05 maart 2026
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Neth-ER submitted its contribution to the call for evidence and the public consultation on the Skills Portability Initiative. Our position: the goal should not be to create new instruments, but to strengthen trust, coherence and implementation of existing frameworks. A more consistent, inclusive and interoperable recognition system is essential to support mobility, competitiveness and a resilient European labour market.
Neth-ER, on behalf of the Dutch knowledge community, welcomes the upcoming Skills Portability Initiative to strengthen the portability of skills and qualifications across the EU. Despite existing EU tools, skills and qualifications often remain unclear or mistrusted across borders. Fragmented recognition procedures, legal and administrative barriers and uneven implementation continue to hinder mobility and recruitment. This is particularly visible in vocational and regulated professions, but affects graduates, researchers and third-country nationals across all education sectors as well. Against a backdrop of persistent labour shortages, increasing geopolitical pressure and the need to strengthen the EU’s competitiveness and innovation capacity, improving recognition across Member States is timely and essential.
Neth-ER stresses that the main challenge is not the absence of tools, but their fragmentation and inconsistent implementation across member states. Priority should therefore be given to improving coherence, alignment and practical application of existing recognition and quality assurance frameworks such as EQF and ESG, rather than introducing new, parallel systems and risking overlap. Furthermore, recognition processes should be more predictable, transparent and efficient across Member States, while respecting subsidiarity and national diversity and sectoral needs. Good practice examples include EduBadges, Eduwallet, CoVEs, the MOVE Certificate, the ECTS User’s Guide, the European Area of Recognition manuals, the treaty on automatic mutual recognition of higher education diplomas between the Benelux and the Baltic States, and the European Qualifications Framework. These provide valuable foundations that can be scaled up via EU coordination and support to strengthen trust between systems.
Neth-ER’s input emphasises that recognition is not only a technical issue, but also one of citizens’ rights and labour market access. Fair and accessible recognition supports free movement, equal opportunities and quality employment. Frameworks should address both regulated and non-regulated professions and account for differences between EU citizens and third-country nationals’ situations. Skills validation following EU guidelines for validation of non-formal and informal learning can help bridge gaps between formal qualifications and labour market needs. Approaches should be tailored to regional and sectoral realities rather than create one-size-fits all solutions that risk fragmentation and uneven implementation.
In the response, Neth-ER calls for microcredentials and digitalisation to support skills transparency and portability through coherent implementation. Microcredentials can serve as stepping stones for recognition if EU action focuses on streamlining implementation and sharing best practices between European, national and regional actors and supporting institutions in integration of microcredentials. Likewise, digital credentials can improve transparency and skills portability if they are interoperable, trusted and understandable across borders. Digitalisation should not, however, become and end in itself. EU action should therefore prioritise interoperable standards and cross-border dialogue, while allowing flexibility for Member States and education sectors. Overly prescriptive technical solutions risk creating new fragmentation instead of resolving existing barriers
The Skills Portability initiative part of the larger Union of Skills initiative and of the Fair Mobility Package, which focusses on the mobility of citizens in Europe. President Von der Leyen announced the Union of Skills at the onset of her second term. The Union of Skills has four pillars. This initiative ties in with the third pillar, which aims to improve circulation of skills and transnational cooperation within the EU. It will comprise three different actions: 1) a potential legislative proposal to facilitate worker mobility through improved transparency of skills and qualifications, and digitalisation, 2) potential measures to facilitate, modernise and expand recognition processes for regulated professions; and 3) a potential legislative proposal for common rules to simplify procedures for the recognition of qualifications and skills of third-country nationals. Publication is expected in the third quarter of 2026.