How to organise a profession across national boundaries?

The European professional market is in need of reform.

For many decades, certain professions have been protected from competition, whilst others have been marginalised or declared "illegal" in certain countries.

This absurd situation has led to lack of specialisation, lack of competitiveness, inefficiency and massive unemployment among professionals in several countries. In the meantime, other nations suffer a short supply of skills and knowledge in several areas of activity.

Landscape Architecture has been one of the least favoured professions, particularly in Southern Europe.

After years of waiting for action from IFLA, the body representing allegedly Landscape Architecture Worldwide, a number of European Landscape Architects have challenged the landscape establishment in Europe and have appealed directly to our elected politicians to ask for Landscape Architecture to become a Europe wide regulated profession.

The surprising result is that most of them seem to think that it is a good idea and that Landscape Architecture's current situation is a bad thing for business and the environment.

One of the questions put forward by European Members of Parliament to the European commission is this one:

"Landscape architecture is recognised and regulated as a profession in various Member States, with a separate identity from other professions and studies. Unfortunately, it is not officially recognised as a profession in Spain. Without any proper regulation or official definition of this profession, with no professional associations to protect and promote it or any system for the recognition of diplomas and qualifications obtained in other Member States or in other parts of the world, it is difficult to carry out the profession in dignified conditions, thereby creating an unjust situation. Professionals in this field are unable to take part in public procurement processes, contracts or calls for proposals and even have difficulties in obtaining civil and professional liability insurance.

This lack of recognition has legal consequences which contravene the rules of the single market; more specifically, it does not comply with the terms of Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market.

The European Commission has recently acknowledged that updating Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 7 September 2005 on the recognition of professional qualifications is one of the priorities of the Single Market Act and will contribute to making the European economy more competitive, in addition to stimulating job creation and growth.

— Is the Commission aware of this discrimination?

— What action will the Commission take to ensure that qualifications in Landscape Architecture are recognised and accepted in Member States such as Spain, which do not acknowledge its existence or the fact that there are trained professionals (Spanish or otherwise) in this field who wish to practise their profession in these countries, under the same conditions applied to any other profession and without hindrance to its development and recognition?"

You can check the original Question to the Commission

What are the implications of this political move?

How can Landscape Architecture contribute to a new professional market?

How to organise a new profession across many boundaries?