Brussels: The European Commission has initiated infringement procedures against Cyprus and 13 other member states, urging them to fully integrate rules concerning the recognition of professional qualifications for nurses trained in Romania.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the Commission dispatched letters of formal notice to 14 Member States for their failure to completely incorporate into national law Directive (EU) 2024/505, which pertains to the recognition of professional qualifications for nurses responsible for general care trained in Romania. The deadline for transposing these rules was set for 4 March 2025.
The Directive serves as an amendment to Directive 2005/36/EC, focusing on the recognition of Romanian nursing diplomas attained before Romania’s accession to the EU. This applies to nurses who completed a special upgrading program designed to elevate their qualifications to meet the baseline requirements specified in Directive 2005/36/EC.
As of now, Cyprus, along with Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal, has not communicated the necessary measures to the Commission, indicating a full integration of the new rules into their national legislation. The Commission’s letters give these Member States a two-month window to respond, finalize their incorporation efforts, and report their measures to the Commission. Should they fail to provide a satisfactory response, the Commission may proceed to issue a reasoned opinion, potentially escalating the issue to the Court of Justice of the EU.