At the ACE General Assembly in Luxembourg on November 18–19, the AIA, Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE), and National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) signed an agreement for mutual recognition of professional qualifications between architects of the U.S. and the European Union. The agreement, the first among the groups, culminates from years of negotiations between their professional and regulatory bodies. The agreement is expected to become a model for agreements for other professions and service sectors in coming years.

“This agreement marks an important step forward toward greater mobility for experienced architects and recognition of international qualification standards,” stated AIA First Vice President Kate Schwennsen, FAIA. The agreement sets out the principles, structure, and conditions for mutual recognition that are acceptable to the architectural profession for the negotiation of a binding legal agreement. It has been ratified by ACE. Once ratified by the member boards at the NCARB annual meeting in June 2006, and endorsed by the AIA’s Board of Directors, a legal agreement with implementation procedures will be negotiated for final adoption by the European Commission and the U.S. jurisdictions.

2005 ACE President Marie-Hélène Lucas, Luxembourg; Schwennsen; NCARB President H. Carleton Godsey, FAIA; and NCARB First Vice President Bob Luke, AIA, signed the document before the ACE delegates, Luxembourg’s ministers for foreign affairs and public works, and a representative of the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.

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