One of @MichelBarnier's complaints after the last round of #Brexit talks was that the #UK was seeking mutual recognition of qualifications for service providers on a similar basis to #EU member states. What does that mean? A short thread: 1/
#EU officials say that #Britain wants #UK lawyers and auditors, for example, to be able to operate in the #EU as they do now. "Today there seems to be a real lack of understanding of the automatic, mechanical consequences of leaving the single market," @MichelBarnier said. 2/
It's worth noting that, even within the single market, mutual recognition of qualifications for services providers is still very much a work in progress. This @EU_Commission webpage sets it out well: ec.europa.eu/growth/single-… 3/
The list of regulated professions where full mutual-recognition applies is pretty short (covering architects, doctors, vets and several other professions). And professionals in these sectors will tell you that they still face barriers to being able to work cross border. 4/ 
Interestingly, one of the professions for which the #EU has made major efforts to make sure people can work cross border is that of ski instructors 5/
The "common training test" for ski instructors is part of the legacy of a previous #EU internal market commissioner, someone particularly known for his love of winter sports: a certain @MichelBarnier: euoffice.eurolympic.org/blog/enhancing… 6/
All of which now gives me the excuse to tweet this photo of @MichelBarnier at the #Albertville Olympics: ledauphine.com/savoie/2012/02… ENDS
