The university graduates that obtained their diplomas before Bologna have been asking for years a validation to adapt to the international professional market. The engineering graduates have demonstrated in several occasions. They lodged an official complain before the European Commission last 27th January, because of the delay and the lack of availability of the Spanish Ministry of Education.

Last 7th May took place a meeting with the President of the Spanish Government, Mariano Rajoy, and the 19 members of the Council for the Enterprise¢s Competitively, a think tank of which big Spanish enterprises, such as Repsol, la Caixa, BBVA or Iberdrola, are a part; its aim is to improve the confidence of the international markets in Spain. The highest representatives of the industrial engineering asked to the Council’s Director with a letter, to transfer their concerns to the President of Government. There are about 200.000 engineers affected and waiting for the validation of their diplomas of at least 5 years of studies into the EQF-17 category, this is the master´s level. These professionals see their diplomas not enough valued national and internationally. In fact, it is often that the candidates with a master have more points and finally are the ones to obtain the international contracts.

From the Spanish administration, a project of Royal-Decree has been issued establishing the requirements for the degrees validation. However, it has awakened more disagreements among the already affected graduates. This fact contrasts to the long list of countries, among them France, Germany, United Kingdom and Portugal, which have already implemented the Recommendation 2008/C 111/10 of the European Parliament and the Council, from 23 April 2008, recommending to the European countries the validation of the pre-Bologna degrees into the new Bolognas system. The official date established by the European Union in this recommendation was the 23th April 2013.