About: free movement of workers Archives

At the closing conference of the European Year for Workers' Mobility, the Commission EU mobility actors took a positive outlook but stressed that, under EU Treaties, this fundamental freedom of movement is still not commonplace.

France and the Czech Republic have decided to open their borders to Romanian and Bulgarian workers, with France restricting job seekers to those sectors that were already opened to workers from the countries that joined the EU in 2004.

Existing EU law intended to facilitate the mobility of labour and the free circulation of people in Europe is not being applied by local, regional, national and even EU authorities, citizens at a forum in Brussels found.

A UK parliament report argues that the country's economy has benefited from the UK open-door policy towards EU-10 migrant workers in 2004 and calls on EU politicians to engage the public on benefits of EU expansion.

Italy may open its labour market to workers from Romania if Bucharest agrees to co-operate on combating organised crime. Different conditions may apply to Bulgarian workers.

The governments of Romania and Bulgaria have reacted harshly to the UK's and Ireland's announcement that workers from the Balkan countries will be denied access to British and Irish labour markets which other EU citizens enjoy.

In spite of the positive impact that labour immigration from eastern Europe has had on the British economy, the UK is unlikely to allow workers from Bulgaria and Romania in after the two countries' accession in January 2007.

The Bulgarian Economic and Social Council (ESC) suggested that the country's government implement a number of economic measures to encourage Bulgarians living abroad to return home. EURACTIV's Bulgarian partner portal Dnevnik.bg talked to ESC Chairman, Professor Lalko Dulevski, about the proposals.

The Bulgarian government would be well advised to attract workers who have found jobs abroad back to the country, said the chairman of Bulgaria's Economic and Social Council in an exclusive interview with EURACTIV partner portal Dnevnik.bg.

While workers from eastern and central Europe moving to EU-15 countries have little impact on those economies, their countries of origin may have to attract even cheaper labour east of EU borders, according to a World Bank report. 

Cheap Romanian and Bulgarian labour is no threat to the Slovak labour market, a Slovak think-tank has declared. But the situation could change if all other countries in the region decide to keep their doors closed to Balkan workers.

Member states lock workers from Central and Eastern Europe out of their labour markets, in spite of research which suggests that both sides would benefit from granting them access. In two reports, the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) questioned the rationality of these so-called transitional measures. In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV.com, ECAS Director Tony Venables explains the pros and cons of workers' mobility in Europe. 

In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV, Tony Venables, director of the European Citizen Action Service (ECAS) talks about the problems that workers face when they move to find a job abroad in Europe.

Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel's proposal to open the Austrian labour market for nurses from the country's eastern neighbouring states has brought him into conflict with the Social Democrats and sections of his own party.

The Netherlands government has decided to open 16 sectors of the country's labour market to workers from eight central-eastern European EU member states. 

The Posting of Workers Directive, which was adopted in 1996 to ensure a level playing field for workers sent by their companies to a different EU country, does not function properly, say MEPs.

There is a need for more transparency on labour mobility in the EU. ECAS has launched a 'Free Movement Rights Hotline'.

Italy has taken the decision to end the so-called transitory measures, which prevent workers from eight central-eastern European countries from trying to find a job.

The Spanish government has announced that unlike other EU countries it will not renew restrictions for workers from 8 Eastern Central European countries when they run out on 1 May 2006. 

The Swiss have voted in favour to extend an agreement on the free movement of workers to include the EU-10 in a referendum on 25 September. Transition measures were decided to quell fears of social dumping.

European footballing governing body UEFA is introducing a new football rule setting a minimum number of 'home grown players' for clubs to be eligible for its football competitions. The implications for freedom of movement are being discussed within the EU.

Poland is expected to ask the EU to reopen negotiations on the free movement of goods in order to secure longer transition periods for Polish pharmaceutical companies for drug registration procedures. Political analysts see the move as a setback, which could delay Poland's progress in the enlargement process.

The Belgian Presidency opened EU enlargement negotiations with candidate countries on 27 July. It succeeded in closing one negotiation chapter per country with Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Romania and Slovenia. The chief negotiator, Belgian Ambassador to the EU Frans van Daele, said that this shows the presidency's determination to keep up a rapid pace in enlargement negotiations.

EU foreign ministers set timetable for four enlargement negotiation meetings under Belgian Presidency