Brussels, 28/05/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has called on Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to come to Luxembourg on 8 June this year with evidence to show the pressure being placed on their social systems due to workers from Eastern Europe.
End April, the four home ministers from the above countries drafted a letter to the Irish Presidency of the EU Council in which they speak of fraud and systematic abuse of the right of free movement by immigrants from other EU countries. In the letter, they call for legal and financial measures to be toughened up, in particular with regard to a ban on returning to the territory for a given time. The four ministers had, inter alia, called for reform of several directives to combat this phenomenon that they consider very widespread although they do not give any figures to uphold their argument. That, precisely, is what is being asked for by the three commissioners concerned - Viviane Reding (fundamental rights), Laszlo Andor (social affairs) and Cecilia Malmström (home affairs) - who, in their letter of 24 May addressed to Justice Minister Alan Shatter, hoped the relevant debate due to be held at the next Justice and Home Affairs Council would be based on “hard facts” and a real analysis of the situation, which they believe is the only way to have a truly pertinent discussion. The four countries are thus invited to provide all relevant elements and statistics in order to clarify the nature and scope of the problems highlighted by the ministers, the three commissioners write. They also point out in their letter the attachment that they feel for the “cornerstone” of free movement, the economic benefits of which have already been proven. (SP/transl.jl)