The Committee for Growth and Development in the Nordic Region is calling for progress towards automatic and mutual recognition of higher education qualifications throughout the Nordic region, based on the practice of Baltic and Benelux countries. Automatic recognition of Nordic citizens’ educational and vocational qualifications in parallel areas would remove one of the serious barriers to cross-border freedom of movement in the Nordic Region. It would remove differences in validation processes, streamline administration and create jobs.

In 2018, the Baltic and Benelux countries entered into agreements on automatic and mutual recognition of higher education qualifications. Now, they want to go further and look at whether it would be possible to do the same for qualifications in the regulated professions. “Since the Baltic and Benelux countries have managed to achieve automatic and mutual recognition of their higher education qualifications, it really is incumbent on the Nordic Region to play catch up,” says Pyry Niemi, chair of the Committee for Growth and Development in the Nordic Region.

The proposal was adopted unanimously by the Committee for Growth and Development in the Nordic Region and will now be submitted to the Nordic Council Session in Stockholm at the end of October for a final decision.

Norden