The European Communities (Recognition of Professional Qualifications) (Second General System) Regulations 2002

Definition of “Second General System Diploma” U.K.

5.—(1) In these Regulations, “Second General System Diploma” means any evidence of education and training received in accordance with paragraph (3), or any set of such evidence, which has been awarded by a competent authority in a relevant State and which shows that the holder has successfully completed either—

(a) a post-secondary course such as is described in paragraph (4) and the professional training which may be required in addition to that course; or

(b) one of the courses listed in Schedule 6

and has the professional qualifications required for the practice of a regulated profession in that relevant State.

(2) Any evidence of education and training, or any set of such evidence, which has been awarded by a competent authority in a relevant State and which—

(a) shows that the holder has successfully completed education and training received in the Community and recognised by a competent authority in that relevant State as being at a level equivalent to education and training satisfying paragraph (1); and

(b) confers the same rights in respect of the practice of the regulated profession in that relevant State

shall, for the purposes of these Regulations, be treated in the same way as a Second General System Diploma.

(3) The education and training referred to in paragraph (1) will have been received wholly or mainly—

(a) in the Community; or

(b) outside the Community at teaching establishments which provide education and training in accordance with the laws, regulations or administrative provisions of a relevant State; or

(c) if neither (a) nor (b) is the case, in a third country, provided that the holder has at least three years’ professional experience certified by a relevant State which recognised evidence of education and training from that country.

(4) A post-secondary course of the kind referred to in paragraph (1) will have been one—

(a) which, if pursued full-time, was of at least one year’s duration or, if pursued part-time, was of equivalent duration; and

(b) one of the conditions of entry of which is, as a general rule, the successful completion of the secondary course required to obtain entry to university or higher education,

but will not have been a course of three or more years’ duration if pursued full-time, or of an equivalent duration if pursued part-time, completed at a university or establishment of higher education or another establishment of similar level.