The French employers federation (MEDEF) has taken the initiative to develop a joint inter-sectoral mechanism for accreditation of occupational competences. The approach analyzes occupations at a more abstract level than the tasks performed within a specific job to facilitate comparison of different occupations from different sectors and allow recognition of competences across sectors. Qualification systems in the transition countries are changing gradually but still firmly rooted in formal education and training systems. Transition from command to market economies has affected these systems and often widened the gap between the worlds of work and education. A qualification mechanism driven by the social partners that promotes trans-sectoral mobility would be an important step in closing the gap. The European Training Foundation has undertaken support activities in the transition countries to develop a common understanding of qualifications, competences, and vocational education and training standards. The project has helped define a common concept of "assessment of competence," identify main principles and best practice in the European Union and partner countries, and develop a road map for development of competence-based assessment systems in partner countries. The MEDEF-initiated mechanism provides an important example of how such a competence-based system could work, but it is still remote from realities of the transition countries. (YLB)