The European Primary and Specialist Dental Qualifications Regulations 1998

The competent authority

4.—(1) In relation to specialist dental qualifications in orthodontics and oral surgery, the competent authority in the United Kingdom for the purposes of the Recognition Directive and the Dental Training Directive is the GDC.

(2) Accordingly, in relation to specialist dental qualifications in orthodontics and oral surgery, in addition to the functions conferred upon it elsewhere in these Regulations, the GDC shall as respects the United Kingdom perform the functions—

(a) of the host member State referred to in the following articles of the Recognition Directive—

(i) article 6(1) (requirement to fulfil domestic requirements for specialist training in certain specialties);

(ii) article 6(2) (requirement to take into account training already undertaken abroad); and

(iii) article 21 (which concerns requiring confirmation of authenticity of foreign diplomas and confirmation that a person has fulfilled the Dental Training Directive’s training requirements); and

(b) of a competent authority referred to in the following articles of the Recognition Directive—

(i) article 6(2) (issue of certificates relating to training in the United Kingdom in certain specialties);

(ii) article 6(3) (requirement to verify content and duration of foreign specialist training and to communicate what additional training is required in the United Kingdom);

(iii) article 7(2) (issue of certificates there mentioned to specialists whose qualifications were awarded in the United Kingdom or who have practised their specialty in the United Kingdom);

(iv) article 7(3) (issue of certificates of fulfilment of the Dental Training Directive training requirements in respect of qualifications which do not conform with the designations set out in the Recognition Directive); and

(v) article 21 (function of confirming authenticity of CCSTs and of confirming that a person has fulfilled the Dental Training Directive’s training requirements).

(3) The GDC is hereby designated as respects the United Kingdom for the purposes set out in this regulation in accordance with—

(a) article 22 of the Recognition Directive (which requires member States to designate the authorities competent to issue or receive the diplomas, documents and other information referred to in the Directive); and

(b) article 2(3) of the Dental Training Directive (which requires member States to designate the authorities or bodies competent to issue diplomas, certificates or other evidence of formal qualifications referred to in Article 2(1) of the Dental Training Directive).