Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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135. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason legal and veterinary services are excluded from the recent Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5264/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The final consolidated Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which completed legal review on 29 February 2016, contains a specific chapter regarding the mutual recognition of professional qualifications (Chapter 11). This provides a framework to facilitate a fair, transparent and consistent regime for the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, between the EU and Canada, and sets out the general conditions for the negotiation of mutual recognition agreements (or MRAs). Where appropriate, the relevant professional organisations in the EU and Canada can utilise the framework for the negotiation of MRA’s for their respective professions. The recognition of professional qualifications provided by an MRA will allow qualified individuals undertake professional activities in both jurisdictions, in accordance with the terms and conditions specified in the MRA.

The MRA model under CETA involves industry/professions/competent authorities issue joint recommendations, based on CETA guidelines. This then undergoes assessment by local governments, to ensure compliance with regulatory and legislative requirements, before being rendered binding by the MRA Committee, set up under CETA

The process of MRA discussions have to date have centred on architects only, and have been following the professional qualifications of standards i.e. education, training and time working in profession. This will be the first joint recommendation for a MRA to be presented to the CETA MRA Committee. Currently, the MRA for architects is between the Architects’ Council of Europe and the Canadian Architectural Licencing Authority (who are the European/Canadian Licensing Authorities respectively), and the local governments. Both regulatory bodies will need to approve the MRA, as will the MRA Committee established under CETA, but, only when the Agreement is in effect.

It is anticipated that the process will follow the same pathway for all other regulated professions, including legal and veterinary services.