{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/european-communities-recognition-of-professional-qualifications-regulations-1991/regulation-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/european-communities-recognition-of-professional-qualifications-regulations-1991/regulation-2.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1991/824",
  "legislation_title": "The European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 1991",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/european-communities-recognition-of-professional-qualifications-regulations-1991",
  "path": "regulation/2",
  "kind": "regulation",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Interpretation",
  "text": "(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, thefollowing words and phrases have the following meanings (and cognateexpressions shall be construed accordingly)—\n“adaptation period” means a period of practice of a regulated profession in the UnitedKingdom under the supervision of a qualified member of that profession,required by a designated authority pursuant to regulation 6(1)(b);\n“another member State” means a member State other than the United Kingdom;\n“appeal body” means, in respect of any regulated profession, the body, court orperson specified in relation to that profession in Schedule 4;\n“aptitude test” means a test required by a designated authority pursuant toregulation 6(1)(b);\n“competent authority” means, in relation to any\n(a) document, certificate, diploma or qualification, or\n(b) period of professional experience,\nreferred to in these Regulations, the authority, body or person in a member State authorised under the laws, regulations or administrative provisions of that State, to issue, award or recognise such document, certificate, diploma or qualification, or to certify any such period;\n“corresponding profession” means a profession, the pursuit of which in another member Stateincludes a substantial number of the professional activities comprisedin the pursuit of the profession in the United Kingdom which is thesubject of the migrant’s application;\n“designated authority” means a body or authority designated in relation to a regulatedprofession by regulation 4 and Schedule 1 and any qualifying bodyreferred to in regulations 11(2) and 12(3);\n“diploma” means any diploma, certificate or other evidence of formalqualifications awarded by a competent authority in a memberState—\n(a) which shows that the holder:\n(i) has successfully completed a post-secondary course of at least threeyears' duration (or of an equivalent duration part-time) at a universityor an establishment of higher education or an establishment of similarlevel;\n(ii) has successfully completed any additional professional trainingrequired; and\n(iii) has the qualifications required for the practice of a regulatedprofession in that State;\nprovided that either:\n(A) the education and training attested were received mainly within theEconomic Community; or\n(B) the holder has had at least three years' professional experiencecertified by a competent authority in that State (being a State whichrecognised a diploma, certificate or other evidence of formalqualifications obtained in a non-member State);\nor\nwhich was awarded on the successful completion of education andtraining received within the Economic Community, and which—\n(i) has been recognised by a competent authority in that State asequivalent in level to a diploma to which sub-paragraph (a) applies; and\n(ii) confers the same rights in respect of the practice of a regulatedprofession in that State;\n“the Directive” means Council Directive 89/48/EEC on a general system for the recognition ofhigher-education diplomas awarded on completion of professionaleducation and training of at least three years' duration;\n“migrant” means a national of a member State applying under these Regulationsto a designated authority for authorisation to practise;\n“native applicant” means a national of a member State applying to a designatedauthority for authorisation to practise, the qualifications of whom wereobtained wholly within the United Kingdom;\n“practise” in relation to any regulated profession, includes—\n(a) the taking up or pursuit of the profession in a member State,whether in a self-employed capacity or as an employed person; and\n(b) the right to use, in the course of such pursuit, a professionaltitle or designatory letters, or the enjoyment of any special statuscorresponding to a diploma, granted by a designated authority for thatprofession;\n“professional experience” means the lawful pursuit in a member State of a professioncorresponding to the regulated profession which is the subject of themigrant’s application;\n“regulated profession” means a profession in respect of which a designated authority isspecified in Schedule 1 and the profession of company auditor as definedin section 24(2) of the Companies Act 1989 and Article 27(2) of theCompanies (Northern Ireland) Order 1990.\n(2) A reference in these Regulations to“the United Kingdom” shall, as the context requires, include a reference to any of the following: England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.\n(3) Any reference in these Regulations to a numbered regulation orSchedule is a reference to the regulation or Schedule so numbered inthese Regulations.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "OJ No. L 19, 24.1.89, p.16."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "appl",
      "affecting": "uksi/2003/835",
      "affecting_title": "The Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 2003"
    },
    {
      "type": "am (1.1.2003)",
      "affecting": "uksi/2002/3051",
      "affecting_title": "The European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) (Amendment) Regulations 2002"
    },
    {
      "type": "added (1.1.2003)",
      "affecting": "uksi/2002/3051",
      "affecting_title": "The European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) (Amendment) Regulations 2002"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1991/824/regulation/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T14:46:50.931421+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}