The European Union's top justice official has stated that highly skilled foreign migrants should be offered Europe-wide "job seekers' permits", which would allow them to look for employment anywhere across the EU.

The permits would be comparable to the "Green Card" schemes that exist in the United States or Canada, giving immigrants the right to work and live in a new country. Unlike a work visa, such Green Cards are not attached to a specific job or employer.

The proposal by Franco Frattini, the EU justice commissioner, is both more radical and more restrictive than "Green Cards" in other countries.

It would break new ground in that it would be recognised by as many as 25 EU member states, so that a permit issued by one nation would be valid in another.

An alternative being discussed within the Commission would restrict the Green Cards to a single EU state for the first five years.

Mr Frattini told a conference on migration in Brussels: "I am favourable to the idea of a European Green Card that would link staying [in Europe] to a job, so finding a job would be a condition of staying."

He will unveil what he called a "road map" towards a common EU approach to legal migration, including proposals for legislation, on Dec 21.

Britain has a standing opt-out from all EU policies relating to immigration. Although the Blair Government has never opted in to measures involving legal migration, the Prime Minister last month called for more EU co-operation in the field of immigration.

A Commission official said: "There's a growing awareness of the need for a comprehensive approach to legal migration. The EU will lose 20 million people from its labour force by 2020, because of ageing populations."

A British official said any proposals would be studied carefully, but would need to be as "flexible" as possible, to avoid a "one size fits all approach".

"Many nations, unlike the UK, have still not opened their markets to eastern European workers from the new EU member states. That has surely got to be a first step."

Mr Frattini said another reason for a pooled EU approach to migration was the need to compete for the most sought-after foreign talent.

Source: http://www.workpermit.com/news/2005_11_07/europe/eu_proposes_green_card_for_skilled_migrants

D.

There was some topic about EU trying to make law that everyone should get the right to work everywhere in EU after 5 years.
I think it ended partially succesful. On the end it means that with NE you can not work in all EU lands but only in some that accepted this EU law.

But I still do not know which lands did accept that EU law and which not???

@DvD

All the EU countries with exception of United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark.

EU member countries are:
Austria,Belgium,Cyprus,Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,Finland,France,Germany,Greece,Hungary, Ireland,Italy,Latvia,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Malta, Poland,Portugal,Slovakia,Slovenia,Spain, Sweden,
The Netherlands,United Kingdom

EU applicant countries are:
Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Turkey

Hi DvD, Akshay,

There was some topic about EU trying to make law that everyone should get the right to work everywhere in EU after 5 years.
I think it ended partially succesful. On the end it means that with NE you can not work in all EU lands but only in some that accepted this EU law.

But I still do not know which lands did accept that EU law and which not???

I don't think that the law will take effect in all EU countries. For example, although EU has expanded by 10 countries in 2004, the newest 10 countries don't have full flexibility. I have met a Polish person here in Germany a few months ago, she told me that Polish people still need work/residence permits to work in Germany, although Poland is a full EU member country since 2004.

My personal opinion is that the EU laws are not EU-wide, but applied according to the maturity of the membership. This will take a while.

Of course, GClers coming from EU member countries will feed us more correctly.

This stuff is getting hot! As I addressed before, we will discuss this topic more and more in the coming days.

Regards,
Klenze17.

EU member countries are:
Austria,Belgium,Cyprus,Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,Finland,France,Germany,Greece,Hungary, Ireland,Italy,Latvia,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Malta, Poland,Portugal,Slovakia,Slovenia,Spain, Sweden,
The Netherlands,United Kingdom

EU applicant countries are:
Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Turkey

From today and Macedonia.

09.11.2005
Македонија доби позитивно мислење за кандидатурата во ЕУ
МИА
Европската комисија денеска даде позитивно мислење за кандидатурата на Република Македонија за членство во Европската Унија.
http://www.a1.com.mk/vesti/default.asp?VestID=53916

With EU economy in shambles and failing to compete on Global level it would be pain in the a$$ to allow more foreigners to take over the local jobs. The future of job market lies in the hands of developing countries. With EU kinda salaries no business man want to invest locally. Mind that! Unless EU biggies come up with a more rational approach in their economic reforms the jobless rate will continue on the upward slope. Suprisingly the unavoidable thing for EU is bringing in more foreign talent even though they are not short of talent group. EU wants to compete with US on every ground but will that justify on all counts is the question.

@klenze17

I don't think that the law will take effect in all EU countries.....

Yes it will, the deadline for all EU Member States to implement this law is 23 January 2006.


....she told me that Polish people still need work/residence permits to work in Germany.

That is true. But this work-permit is just the formality without AMC. German govt. wants to be assured that she is not working below minimum wages and not involved in unethical/immoral activities.

@Akshay

"That is true. But this work-permit is just the formality without AMC."

No, it is NOT a formality at all. The citizens of new EU members are handled almost like a non-EU citizen, if they want to work in Germany.(Exceptions for the citizens of South Cyprus Greek Republic and Malta and again exceptions for the new EU citizens who already worked legally more than a year in Germany)

There is so called transition period for the newies. During this transition period "old" EU members may opt to close their labour market to the citizens of these countries. This transition period however may not be longer than 7 years. Some countries like UK, Sweden, Ireland already opened their labour market to all citizens of new EU. Conservative countries like Germany, France, Austria are thinking about using the whole period of 7 years. More here (in German):
http://www.aufenthaltstitel.de/stichwort/eu_beitritt_2004.html

Regards,

Lacrima

I find all this very nice but as well as very sad.
None of those politicians has till know never make one real thing.
For me – humanity and people understanding.

akshay:
"All the EU countries with exception of United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark."

so akshay does it means that when I get NE I can work anywhere in EU except in those 3 countries?
or do I have to get citizenship first?

Guys.. it wont be that easy to work in all EU. Even the EU constitution has been put on hold, just because some member states said no. I know that it is nice to dream that you will be able to work in all EU with your NE and you may shout here aloud and claim that EU laws need to be followed by all member states bla bla.. but in reality it looks different.. even they treat the real EU-Citizens of new 10 members with restrictions.. all member states of EU are sovereign countries and they can quite decide what they want.. and especially if there are conservative parties in power.. so keep in mind that sometime in future, NE of one member state country will be valid in all EU but dont expect it to be reality in near future.. and do not base your plans on that.. when this someday becomes reality, we all GClers will most probably be already eligible for the citizenship and will not care about the NE..

Regards,

Lacrima

I completely agree with Lacrima. At the moment there are debates about financial issues among EU members, e.g. France-England (subventions for farmers), 2 countries (France, Holland) voted VETO in the referenda for EU constitution law, there has been riot of foreigners in France in the last days, there were terror attacks in London, although 10 new EU member come in 2004, olders EU members don't give full flexibility even to these members.

All these facts prevent EU member countries from unifying flexibility for foreign people. They even didn't solve the problems inside and for their own citizens, how come they can give us flexibility? Therefore, although the law is expected take effect in January 2006, my personal opinion is that they won't apply the law (de facto not), it will take a while (probably for years) that foreigners like us will be able to work for example in Finnland with work permission from Germany.

It's nice to be optimistic but the facts above let me think a little more realistic.

Klenze17.