Are there standardized licensing bodies for software developers in the EU and Canada? I'd be really interesting in learning more about them if so.

I sympathize your argument and I think the field is doing a great job right now demonstrating some of the upsides of a licensing authority, but actually getting one would be bad IMO.

Most software is not life and death, and licensing authorities, like unions, quickly become gatekeepers that work to prevent competition whilst simultaneously enriching themselves through extortionary means (today, these are mostly indirect because everyone is on the look out for them, but they are nevertheless still there). There are good arguments that the AMA and ABA have both seriously contributed to the astronomical expense of their respective services.

>Are there standardized licensing bodies for software developers in the EU and Canada?

For engineers, absolutely. For software engineers, absolutely, because they're still engineers. Software development? Go wild, anyone can do it. >licensing authorities, like unions, quickly become gatekeepers that work to prevent competition whilst simultaneously enriching themselves through extortionary means

That seems like a terribly US centric that I keep seeing online. Unions in France, as it's the one example I can be certain of, are in no way gatekeepers, and we are a country where they've been immensely powerful when it comes to influencing the state (whether talking about worker's unions or CEO unions). But you can get any job without being in an union, all they're doing is bringing everyone on an equal footing when it comes to negotiations.

Licensing authorities are purely a society thing. Either you have a numerus closus, because the end goal is for everyone that passed the selection to have a guaranteed job, with good living conditions, or anyone can pass, and good luck everyone. It works in some cases, doesn't in others.

I've never heard of some governing body in France or England taking away the title of "software engineer" for someone who wrote faulty code. What are these governing bodies?