What is it about?
Midwives play a vital role in providing sexual, reproductive, maternal and newborn healthcare, but the rules that determine their minimum education and training in the European Union have not kept pace with changes in evidence and international standards. The EU is currently reviewing these requirements, creating an important opportunity for change. In this article, experts from the International Confederation of Midwives, WHO Regional Office for Europe, the European Forum of National Nursing and Midwifery Associations, and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Midwifery Development explain why the updated rules should reflect current scientific evidence, international professional standards and WHO guidance. We show how stronger alignment could support high-quality care, enable midwives to work to their full scope of practice, facilitate workforce mobility, and strengthen health systems.
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Why is it important?
This is a timely policy issue. The EU is currently reviewing the minimum education and training requirements for midwives, creating a rare opportunity to ensure that regulation reflects how midwifery practice and evidence have evolved. The implications also extend beyond Europe: EU professional standards can influence education, regulation and workforce policies in other settings. Keeping legislation aligned with contemporary evidence and internationally recognised standards can help ensure that regulation supports, rather than limits, the contribution midwives can make to women’s and newborn health.
Perspectives
Working on this issue has highlighted how easily legislation can fall behind changes in evidence and professional practice. International standards evolve as evidence evolves, but regulatory frameworks are often updated much less frequently. For midwifery, this matters because outdated minimum requirements can shape what midwives are educated and enabled to do in practice. I hope this article contributes to the current and future EU policy discussions, but also to a wider conversation about how health professional regulation can remain responsive to evidence, international standards and changing population health needs.
Daniela Drandic
International Confederation Of Midwives
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Updates to the EU Directives on Professional Qualifications must align with global standards, PLOS Global Public Health, September 2026, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0007272.
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