No negative impact on labour markets has been reported in the EU countries that have opened their doors to workers from nations that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007, notes the resolution, which was drafted by Traian Ungureanu (EPP, Romania) and passed by a show of hands. Fifteen nations have opened their labour market to Bulgarians and Romanians (see background).
"Official figures, including figures from the Commission, proved that workers from Eastern Europe did not generate unemployment and did not put pressure on the social welfare systems. On the contrary, the influx brought economic growth in the destination countries evaluated at around 1% of the GDP," said Ungureanu during the debate, as quoted by the Parliament's website.
However, the Commission recently approved Madrid's restrictions on new Romanian workers arriving on Spanish soil. Spanish authorities imposed no restrictions on Bulgarian workers because there are fewer.
The safeguard clause won by Spain expires on 31 December 2012. If Madrid considers further restrictions necessary after this date, it must make a further request with the EU executive.
In the resolution, MEPs call on member states to review their rules on transitional periods and urge those members that still impose restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian citizens to remove them by the end of 2011. All labour restrictions on Bulgarians and Romanians must be lifted by the end of 2013 under the nations' accession treaties.
In the long run, these restrictions can have a detrimental impact on fundamental values and rights enshrined in EU treaties, such as free movement, non-discrimination, solidarity and equal rights, the resolution says.
Slim chance of success
The non-binding resolution also deplores recent legislative proposals in some member countries to re-impose labour market restrictions, and calls on the Commission to investigate whether such policies violate EU law.
Recently, the Netherlands decided that Bulgarians and Romanians as well as foreigners from outside the EU will only be granted a work permit under "exceptional cases." The Hague wants employers in agriculture and horticulture, for example, to make more use of unemployed Dutch citizens.
The resolution expressed concern about member countries' poor transposition into national law and enforcement of EU legislation on the free movement of workers and especially Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of citizens and their family members to move and reside freely within the EU. If necessary, the MEPs say the Commission should intervene, such as using its right to initiate infringement procedures, against non-compliant EU members.
Current procedures for recognising professional qualifications are another big obstacle to workers' mobility, notes the resolution, which calls on the Commission to reform current EU rules in this area.
This is the second time in the last two weeks that the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Romania and Bulgaria that has little chance of being enforced. On 13 October the Parliament passed a resolution calling member countries to "avoid national populism and allow Bulgaria and Romania to join the Schengen check-free border area solely on the basis of existing membership criteria."
The Netherlands and Finland on 22 September blocked Bulgaria and Romania from the Schengen zone, citing of the deficiencies in their law enforcement systems, and, in the case of Bulgaria, the prevalence of organised crime.
