By Chris Jones - 1st May 2006
The European commission has welcomed the decision by several member states to remove the restrictions on workers from new EU countries, but urged others to do more.
“The move is a step in the right direction,” Vladimír Špidla said on Tuesday. “But discussions will continue over the complete removal of all restrictions.”
“I will continue to press national governments to take real steps to ensure that they fulfil their obligation to create a single European labour market.”
Finland, Greece, Portugal and Spain have agreed to open their markets, two years after the introduction of ‘transitional measures’ on workers from eight of the ten countries that joined the EU in May 2004.
The measures, which were not applied to workers from Malta and Cyprus, were designed to prevent a flood of low-cost workers from the new member states.
But three ‘old’ EU countries – Ireland, Sweden and the UK – decided to allow unfettered market access to new EU workers from the outset, and the positive growth of their economies as a result has been instrumental in persuading more countries to follow suit.
Špidla said the decision by seven other member states to continue with restrictions was disappointing, but stressed that most had agreed to significantly relax the rules.
Belgium, for example, will allow access to certain workers such as nurses, plumbers, architects, mechanics, accountants and IT specialists.
France has opted for a similar system, freeing restrictions on workers in industries such as catering, whose long hours and low pay make it hard to attract domestic workers.
Italy has increased its quota on migrant workers from new EU countries to 170,000 – twice the previous level and well ahead of the 50,000 or so workers that have taken advantage of market access so far.
The Netherlands will take a decision on whether to fully lift restrictions later this year after the Dutch government’s plan to remove the temporary measures was defeated in parliament.
Luxembourg and Denmark said that they would also be keeping the restrictions in place but that they would make it easier to apply for work permits.
Only Germany and Austria have refused to lift or ease any of the restrictions, but Špidla stressed that this did not mean that they had closed the doors entirely.
“Germany has offered more than 500,000 work permits to workers from new member states – more than Britain and Ireland together – so we cannot really say that it has done nothing to welcome new workers,” the Czech commissioner said.
“Both Germany and Austria also have bilateral agreements with certain member states,” he added.
He also disagreed with suggestions that the proximity of Germany and Austria to the borders of the ‘new’ EU were the main reason for their reticence in opening up markets.
“Some people suggest that Germany and Austria are the most likely to be flooded with workers, because they are geographically and linguistically closest to the new member states.”
“But this is not necessarily true. Research in the Czech Republic shows that the UK is at least as attractive as Germany, not least because more young people – the ones most likely to relocate – speak English than German,” Špidla said.
But he added that it was unclear as yet whether further restrictions would be imposed on workers from Bulgaria and Romania, due to join the EU in the next couple of years.
“The other ‘new’ member states are not likely to restrict labour market access, but I do not know what the ‘old’ countries are considering,” he admitted.
Under the terms of enlargement, restrictions on workers from the new member states can be kept in place for seven years, until 2011, with reviews after two and five years.
Countries wishing to continue with restrictions after 2009 must justify their decision to the European commission – which was not the case with the latest extension.
Restrictions can be lifted at any time during this period, but once lifted they cannot be reintroduced.
Špidla did not comment on press reports that Germany and Austria would keep their restrictions in place until 2011, but he said that the distinctions between old and new member states were likely to have blurred sufficiently before that date to render the subject moot.
“This distinction is rapidly becoming an anachronism. Many thousands of workers from have also moved eastwards, so the lines are becoming increasingly blurred between ‘old’ and ‘new’.”
“There were transitional rules in a large number of areas after enlargement, not just employment, and many of these are already disappearing as barriers are brought down.”
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