I think we all agree that, at the moment, the CEng title is next-to-useless in Germany and no reason for anyone living or working here to join the IET. The Eur Ing title also falls into this category because it is effectively unknown and also unrecognised. In fact, FEANI themselves appeared to notice this and so they started investigating the "Engineering Card" in 2006 (see www.dvt-net.de/.../feani-ga-2006-prag.html) as a professional rather than a private title. The qualifications that are needed appear to be very similar, if not identical, to those needed for Eur Ing.
Now, in 2012, the Engineering Card is recognised in 9 European countries including Germany (see www.engineering-card.de). But, of course, there is a catch: The Engineering Council in the UK does not (yet) recognise the Engineering Card (see www.engc.org.uk/.../the-engineering-card):
Quote: "In December 2011 the European Commission proposed revisions to the European Directive on Recognition of Professional Qualifications 2005/36/EC which include the introduction of a Professional Card in the form of an electronic certificate. The Engineering Council also wishes to understand the impact of this proposal, and how it will relate to the Engineering Card before deciding whether to participate in the FEANI scheme."
It is also unclear on the FEANI website (www.feani.org/.../index.php as to whether Eur Ing will automatically get you an Engineering Card (I bet it won't, at least without paying more...).
However, there is a chance that the UK will recognise the Engineering Card in the future and therefore membership of the IET (with Chartered status and Engineering Council registration) may well be an alternative way to the Engineering Card for local engineers. And that might help membership figures in Germany, eventually.
Does anybody have any other information on the Engineering Card? Has anyone ever seen one in Germany? Is this finally going to become the useful thing that Eur Ing promised to be, but never delivered?
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Howard