EU: Support for 'single permit' to facilitate flow of legal migrant workers

The Civil Liberties and Employment Committees of the European Parliament have backed a Single Permit Directive, which will give migrants from third countries who are working legally in the EU the same status as EU nationals, to enjoy comparable working conditions, social security and access to public services.

The Civil Liberties and Employment Committees of the European Parliament have backed a Single Permit Directive, which will give migrants from third countries who are working legally in the EU the same status as EU nationals, to enjoy comparable working conditions, social security and access to public services.

The legislation aims also to cut red tape, to enable foreign workers to obtain work and residence permits through a single procedure.

Mathieu emphasised that the Directive acknowledges that “all persons working legally in Europe must have the same rights as European workers” and added it would “help to combat unfair competition for European workers”.

The proposed Directive would simplify administrative requirements for third-country nationals by enabling them to obtain work and residence permits through a single procedure and provide them with a standard set of rights comparable to those enjoyed by EU workers, such as decent basic working conditions, recognition of educational and professional qualifications and access to social security.

Member states would be given a four months period to decide on a single permit application. New rules, however, would not affect member states' powers to decide whether or not to admit non-EU workers or how many to admit.

The legislation would apply solely to non-EU nationals who wish to reside and work in a member state, or who already legally reside or work in an EU country. They would not cover long-term residents, refugees and posted workers, whose status has already been subject to other EU rules, seasonal workers or intra-company transferees, who will be covered by other EU directives, nor au pairs and seafarers.

Under the agreement, single permit holders would enjoy equal treatment as EU nationals regarding pay and dismissal, health and safety at work, the right to join trade unions, recognition of diplomas, access to public goods and services and social security.

However, member states would still maintain a set of restrictions they could apply on foreign workers, such as restricting the access to public housing to those foreign workers who have jobs.

Migrant workers would also have full access to social security on equal terms with the EU nationals, but member states could apply restrictions to workers with contracts of less than six months' duration.

Following the intervention of MEPs, provisions ensuring that non-EU workers would be able to receive their pensions when moving back to their home country under the same conditions and at the same rates as the EU nationals were added.

Source: New Europe Online