Strasbourg, 14/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 14 January, the leaders of the S&D, Greens/EFA and ALDE Groups at the European Parliament spoke out at a press conference in Strasbourg about the lies concerning free movement within the European Union. Problems of interpretation have appeared since the unrestricted opening of labour markets to Romanian and Bulgarian workers on 1 January 2014.
“There are very hypocritical discussions going on in Europe. The number is far from that which the media and politicians are presenting”, said chair of the S&D Group, Hannes Swoboda. Recalling that the “right of mobility in the EU is a fundamental right”, chair of the ALDE Group, Guy Verhoftadt, said that “the time has come to quote facts and figures”. In Verhofstadt's view, mobility in the EU is one of the weakest in the world at 2.8% - compared with 10% in the US, for example. “We lack mobility. The result is that there are millions of vacant posts in the EU”, which limits economic growth, he said.
Co-chair of the Greens/EFA Group, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, quoted the German right-wing conservative press, including Bild Zeitung, which recalled that the US was built thanks to poor immigrants. “The newspaper says 'look at the figures, it's rubbish, it's a story that's been made up'. There is no massive immigration in the social protection in Europe today. Over two thirds of the people who come - for example from Romania and Bulgaria - work, so this has a positive effect on social funds in the countries they come to.”
Verhofstadt stated that last year 170,000 people left Romania and 167,000 returned to it. “There is no migration flow outside Romania. The reason is simple - economic growth is higher in Romania than in most other countries in the EU”, he added. He also recalled that a person who relocates must prove that he/she is self-sufficient after three months in the host country and that he/she is not a burden for the new country.
Swoboda called for a better directive on posted workers, believing that the margin of interpretation for the member states is too wide. The trialogue on this issue begins on Wednesday 15 January.
MEPs will debate respect for the fundamental right of free movement in the EU on Wednesday 15 January and a report on the issue is due to be put to the vote in plenary on Thursday 16 January. (CG/transl.fl)