00:00You're only allowed to do this in Germany if you are trained here.
00:03That's what Ludovic Jaboin had to learn the hard way.
00:06The Frenchman moved to Bavaria for love,
00:08but his French master baker certificate was never accepted in Germany.
00:13To open his own bakery, Ludovic had to renew his qualifications from scratch.
00:18Ludovic's story demonstrates one big economic weakness of the European Union.
00:22For many Europeans, it's impossible to work across borders
00:26because their job qualifications aren't accepted in other European countries.
00:30And this fragmentation, so different rules for different European countries,
00:35is slowing down the EU economy as much as a 110% tariff would, according to the IMF.
00:42The 27 member states of the EU are supposed to function like one coherent economy, according to EU law.
00:47Workers like accountants, lawyers and, you got it, bakers,
00:51should be able to offer their services all over the EU.
00:53But in practice, these professions are still regulated by national laws,
00:58meaning EU countries can reject qualifications of foreign workers.
01:01In total, almost a quarter of Europeans have a job that they can't easily carry out
01:06in another EU member state.
01:08To open his bakery, Ludovic had to spend a year and thousands of euros taking classes
01:13and preparing for an exam that he had already completed back in France.
01:17I was very, very frustrated.
01:18I have written all of my papers and even my papers came to the EU Parliament.
01:23What is the difference between a French and a German?
01:26What could the difference be that it is not recognized?
01:29Supporters of national rules, like guilds and trade associations,
01:32say that they protect the quality of local products, like German bread.
01:36But critics say that the rules are meant to keep foreign workers out.
01:39As an economist, I assume always that people follow their self-interest, including politicians.
01:46They have a choice between starting a fight with their national special interests
01:50and therefore fulfill the European ideal.
01:53Or saying, okay, the European ideal is nice, but in this particular case,
01:57maybe it's just too inconvenient for us to follow the European ideal.
02:02A handful of professional qualifications, like those of doctors, nurses and midwives,
02:07are already accepted throughout the EU.
02:08Now the European Commission is pushing to expand the list.
02:12And that should make it easier for people to work across Europe,
02:15like for these bakers to bake bread in Spain or France, for example.
02:19But in reality, without member countries agreeing, that plan is only half-baked.
02:24Ludovic recently started teaching at the Academy of Bavarian Baking.
02:27He says his style is a blend of German and French techniques.
02:31I think in politics it's a problem that many people think that they need something to protect.
02:35What do I want to protect?
02:36I'm not going to protect myself.
02:37I'm also here to give my knowledge to the young people.
02:40Hey!
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