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in the host country. On the basis of a license issued in one

country, an engineer may get ACPE status, with which RFPE may
be conferred. This reflects the rationale that ASEAN countries
attempt to strike a balance between supranational power and

sovereignty where a hub and spoke approach is considered to
be the most convenient. Critically, having ACPE status reflects

the necessity of limiting each national authority’s power to
issue licenses for the purpose of the integration of professional
service markets in ASEAN that the members are required to rely

on the regional common standards. ACPECC is attempting to
streamline the procedures that each PRA uses to decide whether

or not to accept an ACPE as an RFPE, rather than regarding the
PRA as having exclusive power on the acceptance of RFPEs.
In other words, ACPECC is attempting to set both substantive

and procedural requirements for RFPE status, which could form
the guiding principles for PRA decision making. Nevertheless,
87
as the other side of the coin, ASEAN members still want to
preserve the national sovereignty by limiting the ASEAN
institution not to have exclusive power to issue qualification

standards and licenses. In doing so, ASEAN members insists on
maintaining a discretionary power to reject the applicants for

RFPE status (while national authorities are expected to give a

87 id. at, 14.

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