Different Perspectives on the Free Movement of Healthcare Professionals and Students in Europe
Conference – May 12, 2026
Organized by Guillaume Monziols and LICeM
The mobility of healthcare professionals in Europe is changing the healthcare landscape in Member States. In France, according to recent data from the DREES, a growing proportion of physicians, pharmacists, dental surgeons, and midwives have been trained abroad, primarily within the European Union. This mobility is governed by the amended Directive 2005/36/EC, which establishes the automatic mutual recognition of professional qualifications for so-called “sector-specific” healthcare professions. The heterogeneity of the roles and competencies of health professions has long raised questions regarding the coordination of minimum training requirements, which form the basis of automatic mutual recognition in Europe. In France, for example, pharmacists are now more involved in preventive care through the prescription and administration of vaccines, while midwives are entrusted with certain procedures previously reserved for physicians. Law No. 2025-580 of June 27, 2025, aimed at encouraging the return of French students trained abroad, illustrates the need to more closely align European mobility with national integration.
Against the backdrop of ongoing reforms to healthcare access in several Member States, this conference aims to analyze the strengths and limitations of the current system of automatic mutual recognition for sector-specific health professions.
The discussion will focus on two main areas: first, the legal foundations of professional mobility and their impact on healthcare systems; and second, the implications of changing roles and training for healthcare professionals on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
Scientific Advisory Board
. Cécile Le Gal, Full Professor, LICeM, University of Montpellier
. Hélène van den Brink, Full Professor, IDRT-santé, Paris-Saclay University
. Olivier Debarge, University Professor, CRDT, University of Reims Champagne
. Deborah Eskenazy, Associate Professor, IDRT-santé, University of Paris-Saclay
. Guillaume Monziols, Associate Professor, LICeM, University of Montpellier
. Georges Justice Essosso, Assistant Professor, LICeM, University of Montpellier
Program:
Registration (free) is required:
Montpellier School of Pharmacy – 15 Charles Flahault Ave.
Tram Lines 1 and 5, Boutonnet/Cité des arts or Saint-Eloi stops
