European Union Blue Card

MEMO/07/423, 23 October 2007

 

Attractive conditions for the admission and residence of highly qualified immigrants

Attracting and retaining the highly qualified immigrants needed for the EU economies

Today the Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive on the conditions for entry and residence of third-country nationals for highly qualified employment. Its aim is to provide Member States and EU companies with additional “tools” to recruit, retain and better allocate (and re-allocate) the workers they need. By doing so, the Commission intends to increase the competitiveness of the EU economy by enhancing the contribution made by legal immigration. This proposal is therefore in line with the objectives set out in the Lisbon Strategy.

EU enterprises have growing difficulties in filling current job vacancies, especially for highly qualified workers. The data is clear: the EU is witnessing an employment growth of 3% per year in high education sectors (1% in other sectors); a change in the occupational structure in favour of highly-skilled non-manual workers and, for these workers, high employment rates coupled with low unemployment rates (83.2% against 4.8%). The scarcity of internal resources – also due to limited mobility of EU citizens and to mismatches between educational and professional choices and labour market needs – has already led ten Member States to set up specific schemes to attract highly qualified immigrants, while many others are considering it.

The EU, however, with 1.72% third-country highly qualified workers of the total of the employed population, lags behind all the other main immigration countries, such as Australia (9.9%), Canada (7.3%), US (3.2%) and Switzerland (5.3%). These figures highlight the difficulty for the EU in attracting – and in certain cases, valorizing – these immigrant workers. If the economic situation in the EU continues to improve, the EU will find itself more and more in need of highly qualified workers. It is therefore time for the EU to act if it wants to reverse this situation at benefit from its advantages.

 

Part of the EU’s comprehensive migration policy

Today’s proposal is presented in accordance with the December 2005 Commission Communication, Policy Plan on Legal Migration (COM(2005)669), that envisaged, for the period from 2007 to 2009, the adoption of five legislative proposals . They included, a general Framework Directive and four specific directives on labour immigration. This package of legislative measures aims, on the one hand, at laying down simplified admission procedures and conditions for specific categories of migrants (highly qualified workers, seasonal workers, remunerated trainees and intra-corporate transferees); and securing the legal status of third-country workers already residing in Member States on the other. This selective approach was endorsed by the European Council in December 2006, inviting the Commission to present these proposals as part of the comprehensive EU Migration Policy. The two proposals adopted today – the proposal for a Directive on highly qualified workers and for a Directive on a single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State – are the first two of the five legislative proposals announced in 2005 Policy Plan on Legal Migration. The remaining proposals relating to seasonal workers, remunerated trainees and intra-corporate transferees are planned to be presented in autumn next year.

 

Key elements of the proposal

As requested by the 2004 Hague Programme, this proposal aims at effectively and promptly responding to fluctuating demands for highly qualified immigrant labour – and to offset present and upcoming skill shortages. It does so by creating a level playing field at EU level to facilitate and harmonise the admission of this category of workers and by promoting their efficient allocation and re-allocation on the EU labour market. It does not create a right of admission; and is demand-driven, i.e. based on a work contract. Member States will therefore maintain control on which type – and on how many – highly qualified workers will enter their labour markets. It also respects the Community preference principle: in particular, Member States that apply the transitional arrangements limiting the free movement of workers from the new Member States shall respect the terms of the Acts of Accession, and therefore shall continue to give preference to workers of the EU-8 and EU-2 over third-country nationals.

Since labour market needs differ from Member State to Member State, the proposed common system combines harmonisation with flexibility in the following ways:

A fast-track procedure for the admission of highly qualified third-country workers based on common criteria: a work contract, professional qualifications and a minimum salary level which has to be at least three times the level of existing minimum wages at national level;

• A specific scheme for “young professionals” has been built in;

• Workers admitted under these schemes will receive a special residence and work permit, called the “EU Blue Card”, entitling them to a series of socio-economic rights and to favourable conditions for family reunifications;

• Access to the labour market in the Member State is subject to a restriction for an initial period of two years;

• Holders of a “EU Blue Card” can move to a second Member State for highly qualified work under certain conditions (notably, a work contract) after two years of legal residence in the first Member State;

• In order not to penalise geographically mobile workers, they are allowed to add up periods of residence in different Member States to obtain long-term EC residence.

In order to avoid negative ‘brain drain’ effects in developing countries, especially in Africa, the proposal promotes ethical recruitment standards to limit – if not ban – active recruitments by Member States in developing countries already suffering from serious brain drain.

 

The EU adding value

The proposed Directive aims at supporting Member States’ and EU companies’ efforts to fill gaps in their labour markets that cannot be filled by highly qualified EU nationals. In a market where there is increasing international competition for these workers, Europe can only succeed in attracting “the best and the brightest” if it speaks with one voice. To do so, the proposal will set up a harmonised procedure, lay down common residence conditions and facilitate mobility throughout the EU. Potential immigrants will therefore not have to face 27 different systems, but will know, easily,the conditions to be satisfied in order to be admitted in any Member State. So called “less attractive” Member States could also benefit from the attention given to the EU Blue Card and skills it will bring to Member States due to a higher visibility of the EU as a whole. The “advertising” value of the EU Blue Card will also contribute to its success. In order to further enhance and support the match between demand and supply of highly qualified labour, the Commission will analyse how to set up a database of Blue Card holders and a skill-matching database, in close synergy with the EURES system.

MEMO/07/422, 23 October 2007

 

Narrowing the rights gap and cutting red tape

Today the Commission adopted a proposal for a Directive on a single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work lawfully in the territory of a Member State and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State. Its aim is to simplify and streamline application procedures by providing a “one-stop-shop” system and to narrow the “rights gap” in terms of work-related socio-economic rights by guaranteeing a common set of rights for all third-country workers residing legally in the EU.

 

Part of the EU’s comprehensive migration policy

Today’s proposal is presented in accordance with the December 2005 Commission Communication, Policy Plan on Legal Migration (COM(2005)669), that envisaged, for the period from 2007 to 2009, the adoption of five legislative proposals. They included a general Framework Directive and four specific directives on labour immigration. This set of legislative measures aims, on the one hand, to establish simplified admission procedures and conditions for specific categories of migrants (highly qualified workers, seasonal workers, remunerated trainees and intra-corporate transferees); and ensuring a more secure legal status for third-country workers already residing in Member States, on the other. This selective approach was endorsed by the European Council in December 2006, inviting the Commission to present these proposals as part of the comprehensive EU Migration Policy. The proposed Framework Directive, adopted together with a proposal for a Directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment, are the first two of five legislative proposals announced in the 2005 Policy Plan on Legal Migration. The remaining proposals, relating to seasonal workers, remunerated trainees and intra-corporate transferees, are planned to be presented in 2008. Furthermore, in response to the request expressed by the European Parliament in its October opinion on the Policy Plan on Legal Migration, the Commission will launch a study to examine future labour needs in Europe, which could also be the basis for discussion on whether or not common rules for the admission of other economic immigrants should also be proposed in the future.

 

Key elements of the proposal

The proposal provides for a “one-stop-shop” system for third-country nationals who would like to reside in a Member State for the purpose of work. It envisages a single application procedure, thereby simplifying, shortening and accelerating the procedure both for the employer and the migrant. The conditions pursuant to which the third country national can be admitted are not defined in this proposal – this remains a matter for the Member States. However, when handling the application for skilled employment certain safeguards are guaranteed. For instance, access to information on the necessary documents for an application, the obligation to provide reasons for a decision to reject an application, and to make a decision on the application within 90 days.

If granted, the permit to stay and work should be issued in a single act. The “single permit” will adopt the existing harmonised EU format for residence permits. In practical terms it means that the competent authority has simply to add information on the access to the labour market into an existing residence permit.

The proposal also obliges Member States to indicate in all other existing residence permits issued for other purposes (e.g. family reunification, asylum, study) whether the third-country national is permitted to work. This will enable the responsible authorities to easily control if a third country national is working legally simply by looking at his/her residence permit.

By acknowledging that legally employed third country nationals contribute to the European economy the same way EU citizens do, the proposal further grants legally working third-country nationals basic socio-economic rights on an equal footing with its own nationals. Equal treatment with nationals of a Member State, in principle, would apply to all third-country workers legally residing and not yet holding long-term resident status. Such equal treatment would include, working conditions (including pay and dismissal), health and safety at the workplace, education, vocational training, recognition of qualifications, social security (including health care), export of pensions once they are paid, access to goods and services (including procedures for housing) and tax benefits.

 

The EU adding value

By introducing a single application procedure and a single permit, the proposed Directive would simplify admission procedures for the purpose of work and would contribute to a better control of immigration. Such a single application and permit is already applied in nine Member States already recognising its advantages. Another five Member States are currently envisaging introducing it.

Granting a common set of work related rights – among them equal treatment in pay and other working conditions – to lawfully residing third-country workers would not only reduce the rights gap and protect them from exploitation, but it would also protect EU citizens from cheap labour. Furthermore the proposal would create a level playing field across the EU for all third-country nationals residing and working legally.

EU proposes ‘blue card’ to attract skilled immigrants

23 October, 2007

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – As part of efforts to fulfil Europe’s hunger for highly-qualified workers, Brussels has formally tabled the idea of an EU work permit – dubbed the blue card – allowing employment to non-Europeans in any country within the 27-nation bloc.

“We are not good enough at attracting highly-skilled workers nor are we young enough or numerous enough to keep the wheels of our societies and economies turning on our own”, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said after the executive body had given its go-ahead to the plan on Tuesday (23 October).

“With the European blue card, we send a clear signal: highly-skilled workers from all over the world are welcome in the European Union”, Mr Barroso added, underling it would be “absurd” to address the problem of ageing population and labour shortages at a solely national level.

The blue card is designed to attract, and where necessary to retain, foreign workers in the EU labour market, which Brussels has described as a “need” scenario.

According to commission estimates, labour shortages will peak by 2050 when 25 million Europeans are expected to retire from work and one-third of the population will be over 65 years of age.

EU home affairs commissioner Franco Frattini, author of the proposal, pointed out that Europe had so far failed to win highly-skilled workers when compared to other immigration countries.

While in Europe, non-European highly-qualified workers make up only 1.7 percent of the employed population, they account for nearly ten percent in Australia, over seven percent in Canada and over three percent in the US.

According to Brussels, this is the result of several bad practices – migrants face 27 different admission systems and do not have the possibility of easily moving from one country to another for work.

 

How EU blue cards will work

But the European Commission said the blue card would not be “a blank cheque” to all highly-skilled workers.

In practice, an Indian engineer will be allowed to come to an EU state after presenting a valid work contract or a binding job offer. At first, the work permit will be limited to a maximum two-years stay, followed by the possibility to move to another EU state, so long as there was a valid work contract available.

It will remain an exclusive competence of member states to set specific numbers of economic immigrants entering their territory in order to seek work.

On the other hand, Brussels envisages harmonization of admission rules as well as guaranteeing newcomers the same social and economic rights linked to health-care, taxes or pensions as those of their national counterparts.

This proposal is an instrument for those who want to attract foreign workers, EU commissioner Frattini said, adding if a member state feels that it does not need workers, Brussels will not force them to take migrants.

Meanwhile, skills shortages in the new EU-member states and nations such as Germany are forcing authorities to rethink their strategies on immigration.

[ The article was obtained from EUobserver.com Web Site ]

EU’s Franco Frattini to unveil ‘blue card’ immigration scheme

23 October, 2007

The European Union is proposing a new immigration system for highly skilled migrants – loosely based on the United States “green card” – called the “blue card” after the color of the EU flag. The system is set to be unveiled on 23 October 2007 in Strasbourg, France by Vice President of the European Commission Franco Frattini.

The blue card is an attempt to lure migrants who would otherwise go to other destinations such as the US, Canada, or Australia. The European Commission says the EU needs 20 million skilled immigrants over the next 20 years, especially in the computer technology and engineering sectors.

The proposed scheme would offer a two-year, renewable work permit throughout the European Union. However, it comes with some restrictions – the blue card would require a recognized diploma, three years professional experience, and a job offer that could not be filled by an EU citizen.

“To maintain and improve economic growth in the EU, it is essential for Europe to become a magnet for the highly skilled. Qualified and highly qualified migrants prefer the USA, Canada and Australia,” the European Commission said in a statement.

“…the EU must present a united front, rather than emphasize the different immigration policies of each member state,” it added.

Not all nations would have to take part in the blue card scheme. The United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark would have the ability to opt out.

The UK said it would study the new scheme but would probably stay with developing its new points based scheme, set to roll out in 2008.

Ireland will more than likely continue with its own Irish Green Card scheme and it’s unclear what Denmark will do, being a fairly conservative country in regards to immigration.

 

Controversy

All of the EU Member States will have to agree on the final plan and approve it before it could come into effect. However, politicians in several nations, in particular Germany, the Netherlands and Austria, have expressed concerns and appear ready to resist.

Voters throughout Europe are worried about immigration and migration issues, and representatives from some regions need to address local concerns and viewpoints.

Businesses are pushing to open up the labor pool. Increasingly they maintain that new graduates and more skilled workers from outside of the EU, namely from source countries such as China and India, are required to sustain and increase economic growth.

What is clear is that the EU needs to solve its problem concerning skills shortages and an aging population.

The over-65 population of the EU is anticipated to rise from 15.4 percent figure in 1995 to 22.4 percent by 2025, according to the EU’s statistical office.

Meanwhile, skills shortages in the new EU-member states and nations such as Germany are forcing authorities to rethink their strategies on immigration.

[ The article was obtained from WorkPermit Web Site ]

22 October 2007: Blue Card

There is no two-speed policy – at least as far as immigration is concerned, we cannot afford one. There is poverty that is true: we have to fight it in the countries that know it by helping to support democracy, good governance and economic development, by discouraging illegal immigration, by severely punishing traffickers and by fighting illegal employment. But there is also the other side of the coin concerning development in Europe that cannot stand still and needs human resources. And more than anything, it needs excellence.

The Blue Card that the Commission is going to adopt today – and that President Barroso and I will present – represents, first of all, an important signal. For too many years we have involuntarily fed the idea that European reunification is all we are looking for. It is not true. The Blue Card means that – while respecting the principle of preference for our European fellow citizens – Europe opens itself to talent and merit in competition with the United States, Canada and Australia. It is a change of rhythm and philosophy that will make our shared identity more responsible, more committed.

[ The article was obtained from Franco Frattini's Web Page ]

I’ve been asking this question myself when started this blog on EU Blue Card. I also see many people asking the same question. The answer is that it is not yet possible. You have to wait, but keep your eye open on this blog – I will post this great news as soon as it comes. In the meantime, you can do a lot to have your changes of getting this Blue Card increased, when The Day comes. There are many things you can do.

Canada has the best immigration scheme up to date and most probably EU Blue Card system will borrow many ideas from it. Some time ago I’ve been planning to apply for Canadian ‘skilled worker’ immigration and even completed good part of preparatory works. Having this experience I’ll recommend to you to concentrating on the following:

 

Language

Knowledge of relevant language(s) will be one of the most important components in your application. English will be the minimal language requirement and you will need to proof your knowledge of it. It can be done using different English language certification institutions. For example IELTS, which stands for International English Language Testing System is used for Canada (and few other) immigration processes. You can definitely work on your English Language improvement using IELTS. You can also try their tests to see how far you are gone with English. If you are getting 7 points (max 9) is each section (listening, reading, writing, speaking) then you are fine. I will not recommend taking IELTS certification right now because it costs money and more importantly results are expiring quite fast (in 12 months).

I think that knowledge of other EU languages will be important also. If you know any EU language (out of English) – go improving it, if not – go learning one. Which one? I think that when thinking about Blue Card you have an EU country in mind. Go learning language of that country. If you have no country in mind then you can check how wide is usage of any particular EU language. As far as I know the two most widely used in EU languages are French and German – go learning one of them.

 

Certification

Obtain certificates of what you know. I mean internationally recognized certificates. Another day I was searching for EU knowledge certification institutions and found nothing. In the same time there are number of international institutions and you can choose one of them. Certification definitely requires time – probably several months – so it will be good idea to start it now.

 

Money

You will need to have some good money with you. Amount will depend on the number of family members that will move with you. I think that 20,000 EUR will be the minimum needed for the family of four people. I know it is not a problem to ‘show’ the money for Blue Card application process (you borrow the money from friends, get bank’s letter and then return money to friends), but it is not a right thing to do. Life in EU is expensive and you will definitely need these money to be really available to you. You should not expect to find a job within first month or so. It may take months to find one… and you probably do not want you family to live in poverty in EU…

 

Country research

While moving to EU you will need to decide which country to start with. Your choice will be narrowed by the selected language (see language section above), but still, you will have a list of countries in front or you to make a decision. I would recommend to go to Wikipedia and to do a research on EU countries.

You may want to look at: economy, employment / unemployment situation in general and in your field in particular, costs of living, weather, how domestic people look at the immigration (and therefore on you), schools, religion and religious minorities, other minorities, habits, and on so many other things. For many people applying for Blue Card the selected EU destination will probably become their final destination where they will settle for the rest of the life… so… select it well.

European Parliament resolution of 26 September 2007 on the policy plan on legal migration

 

The European Parliament,

• having regard to the communication from the Commission on the policy plan on legal migration [COM(2005)0669 - "the Action Plan"],

• having regard to the communication from the Commission on policy priorities in the fight against the illegal immigration of third-country nationals [COM(2006)0402],

• having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 26 February 2007 entitled ‘Policy plan on legal migration, fight against legal immigration, future of the European migration network’ [CdR 233/2006],

• having regard to conclusions of the European Council presidency of 4 and 5 November 2004 and the Hague Programme included therein [European Council conclusions, Annex I, point III],

• having regard to the communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament entitled ‘The global approach to migration one year on: towards a comprehensive European migration policy’ [COM(2006)0735],

• having regard to its resolution of 9 June 2005 on the links between legal and illegal migration and integration of migrants [Official Journal of of the European Union, C 124 E, 25.5.2006, p. 535],

• having regard to the Green Paper on an EU approach to managing economic migration [COM(2004)0811)] and its resolution of 26 October 2005 on that topic [Official Journal of of the European Union, C 272 E, 9.11.2006, p. 442],

• having regard to the communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of Regions entitled ‘A Common Agenda for Integration – Framework for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union’ [COM(2005)0389], and to Parliament’s resolution of 6 July 2006 on strategies and means for the integration of immigrants in the European Union [Official Journal of of the European Union, C 303 E, 13.12.2006, p. 845],

• having regard to Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 July 2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection [Official Journal of of the European Union, L 199, 21.7.2007, p. 23],

• having regard to the outcome of the EU-Africa ministerial conference on migration and development held in Rabat on 10 and 11 July 2006,

• having regard to the EU-Africa joint declaration on migration and development adopted at the EU-Africa ministerial conference held in Tripoli on 22 and 23 November 2006,

• having regard to the comprehensive approach as reaffirmed in the conclusions of the European Council presidency following the Brussels European Council of 14 and 15 December 2006,

• having regard to the report of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on migration of skilled workers and its effect thereof upon national development adopted on 28 June 2007,

• having regard to the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entitled ‘Applying the Global Approach to Migration to the Eastern and South-Eastern Regions Neighbouring the European Union’ [COM(2007)0247],

• having regard to the communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on circular migration and mobility partnerships between the European Union and third countries [COM(2007)0248],

• having regard to the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council providing for sanctions against employers of illegally staying third-country nationals [COM(2007)0249],

• having regard to the Treaty of Amsterdam, pursuant to which powers and responsibilities in the field of immigration and asylum are conferred upon the Community, and to Article 63 of the EC Treaty,

• having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

• having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs and the opinions of the Committee on Development, the Committee on Culture and Education and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality [A6-0322/2007],

A. whereas according to Eurostat the number of third country nationals legally resident in the 27 Member States is approximately 18,5 million, whilst nearly 9 million EU citizens are resident in a Member State other than their own,

B. whereas migration is an international phenomenon in which EU citizens also participate as migrants themselves,

C. whereas pursuant both to the existing Treaties and to the new draft treaty, the Member States are responsible both de jure and de facto for setting the number of economic migrants allowed into the EU for work purposes,

D. whereas a comprehensive and consistent approach to immigration is required at European level, since a change to immigration policy in one Member State influences migrant flows and developments in other Member States,

E. whereas the reality of ageing and demographic changes necessitate rethinking immigration policies, since the current and future situation of the EU labour market can be broadly described as in demand of well-managed legal immigration (according to Eurostat the working-age population within the population as a whole will shrink by over 50 million by 2050),

F. whereas the mandate for the IGC, as defined by the June 2007 European Council, provides for the extension of the Community method to all matters concerning legal immigration, thus eliminating a disparity and improving the effectiveness of decision-making,

G. whereas a more comprehensive and inclusive definition of migrants, including a definition of the status of people that are not refugees but cannot however be returned to their country of origin, is needed in order to reflect developments in migratory flows,

H. whereas it is stated in the section of the Action Plan entitled ‘Knowledge-building and information’ that further studies of permits for job-seekers should be carried out,

I. whereas it is important to recognise that increased migration flows should be seen as a global phenomenon with numerous causes and effects,

J. whereas in this area, cooperation by the EU and its Member States with third countries of origin and transit is essential,

K. whereas controls on legal immigration have become steadily tighter; whereas a number of countries have introduced different legal immigration schemes based on quotas or on points; whereas it is wrong to spread the belief that immigration is uncontrolled,

L. whereas overly restrictive means for legal entry to the EU indirectly encourages irregular immigration, and whereas opening channels for legal immigration will contribute to the fight against illegal immigration and human trafficking,

M. whereas the principle of Community preference applies as regards economic migration and whereas transitional measures apply to the free movement of people from the new Member States,

N. whereas the fight against illegal immigration and human trafficking is as inseparable from policies concerning the admission of economic immigrants as from measures on integration,

O. whereas legal immigration should be accompanied by effective integration policy; whereas integration is a two-way process involving both immigrants from third countries and Europe’s population; whereas it should be made easier for the individual to live with her or his partner and children,

P. whereas in the space of a few decades, immigration has become a central topic of public debate throughout the EU of great political sensitivity which may easily be exploited for demagogic and populist purposes,

Q. whereas politicians and media representatives should be aware of the importance of using correct discourse on this issue,

R. whereas both the causes of immigration and its positive consequences should be more evident in the public debate on the issue,

S. whereas in view of the role played by immigration in respect of economic development, growth and hence employment in Europe, it would be useful if trade union, employer and civil society representatives were more extensively involved in the public debate on such matters,

T. whereas those in charge of social and economic policy must inform the general public of the role of legal immigration in growth and employment,

 

General approach

1. Welcomes the Commission’s response to the European Council’s request for a policy plan on legal migration, including admission procedures capable of responding promptly to fluctuating demands in the labour market;

2. Endorses the approach adopted in the Action Plan to overcome the obstacles within the Council to the 2001 proposal for a Council directive on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of paid employment and self-employed economic activities [COM(2001)0386];

3. Welcomes the above mentioned communication from the Commission on applying the global approach to migration to the eastern and south-eastern regions neighbouring the EU; calls on the Member States and the Commission to ensure that sufficient human and financial resources are allocated to the proper implementation of the comprehensive approach to migration; stresses the need for enhanced regional dialogue and cooperation on legal migration and welcomes the idea of setting up regional cooperation platforms for migration, bringing together all relevant actors from the EU side and the regions concerned;

4. Maintains that illegal immigration cannot be tackled unless means and channels of legal immigration are established at the same time, since the two phenomena are closely linked;

5. Considers the collection of consistent and reliable statistics on migration to be essential; expects Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 to be implemented swiftly and effectively by all Member States; calls upon the Commission to submit, in cooperation with the Member States, an assessment of the number of people who could be affected by the four specific directives; expects the European Migration Network (EMN) to make a rapid and substantial contribution in this area (in collaboration with Eurostat); hopes that particular attention will be paid to the place of women, who account for half of migrants;

6. Welcomes the institutional implications of the draft reform Treaty, as set by the IGC mandate, which extends qualified majority voting and co-decision powers to police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters and also entails the extension of competences in respect of EU asylum and immigration policies; w elcomes in particular the extension of the ordinary legislative procedure to cover legal migration and considers it reasonable that Member States will continue to keep the sovereign right to determine the volume of economic migrants they can accept on their territories;

7. Calls upon the various Council formations with responsibility in this area (Justice and Home Affairs, Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Protection) to increase their efforts to coordinate their discussions of the Action Plan;

8. Supports the intention of the Commission to define the conditions of entry and stay for other selected categories of economic migrants, including unskilled or low-skilled workers;

9. Calls upon the Commission to carry out a short- and medium-term forecast of the requirements for additional labour in the various Member States; calls on the Member States to provide the Commission with a statistical estimate in order to enable it to make suitable forecasts concerning labour requirements in the EU; emphasises that these estimates must also take into account non-economic migrants, refugees and persons in need of subsidiary protection, as well as family reunifications;

10. Considers that particular attention should be paid to the situation of minors, who may find themselves disadvantaged due to their parents’ movement, and proposals brought forward to mitigate such negative effects;

11. Considers that a clear definition of each category of economic migrant concerned by the directives currently being drawn up must be adopted; calls upon the Member States to coordinate amongst themselves and to exchange best practices by means of the mechanism for the exchange of information concerning asylum and immigration matters provided for by Council Decision 2006/688/EC of 5 October 2006 on the establishment of a mutual information mechanism concerning Member States’ measures in the areas of asylum and immigration [Official Journal of of the European Union, L 283, 14.10.2006, p. 40];

12. Believes that the transitional internal barriers to the free movement of workers from the new Member States should be lifted as soon as possible;

13. Supports the establishment of an EU immigration portal; in this context, welcomes the expansion of the EURES services to support the management of the economic migration of third country nationals;

Proposal for a general framework directive

14. Considers there to be an essential need for a directive designed to provide third country nationals who are legally employed within the EU with a common framework of rights, together with the requirement to fulfil a certain number of obligations, and insists that a proposal for a framework directive be submitted in advance of the four proposals for specific directives envisaged in the Action Plan;

15. Recalls the need to avoid double standards of rights amongst different categories of workers and to safeguard particularly the rights of seasonal workers and paid trainees, who are more vulnerable to abuse;

16. Endorses the idea of a single application for a joint residence and work permit;

17. Also considers that the directive should contain proposals enabling migrants to change their status or their job whilst remaining in the EU;

18. Agrees that mutual recognition of diplomas and other qualifications is necessary in order to avoid a loss in terms of income and skills for the migrant as well as for the countries of residence and origin;

19. Considers that measures should be explored in order to investigate the possibility for migrants, when they return to their country of origin, to transfer their pension entitlements and accumulated welfare rights acquired as a result of their employment and for which they were required to pay contributions;

20. Questions the reference in the Action Plan to the collection of the ‘most advanced’ biometrical data; considers that the protection of personal data should be respected in all cases, particularly the principles of proportionality and purpose limitation;

21. Supports the ratification by all Member States of the International Convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and their family members;

 

Circular migration, return migration and mobility partnerships

22. Welcomes the above mentioned communication from the Commission on circular migration and partnerships for mobility between the EU and third countries; agrees that the damaging effects of brain drain must be avoided, and the “brain circulation” instead must be promoted;

23. Calls furthermore upon the Commission to explain the link between circularity and integration; points out that, according to the Commission, “supposedly circular migration may very rapidly become permanent and thus fail to meet the intended objective”;

24. Stresses furthermore the importance of establishing stable and lawful labour relations between businesses and workers to increase productivity and the competitiveness of the EU; calls on the Commission therefore to consider the effects circular migration could have in this regard;

25. Supports the idea of long-term multiple-entry visas, as well as the possibility of granting priority to former immigrants wishing to obtain a new residence permit with a view to further temporary employment;

26. Calls on the Commission to take account of the possibilities raised by both Parliament and the Economic and Social Affairs Committee and to bring forward a comprehensive study on the possible implementation of a blue-card system and a job-seekers visa;

27. Expresses interest in the planned Migration Information and Management Centre which is due to be set up in Mali; calls upon the Commission to provide the relevant parliamentary committees with detailed information on the legal base of and budgetary provisions for the project, as well as regular updates on this and similar initiatives envisaged in other third countries; supports the idea of applying the same approach to the Union’s eastern border region;

 

Proposal for a directive on the entry and residence conditions of highly skilled workers

28. Supports any measure designed to increase the attractiveness of the EU to the most highly skilled workers so as to meet the needs of the EU labour market in order to ensure Europe’s prosperity as well as to meet the Lisbon targets; to this end, calls on the Commission and the Member States to:

• explore ways to grant such workers the right to move freely within the EU;

• explore ways to allow such workers to remain within the EU for a limited period at the end of their contract or following redundancy to allow them to look for a job;

29. Supports therefore any simplification measure designed to facilitate the entry of such workers into the EU, whilst leaving the definition of specific needs and quotas for economic migrants to the Member States;

30. Considers it important that the risks of a brain drain be taken into account when EU legal immigration measures are laid down; refers to the above mentioned report by the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly on the migration of skilled workers and the effects thereof on national development; calls upon the Commission, in conjunction with the countries of origin, to carry out statistical studies with a view to identifying the areas of expertise in which there is a clear risk of brain drain;

31. Supports the creation of an EU work permit (the so-called blue card) to facilitate the free movement of ‘brains’ within Europe and the transfer of personnel within multinational companies;

 

Proposal for a directive concerning the entry and residence conditions of seasonal workers

32. Points out that seasonal workers from third countries make an essential contribution to sectors such as agriculture, construction and tourism; stresses the increasing importance of irregular employment in such sectors in a number of Member States and therefore considers the proposed scheme essential; in that sense, welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council providing for sanctions against employers of illegally staying third-country nationals [COM(2007)0249];

33. Draws attention at the same time to the crucial importance of speedy, flexible recruitment procedures in seasonal work; highlights the importance of local experience, with particular regard to the agricultural sector; stresses the need, therefore, to take this into account;

34. Considers that seasonal workers who abide by the rules laid down for this kind of migration should be granted priority access to other forms of legal migration;

 

Proposal for a directive on the procedures governing the temporary entry, stay and residence of persons transferred within their company

35. Endorses the Commission’s idea of strengthening the legal framework in order to promote mobility within Europe; points out that the situation of the persons concerned is governed by GATS;

 

Proposal for a directive on the entry and residence conditions for paid trainees

36. Considers that the notion of paid trainee should be clearly defined (age limit, language skills, maximum length of training period, possibility of converting the status into some other kind of residence permit, and so on) and that checks need to be devised in order to prevent abuse of the status;

37. Proposes that paid trainees should be issued with a European residence permit valid for between 6 and 12 months; supports the development of partnership programmes with universities in third countries;

 

Integration

38. Recalls its above mentioned resolutions of 9 June 2005 and of 6 July 2006,

39. Welcomes the holding in Potsdam on 10 and 11 May 2007 of an informal meeting of ministers responsible for integration; points out that EU immigration policy must be based on a comprehensive approach reconciling the requirements of the employment markets in the Member States and admission and integration policies; considers that a summary of the rights and duties of migrant workers should be drawn up in order to make it easier for such workers to participate in economic, social and political life in order to achieve integration; regards schools as an essential forum for intercultural dialogue and integration;

40. Reiterates that the celebration of 2008 as the year of intercultural dialogue must contribute to improving the integration of immigrants in host societies and neighbourhoods and to mutual understanding, thereby reducing outbreaks of mistrust, racism and xenophobia; urges the Commission to promote the work of civil society organisations in favour of inter-cultural co-existence and mutual respect and education at the service of peace and non-violence; points out that politicians at all levels should be aware of their responsibilities in using a correct discourse on this issue;

41. Invites Member States to apply Council Directive 2003/86/EC of 22 September 2003 on the right to family reunification [Official Journal of of the European Union, L 251, 3.10.2003, p. 12]; calls on the Council, the Commission and the Member States to grant migrant women arriving under family reunification arrangements a legal status that is independent of that of their spouse;

 

Communication

42. Emphasises the particular responsibility of the media (in particular European public radio and television broadcasters) in the dissemination of an accurate image of immigration and in countering stereotypes;

43. Considers it essential that interested persons should be informed – wherever possible before their departure – regarding the terms and conditions of, and the opportunities for, legal migration into the EU; considers that such information should be widely disseminated within third countries by public bodies (either Member States’ embassies or consulates or the local Commission delegation); with this in mind, calls for a European immigration internet portal to be created without delay;

44. Supports projects designed to establish training and language courses in the country of origin in order to help immigrants to develop skills and better adjust to labour needs in the EU;

 

Cooperation with countries of origin

45. Points to the need for an active co-development policy; supports the objective of concluding agreements with third countries to enable both legal and illegal immigration to be managed effectively; considers, nonetheless, that such agreements must be fully in accordance with human rights; in this connection, expresses reservations concerning the funding of projects in countries which do not uphold human rights;

46. Invites the Commission and the Member States to explore ways to facilitate the free movement of migrants between the country of residence and the country of origin;

47. Points out that the funds which immigrants send back to their country of origin contribute to the development of those countries; considers that the cost of transferring remits to countries of origin should be reduced in order to assist development, while at the same time ensuring an adequate level of control and security of transactions; emphasises that although every effort should be made to facilitate and make less expensive the transfer of remittances, they remain private funds that benefit primarily the families who receive them and should not be viewed as a substitute for Official Development Assistance;

48. Calls upon the Commission and the Council to take part before Parliament in an annual debate on EU immigration policy; calls upon the Commission to submit on such occasions a comprehensive scoreboard relating to the state of migration in Europe;

49. Calls upon its competent committee to engage in a close dialogue with its counterparts in national parliaments responsible for matters relating to immigration, and to continue working with the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly’s committee responsible for migration, refugees and population;

50. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration.

European “blue card” to solve problem of aging population?

26-09-2007

Europe is facing a demographic crisis. Forecasts show that by 2050 two workers will have to support one retired person, compared with four workers now. Could immigration be the answer? One suggestion is a “European blue card system” – like the US green card – for skilled third country workers. Two MEPs, dealing with immigration, tell us what they think.

Commission Vice-President Franco Frattini says the EU must learn to compete with the US, which attracts most of the mobile skilled labour in the world. He therefore proposes the “blue card”, a specialised residence permit for skilled third-country workers, which would ensure equal treatment at work. It would allow them to live and work in a given EU member state for an initial, renewable, period of two years, after which they could work in another EU country. “We have to look at immigration as an enrichment and as an inescapable phenomenon of today’s world not as a threat”.

 

Most skilled migrants go to US

The aim is to tackle Europe’s looming demographic crisis by attracting some 20 million extra workers from abroad. “The challenge is to attract the workers needed to fill specific gaps,” said Frattini. He said that 85% of unskilled labour goes to EU and 5% to the US, whereas 55% of skilled labour goes to the US and only 5% to the EU.

Italian Socialist Lilli Gruber and Spanish Socialist Javier Moreno Sanchez are reporting to the House on legal and illegal immigration respectively, so we asked their opinion on a European blue card system.

 

“A step in the right direction”

“This is a first step in the right direction – even if it’s timid.” said Ms Gruber. “Apart from the ‘préférence communautaire’ applied in large sectors of our economic policies, there’s no question that a real demand exists for specific skills, varying from one country to another, which can’t be met inside the EU. In those cases, it’s fair to open our doors.”

However, she also said care must be taken “not to drain away the reservoir of skills that countries need, without offering anything in exchange. To fight illegal immigration – apart from its criminal phenomena – we need to open and define legal ways to enter the EU, but also increase our forces to stimulate the growing democracy and economy of those countries.”

Mr Moreno Sanchez supports “measures that favour legal channels of immigration to the EU, fundamental to curb clandestine immigration and to fight against networks of human trafficking.” He also stresses the importance of “the external dimension of a European migration policy.”

“This is only an initial step, focused on qualified workers and it will be necessary to continue to work on the establishment of a common status for the rest of immigrant workers, whom we need as much from the demographic point of view as from the economic one”, he added.

 

[ The article was obtained from European Parliament Web Site ]

Hi. I’m an experienced Web Developer from a non-EU country (from one of ‘developing’ countries situated somewhere between Europe and Asia) interested in finding a relevant job in EU. In addition to this I won’t be mind to live for few years (or maybe even the rest of my live) in one of EU’s ‘developed’ countries.

So… my attention was naturally attracted by so called Blue Card system, which seems to be a good option for me, my family and people like me.

Blue Card system, as far as I understand, will be something like ‘skilled worker’ immigration program of Canada, which I know more or less well… Some time ago I’ve been thinking to apply to this Canada ‘skilled worker’ immigration and I’ve even completed good portion of required paper work (including English certification, etc.), but… have changed my mind when heard about European Union’s Blue Card.

So what this Blue Card thing is all about… If putting it simple it is the following. During last several years Canada and few other countries (Australia, New Zealand, etc.) were doing great in attracting young and ‘skilled’ people from all over the world. These young and ‘skilled’ people received permit for residence and were even able to apply for citizenship some time after entering the country.

Life showed that this was quite beneficiary for host countries – it resulted in economic progress, it had a positive impact to the problem of aging population as well as few other positive outcomes were recorded. There was no or little negative impact from this type of immigration to host countries. As a result, these countries continued the practice and even increased quotas for this ‘skilled worker’ immigration.

Seeing all this EU and some other ‘smart’ developed countries decided to have a similar setup to enjoy the same benefits. So EU’s Blue Card system will be a variation of Canada’s ‘skilled worked’ immigration scheme.

Unfortunately there is very limited information on the subject available on the Net and I’ve decided to gather here everything I find. Hopefully, in a month or two, we will have everything in one place, all the latest information, recommendations, etc… with your help of course.