By Bruno Waterfield - 10th March 2004
A new law allowing EU citizens and their families to move and reside freely throughout Europe will not lead to “social tourism”, insists Antonio Vitorino.
The EU justice chief has moved to play down fears that easier freedom of movement will see rich countries flooded by welfare seeking migrants from poor, mainly former Soviet, countries when Europe expands east in May.
“I know that in the last weeks concerns have been voiced by some member states that enlargement might create massive population movements from the new acceding countries into the old members states and this might end in abuses of social welfare systems… so-called ‘social tourism’,” he told MEPs.
“I strongly believe this is not going to happen.”
The commissioner – whose native Portugal was surrounded by similar scares on entering the Europe – argues that “receiving countries of the EU can expect a high quality labour supply, which will provide more opportunities than risks for the old members states”.
Vitorino also stresses that new legislation “does not allow for abuses of social assistance systems” following the panicky imposition of tough benefit restrictions in many EU capitals.
“The [legislation] guarantees members states protection an excessive burden on their public funds, as the text maintains the requirement that citizens need to exercise an economic activity or dispose of sufficient resources in order to take up residence,” he said.
“So let us not dwell on these unfounded fears.”
The new EU directive - COM/2001/257 – will come into force in 2006, the year temporary restrictions on citizens from the new Europe are set to expire.
Some national governments are considering seven year limits on migration rights, known in Brussels legal parlance as an EU ‘fundamental freedom’.
“I strongly hope that at the end of this [two year] transitional period… all members states, whether new or old will take advantage of the opportunity this directive represents in terms of concrete benefits for their own citizens,” said Vitorino.
European Parliament backing for the directive, after “two years of intense negotiations”, clears the legislation to enter into EU statute books.
The new law brings together nine previous directives and two regulations as well as case law to free up EU citizens.
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