Labour markets could stay shut

By Simon Taylor

Date: 18/05/06

At least two of the three countries which opened their labour markets to workers from the ten states that joined the EU in 2004 look likely to change their stance and impose restrictions on workers from Romania and Bulgaria.

The UK, Ireland and Sweden were alone in allowing in workers from the ten new states from May 2004.

The official line from the UK government is that it is "open-minded" about whether to impose restrictions on Romania and Bulgaria and that a decision is unlikely to be taken until the Commission presents its report on progress in the autumn. But the then Home Secretary Charles Clarke hinted on visits to the region that the UK was unlikely to open its labour market to the two countries. Similarly, Ireland is believed to be less enthusiastic about lowering barriers to Romania and Bulgaria although, like the UK, no formal decision is planned until later in the year.

Finland is the only member state to have announced that it will not impose any restrictions on workers from Romania and Bulgaria. The Czech Republic will probably also open its labour market to the two new members next year. Although no formal decision has been taken, a spokesman said that there was "no debate" in Prague about imposing restrictions.

Several member states could open certain sectors, such as building or nursing, to Romanians and Bulgarians. Anca Boagiu, the Romanian minister for European integration, said Romania needed its labour force at home in order to develop and to continue to have economic growth.

"Romania will need its labour force. One of our challenges in the next years is to spend the money Romania receives from the EU, to come up with projects to be able to spend it. For this, we need our labour force." Asked whether she would prefer restrictions imposed by some old EU member states to continue, Boagiu answered: "No, the freedom of movement should be used by every person."

Article reports that at least two of the three countries which had opened their labour markets to workers from the ten states that joined the EU in 2004 looked likely to change their stance and impose restrictions on workers from Romania and Bulgaria. Unlike the United Kingdom and Ireland, Finland had announce as the only country of the EU-15 that it would not impose any restrictions on workers from Romania and Bulgaria. The Czech Republic was probably also going to open its labour market to the two new members in 2007.