Key data
| Regulation | Order EFD/1073/2026, of October 5 |
|---|---|
| Publication | October 12, 2026 |
| Entry into force | October 12, 2026 |
| Affected parties | Workers, VET centers, companies and administrations in 11 productive sectors |
| Category | Education / Vocational Training |
| Legal reference framework | Organic Law 3/2022 on Vocational Training |
| Updated professional families | 11 (see detailed table in the article) |
The professional profiles you use as a reference for hiring or training your workforce have just changed. Order EFD/1073/2026 updates the professional competency standards of 11 professional families in the National Catalog, adapting them to the new structure imposed by Organic Law 3/2022 on Vocational Training. The change is immediate: it came into force on the same day it was published, October 12, 2026.
What were previously called "competency units" are now displaced by the new annexes of this order. The original royal decrees that regulated those units remain formally in force, but will gradually be repealed. In practice, the new standards are already the operational reference.
What does this regulation establish?
The order updates the professional competency standards contained in the National Catalog, replacing the old standards derived from competency units with a new structure aligned with Organic Law 3/2022 on VET. These standards are the basis on which VET qualifications, professional certificates and procedures for recognizing competencies acquired through work experience are designed.
The 11 affected professional families are:
| Professional family | Examples of scope |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | Agriculture, livestock, gardening, forestry |
| Graphic Arts | Printing, prepress, bookbinding |
| Arts and Crafts | Craft trades, manual artistic production |
| Energy and Water | Energy installations, water management |
| Building and Civil Works | Construction, public works, rehabilitation |
| Mechanical Manufacturing | Machining, welding, industrial assembly |
| Food Industries | Food processing, preserves, beverages |
| Wood, Furniture and Cork | Carpentry, furniture manufacturing, cork |
| Chemistry | Laboratory, plastics, rubber, paints |
| Textiles, Clothing and Leather | Clothing, footwear, leather goods |
| Glass and Ceramics | Glass manufacturing, industrial ceramics |
The key change is structural: the new standards are not a simple content update, but a rewrite of the format and logic of competencies, in line with the modular and flexible model introduced by Organic Law 3/2022. This has direct consequences for how professional certificates are designed and how workers' work experience is validated.
Economic and operational impact
For companies in the 11 affected sectors, the impact is not a fine or immediate direct cost, but it does generate relevant operational consequences:
- Personnel selection: The reference profiles for positions linked to professional certificates or VET qualifications have changed. The competency descriptors you used to define position requirements may no longer match the new standards.
- Internal training and training plans: If your company has training plans linked to professional certificates, you must verify that the content remains aligned with the new standards.
- Recognition of competencies through experience: The procedures for accrediting competencies acquired through work experience (the so-called "recognition procedures") are based on these standards. Workers on your staff who are in the accreditation process may be affected in their pathway.
- Training and apprenticeship contracts: The training activities linked to these contracts must be adjusted to the new competency profiles.
The original royal decrees that regulated the old competency units remain formally in force on a transitional basis, but the new annexes of Order EFD/1073/2026 are already the operational reference. The repeal of the previous royal decrees will occur gradually.
Who does it affect?
- Industrial and service companies in the 11 sectors: agriculture, graphic arts, arts and crafts, energy and water, building and civil works, mechanical manufacturing, food industries, wood/furniture/cork, chemistry, textiles/clothing/leather, and glass and ceramics.
- HR departments and training managers who manage training plans linked to VET or professional certificates.
- Vocational training centers (public and private) that teach cycles or certificates in these families.
- Workers in the process of competency recognition through work experience in any of the 11 sectors.
- Public administrations that manage competency recognition calls or subsidize training in these sectors.
- HR advisors and consultants who design training pathways or manage training contracts.
Practical example
Imagine a company in the food industries sector with 80 workers that has a training plan in place linked to a professional certificate in meat product processing. Until now, that certificate was structured around the old competency units of the National Catalog.
With the entry into force of Order EFD/1073/2026, the reference standard for that competency becomes the new annex of the "Food Industries" family. The training manager must:
- Verify that the training provider has updated the program to the new standard.
- Check whether workers who are halfway through an accreditation pathway need to adapt their file.
- Review job descriptions that reference specific professional certificates.
If the company does not update its references, it may find that the certificates obtained by its workers do not correspond to the profiles that the market and administration recognize as current, which affects the validity of those accreditations in future selection processes or training contracts.
What should companies do now?
- Identify if your sector is in the 11 affected families. Review the table in this article and check if your main activity falls within any of them.
- Audit your active training plans. If you have training linked to professional certificates or VET qualifications in these families, contact your training provider to confirm that the programs are already adapted to the new standards.
- Review job descriptions. If your position descriptions reference specific competency units from the old catalog, update them with the new standards.
- Inform workers in the accreditation process. If you have employees who are processing competency recognition through work experience, consult with the managing body if their file is affected by the change in standards.
- Update training and apprenticeship contracts. Verify that the training activities associated with these contracts remain valid under the new standards.
- Maintain vigilance over the gradual repeal of previous royal decrees. The original royal decrees remain formally in force, but will be gradually repealed. Subscribe to regulatory alerts so you don't miss that transition.
Frequently asked questions
Which professional families does Order EFD/1073/2026 update?
The order updates the professional competency standards of 11 families: Agriculture, Graphic Arts, Arts and Crafts, Energy and Water, Building and Civil Works, Mechanical Manufacturing, Food Industries, Wood, Furniture and Cork, Chemistry, Textiles, Clothing and Leather, and Glass and Ceramics.
When did this update of professional competencies come into force?
Order EFD/1073/2026 came into force on the same day it was published in the Official Gazette: October 12, 2026. There is no general transitional period, although the original royal decrees remain formally in force until their gradual repeal.
Are professional certificates already obtained still valid?
The royal decrees that regulated the old competency units remain formally in force until their gradual repeal. However, the new standards of Order EFD/1073/2026 are already the operational reference for the design of new qualifications, certificates and recognition procedures. It is advisable to consult with the managing body in each specific case.
How does this regulation affect procedures for recognizing competencies through work experience?
Procedures for recognizing competencies acquired through work experience are based on the standards of the National Catalog. As these standards are updated, the accreditation pathways in the 11 affected families must be adjusted to the new annexes of Order EFD/1073/2026. Workers in the accreditation process should verify with the managing body if their file requires adaptation.
What law drives this change in the National VET Catalog?
The change responds to the new structure created by Organic Law 3/2022 on Vocational Training, which introduced a modular and flexible model that required adapting the standards of the National Catalog. Order EFD/1073/2026 is the instrument that materializes that adaptation for these 11 professional families.
Official source
Consult complete regulation at official source
Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-21167
