Vlassopoulou v Ministerium für Justiz, Bundes und Europaangelegenheiten Baden-Württemberg
Where a national of another Member State applies for admission to a profession, the host state must compare the qualifications and experience she has obtained with those required by national rules.
Facts
Ms Vlassopoulou, a Greek national, had a Greek law degree and was a member of the Athens Bar. She had a doctorate in law from a German university, and had worked in a German law firm for several years, advising on Greek and EU law. She applied to be admitted as a Rechtsanwalt in Germany, but was refused because she did not have the German qualifications, which required German legal studies and examinations.
Legal principle
The Court of Justice held that the national authorities of a Member State to which an application for admission to a profession is made by a national of another Member State must take into consideration the diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications which the person concerned has acquired in order to exercise the same profession in another Member State, by making a comparison between the specialised knowledge and abilities certified by those diplomas and the knowledge and qualifications required by the national rules. If the knowledge is only partly equivalent, the host state can require her to show that she has acquired the missing knowledge.
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