The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the upcoming Skills Portability Initiative aimed at making skills more transparent and enabling skilled workers to move more easily throughout Europe. The consultation, open until 27 February 2026 (midnight Brussels time), seeks input from stakeholders involved in qualification recognition, skills validation, social partners and strategic sectors, including health care.
The initiative focuses on three objectives: increasing transparency and comparability of skills and qualifications; modernising recognition procedures for access to regulated professions, including through digital tools; and simplifying recognition of third-country qualifications.
EFPA underlines that the mobility of psychologists can be enhanced through common European standards, notably EuroPsy, which is supported by all 37 EFPA Full Members. EuroPsy helps protect consumers, assures quality, sets common minimum standards for education, training and competence, and facilitates professional mobility.
EFPA emphasises that while university degrees in psychology are an essential foundation, they cannot alone be equated with professional authorisation. A clear distinction is needed between academic education, postgraduate training and supervised practice, and formal professional authorisation defining the legal scope of practice. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is also essential to maintain and update competences throughout a psychologist’s career.
The response highlights the great diversity of psychology as a profession in Europe, including wide differences in regulation, scope of responsibility, health-related roles and training pathways.
EFPA also calls for careful consideration of cross-border digital practice, as also highlighted by the recent EC report “The applicability of existing Union legislation to telemedicine services”.
Finally, EFPA supports transparent and digitally supported recognition procedures for third-country professionals to help address workforce shortages, while stressing that faster recognition must not compromise professional competence, ethics, client safety or public trust.