Workers

1
Workers Mobility Within EU 27

• ECAS - European Citizen Action Service
• Claire Damilano- Legal officer

2
Free Movement rigths

• Principle Free movement rights within EU are
  fundamental European rights
• Exception since 1st May 2004 existing Member
  States were given the option to apply
  restrictions limiting the possibilities of
  gaining access to their labour market

3

• Transitional Measures - 232-year arrangement
• In 2004 UK, Sweden and Ireland decided to open
  their labor markets for EU8 citizens
• From May 2006 policies relating to the free
  movement of workers of the EU-15 states could be
  classified into three categories
• Keeping the restrictions in place for at least
  three more years (i.e. until 2009) Austria,
  Germany
• Lifting the restrictions gradually, within the
  next three years (i.e. until 2009) Belgium,
  Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands
• Keeping labor markets open/removing restrictions
  Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain,
  Sweden, Italy (July), United Kingdom
• All countries except Finland have opted for
  transition periods for workers from Bulgaria and
  Romania.

4
The dynamic of post-enlargement migratory flows

• Economic migration remains low
• EU -10 nationals make up only 0.2 of the total
  EU-15 population

5

• But some countries have seen a more important
  influx of workers from the new Member States.
• Nevertheless this is not a phenomenon that only
  affects those countries, which apply fully
  community rules on free movement of workers .

6
Some figures

• Germany, hosted 490,000 migrant EU-10 nationals
• United Kingdom 447.000
• Ireland 74.000
• Recent survey from Poland suggests that about 1
  million people are working abroad, of which about
  one-third were already doing so before accession

7

• Mobility inside the enlarged EU is mainly a
  regional mobility
• Short distance mobility
• Commuting mobility or Cross bordered
• For Example, 21000 Slovakians work in Hungary and
  75 000 Hungarians work in Slovakia
• No direct link can be drawn between the migratory
  flows and the application of the Transitional
  Arrangements .
• Traditional destinations (linked to history,
  culture, language) continue to impact on
  migrants choices.

8
Migrants Profile

• EU-15 Mobile young (but rising share of mobile
  above 34), single without kids, highly educated
  and working in skilled and high-skilled
  occupations
• EU-10 Mobile younger than EU-15 mobile,
  without kids (but more likely to be married),
  medium education, but many work in low-skill jobs
• Romanians and Bulgarians resident in EU-15
  roughly similar age profile as EU-10 mobile,
  medium education, but lower overall skill level
  than EU-10 mobile, even more likely to be in
  low-skill jobs

9
Example of Polish Migrants

• Migrants from Poland are relatively young and
  well educated
• Polish migrants tend to be over-qualified for the
  jobs they perform abroad
• Many seasonal workers, but increasing demand for
  higher skilled labor (e.g. doctors and engineers)

10
Impact on receiving economies

• The fears of EU15 citizens concerning free
  movement of workers did not materialize
• No evidence of welfare tourism
• No increase in the unemployment rate
• Little evidence of any impact on wages
• Foreign workers mostly filled vacancies rather
  than replaced domestic workers and helped to
  sustain high growth with low inflation

11
Impact on sending economies

• Outflow of workers may lead to labor shortages,
  particularly in the Baltic States
• Bottlenecks also becoming severe in certain
  sectors in Poland (e.g. construction)

12
Impact on sending economies

• Outflow of workers has resulted in accelerating
  wage growth in the healthcare, retail sales,
  construction and agriculture
• Brain drain is a concern for some countries - but
  how permanent?

13
? Questions
14

• 32 (0) 2512 5968e-mail  hotline_at_ecas.org
• Website http//www.ecas.org