Ben Derbyshire will call on architects throughout Europe to maintain their close relationship with the UK when he attends the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) General Assembly tomorrow, Saturday 24 November.
Speaking on behalf of RIBA members, Ben will address what is likely to the be the last ACE General Assembly meeting before the UK leaves the EU. He will discuss the global challenges that the profession faces and the UK’s new relationship with its European colleagues.
RIBA has been working closely with the Architects’ Council of Europe to engage with the European Commission on issues such as Mutual Recognition of Professional Qualifications (MRPQ) as Britain prepares to leave the EU. On 28 September 2018 we supported ACE and other European organisations representing the dental, medical, midwifery, nursing and veterinary professions, in signing a joint letter to Dominic Raab and Michel Barnier, calling on UK and EU negotiators to urgently reach a Brexit deal which preserves ongoing MRPQ.
Yesterday, ACE, along with representatives from the European professional bodies for the medical, nursing and veterinary professions met with the European Commission’s Article 50 Task Force. This is a result of ongoing cooperation between ACE and other European professions, ensuring that architects are represented on the issues that matter most to the profession.
Although a Brexit deal may be on the horizon, when Ben addresses the ACE General Assembly this weekend, he will argue for a sustained momentum on these issues especially as the UK and EU27 go into the next stage of negotiations on the future UK-EU relationship.
The work is not done yet - it is vital for the profession that the exchange of people and ideas continues. We are working to ensure that our European friends and colleagues already living and working in the UK can remain, and for those who wish to come to the UK after Brexit or for our members who wish to work elsewhere in Europe can do so.
See here for how Brexit might impact you or your practice.
