Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of Directive 2009/50/EC on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment (‘EU Blue Card’)

Well-managed migration policies aimed at attracting highly qualified migrants can contribute to boosting economic growth and competitiveness, addressing labour market shortages and offsetting the costs of demographic aging.

The EU Blue Card Directive was adopted to facilitate the admission and mobility of highly qualified migrants and their family members by harmonising entry and residence conditions throughout the EU and by providing for a legal status and a set of rights. In the increasing global competition for talent, the EU Blue Card intends to make the EU more attractive to highly qualified workers from around the world and strengthen its knowledge economy. The Directive also aims to minimise brain drain in developing and middle-income countries and to encourage circular and temporary migration.

All Member States (MS) bound by the Directive are now in a position to grant EU Blue Cards. In parallel, many MS have national policies in place for attracting highly qualified migrants. While some MS have imposed volumes of admission restricting the number of highly qualified migrants, other MS have adopted or retained more favourable provisions in respect of specific provisions of the Directive.

This Communication responds to the Commission's obligation to report to the European Parliament and the Council on the application of the Blue Card Directive. First, it assesses the main aspects related to the attractiveness of the EU Blue Card, followed by a brief overview of how measures were enacted in the national legislations. Insofar as possible, particular attention is paid to the impact of national schemes for highly qualified migrants, the criteria for admission, notably the salary threshold, and the conditions for residence in other Member States.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)287: Follow the progress of this communication through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:287:FIN

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