Brussels, 28/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Students' Union (ESU) fully supports the European Commission's initiatives in favour of freedom of movement for students and researchers in order to facilitate mobility throughout European Union territory (see EUROPE 10814). “This is an extremely positive initiative. It can help to improve the conditions for students or researchers coming from outside the European Union (EU) to obtain visas or residence permits and therefore gain rights to access the labour market, healthcare system or other benefits in the EU. It is also essential, if we may speak of a consolidated European Higher Education Area, which extends much further than the borders of the 27 EU member states reach”, said ESU Chairperson Karina Ufert.
Administrative deterrents have hitherto made student mobility a complicated target to reach between EU and non-EU countries within the European Higher Education Area. According to the ESU, although the 2004 directive - which establishes common rules for the admission of third country nationals to a member state for study purposes, student exchanges, unpaid training or voluntary work - has eased measures with regard to obtaining visas, there are still barriers restricting the mobility of third country students, such as slow processing of applications and decisions to grant visas or residence permits. The new Commission directive, which merges the 2004 directive with that of 2005 on procedures for admitting third country nationals for scientific research, aims among other things to shorten timescales and facilitate administrative procedures. The ESU calls on the European Parliament and Council of Ministers to rule on this initiative as soon as possible. Students denounce the registration fees that only third country nationals are required to pay, and underline the advantages not only of a cultural nature but also of an economic nature that foreign students bring to their host country. Only Norway, Finland and Malta do not demand admission fees. (IL/transl.jl)