Brussels, 13/03/2001 (Agence Europe) - On the initiative of Antonio Vitorino, the European Commission adopted, on Tuesday, a draft Directive aiming to provide third country nationals that have resided in the EU for the last five years the status of long-term resident. This proposal is in accordance with the conclusions of the Tampere Summit on the 15-16 October 1999, according to which the legal long-term immigrants must have the equivalent right to those of European citizens.
The proposal covers economic migrants and recognised refugees; excluded from the scope of application are asylum seekers, beneficiaries from temporary protection and indirect protection and people whose stay is only temporary (seasonal or detached workers etc.). Those interested must have lived in the EU in a legal and uninterrupted manner for 5 years, have a minimal level of resources, and not represent a threat to law and order and internal security. They will receive a residency permit, issued according to the harmonised rules, for a duration of ten years and automatically renewable, and benefit from rights recognised on the basis of the principal of equal treatment with nationals, be it for access to employment and independent activities, education and vocational training, social protection etc. They will be permitted to freely travel from one Member State to another.