The EU Midwifery Directive and Professional Strengthening in New EU Member States and Candidate Countries
Makaleler > Tam Makale · 2026
Yazarlar: Lia Brigante, Daniela Drandić, Vanessa Vera, Ana Polona Mivšek, Tita Stanek Zidarič, Magdalena Kurbanović, Lenka Veselá, Radka Wilhelmová, Małgorzata Nagórska, Daniela Lyutakova, Alina Liepinaitienė, Blerta Kryeziu, Sevil Hakimi, Vedran Đido, Larysa Cheprasova, Olha Honcharenko
Healthcare, Uluslararası, Wos, 2026, cilt 14, ss 2224-2224
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare14142224
Özet
This article examines the impact of the EU Directive on the recognition of professional qualifications (2005/36/EC) on the development and strengthening of midwifery in countries that joined the European Union in recent decades, with a particular focus on Central and Eastern Europe. Focusing on experiences from Croatia, Poland, Slovenia, Bulgaria, and the Czech Republic, the paper explores how alignment with the Directive influenced education reform, professional recognition, and scope of practice. Drawing on the experiences presented, we argue that the Directive has functioned as more than a technical requirement for EU accession. By establishing minimum educational standards, it supported the transition from vocational to university-level education, facilitated pathways for the existing workforce to align with new qualification requirements, and contributed to the recognition of midwifery as a distinct regulated profession. It also provided a clear framework for defining midwives' competencies and scope of practice within health systems, acting both as a protective mechanism, by safeguarding professional standards, autonomy, and professional identity, and as an enabling framework by supporting workforce development, educational reform, and the integration of midwives into health systems during periods of institutional transition. The lessons drawn from these national experiences can inform the ongoing update of the Directive, led by the EU Commission, by illustrating how legislative alignment can strengthen midwifery education and professional recognition, while also supporting countries undergoing or preparing for EU accession.