EU countries are entitled to arrange conditions on workers who come from new EU members and on their freedom of movement. Freedom of movement depends on each EU country disposition, in fact a sort of incubation of rights can last up to seven years during which those countries citizens won’t hold the same rights all EU citizens have.
Some countries will allow new EU citizens entry from May 1st others will take use of this quoted incubation period of time.
A dispatch, released February 24th by Ansa press agency, explains what EU countries have so far decided to do.
We shall now try to synthesize each country decision.
Republic of Ireland won’t for the moment restrict new EU citizens’ right to freely move.
United Kingdom decided to welcome workers from Eastern Europe countries, anyway they won’t be able to benefit from British social services and they will all be registered into a sort of labour registry.
Germany and Austria decided to make use of whole period of incubation, this is to say seven years. Workers coming from Eastern EU will need a valid residence permit to live and work in these two countries. In other words nothing is to change after May 1st. Italy will allow entries on basis on flows decrees as provided for by Turco-Napolitano law.
Netherlands hasn’t so far decided, the government is to soon decide whether to accept 22,000 workers the most or not.
Denmark and Sweden declared that they won’t restrict citizens, who are looking for a job, freedom of movement but they will anyway enforce some restrictions. These restrictions will prevent welfare tourists from make use of social benefits and unemployment helps. France, Belgium, Spain and Portugal declared that new EU countries citizens are to wait for two years before being completely free to move and work in these countries. When the two years expire evaluations are to be made to see whether freedom of movement will be completely allowed are not. Agreements are to be signed together with some countries, such as Polland whose citizens may be allowed to freely move in the just mentioned states.
Italian government hasn’t so far decided on this matter. The Lega Nord m.p. Borghezio asked that Italy “prevents these citizens from entering fro at least two years”. During this two years period new EU citizens would not be allowed to social benefits, some agreements are being thought of.
Finland produced a law decree that restricts freedom of movement for two years, citizens coming from Cyprus and Malta will be able to freely move in spite of the quoted law decree. New EU citizens won’t be allowed to social services in case they do not hold residence in Finland and regular residence papers. Greece is deciding on the two years transitory period during which new EU citizens will be allowed to social services only if they hold residence papers and they pay for contributions. No agreements are being thought of for the moment.
All EU countries are at the moment separately deciding on this important matter, consultations may occur and a common policy may later on be introduced. Different policies may take to an evident contraddiction: some countries will allow new EU citizens to freely move and work in their territories whereas others won’t. This will cause great problems: citizens moving towards those countries which will really open their borders will also pass through and move to the other countries which will keep restrictions. We will keep informing on these issues since we will of coarse face many different problems in the application of law.