| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2015) 76 final (2.3.15) |
| Publication Date | 02/03/2015 |
| Content Type | Policy-making |
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In 1999, the European Community and its Member States concluded a bilateral agreement with Switzerland on the free movement of persons. This entered into force on 1 June 2002. A protocol was later concluded extending the Agreement to include the ten Member States that joined the EU in 2004. A second protocol was concluded extending the Agreement to include Bulgaria and Romania. The Agreement was initially concluded for a period of seven years, which came to an end on 31 May 2009. Following the Swiss referendum of 8 February 2009, the Agreement was renewed for an indefinite period. In spite of the results of the Swiss referendum of 9 February 2014 on mass migration, the Agreement is still in force. Article 9 and Annex III of the Agreement relate to the recognition of professional qualifications. Annex III lists the EU acts adopted in this area that are of relevance to the EU’s relations with Switzerland. Article 18 of the Agreement specifies that any amendments to Annex III are to be adopted by decision of the EU-Swiss Joint Committee. Annex III was last amended by Decision No 2/2011 of the EU-Swiss Joint Committee. The purpose of this amendment was, in particular, to align the Agreement with Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications. The annexes to this Directive have themselves been amended several times since the adoption of Decision No 2/2011. Annex III therefore needs to be updated again in order to take account of these changes. |
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| Source Link | http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2015:076:FIN |
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| Countries / Regions | Europe, Switzerland |
