Europass comes into force

Europass – a collection of five documents that make it easier for skilled workers to gain work abroad – came into operation on 1 January. Europass includes a European CV, a document detailing periods of study undertaken in a European country other than one's own, a list of further-education qualifications, a document setting out language skills, and a document detailing professional training. Further documents – on information-technology skills, for example – may be added to the Europass in future.

Europass will make it easier for employers to assess job applicants from other EU member states, as their qualifications and experience will be presented in a common format. This should improve the level of communication between the applicant and the employer. The use of any element of Europass is, however,entirely voluntary.

MEP Doris Pack commented: “By taking account of the human factor, this measure brings us a step closer to increasing Europe's competitiveness in the field of knowledge”.