33 Amendments of Pina PICIERNO related to 2016/0404(COD)
Amendment 60 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) In the absence of specific provisions harmonising the requirements on access to a regulated profession or its pursuit laid down in Union law, it is the Member States’ prerogative to decide whether and how to regulate a profession within the limits of the principles of non- discrimination, justification and proportionality.
Amendment 65 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7
Recital 7
(7) The activities covered by this Directive should concern the regulated professions falling within the scope of Directive 2005/36/EC. For the purpose of this Directive, the term “regulated profession” should refer to both existing regulated professions as defined in Directive 2005/36/EC and professions that Member States are considering to regulate with the result that they will fall under the definition of “regulated profession” in Directive 2005/36/EC. This Directive should apply in addition to Directive 2005/36/EC and without prejudice to other provisions laid down in a separate Union act concerning access to, and the exercise of a given regulated profession.
Amendment 74 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 7 b (new)
Recital 7 b (new)
(7 b) This Directive is without prejudice to national education and training structures and to the competence of Member States to define the organisation and the content of their systems of education and professional training;
Amendment 82 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) Regulation of professions plays a key role in protecting public interest objectives and should, inter alia, contribute to the promotion of a high level of employment, the guarantee of adequate social protection, the fight against social exclusion, and a high level of education, training and protection of human health and to environmental and consumer protection; effective professional regulation is furthermore of paramount importance in order to ensure high quality products and services;
Amendment 83 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8 b (new)
Recital 8 b (new)
(8 b) It is for the Member States to determine the level of protection which they wish to afford to the public interest objectives and the proportionate way in which that level is to be achieved. The fact that one Member State imposes less strict rules than another Member State does not mean that the latter Member State’s rules are disproportionate and therefore incompatible with EU law;
Amendment 84 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 8 c (new)
Recital 8 c (new)
(8 c) Member States should undertake an assessment of non-discrimination, justification and proportionality in accordance with the rules laid down in this Directive before introducing new, or amending existing, essential legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions restricting access to or pursuit of regulated professions, taking into account the reasonable margin of appreciation allowed to Member States. The extent and degree of intensity of the assessment shall be proportionate to the nature, the content and the impact of the provisions being introduced. Provisions which would not restrict access to or pursuit of regulated professions, such as editorial amendments, or adaptations to content of training courses or modernisation of training regulations, should not fall within the scope of this Directive.
Amendment 89 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 9
Recital 9
(9) The burden of proof of justification and proportionality lies on the Member States. The reasons for regulation invoked by a Member State by way of justifMember States should ensure that any measure introducing new, or amending existing, essential legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions restrication should thus be accompanied by an analysis of the appropriateness and proportionality of the measure adopted by that State and byng access to or pursuit of regulated professions is accompanied by an explanation making it possible to appraise compliance with the principles of non-discrimination, justification and proportionality, which should include specific evidencelements substantiating its arguments.
Amendment 93 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) It is appropriate to monitor the non- discrimination, justification and proportionality of the essential provisions restricting access to or pursuit of regulated professions on a regular basis and with a frequency appropriate to the regulation concerned. A review of theafter adoption. A review of the non-discrimination, justification and proportionality of restrictive national legislation in the area of regulated professions should be based not only on the objective of that legislation at the time of its adoption, but also on the effects of the legislation, assessed after its adoption. TheSuch assessment of the proportionality of the national legislation should be based on significant developments found to have occurred in the area since the legislation was adopted.
Amendment 111 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) When assessing the proportionality of the provisions, Member States should consider the criteria which are relevant for the provisions being analysed. Where a Member State intends to regulate a profession or to amend existing rules, account should be taken, where relevant, of the nature of the risks related to the public interest objectives pursued, in particular the risks to service recipients, including consumers, to professionals or third parties, also where those risks are not certain or not fully apparent, taking into account the precautionary principle. It should also be borne in mind that, in the field of professional services, there is usually an asymmetry of information between consumers and professionals. Professionals display a high level of technical knowledge which consumers may not have and consumers therefore find it difficult to judge the quality of the services provided to them.
Amendment 121 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) Where a Member State regulates a profession, account should be taken, where relevant, of the fact that technological developments may reduce or increase the asymmetry of information between consumers and professionals. In view of the speed of technological change and scientific progress, up-dates in access requirements may be of particular importance for a number of professions. Where developments, including technological changes, carry a risk for the public interest objectives, it is for the Member States to provide for stricter regulation ensuring that professionals keep up with those developments.
Amendment 138 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) TWhe national authoritire relevant, Member States should carry out a globaln assessment of the circumstances in which the restrictive measure is adopted and implemented and examine in particular the cumulative effect of imposing severaleffect of the new or amended provisions when combined with other requirements restricting addition to the specific professional qualificatccess to or pursuit of the profession. The taking-up and pursuit of certain activities may be conditional on complying with certain provisions such as rules relating to the organisation of the profession, compulsory membership of a professional body, professional ethics, supervision and liability. Therefore, when assessing the cumulative effect of the measures, the competent authorities should also take into account other existing requirements, such as continuous professional development,new or amended measures, Member States should also take into account, where relevant, the effects of those measures combined with other existing requirements, such as compulsory chamber membership, registration or authorisation schemes, quantitative restrictions, specific legal form requirements and shareholding requirements, territorial restrictions, multidisciplinary restrictions and incompatibility rules, requirements concerning insurance cover as well as language knowledge requirements, to the extent necessary to practise the profession. A measure introduced by a Member State cannot be regarded as necessary to achieve the objective pursued if it In carrying out this assessmentially duplicates, existing requirements which have already been introduced in the context of other rules or procedures not being amended should not be subject to the proportionality assessment.
Amendment 142 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 20 a (new)
Recital 20 a (new)
(20a) The need to assess the effects of additional requirements combined with existing measures does not mean that the new requirements are disproportionate, since those can have a positive effect for the public interest objectives.
Amendment 145 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) It is essential for the proper functioning of the internal market to ensure that Member States provide information to citizen, before introducing new, or amending existing, measures restricting access to or pursuit of regulated professions, publicly disclose the relevant information on the provisions, adequately consult citizens, service recipients, including consumers, representative associations or, social partners and other relevant stakeholders before introducing new measures restricting access to or pursuit of regulated, including those who are not members of the professions, and give them the opportunity to make known their views.
Amendment 150 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 22
Recital 22
(22) To facilitapromote the exchange of best practices, each Member Statethe Commission should encourage the relevant competent authoritiMember States to share adequate and regularly updated information with other Member States on the regulation of professions and facilitate such exchange.
Amendment 156 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 1 – paragraph 1
Article 1 – paragraph 1
This Directive lays down rules on a common framework for conducting proportionality assessments before introducing new, or amending existing, legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions restricting access to or pursuit of regulated professions, or amending existing ones, with a view to ensuring the proper functioning of the internal market. It does not affect Member States’ prerogative and margin of discretion to decide, in the absence of harmonisation at EU level, whether and how to regulate a profession while respecting the principles of non- discrimination, justification and proportionality.
Amendment 172 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 3 – paragraph 1
Article 3 – paragraph 1
For the purpose of this Directive, the definitions of Directive 2005/36/EC shall apply. with the understanding that the term “regulated professions” shall refer to both existing regulated professions and professions Member States are considering to regulate.
Amendment 177 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 1
Article 4 – paragraph 1
1. Member States shall ensure that before introducing newundertake an assessment of non-discrimination, justification and proportionality in accordance with the rules laid down in this Directive before introducing new, or amending existing, essential legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions restricting access to or pursuit of regulated professions, or amending existing ones, the relevant competent authorities undertake antaking into account the reasonable margin of appreciation allowed to Member States. The extent of the assessment of theirshall be proportionality in accordance with the rules laid down in this Directivete to the nature, the content and the impact of the provisions being introduced.
Amendment 187 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Any provision referred to in paragraph 1 shall be accompanied by a detailed statementn explanation making it possible to appraise compliance with the principles of non- discrimination, justification and proportionality.
Amendment 191 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 3
Article 4 – paragraph 3
3. The reasons for considering that a provision is justified, necessarynon-discriminatory, justified and proportionate shall be substantiated by qualitative and, wherever possible, and relevant, quantitative evidenclements, taking into account the specific circumstances of that Member State.
Amendment 201 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 4 – paragraph 5
Article 4 – paragraph 5
5. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the assessment of proportionality referred to in paragraph 1 is carried out in an objective and independent manner including through involvement of independent scrutiny bodies.
Amendment 216 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 3
Article 5 – paragraph 3
3. Grounds of a purely economic nature having essentially protectionist aim or effects or purely administrative reasons shall not constitute overriding reasons in the public interest, justifying a restriction on access to or pursuit of regulated professions. Control measures shall be considered justified if they are needed in order to ensure compliance with provisions justified by public interest objectives.
Amendment 238 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point b
(b) the suitability of the provision namely as regards its appropriateness to attain the objective pursued and whether it genuinely reflects that objective in a consistent and systematic manner and thus, addresses the risks identified in a similar way as in comparable activities;
Amendment 243 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point c
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point c
(c) the necessity of the provision and in particular whether existing rules of a specific or more general nature, such as product safety legislation or consumer protection law, are insufficient to protect the objective pursued;
Amendment 264 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point f
(f) the scope of the professional activities reserved to holders of a particular professional qualification, namely whether and why the activities reserved to certain professions can or cannot be shared with other professions;
Amendment 271 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point h
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point h
(h) the scientific and technological developments which may reduce or increase the asymmetry of information between professionals and consumers;
Amendment 275 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point i
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point i
(i) the economic impact of the measure, with particular regard to the degree of competition in the market and on the quality of the service provided, as well as the impactnd on the free movement of persons and services within the Union and on the freedom to choose an occupation;
Amendment 281 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point k
Article 6 – paragraph 2 – point k
(k) the cumulative effect of restrictions to both access to and pursuit of the profession, and in particular how each of those requirements contributes to and whether it is neeffect of the new or amended provisions when combined with other requirements restricting accessary to achieve the same public interest objectiveor pursuit of the profession.
Amendment 303 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 4 – point i
Article 6 – paragraph 4 – point i
(i) requirements concerning insurance cover or other means of personal or collective protection with regard to professional liability;
Amendment 313 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Amendment 318 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – title
Article 8 – title
Exchange of information between competent authoritiMember States
Amendment 320 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. For the purposes of the efficient application of this Directive, before introducing new legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions restricting access to or pursuit of regulated professions, or amending existing ones, Member States shall encourage the exchange of information with competent authorities of other and of Directive 2005/36/EC, the Commission shall encourage and facilitate the exchange of information between Member States on matters covered by this Directive and by Directive 2005/36/EC, such as the particular way they regulate a profession or the effects of regulation identified in similar sectors of activities, on a regular basis, or, where appropriate, on an ad hoc basis.
Amendment 322 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 8 – paragraph 2
Article 8 – paragraph 2
2. Member States shall inform the Commission of the competentpublic authorities responsible for transmitting and receiving information for the purposes of applying paragraph 1.
Amendment 326 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 9 – paragraph 1
Article 9 – paragraph 1
1. The reasons for considering that provisions, assessed in accordance with this Directive, are justified, necessaryDirective 2005/36/EC and with this Directive, are non-discriminatory, justified and proportionate, and which are communicated to the Commission pursuant to paragraphs 5 and 6 of Article 59 of Directive 2005/36/EC, shall be recorded by the relevant competent authoritiMember States in the database of regulated professions, referred to in Article 59 paragraph 1 of Directive 2005/36/EC and thereafter made publicly available by the Commission.