Brussels, 12/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 13 July, the European Commission will present a communication reaffirming the free movement of workers, and highlighting developments over the last few years. The aim is to raise awareness of and to promote the rights of EU migrant workers, a Commission press release says. A new Eurobarometer survey will be presented at the same time. Mobility concerns 10% of Europeans, with some 50 million people having lived and worked in another EU member state.
To help achieve the growth and employment objectives of the EU 2020 strategy, the Commission says that it will work to facilitate and promote mobility within the EU within the framework of the new strategy for the single market (following the presentation of the Monti report), and adds that Tuesday's communication “is a first step in that direction and a basis for further work”.
Background. The Commission notes on its site that every EU citizen has the right to work and live in another member state without discrimination on the grounds of nationality. However, despite the progress made, there are still legal, administrative and practical obstacles to exercising that right. The Commission adds that other factors also influence transnational mobility, citing inter alia accommodation, language, the employment of spouses, return mechanisms, “historical barriers” and the recognition of mobility experience, particularly with small and medium-sized businesses. Tackling these problems calls, therefore, for a broader approach, combined with effective implementation of the principle of free movement, the Commission says. For further information, go to: http: //ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?langld=en&catld=25 (G.B./transl.rt)