Vol. 527 No. 1
35 Mr. Belton asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if her attention has been drawn to the discrepancy in course duration and standard between the Certificate of Professional Competence awarded in this jurisdiction and that awarded in Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27743/00]
The educational requirements for the Certificate of Professional Competence are set out in the Annex to European Council Directive 96/26/EC on admission to the occupation of road haulage operator. The directive allows each member state to designate its own national body or authority to set down course durations and standards, and requires for a written examination for the Certificate of Professional Competence. Consequently, standards and course durations tend to vary between member states while meeting the minimum educational requirements for the CPC.
Following concerns over discrepancies in courses between certain member states, Directive 98/76/EC was adopted, amending Directive 96/26/EC. This allows a member state to require that a person normally living there who obtains a CPC in another member state may have to sit an additional examination in his or her country of residence before that CPC can be recognised.
