| Author (Person) | Banks, Martin |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.8, No.6, 14.2.02, p6 |
| Publication Date | 14/02/2002 |
| Content Type | News |
|
Date: 14/02/02 By AMBITIOUS plans aimed at removing obstacles to workers' moving between jobs and countries in the EU were unveiled yesterday (13 February). The European Commission's new action plan is designed to bridge the gap between the Union and America in terms of geographical and occupational mobility. Proposals include:
The card would simplify the present system which requires patients to fill in forms before they receive free emergency medical care and make it easier for people to be seen by a doctor in any EU country;
Announcing the package, Anna Diamantopoulou, the employment and social affairs commissioner, said she hoped the raft of proposals would help remove existing obstacles to the free movement of labour. She said: 'Mobility of workers is the 'poor relation' of EU freedoms. Governments, business and workers must bring it in from the cold. 'Mobility is vital to create better jobs and to bridge the skills gap in the EU labour market. 'Obstacle-free mobility will also be a visible sign to citizens - like the euro - that the EU works in their daily lives.' Figures show that last year only 16.4 of EU workers had been with their employer for less than one year, compared with 30 in the US. And in 1999 only 1.2 of the total EU population moved between regions. By comparison, during the same time period in the US, 5.9 changed residence between states - nearly five times more. The proposals are the result of a task force set up by the Commission last year to address the problem and will be presented to the Barcelona summit on 15-16 March. Ambitious plans aimed at removing obstacles to workers' moving between jobs and countries in the EU were unveiled on 13 February 2002. |
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