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News Release from: Chartered Institute of Building [CIOB] | Subject: EU directive
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 03 March 2005
Recognition for building surveyors in EU
directive
Construction professionals seeking recognition for building surveyors and others in EU directive.
The Forum of European Construction Professionals is asking the European Parliament's internal market committee to support amendments to the proposed directive on recognition of professional qualifications, with the aim of safeguarding the interests of building surveyors and other construction experts working in Member States of the European Union The draft directive is due to come before the European Parliament for approval in April, but if passed in its current form, the Forum fears it would continue to exclude among others many competent United Kingdom and Irish construction professionals from undertaking design, maintenance and management assignments outside their own countries
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 9 Mar 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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It affords no recognition to the important role that building surveyors and other construction experts play in building design, refurbishment and conservation, nor to their responsibilities with respect to such matters as the issuance of fire safety certificates and oversight of all aspects of compliance with the building regulations.
Mr Sheridan, chairman of CIOB Ireland's professional practice and surveyors' and architects' sub-committee, points out that many of these functions equally involve building surveyors, and says that in some instances only a minority of architects carry out such work.
A comparison of competences covered by RIBA and the Royal Institution of Architects of Ireland qualifications with those of the RICS and the Society of Chartered Surveyors of Ireland reveals that there is no significant difference between them in the areas of design, technology, the environment and management of construction.
In fact, building surveyors have other competencies not common with architects such as structural design and analysis, and building and measured surveys.
FCEP is concerned that building surveyors and others who do not hold the qualification 'architect' will be unable to exercise the freedom which Europe's internal market should give them in providing architectural services in countries where the design function is usually reserved to people specifically designated as architects.
"This is clearly anti-competitive", says the Forum.
"It is also an effective discrimination against many competent building and construction professionals from across the European Union who are in the same position as United Kingdom and Irish building surveyors, as the existing recognition rules do not take into account the way that the construction professions have historically been structured in the countries in which they operate." Objections from Ireland's Competition Authority The Forum of European Construction Professionals, representing over 400,000 building professionals employed throughout Europe, feels that its position has been vindicated by the findings of the Republic of Ireland's Competition Authority, which after the European Parliament's first reading of the directive carried out a study acknowledging a number of serious concerns about the registration of architects in Ireland.
The authority put forward the following positions on the draft directive: The design and erection of buildings involves other professionals as well as the architect engineers, surveyors and planning consultants Any such registration system could create substantial barriers to entry to the profession A compelling case has not been made that restricting the use of the title architect would be beneficial, and that this regulatory intervention is necessary.
Competition for architectural services works relatively well, and there is a danger that reserving the title of architect will restrict the provision of such services A fundamental issue for architectural services is the proposed restriction on the use of the title of architect.
The case has not been adequately made for such a restriction.
The public interest is best served when architectural practices respond to market demands, and clients are able to obtain quality services at competitive fees.
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