Mobility in Europe
In my blog about Krakow I mentioned that competition for western European countries gets tougher with each new eastern European country joining the European Union (EU). As a means of protection many EU members restrict the fundamental right of Free Movement that any EU citizen should enjoy, e.g. work in a different EU country without the need to be in possession of a work permit. They are allowed to do this based on the Accession Treaty for the EU enlargement effective January 1, 2004. It states that measures can be applied restricting the free movement of workers from, to and between the new member states for an interim period of 7 years.
The EURES Job Mobility Portal shows exactly what conditions apply if a EU citizen wishes to work or provide services in another EU country. For Germany there is no permission to provide services in construction and related branches, interior decorating and industrial cleaning if this service originates in one of the new member states. Citizens of those states may only take up employment if they have an EU work permit issued by the German Federal Employment Agency.
Already in August this practice for the upcoming enlargement of Romania and Bulgaria was discussed and Romania's President Traian Basescu asked for equal treatment. In 2004, 12 EU member states imposed controls on workers from the 8 East European states that joined that year; only Britain, Ireland and Sweden fully opened their labor markets. Germany already announced restrictions for workers coming from Romania and Bulgaria limited until December 31, 2008 but as in the past prolongation is possible for maximum 7 years. It looks like only 10 in 26 EU member countries are providing free movement to the newcomers.
An interesting fact though is that around 800,000 Poles left their country since joining the EU in 2004. This lead to a major labor shortage in Poland and as a curious consequence inverting the trend unemployed ship workers from Germany will now cross the boarder to Poland to work there.
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11:15PM Dec 29, 2006
by Volker Seubert in Europe & Beyond |
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