Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (c.36) in order to implement an amendment to Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the recognition of professional qualifications (OJ No. L255, 30.9.2005, p. 22) which requires professionals benefitting from mutual recognition of qualifications to have sufficient language skills to practise their profession in another member State and enables member States to impose controls in respect of language skills if there is reason to suspect they are inadequate.

The Regulations also provide for alerts sent by other member States under the above Directive to be considered as part of applications for registration; and replace the table listing European veterinary qualifications which must be recognised by the United Kingdom with an ambulatory reference to a table in Directive 2005/36/EC which lists those qualifications. The Regulations also amend the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 to enable the registration of UK citizens with relevant third-country qualifications; and third-country citizens with relevant European qualifications; and to provide rights of appeal in respect of decisions to refuse partial access to the veterinary profession, and to send alerts to appropriate competent authorities in respect of applicants.

Amendments to the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 are also made to cross-refer appropriately to the European Union (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) Regulations 2015 (S.I. 2015/2059), which have been made as a result of the amendment to Directive 2005/36/EC.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as only a minor impact on the public, private or voluntary sectors is foreseen.