14 THE COMMISSION ARGUES THAT STUDIES AT BELGIAN UNIVERSITIES FALL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 128 OF THE EEC TREATY . IT ADOPTS THE VIEW EXPRESSED BY THE PLAINTIFFS THAT THERE ARE NOT TWO SEPARATE CATEGORIES, ACADEMIC EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING; INSTEAD, VOCATIONAL TRAINING MAY BE ACQUIRED THROUGH ACADEMIC EDUCATION PROVIDED IN UNIVERSITIES .
15 IN VIEW OF THAT DIFFERENCE OF OPINION IT SHOULD BE POINTED OUT FIRST OF ALL THAT, AS THE COURT HELD IN ITS JUDGMENT OF 13 FEBRUARY 1985, ANY FORM OF EDUCATION WHICH PREPARES FOR A QUALIFICATION FOR A PARTICULAR PROFESSION, TRADE OR EMPLOYMENT OR WHICH PROVIDES THE NECESSARY TRAINING AND SKILLS FOR SUCH A PROFESSION, TRADE OR EMPLOYMENT IS VOCATIONAL TRAINING, WHATEVER THE AGE AND LEVEL OF TRAINING OF THE PUPILS OR STUDENTS, AND EVEN IF THE TRAINING PROGRAMME INCLUDES AN ELEMENT OF GENERAL EDUCATION .
16 IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHETHER UNIVERSITY STUDIES FULFIL THESE CRITERIA, A DISTINCTION MUST BE DRAWN BETWEEN THE ISSUE WHETHER UNIVERSITY STUDIES CAN, BY THEIR NATURE, CONSTITUTE VOCATIONAL TRAINING FOR THE PURPOSES OF COMMUNITY LAW AND THE ISSUE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH SUCH STUDIES MAY BE SAID TO PREPARE FOR A QUALIFICATION FOR A PARTICULAR PROFESSION, TRADE OR EMPLOYMENT OR PROVIDE THE NECESSARY TRAINING AND SKILLS FOR SUCH A PROFESSION, TRADE OR EMPLOYMENT .
17 WITH REGARD TO THE FIRST ISSUE, NEITHER THE PROVISIONS OF THE TREATY, IN PARTICULAR ARTICLE 128, NOR THE OBJECTIVES WHICH THESE PROVISIONS SEEK TO ACHIEVE, IN PARTICULAR THOSE RELATING TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR PERSONS, GIVE ANY INDICATION THAT THE CONCEPT OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING IS TO BE RESTRICTED SO AS TO EXCLUDE ALL UNIVERSITY EDUCATION . IT IS ACCEPTED IN ALL THE MEMBER STATES THAT SOME UNIVERSITY STUDIES ARE INDEED INTENDED TO PROVIDE STUDENTS, AT THE ACADEMIC LEVEL, WITH CERTAIN KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND SKILLS AS PREPARATION FOR SPECIFIC OCCUPATIONS . IT SHOULD BE ADDED THAT